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Written Question
Electronic Cigarettes: Retail Trade
Thursday 21st March 2024

Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has had discussions with the UK Vaping Industry Association on its proposals for a vape retail licence.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has not had any discussions with the UK Vaping Industry Association on its proposals for a vape retail license, though we have received written representations on this issue. There are no current plans to introduce a licensing scheme. However, the Government recognises that strong enforcement is needed to tackle underage and illicit vape sales. The new Tobacco and Vapes Bill includes provisions to issue fixed penalty notices for underage tobacco and vape sales. This will complement existing powers that local authorities have to enforce age of sale legislation including fines of up to £2,500, and for the most serious offences, court orders to prevent the offending retailer from opening for a period.

In addition, we have committed to increasing investment for our enforcement agencies by £30 million per year, and at Spring Budget the Chancellor announced that the Government will introduce a new duty on vaping products, giving HM Revenue and Customs further powers to minimise fraud, introduce civil and criminal powers to seize illicit products and equipment, and issue penalties.


Written Question
Cybercrime
Thursday 14th March 2024

Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he has taken to tackle (a) online scams and (b) other cyber crime.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

Fraud is designated a priority offence under the Online Safety Act (OSA), meaning companies will be held to account if they fail to remove illegal content on their platforms. This is expected to have a strong impact on some of the highest harm fraud types, such as online purchase, investment and romance scams, as well as key fraud enablers such as the recruitment and use of money mules.

However, the OSA will take time to come into force. Therefore, the Government has also created the Online Fraud Charter: a voluntary agreement bringing together the largest companies in the tech sector, who have committed to a series of actions aimed at reducing fraud on their platforms and services. The Charter was signed on 30 November, and will deliver a much quicker and more targeted response than regulation: Online Fraud Charter - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Tackling cyber crime is at the heart of the Government’s National Cyber Strategy 2022-25, which is supported by £2.6 billion of investment through the National Cyber Fund.

As part of the Criminal Justice Bill, we are also introducing a new power for law enforcement and other investigative agencies to act to suspend IP addresses and domain names where they are being used for a criminal activity with a link to the UK.


Written Question
Cabinet Office: Fraud and Maladministration
Monday 11th March 2024

Asked by: Pat McFadden (Labour - Wolverhampton South East)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the amount of money lost to fraud and error by his Department in each of the last three financial years.

Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Government is proud of its record in proactively seeking to find and prevent more fraud in the system. As part of wider cross-government counter fraud investment, the government established the Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA). In its first year, the PSFA delivered £311 million in audited counter fraud benefits.

The PSFA produces a Fraud Landscape Report (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cross-government-fraud-landscape-annual-report-2022). This provides data on fraud and error detection, loss and recoveries in central government, outside of the tax and welfare system and includes the Cabinet Office. The 2020/21 Report was published in March 2023. To note it outlines all figures rounded to the nearest £0.1m.

In 2022-23, as published in the department’s Annual Reports and Accounts, the Cabinet Office detected error of £3.48m, of which £3.43m was recovered in year and detected fraud of £60k of which none has been recovered to date. Efforts to recover the detected fraud are continuing at this time. The Cabinet Office does not hold specific data on fraud for previous years.

The Cabinet Office does not recognise a loss arising from error or fraud until efforts to recover the funds have been explored. This means that write-offs of error and fraud usually occur in the years after the original problem arose.

Losses recognised and written off by the Cabinet Office for the last three years are:

2022/23 - £4,800

2021/22 - £327,400

2020/21 - £703,300


Written Question
Prison Officers: Training
Thursday 29th February 2024

Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many hours of compulsory corruption prevention training are undertaken by new prison officers during their basic training.

Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

All newly recruited prison officers receive a total of 8 hours of counter corruption training during their initial foundation training.

All HMPPS staff have access to an online e-learning platform called MyLearning. This platform enables staff to continue their professional development journey and offers additional learning which includes Basic Security Awareness and Counter Fraud, Bribery & Corruption. The Civil Service Expectations training package is also included on this platform which covers corruption, and is required learning for all HMPPS employees.

HMPPS have introduced a security investment programme that supports and strengthens staff resilience to corruption and provides ongoing awareness training for all staff


Written Question
Fraud: Greater London
Tuesday 27th February 2024

Asked by: Feryal Clark (Labour - Enfield North)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to help tackle fraud-related crime in (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) the London Borough of Enfield and (c) London.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

In May 2023, the Government published the Fraud Strategy which set out a national response to combat the threat. Fraud has since reduced 13% compared to last year (Sept 2022), including a 10% decrease in London. The rate has continued to decrease since the Fraud Strategy was launched in May 2023.

Through the new Online Safety Act and the Online Fraud Charter the Government is working to prevent the British public encountering fraud at source. The Fraud Strategy also committed £100m of investment in law enforcement, and created a new National Fraud Squad, to increase the disruption and prosecution of fraudsters. Furthermore, fraud will be made a priority for local police forces through the Strategic Policing Requirement.

We also launched the new national anti-fraud behaviour change campaign launched on 12th February, which will help people spot and take action to avoid fraud.


Written Question
Social Security Benefits: Fraud
Tuesday 27th February 2024

Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he is taking steps to improve investigations into benefit fraud.

Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

In May 2022 the Department for Work and Pensions launched a robust plan to drive down fraud and error from the benefits system.

The “Fighting Fraud in the Welfare System” plan sits alongside additional investment of £900 million that will deliver £2.4 billion of savings by the end of 24/25.


Written Question
Cybercrime: Wales
Tuesday 27th February 2024

Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to help tackle cyber-related crime in (a) Cardiff Central constituency, (b) Cardiff local authority area and (c) Wales.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

Tacking cyber crime is at the heart of the Government’s National Cyber Strategy 2022-25, which is supported by £2.6 billion of investment through the National Cyber Fund.

Key to delivery is ensuring that local policing has the resources needed to deal with the cyber threats we face. In 2023/24, the Home Office is receiving £18 million from the National Cyber Fund to provide a range of capabilities and resource to tackle and respond to cyber crime. This funding is supplemented by a further £16 million of Home Office funding through the Police Settlement Programme.

This funding continues to build law enforcement capabilities at the national, regional, and local levels to ensure they have the capacity and expertise to deal with the perpetrators and victims of cyber crime. We directly fund a specialist Cyber Crime Unit at South Wales Police, and more specialist teams at the TARIAN Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU). This ROCU team is integral to our response to high-harm, high-impact crimes like cyber extortion, and is a multi-disciplinary team of police officers and police staff seconded from the three forces of South Wales, Gwent and Dyfed-Powys.

TARIAN ROCU works closely with South Wales Police Cyber Crime Unit and work to intervene if people are deemed at risk of becoming involved in cyber offending. This includes working with young and vulnerable individuals offering other intervention and diversion opportunities to young people outside of cyber education, such as life skills, and job interview skills. South Wales Police Cyber Crime Unit engage with all local authorities within the area to ensure effective delivery.

Businesses and organisations based in Wales work closely with ROCUs across the private and public sectors, and at community level. Additionally working collaboratively with the Welsh Government to support the offer of funding to Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) for Cyber Essential training, which is a government backed scheme that helps protect organisations against a range of cyber attacks.

We have also rolled out Regional Cyber Resilience Centres in Wales and in each of the other nine policing regions. The Centres are a collaboration between the police, public, private sector and academic partners to provide cyber security advice to SME’s so that they can protect themselves better in a digital age. Details of the Cyber Resilience Centre for Wales can be found at www.wcrcentre.co.uk

All vulnerable victims of fraud and cyber crime in Wales receive contact and PROTECT advice from law enforcement, specifically aimed at helping them to protect themselves in future from revictimization.


Written Question
Cybercrime: Solihull
Thursday 18th January 2024

Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to tackle cyber-related crime in Solihull constituency.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

Tackling cyber crime is at the heart of the Government’s National Cyber Strategy 2022-25, which is supported by £2.6 billion of investment through the National Cyber Fund.

Key to delivery is ensuring that local policing has the resources needed to deal with the cyber threats we face. In 2023/24, the Home Office is receiving £18 million from the National Cyber Fund to provide a range of capabilities and resource to tackle and respond to cyber crime. This funding is supplemented by a further £16 million of Home Office funding through the Police Settlement Programme.

This funding continues to build law enforcement capabilities at the national, regional, and local levels to ensure they have the capacity and expertise to deal with the perpetrators and victims of cyber crime. We directly fund a specialist Cyber Crime Unit at West Midlands Police, which covers Solihull, and another, more specialist team, at the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU). This ROCU team is integral to our response to high-harm, high-impact crimes like cyber extortion.

This Regional Cyber Crime Unit for West Midlands (RCCUWM) also works with businesses and organisations based in Solihull, across the private and public sectors, and at community level. Under the Local Resilience Forum, RCCUWM work with Solihull Council, amongst others, to build stronger cyber security and resilience. A key part of RCCUWM’s work is to ensure the integrity of our Critical National Infrastructure providers, and they have a long-standing partnership with NHS Birmingham Solihull (BSOL) Integrated Care System and NHS England.

We have also rolled out Regional Cyber Resilience Centres in London and each of the nine policing regions, including the West Midlands.  These are a collaboration between the police, public, private sector and academic partners to provide cyber security advice to Small and Medium Sized Enterprises so that they can protect themselves better in a digital age. Details of the Cyber Resilience Centre for the West Midlands can be found at Cyber Resilience | The Cyber Resilience Centre For The West Midlands (wmcrc.co.uk)

All vulnerable victims of fraud and cyber crime in Solihull receive contact and Protect advice from law enforcement, specifically aimed at helping them to protect themselves in future from revictimization.

The specialist RCCUWM Prevent Team also work to intervene if people are deemed at risk of becoming involved in cyber offending. RCCUWM deliver the National Cyber Choices programme and have delivered multiple initiatives across Solihull, including working with schools to help them identify those at risk. Solihull local police officers support these important safeguarding interventions.


Written Question
Fraud: Solihull
Wednesday 17th January 2024

Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to tackle fraud-related crime in Solihull constituency.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

In May 2023, the Government published the Fraud Strategy which set out a national response to combat the threat.

Through the new Online Safety Act and the Online Fraud Charter the Government is working to prevent the British public encountering fraud at source. The Fraud Strategy also committed £100m of investment in law enforcement, and created a new National Fraud Squad, to increase the disruption and prosecution of fraudsters. Furthermore, fraud will be made a priority for local police forces through the Strategic Policing Requirement.

Overall, fraud in England and Wales has reduced 13% compared to last year. There has also been a 5% decrease in the number of fraud reports made in the West Midlands, demonstrating progress on the Fraud Strategy’s commitment to protecting the public’s hard-earned money.

We will shortly be launching a new national Anti-Fraud campaign, which will further equip the public with the tools they need to spot and take preventative action to avoid fraud.


Written Question
Unpaid Taxes
Tuesday 21st November 2023

Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the closure of the Taxpayer Protection Taskforce on trends in the level of uncollected tax.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

At Budget 2021, the government announced an investment of over £100 million in the Taxpayer Protection Taskforce to combat error and fraud in the COVID-19 financial support schemes administered by HMRC. This investment enabled HMRC to deploy compliance staff to the Taxpayer Protection Taskforce for the lifetime of the taskforce, and to backfill for those staff to prevent an opportunity cost to the collection of tax revenues.

As planned, HMRC began to transition the activity and the staff working on the taskforce into business-as-usual tax compliance activity from March 2023.

Our compliance activity on the COVID-19 support schemes up to end September 2023 has protected over £1.6 billion worth of grants. This is made up of £430 million prevented from being paid out and over £1.2 billion recovered from overpayments.

We remain committed to tackling error and fraud in the COVID-19 support schemes where this is the most cost-effective use of resources.