Select committee: Public Accounts Committee
Conclusion 14
Sixty-Ninth Report - Tackling fraud and corruption against government
Published 8 Sep 2023
Addressed to HM Treasury
Public Accounts Committee Tackling fraud and corruption against government All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
In 2021, HM Treasury commissioned GCFF to undertake a Workforce and Performance Review (WPR) to map the counter-fraud resources and delivery outcomes of 70 central government organisations.42 HM Treasury and Cabinet Office said that the WPR exercise will now be an annual undertaking to enable government to focus on areas, particularly outside the tax and welfare systems, most in need of improvements.43 HM Treasury explained that in return for its investment in government’s counter-fraud capability, and to encourage a culture change in public bodies’ attitudes towards tackling fraud and corruption, it will ask for organisations to achieve, or work towards, a return of £3 for every £1 they spend on counter-fraud activities.44 PSFA told us that a 3 to 1 return on investment is a “reasonable place to start” but expectations will have to be tailored to reflect the risk profile of organisations.45 37 Qq 17, 34–36 38 Q 17; C&AG’s Report, Figure 10 39 Q 38 40 Q 49; C&AG’s Report, para 3.8 41 Q 50 42 C&AG’s Report, para 2.11 43 Qq 39, 48 44 Q 65 45 Qq 66–67 14 Tackling fraud and corruption against government 2 Government’s response Designing out fraud and corruption
From: Public Accounts Committee, Sixty-Ninth Report - Tackling fraud and corruption against government (HC 1230), 8 September 2023
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 18 November 2023 (deadline 8 November 2023).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government agrees with most of the Committee's recommendations on tackling fraud and corruption against government, but disagrees with the recommendation for a separate annual strategic intelligence report.
- On a strategic intelligence report, the government disagrees. The PSFA "will not publish a separate strategic intelligence report", and says it will not publish information that could increase the fraud threat by showing how attacks could be executed.
- It will continue to publish annual Fraud Landscape Reports and bulletins. It says separating fraud from error requires determining intent, which is "cost intensive", so this is left to the discretion of individual departments.
- The government agrees the PSFA should update the Committee in 12 months on the outcome of the next Workforce and Performance Review, with a target implementation date of September 2024.
- On a cross-government communications strategy, the government agrees, with a target implementation date of June 2024. A working group "will develop and maintain a cross-government communications plan".