Unclear digital fraud guidelines

#199 —

Built Environment Committee

Recommendation: We were disappointed to learn of the Government’ s decision to not consult on nutrient and water neutrality guidance despite time being available. This choice was unnecessary and led to serious ramifications. It is indicative of a wider issue: communication …

Response attribution not verified

#198 —

Built Environment Committee

Recommendation: In a similar vein, despite a consultation on Environmental Outcome Reports (EORs), we were told that how the new system will operate, following the passing of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill, remains unclear. 261 The Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform …

Response attribution not verified

#197 —

Built Environment Committee

Recommendation: Witnesses were of mixed opinions about the process for introducing biodiversity net gain. We heard from a volume housebuilder that the timeframe for introduction was appropriate and that, because housebuilders were fully consulted, they had been able to plan. 256 …

Response attribution not verified

#196 —

Built Environment Committee

Recommendation: We heard condemnation of the lack of communication in advance of Natural England’s advice on nutrient and water neutrality, as well as the subsequent lack of and contradictory advice. 252 Natural England indicated that it worked on the advice for …

Response attribution not verified

#195 —

Built Environment Committee

Recommendation: The Environment Agency and Natural England work with several organisations, including specific development industry groups, to communicate changes and strengthen the capability of the sector. 249 Nonetheless we heard that there is not a single source of information on issues …

Response attribution not verified

#194 —

Built Environment Committee

Recommendation: Interrelated legislation and guidance, developed in isolation, has made it difficult for developers to understand what they must deliver and when. 248

Response attribution not verified

#190 —

Built Environment Committee

Recommendation: This interpretation of the law could mean that, in some cases, a permission already given will be lost because tests that did not apply at the time that it was granted have been applied retrospectively. As the Ministerial statement made …

Response attribution not verified

#37 —

Built Environment Committee

Recommendation: The disparity in providing additional support between those areas impacted by nutrient and water neutrality is both unfair and illogical. Given the proliferation of new advice, ensuring early understanding and solutions are available could have wide reaching benefits.

Response attribution not verified

#23 —

Built Environment Committee

Recommendation: Given the importance of site condition and classification to the planning process and decision making there should be greater transparency over the assessment process. Natural England should publish its detailed scientific justification for any site assessment in an easily accessible …

Response attribution not verified

#3 —

Built Environment Committee

Recommendation: It does not help the Government achieve its policy commitments if local planning authorities operate without clear, consistent, achievable, and co-ordinated national policies. National political leadership needs to be shown in setting out which priorities should prevail when individually important …

Response attribution not verified

#25 —

International Agreements Committee

Recommendation: We welcome the positive impact the Electronic Trade Documents Act has had for trading businesses, and encourage the Government to cooperate with partners, including through the G7 and G20, to support wider implementation of similar legal frameworks.

Response attribution not verified

#192 —

Financial Services Regulation Committee

Recommendation: Firms have told us that uncertainty around the FCA’s expectations on the Consumer Duty, including over which markets and customers it applies to is causing them to take an overly risk-averse approach to complying with the Duty, adding unnecessary volume …

Response attribution not verified

#191 —

Financial Services Regulation Committee

Recommendation: It has been almost two years since the Consumer Duty was introduced—the FCA must work at pace to remove redundant or duplicative rules and requirements to provide firms with the certainty and clarity they need to maximise the Duty’s benefits.

Response attribution not verified

#187 —

Financial Services Regulation Committee

Recommendation: The FCA’s implementation of the Consumer Duty has introduced considerable uncertainty for domestic and international firms operating in the UK. This uncertainty is driven by a lack of clarity on the FCA’s expectations as to how firms should comply with …

Response attribution not verified

#182 —

Financial Services Regulation Committee

Recommendation: Some witnesses told us that the uncertainty around the application of Consumer Duty had driven a risk-averse approach. Monzo told us: “Consumer Duty’s ambiguity drives risk-aversion” and “the lack of clarity around their application is prompting banks and fintechs to …

Response attribution not verified

#179 —

Financial Services Regulation Committee

Recommendation: However, we also heard from a number of witnesses that implementing the Consumer Duty has been difficult due to, as the Investment Association suggested, “the ambiguity of the rules” and the lack of clarity provided by the FCA. The Investment …

Response attribution not verified

#177 —

Financial Services Regulation Committee

Recommendation: However, whilst witnesses supported the underlying objective of the Consumer Duty, they told us that its implementation by the FCA has generated considerable uncertainty. We also heard a range of concerns about the impact of Consumer Duty, specifically that the …

Response attribution not verified

#16 — No clear explanation received for addressing internal market issues from Precision Breeding Act

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The Committee did not receive a clear or satisfactory explanation of how the Government intends to address UK internal market issues created by the England only Precision Breeding Act. (Conclusion, Paragraph 51)

Response attribution not verified

#13 — Provide and publish a clear, realistic transition timetable for common SPS area

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The Government should provide a clear, realistic transition timetable for moving to a common SPS area, published with key milestones at least 12–24 months in advance. This must not be subject to repeated changes, and implementation plans should be developed …

Response attribution not verified

#12 — Frequent border policy changes cause disruption, requiring realistic and stable timelines

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Frequent border policy changes over recent years have created disruption, uncertainty and financial pressure for port health and local authorities. Stakeholders are clear that another shift in border regimes will only be manageable if timelines are realistic, communicated early, and …

Response attribution not verified

#1 — Clarify inclusion of on-farm animal welfare and labelling in EU SPS negotiations

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: The Government must urgently clarify whether on-farm animal welfare and labelling will be included in negotiations with the EU of an SPS agreement so it can properly develop any future legislative changes, prepare industry for reforms and so those changes …

Response attribution not verified

#6 — Urgently publish timeline for extending Awaab's Law to all hazards by March 2026.

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: The Government must urgently set and publish the timeline for extending Awaab’s Law to all remaining hazards, so that tenants and social landlords have clarity about when they can expect these new regulations to apply. This should be produced no …

Response attribution not verified

#5 — Provide clear roadmap and guidance for the remaining phases of Awaab's Law.

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: Even though social landlords have been anticipating the introduction of Awaab’s Law for some time, the way the Government managed the introduction of Phase 1 unnecessarily added to the uncertainty and complexity providers had to grapple with to ensure they …

Response attribution not verified

#20 —

International Agreements Committee

Recommendation: We welcome the UK’s working to achieve a plurilateral agreement within the WTO framework to improve the rulebook on digital trade.

Response attribution not verified

#19 —

Financial Services Regulation Committee

Recommendation: The continued development and integration of new technologies, such as digital assets and AI, into the financial services sector may alter how sections of this industry function. We are concerned by evidence to suggest that the UK regulators may not …

Response attribution not verified

#37 —

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Recommendation: We urge the government to make both Local and National Listed Building Consent Orders a standard and accessible route for the approval of low- risk and routine heritage works by supporting Local Planning Authorities to consider their immediate adoption. This …

Response status not verified

#36 —

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Recommendation: Where Local Listed Building Consent Orders have been used, they have reduced administrative burdens, lowered costs and provided greater clarity for applicants and authorities alike, enabling straightforward and low-risk works to proceed efficiently. However, their implementation remains uneven and the …

Response status not verified

#34 —

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Recommendation: While the government’s proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework are welcome, they must go further to address the persistent delays, inconsistency and administrative burden experienced by developers, owners and community organisations. Without change in how the system operates …

Response status not verified

#22 —

Science and Technology Committee (Commons)

Recommendation: The government should provide clearer and more detailed guidance on how institutions should approach research security, aligned with its wider strategy for international collaboration, as set out in chapter 1. This should include better information-sharing between government and institutions to …

Response status not verified

#20 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department acknowledged that its voluntary approach to working with industry had caused inconsistencies for victims and explained that it was beginning to introduce some mandatory measures. For example, it told us that only about 50% of victims of authorised …

Response attribution not verified

#19 — Department identified two potential fraud incidents totaling £2.2 million in COVID-19 loans

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: As at December 2024, the Department had identified two possible incidents of fraud among its borrowers, relating to loans valued at £2.2 million.47 It told us that it considered the level of fraud in its COVID–19 loans to be relatively …

Response attribution not verified

#49 — Ensure forthcoming Fraud Strategy includes specific measures tackling chargeback scams and friendly fraud.

Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee

Recommendation: The Government should ensure that the forthcoming Fraud Strategy contains specific measures on tackling chargeback scams and friendly fraud in order to help SMEs in fighting this phenomenon. (Recommendation, Paragraph 172) High street regeneration

Response status not verified

#48 — Chargeback scams pose a significant and growing threat to SME viability.

Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee

Recommendation: Chargeback scams represent a major and growing threat to SME viability. The Government must improve protections against friendly fraud as a central part of its approach to supporting and protecting small businesses. (Conclusion, Paragraph 171)

Response status not verified

#1 — Epidemic of fraud is increasing, accelerating during pandemic, with no reversal in sight.

Justice Committee

Recommendation: There is currently an epidemic of fraud in England and Wales. The level of fraud has been increasing year on year and this growth accelerated during the pandemic to an unprecedented level. As the country emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic, …

Response attribution not verified

#39 —

Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee

Recommendation: The government must ensure that planning policy and regulation enable and prioritise, rather than inhibit, climate adaptation and the decarbonisation of historic buildings. This work must include clearer national guidance for local authorities, reform of energy performance certificate methodology to …

Response status not verified

#5 —

Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee

Recommendation: A Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement with the EU is on balance in the UK’s interest. It will help support increased trade in agricultural goods. However, greater transparency and guidance is needed on its potential impacts on affected businesses. Clarity …

Response status not verified

#9 —

Human Rights (Joint Committee)

Recommendation: The Home Office and relevant enforcement bodies should develop clear guidance on how FIRS data can be used to support investigations into TNR, and regular reviews should be conducted to assess the scheme’s effectiveness in this regard. (Recommendation, Paragraph 34)

Response attribution not verified

#26 —

Treasury Committee

Recommendation: We recommend that the Government urgently legislates to give the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) powers to make reimbursement mandatory, and that the PSR then take rapid action to protect consumers. We recommend that the PSR and Treasury accelerate their consultation …

Gov response: We recognise and share the Committee’s concerns regarding payments fraud. The government is committed to tackling fraud within payment networks and recognises the actions of the financial services industry to help tackle Authorised Push Payment …

Position Not Stated

#23 —

Treasury Committee

Recommendation: The Government should build on these foundations when it updates the Economic Crime Plan. But it should also ensure that regulators and law enforcement agencies have the powers they need to ensure that online companies provide them with information and …

Gov response: The government welcomes the Committee’s support of the establishment of the Online Fraud Steering Group and its sub-groups. We look forward to seeing the products of this partnership, both in developing the collective understanding of …

Position Not Stated

#22 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: City of London Police acknowledged that having the mechanisms to work internationally is important to allow the government to work proactively to tackle fraud. However, the NCA was admitted that government “really do have a lot more to do” when …

Response attribution not verified

#21 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Fraud is a global issue and criminals are increasingly using the internet to target victims from anywhere in the world. In the year to June 2022, 80% of frauds in England and Wales were enabled through computer technology, and the …

Response attribution not verified

#8 — High levels of unrecovered fraud and error found in first wave business grants.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department estimated fraud and error levels of £985 million were contained in the £11.7 billion grant funding provided for the first wave of business support grant schemes (Small Business Grant Fund; Retail Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund; and Local …

Response attribution not verified

#11 — Widespread bogus company registrations for fraud demand attention; new Companies House powers may improve protection.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: HMRC highlighted a more widespread problem with bogus registrations, where companies hijack taxpayers’ identities in an attempt to defraud HMRC.35 We have received written evidence on the time it takes for HMRC to resolve these cases and the distress this …

Response attribution not verified

#7 — Complex financial structures obscure water company finances and enable bad practices

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

Recommendation: Complex financial structures are not necessarily a problem, but they can obscure water company finances, enable bad practices, undermine transparency and worsen the public perception of water companies. Water companies increasingly look like financial institutions rather than businesses servicing monopolised …

Response status not verified

#34 — Introduce caps on business energy out-of-contract rates, deposits, and a 14-day cooling-off period.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: We recommend that Ofgem introduce a cap on out-of-contract rates and deposits that can be charged by suppliers to agree or renew business energy contracts. It should also introduce a mandatory 14-day cooling off period following a business energy bill …

Response attribution not verified

#33 — Exploitative practices rampant in non-domestic energy market, targeting resource-poor business owners.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: We are greatly concerned by exploitative practices in the non-domestic energy market, especially instances of mis-selling and pressure selling, as well as excessive deposits and out-of-contract rates. These practices exploit resource-poor business owners who often lack the time and knowledge …

Response attribution not verified

#23 — Smart meter rollout remains sluggish, unreliable, and fails to achieve adequate GB coverage.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: The smart meter rollout has been sluggish, unreliable and has failed to achieve adequate coverage across Great Britain. Poor levels of reliability mean that many consumers are unable to benefit from more accurate billing, which has increased the occurrence of …

Response attribution not verified

#22 — Limit smart meter back-billing period to six months and publish supplier penalty data for breaches.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: Ofgem should limit the back billing period to six months for customers with a smart meter. It should also publish annual data on the penalties it gives energy suppliers for breaching its back billing rules. (Recommendation, Paragraph 79)

Response attribution not verified

#21 — High energy costs exacerbate severe impacts of billing issues, leading to overdue back bills.

Energy Security and Net Zero Committee

Recommendation: Energy bills are generally becoming more accurate, but the high cost of energy means that when billing issues do occur, the impacts are felt far more severely. In an era of smart metering, it is unacceptable that back bills are …

Response attribution not verified

#10 — Implement immediate steps to improve fraud reporting mechanisms and case progression for victims.

Justice Committee

Recommendation: Individual police forces do not have the capacity to manage the volume of fraud reports made and so it is vital that there is an effective reporting service that is victim-focused and can deal consistently with reports and progress cases …

Response attribution not verified