Covid Fraud

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Monday 29th June 2026 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what action they have taken regarding the recommendations in Pursuing Recoveries and Preventing Reoccurrence: Final Report of the Covid Counter Fraud Commissioner, published on 9 December 2025.

[The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Lord Livermore) (Lab)]

My Lords, on 23 June, I laid the Government’s response to the Covid Counter-Fraud Commissioner’s report before this House setting out our plan to pursue those who defrauded the state during a national emergency, to put money stolen by fraudsters back into the public services and to tighten our counter-fraud controls to make sure that this scale of fraud can never happen again.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for that reply, but does he not think it strange that Peter Murrell is in jail for embezzlement of £400,000 whereas not one person responsible for £10 billion of fraud has been charged, let alone convicted? Will the Government speed up their action to use legal methods against these people and recover the money, which, I am sure my noble friend will agree, will help balance his books?

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

I am very grateful to my noble friend for his question and his continued determination to see justice in this matter, which I share. Covid fraud and corruption is an appalling financial scandal that has cost UK taxpayers dearly. I thank the commissioner, Tom Hayhoe, for his tireless efforts to chase down fraud so that public money can be used as intended on public services such as hospitals and schools, as my noble friend said. The Government will continue relentlessly to pursue Covid fraud to retrieve taxpayers’ money, to hold those responsible to account and to ensure that such failures can never be repeated. In his report, the commissioner made 22 separate recommendations. The Government have fully accepted 18 and partially accepted the remaining four. The Treasury will now establish a Minister-chaired scrutiny panel to review the implementation of the recommendations every six months for at least the next two years.

Higher Earners: Emigration

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Thursday 21st May 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

A working person is someone who goes out to work.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, will the legislation in relation to Members of this House envisaged in the King’s Speech deal with those who are refusing to pay their fair share of tax?

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

I am happy to say that that is probably not a matter for me.

Defence, Security and Resilience Bank

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Tuesday 19th May 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

I welcome the noble Baroness’s conversion to spending more on defence; she had 14 years to do something about it but did not do anything. To ensure that the UK is prepared to respond to growing threats, the Chancellor has announced a £270 billion investment in defence over the course of this Parliament. We have already invested £5.6 billion more in defence this year alone compared with previous plans, and spending on defence is rising every single year of this Parliament. As the noble Baroness knows, NATO qualifying defence spending is set to rise to 2.6% of GDP by April next year. The Government have also set an ambition to spend 3% of GDP on defence in the next Parliament when economic and fiscal conditions allow. The defence investment plan will set out the MoD’s plans to ensure that resources are directed effectively to meet its priorities and deliver value for money for taxpayers. We are working hard to finalise that and it will be published shortly.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, will my noble friend confirm that much of the expenditure that he just referred to is in Scotland: in Edinburgh, in Fife, in the Clyde and in the islands? Does he think I am overoptimistic in hoping that the new Scottish Government will give some acknowledgement and credit to the UK Government for all that spending in Scotland?

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

I start by saying what a pleasure it is to take a question from my noble friend again and to welcome him back to the House. He is known for his optimism, so I hope I can join him in that. But he is absolutely right: 68% of defence spending goes to businesses outside London and the south-east, bolstering regional economies in Scotland and the north-west, which is why our defence industrial strategy that I was discussing earlier is so vital.

Making Tax Digital

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Wednesday 17th September 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

Yes.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

That was a good answer. I know that my noble friend the Minister is very diplomatic. But in view of the fact that there is huge controversy over the tax affairs of Mr Nigel Farage in relation to his house in Clacton and the huge amount of money that he gets from various sources, including GB News, is it not about time that the Government looked at asking Members of the other House to have their tax affairs made public?

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

It is not for me to comment on the tax affairs of any one individual.

Economic Growth

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Tuesday 16th September 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

It is a welcome return for the noble Lord and a pleasure to be asked a question by him again after a somewhat lengthy absence. The answer to his question is no. We heard from the Liberal Democrat Benches strong support for the investment we announced in the spending review. They supported— I think—every single piece of regional, transport, health, and education investment right across the board. Not a single piece of investment that we announced did they oppose, but they are now saying that they oppose the way in which we raise that money. That, I am afraid, is something we see on many Liberal Democrat leaflets across the country. It is also the route that led to the Liz Truss mini-Budget, wanting to support outcomes but not supporting the difficult measures to support those outcomes.

The noble Lord mentioned small business. We set out a very clear small business strategy to support small businesses in this country.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, the Minister confirmed that growth in the United Kingdom in the first half of this year was the highest of all the G7 countries. Does he agree that those opposite who question and challenge this are talking Britain down and playing into the hands of the people who were on the streets at the weekend undermining parliamentary democracy?

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

I certainly agree with the first half of my noble friend’s question. It is important to restate that the UK is the fastest-growing economy in the G7. The economy grew by 1% in the first half of this year, well above the OBR’s forecast of 0.6%. It is also worth drawing attention, as I did, to Lloyds’ latest business barometer, which shows business confidence rising for the fourth consecutive month. It is now at the highest level since 2015. UK firms remain optimistic about their own trading prospects, and firms remain upbeat about their business activity over the next 12 months.

Unpaid Tax

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Monday 7th July 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

I do not think the honours system is for me to comment on. The noble Lord will be pleased to know that we are taking the action I have already described, and we also intend to take further action to close the tax gap. At the Spring Statement, we published consultations on a wide range of issues, including widening the use of third-party data to help HMRC reduce error; strengthening HMRC’s ability to act against those tax advisors who facilitate non-compliance; and closing in on promoters of marketed tax avoidance.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, will the Minister give us an assurance that the Treasury will pursue Members, former Members and Members on leave of absence from this House with the same vigour as it pursues everyone else? In relation to one notorious tax dodger, will the Treasury accept the cash delivered in a JCB?

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

It is not for me to comment on individual tax affairs, but of course HMRC will treat every taxpayer fairly.

Spending Review 2025

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Thursday 12th June 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

Probably because of the inheritance that we faced from the party opposite, which did absolutely nothing to tackle or fund that issue. We have funded it in the spending review on the terms that the noble Baroness set out.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, in contrast to the moaning dirge we have from the Front Bench opposite, my inbox is full of emails congratulating the Government on the spending review, and from some unexpected sources, such as Liz Cameron, director of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, who welcomes the Acorn carbon capture go-ahead, the defence expenditure and the Edinburgh University supercomputer. That is a great welcome, but will the Minister confirm that the money being allocated to the Scottish Government is the largest ever grant since devolution? Will he do everything he can to make sure that that money is spent efficiently, effectively and according to our priorities?

Economic Growth

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Wednesday 11th June 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

I am grateful to the noble Lord for eventually getting to his question, but I am sorry that he chose to talk down the economy in the way that he did. I remind him that, when this Government took office, the UK was ranked seventh out of seven G7 economies projected for 2025. We currently have the fastest-growing economy in the G7. He talked about a report; let me give him another report. When the IMF last week upgraded the UK’s growth forecasts, it said that the Government’s fiscal strategy was striking a good balance between supporting growth and safeguarding fiscal sustainability, that the growth mission focuses on the right areas to lift productivity, and that our spending plans are credible and growth-friendly—spending plans that his party opposes. His party has opposed every single measure that we have taken to grow the economy.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, is the Minister aware that earlier this afternoon I had the great pleasure of being in the Peers’ Gallery to hear a brilliant speech by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which was followed by an awful diatribe from Mr Stride, or “Baby Steps” as he is now called? Does the Minister agree that he was not just talking down the economy like the noble Lord, Lord Booth; he was talking down Britain?

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

I very much agree with my noble friend on every word that he said. The spending review that we saw this afternoon from the Chancellor set out capital spending that increases growth by 1.4% in the long term. Every single penny of that capital spending has been opposed by the party opposite. The spending review set out a housing settlement—the biggest investment in a generation. It set out record levels of R&D spending, the biggest ever transport settlement, and a record commitment to skills investment. Every single penny of that spending was opposed by the party opposite. It can talk down Britain, but it opposes every single measure this Government are taking to increase growth in the economy.

Winter Fuel Payment

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Tuesday 10th June 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

I am grateful to the noble Lord for his question. I am sorry that he does not share the consensus in the House on the new policy position. He is absolutely right in his characterisation of the policy. I do not know what he earns, so it is not right for me to comment on that, but if he earns above the £35,000 threshold, it will be recovered through the tax system. He describes it as an extremely generous means test. It is kind of him to say that, but it is in line with average earnings and we have decided that that is the appropriate level it should be paid at.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, I declare an interest as co-chair of the all-party group on older persons. Is the Minister aware that Age UK, which really understands this issue and campaigned on it, welcomes unreservedly the Government’s decision—unlike the Conservatives, who say that they welcome the decision but would not find the money to pay for it? [Interruption.] That is exactly what the noble Baroness said. Will the Minister use his undoubted talents and tell them how they can reconcile that difference?

[Lord Livermore (Lab)]

I am grateful to my noble friend for his question. I pay tribute to him and to Age UK for the campaigning work they have done, not least to increase pension credit uptake. There was a record increase this year in the take-up of pension credit. An additional 60,000 people are now claiming pension credit, which is incredibly welcome.

We have listened to the concerns raised by Age UK, among others, about the level of the means test. We have now acted to ensure that, although we are still means testing the payment, we are raising the threshold to extend eligibility, so that this winter, more pensioners will be able to benefit from it. Nine million pensioners will now receive it—more than three-quarters of pensioners in total.

My noble friend is absolutely right about the party opposite: they are more than happy to spend the money, but they are less keen on raising it.

UK-US Trade

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock Excerpts

Monday 12th May 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Gustafsson (Lab)]

I will offer up that I agree that that would be a matter of opinion.

[Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, is the Minister, like me, fed up with the moaning coming from the Opposition? Does she agree that they had 14 years and did not negotiate any trade deal with the United States, so they are the last people who should be critical?

[Baroness Gustafsson (Lab)]

I would be very delicate about suggesting such a thing, but one of the things that we do really well within this nation is that, whichever side of the House we are sitting on, we all want to see the opportunity to trade and understand the value that it contributes to the UK economy. I think we can all agree that this is a really powerful first step that supports the great nation that we all operate within.