Asked by: Lord Sikka (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the amount of fines paid by each of the water companies in each of the past five years.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We will not let companies get away with illegal activity and where breaches are found, the regulators will not hesitate to hold companies to account.
The Water (Special Measures) Bill will provide the most significant increase in enforcement powers to the regulators in a decade, giving them the teeth they need to take tougher action against water companies in the next investment period, which is due to start in April this year.
Details of the enforcement action taken against water companies by regulators are available on the relevant regulator’s websites.
Enforcement action by Drinking Water Inspectorate can be found on the DWI website.
Enforcement action by Ofwat can be found on the Ofwat website.
Enforcement action by the Environment Agency can be found on the EA website.
Asked by: Lord Sikka (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to investigate the affairs of Avis Capital Limited (Company number 10465466), given that it has reported that it is a dormant company which filed accounts with Company House indicating it had net assets of £58,155,255,471.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
His Majesty’s Government takes allegations of suspicious company filings and any concerns raised seriously. As such, the Minister for Employment Rights, Competition and Markets has asked Companies House to investigate the allegations surrounding Avis Capital Limited.
Companies House are aware of concerns that have been raised about the highlighted company. Where such concerns are raised, Companies House will look into these matters further and, where necessary, take appropriate action.
Asked by: Lord Sikka (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many unexplained wealth orders were issued in each year since 2018; what was the value of the wealth involved; what amount was recovered; and how many prosecutions and convictions took place.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Unexplained Wealth Order (UWO) regime was introduced in the Criminal Finances Act 2017. The number of UWOs obtained, wealth involved (estimated value of assets secured and estimated value of assets recovered) and number of prosecutions and convictions is outlined below.
Year | Number of operations that obtained a UWO | Estimated Value of Assets secured | Estimated Value of Recovery Order obtained | Number of Prosecutions/ Convictions |
2018 | 1 | £30,000,000 | £12,000,000 | NIL |
2019 | 3 | £113,200,000 | £10,000,000 | |
2020 | 0 |
|
| |
2021 | 0 |
|
| |
2022 | 0 |
|
| |
2023 | 1 | £1,800,000 |
| |
2024 | 1 | £275,000 |
| |
2025 | 1 | £1,500,000 |
| |
Total | 7 | £146,775,000 | £22,000,000 |
|
It is important to note that a UWO is only an investigatory order into an asset. A number of the UWO investigations listed that have not resulted in civil recovery proceedings are ongoing investigations. Any property subject to a UWO can be frozen whilst under an investigation which disrupts criminal activity but the property itself cannot be recovered using a UWO, it must be recovered through subsequent civil recovery proceedings. Civil recovery proceedings apply to assets rather than individuals so require no prosecution or criminal conviction.
The Government publishes statistics annually on the number of UWOs applied for and obtained. The most recent report can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/unexplained-wealth-orders-2023-to-2024-annual-report/unexplained-wealth-orders-2023-to-2024-annual-report
Asked by: Lord Sikka (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many corporations have been prosecuted and convicted for tax evasion under the Criminal Finances Act 2017.
Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Ministry of Justice publishes data on prosecutions and convictions for a wide range of offences including for tax evasion under the Criminal Finances Act 2017 in the Outcomes by Offences data tool. This can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.
Since its introduction, there have been no prosecutions or convictions of corporations for the following two specific tax evasion offences recorded under the Criminal Finances Act 2017 in England and Wales:
1) Relevant body fail to prevent facilitation of UK tax evasion; and,
2) Relevant body fail to prevent facilitation of foreign tax evasion offence.
Asked by: Lord Sikka (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the Office for National Statistics will publish their latest data on winter deaths; what criteria they will use to calculate them; and whether they have any plans to return to a static reporting date.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority.
The Lord Sikka
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
31 January 2025
Dear Lord Sikka,
As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking when the Office for National Statistics (ONS) will publish their latest data on winter deaths; what criteria they will use to calculate them; and whether they have any plans to return to a static reporting date (HL4448).
The ONS previously published a regular release on winter mortality in England and Wales. However, following the recent consultation on health and social care statistical outputs[1], this release has been paused to enable a review of the methodology and timeliness of the statistics to be completed. Once the review is complete, a proposal on the future status of this output will be published.
The ONS does publish regular statistics on deaths registered each week[2] which may be of interest to you. This includes deaths registered over the winter period as well as estimates of excess deaths using the methodology that was implemented in February 2024[3].
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sir Ian Diamond
Asked by: Lord Sikka (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the median state pension for (1) men, and (2) women, (a) before 2016, and (b) since 2016.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Information on amounts of State Pension by gender are available at DWP Stat-Xplore. The table below provides information on the Median State Pension amount for (i) people who reached State Pension age before 6th April 2016 and will get the basic State Pension and may get earnings-related additional State Pension, and (ii) those who reached State Pension age on or after 6th April 2016, who get the new State Pension. The information in the table below is based on the latest available quarter ending May 2024.
| Median Weekly Pre-2016 SP (bSP) May 2024 (£) | Median Weekly Post-2016 SP (nSP) May 2024 (£) |
Male | 219.93 | 220.96 |
Female | 191.04 | 220.53 |
Total | 204.06 | 220.74 |
Asked by: Lord Sikka (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people have been prosecuted under section 36 of the Financial Services (Banking Reform) Act 2013 in each of the years since its inception; and what outcomes were achieved.
Answered by Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database has not recorded any prosecutions under section 36 of the Financial Services (Banking Reform) Act 2013 since its introduction.
Please see the offence group classification which lists the offences available to view in the Outcomes by Offence tool available via the following link: Criminal Justice System statistics quarterly: December 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). This provides information on the number of prosecutions, convictions, sentences and sentence outcomes in England and Wales.
Asked by: Lord Sikka (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Offord of Garvel on 13 May (HL Deb col 456), what were the titles of the cases prosecuted by the Department of Work and Pensions against postmasters in England and Wales, and in each case what was (1) the date of proceedings, (2) the location of the court, and (3) the outcome.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department is aware of 61 Post Office members of staff who were prosecuted by DWP between 2001 and 2006. Each of the cases involved welfare-related fraud offences. In most cases this involved encashment of stolen benefit payment order books. There is no evidence that any of the cases prosecuted by DWP relied on the Horizon system. They followed lengthy, complex investigations, relying on multiple sources of evidence.
Until 2012, DWP prosecuted its own cases. The cases were handled by DWP Solicitors who would instruct Counsel to represent DWP at Court. In March 2012, the prosecutorial function of the DWP was assigned to the Crown Prosecution Service.
In the early 2000’s the Department moved to paying benefits automatically into people’s bank accounts which significantly reduced the opportunity for benefit fraud, including potential offences by Post Office staff.
To assist, please find attached a table setting out the information the Department holds for each of the 61 cases. The information includes the date of conviction, the location of the court, and the sentence (outcome) for each of the 61 cases.
Asked by: Lord Sikka (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to publish a list of the cases of sub-postmaster prosecutions which have been initiated by the Department of Work and Pensions between 1999 and 2018 and subsequently passed to the Crown Prosecution Service; and the outcome of each of those cases.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department is aware of 61 Post Office members of staff who were prosecuted by DWP between 2001 and 2006. Each of the cases involved welfare-related fraud offences. In most cases this involved encashment of stolen benefit payment order books. There is no evidence that any of the cases prosecuted by DWP relied on the Horizon system. They followed lengthy, complex investigations, relying on multiple sources of evidence.
Until 2012, DWP prosecuted its own cases. The cases were handled by DWP Solicitors who would instruct Counsel to represent DWP at Court. In March 2012, the prosecutorial function of the DWP was assigned to the Crown Prosecution Service.
In the early 2000’s the Department moved to paying benefits automatically into people’s bank accounts which significantly reduced the opportunity for benefit fraud, including potential offences by Post Office staff.
To assist, please find attached a table setting out the information the Department holds for each of the 61 cases. The information includes the date of conviction, the location of the court, and the sentence (outcome) for each of the 61 cases.
Asked by: Lord Sikka (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the recommendations of Lord Myners published in March 2001 in Institutional Investment in the United Kingdom: A Review will form part of their growth and productivity plans.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Institutional investment is vital for growth, and investment in starts ups and scale ups is an important part of that. The Myners Report contains valuable insights that are still valuable today. However, the pensions market in particular is now significantly different than it was in 2001. The Chancellor has launched a landmark pensions review which will focus on increasing investment, improving saver returns and tackling waste in the pensions system. This is alongside other major initiatives to drive economic growth such as the National Wealth Fund to mobilise private capital and institutional investment.