Oral Answers to Questions

David Burton-Sampson Excerpts

Tuesday 23rd June 2026 Commons Chamber

[Dan Tomlinson]

I thank the hon. Member for the representations she makes on behalf of the businesses in her constituency. This Government are taking every step we can—within the tight fiscal constraints that we inherited from the previous Government—to reform, and invest in, our business rates system so that we can raise revenue in a fair and sustainable way. I am sure that the Chancellor and colleagues across Government will continue to listen to representations and consider what further changes we can make at the Budget to support businesses.

[David Burton-Sampson (Southend West and Leigh) (Lab)]

T10. The Tory Government squandered billions of pounds of public money on covid fraud, waste and corruption. Will the Chancellor tell the House what measures she is taking to address this issue on behalf of taxpayers?

[Rachel Reeves]

Today the Government have responded to the covid counter-fraud commissioner’s recommendations in a report that I commissioned, which confirms that the Conservative Government left the door open to more than £10 billion of pandemic fraud. That is money that could have gone into our NHS and our schools, and we have acted in the last two years to claw it back. Today we set out how we will go even further, launching a powerful new public authorities fraud investigation and enforcement service, with new powers to ensure that we get that money back directly from fraudsters’ bank accounts. Nearly 2,000 directors have been disqualified and 86 criminals have been prosecuted in actions that will bring more money back to the public purse. I want those who have defrauded the taxpayer to know: there is nowhere to hide; we are coming after you; you will pay that money back.