Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether representatives of (a) India, (b) the Philippines, (c) Indonesia, (d) Nigeria, (e) Ghana and (f) South Africa were invited to the Global Fraud Summit held at Lancaster House from 11-12 March 2024.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

The Home Secretary convened the first ever Global Fraud Summit, featuring Ministers and representatives from across 11 countries as well as international institutions to agree a co-ordinated action plan to dismantle international fraud networks. With over 70% of the UK fraud threat having an overseas element, strengthening international collaboration is critical.

The countries included in the summit were those with a similar pattern of victimisation, aiming to develop joint working and share best practice. We are also working bilaterally with a number of countries, including some of the ones listed in the question and have already agreed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigerian Government which includes a strategic dialogue on online fraud.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the press notice entitled UK hosts world leaders for first Global Fraud Summit, published on 11 March 2024, if he will publish the evidential basis on which the statement was made that £3 billion was lost to overseas accounts last year as a result of fraud.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

The £3 billion figure is an estimate of the UK fraud losses that either originated abroad or had an international element.

This estimate combines data on the fraud losses that was publicly available over the period of Financial Year 22/23 on the Action Fraud dashboard (the latest Action Fraud data can be found here NFIB Dashboard (Public) (arcgis.com), with the estimate that over 70% of fraud originated abroad or has an international element, which was published in the Fraud Strategy Tackling fraud and rebuilding trust (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to paragraph 137 of the Fraud Strategy, published on 3 May 2023, whether any country considered by his Department to be financially benefiting from fraud was in attendance at the Global Fraud Summit held at Lancaster House from 11-12 March 2024.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

We currently have no assessment of which countries are benefitting from fraud.

We are determined that through strong international collaboration, we will raise global standards and push forward a co-ordinated approach to tackle fraud.

This is why we hosted the first Global Fraud Summit and agreed an ambitious plan for tackling fraud across the world.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to her Department's Freedom of Information response of 29 January to the Rt Hon Member for Islington South and Finsbury of 29 January 2024 (reference number FOI2023/08394), how many freeports were recorded as having an amount of capital expenditure resulting from verified foreign direct investment of (a) £0, (b) £1 to £500,000, (c) £500,001 to £10,000,000, (d) £10,000,001 to £100,000,000, (e) £100,000,001 to £400,000,000, (f) £400,000,001 to £640,000,000 and (g) more than £640,000,000 between 1 December 2021 and 29 February 2024.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

There is an expectation that FDI performance of UK Freeports will be assessed in the upcoming annual report on the programme that DLUHC will be releasing in Summer. The data used in the FOI remain the most recent in the public domain.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to her Department's Freedom of Information response of 29 January 2024 to the Rt Hon Member for Islington South and Finsbury of 29 January (reference number FOI2023/08394), how many freeports were recorded as having a number of jobs created as a result of verified foreign direct investment of (a) zero, (b) 1 to 50, (c) 51 to 150, (d) 151 to 250, (e) 251 to 400, (f) 401 to 710 and (g) more than 710 between 1 December 2021 and 29 February 2024.

Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)

There is an expectation that FDI performance of UK Freeports will be assessed in the upcoming annual report on the programme that DLUHC will be releasing in Summer. The data used in the FOI remain the most recent in the public domain.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many people from (a) the UK and (b) overseas, excluding speakers and hosts, were projected to visit in person the UK House venue run by her Department at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games from 28 July to 8 August 2022 in the final business case approved by her Department for that event.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

UK House was part of the wider Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Tourism, Trade & Investment Programme business case led by West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) & West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC) in partnership with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Department for International Trade and Visit Britain.

The final business case provides no UK House visitor projections, either virtually or in person.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many individuals were projected to visit virtually the UK House venue run by her Department at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games from 28 July to 8 August 2022 in the final business case approved by her Department for that event.

Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

UK House was part of the wider Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Tourism, Trade & Investment Programme business case led by West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) & West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC) in partnership with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Department for International Trade and Visit Britain.

The final business case provides no UK House visitor projections, either virtually or in person.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what was the value of civil penalties (a) imposed and (b) collected as a result of HMRC's criminal investigations into tax avoidance and evasion in each financial year between 2010-11 and 2023-24; and what was the value of civil penalties (a) imposed and (b) collected for the avoidance and evasion of (i) income tax, (ii) national insurance contributions, (iii) VAT, (iv) excise duties and (v) corporation tax in each of those years.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Where data is already available via GOV.UK, HMRC have provided links below.

HMRC do not routinely issue civil penalties as a direct result of criminal investigations, so do not hold the requested data.

Prosecutions, convictions and acquittals:

2019-2020

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5ed7b06786650c76af069ac4/HMRC_quarterly_report_data_table_Q4_2019_to_2020.xlsx

2020-21 and 2021-22

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/630f50178fa8f54491def8ce/HMRC_quarterly_performance_data_table_Q4_2021_to_2022.xlsx

2022-23

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64b00f4bfe36e0000d6fa93e/HMRC-Quarterly-update_Quarter-4_2022-to-2023_data-table.xlsx

Total number of individuals charged:

2020/21 and 2021/22:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/630f50178fa8f54491def8ce/HMRC_quarterly_performance_data_table_Q4_2021_to_2022.xlsx

2022/23:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64b00f4bfe36e0000d6fa93e/HMRC-Quarterly-update_Quarter-4_2022-to-2023_data-table.xlsx

There has been one Deferred Prosecution Agreement:

https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/first-ever-cps-deferred-prosecution-agreement-ps615-million

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many Deferred Prosecution Agreements have been reached as a result of HMRC's criminal investigations into tax avoidance and evasion between 1 January 2014 and 13 March 2024; and what is the value of financial penalties from those agreements.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Where data is already available via GOV.UK, HMRC have provided links below.

HMRC do not routinely issue civil penalties as a direct result of criminal investigations, so do not hold the requested data.

Prosecutions, convictions and acquittals:

2019-2020

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5ed7b06786650c76af069ac4/HMRC_quarterly_report_data_table_Q4_2019_to_2020.xlsx

2020-21 and 2021-22

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/630f50178fa8f54491def8ce/HMRC_quarterly_performance_data_table_Q4_2021_to_2022.xlsx

2022-23

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64b00f4bfe36e0000d6fa93e/HMRC-Quarterly-update_Quarter-4_2022-to-2023_data-table.xlsx

Total number of individuals charged:

2020/21 and 2021/22:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/630f50178fa8f54491def8ce/HMRC_quarterly_performance_data_table_Q4_2021_to_2022.xlsx

2022/23:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64b00f4bfe36e0000d6fa93e/HMRC-Quarterly-update_Quarter-4_2022-to-2023_data-table.xlsx

There has been one Deferred Prosecution Agreement:

https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/first-ever-cps-deferred-prosecution-agreement-ps615-million

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer of 6 September 2017 to Question 6732 on Taxation: Prosecutions, how many prosecutions resulted from HMRC's criminal investigations into tax avoidance and evasion in the financial year (a) 2017-18, (b) 2018-19, (c) 2019-20, (d) 2020-21, (e) 2021-22, (f) 2022-23 and (g) 2023-24; and how many of those prosecutions resulted in (i) convictions and (ii) acquittals in each year.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Where data is already available via GOV.UK, HMRC have provided links below.

HMRC do not routinely issue civil penalties as a direct result of criminal investigations, so do not hold the requested data.

Prosecutions, convictions and acquittals:

2019-2020

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5ed7b06786650c76af069ac4/HMRC_quarterly_report_data_table_Q4_2019_to_2020.xlsx

2020-21 and 2021-22

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/630f50178fa8f54491def8ce/HMRC_quarterly_performance_data_table_Q4_2021_to_2022.xlsx

2022-23

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64b00f4bfe36e0000d6fa93e/HMRC-Quarterly-update_Quarter-4_2022-to-2023_data-table.xlsx

Total number of individuals charged:

2020/21 and 2021/22:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/630f50178fa8f54491def8ce/HMRC_quarterly_performance_data_table_Q4_2021_to_2022.xlsx

2022/23:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64b00f4bfe36e0000d6fa93e/HMRC-Quarterly-update_Quarter-4_2022-to-2023_data-table.xlsx

There has been one Deferred Prosecution Agreement:

https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/first-ever-cps-deferred-prosecution-agreement-ps615-million

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions have resulted from HMRC's criminal investigations into avoidance and evasion of (i) income tax, (ii) national insurance contributions, (iii) VAT, (iv) excise duties and (v) corporation tax in each financial year between 2019-20 and 2023-24.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Where data is already available via GOV.UK, HMRC have provided links below.

HMRC do not routinely issue civil penalties as a direct result of criminal investigations, so do not hold the requested data.

Prosecutions, convictions and acquittals:

2019-2020

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5ed7b06786650c76af069ac4/HMRC_quarterly_report_data_table_Q4_2019_to_2020.xlsx

2020-21 and 2021-22

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/630f50178fa8f54491def8ce/HMRC_quarterly_performance_data_table_Q4_2021_to_2022.xlsx

2022-23

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64b00f4bfe36e0000d6fa93e/HMRC-Quarterly-update_Quarter-4_2022-to-2023_data-table.xlsx

Total number of individuals charged:

2020/21 and 2021/22:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/630f50178fa8f54491def8ce/HMRC_quarterly_performance_data_table_Q4_2021_to_2022.xlsx

2022/23:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64b00f4bfe36e0000d6fa93e/HMRC-Quarterly-update_Quarter-4_2022-to-2023_data-table.xlsx

There has been one Deferred Prosecution Agreement:

https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/first-ever-cps-deferred-prosecution-agreement-ps615-million

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to Table 2 of the Answer of 13 April 2021 to Question 174107 on Tax Evasion: Prosecutions, if he will publish the (a) number of individuals charged and (b) number of individuals charged with tax evasion by HMRC for the financial years (i) 2021-22, (ii) 2022-23 and (iii) 2023-24.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

Where data is already available via GOV.UK, HMRC have provided links below.

HMRC do not routinely issue civil penalties as a direct result of criminal investigations, so do not hold the requested data.

Prosecutions, convictions and acquittals:

2019-2020

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5ed7b06786650c76af069ac4/HMRC_quarterly_report_data_table_Q4_2019_to_2020.xlsx

2020-21 and 2021-22

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/630f50178fa8f54491def8ce/HMRC_quarterly_performance_data_table_Q4_2021_to_2022.xlsx

2022-23

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64b00f4bfe36e0000d6fa93e/HMRC-Quarterly-update_Quarter-4_2022-to-2023_data-table.xlsx

Total number of individuals charged:

2020/21 and 2021/22:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/630f50178fa8f54491def8ce/HMRC_quarterly_performance_data_table_Q4_2021_to_2022.xlsx

2022/23:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64b00f4bfe36e0000d6fa93e/HMRC-Quarterly-update_Quarter-4_2022-to-2023_data-table.xlsx

There has been one Deferred Prosecution Agreement:

https://www.cps.gov.uk/cps/news/first-ever-cps-deferred-prosecution-agreement-ps615-million

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 12 September 2023 to Question 197789 on Unexplained Wealth Orders, how many new applications for unexplained wealth orders were made in the High Court from 13 September 2023 to 13 March 2024.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

Since being introduced in April 2017, UWOs have been applied for by operational agencies in six investigations, with five granted and the NCA waiting for a Judges decision on the other. There were no applications made by the NCA for a UWO between 13 September 2023 to 13 March 2024.

UWOs remain a powerful tool to investigate those who look to use, move or hide their proceeds of crime in the UK or overseas. There are a number of variables which impact an operational decision to seek a UWO including: the ease with which evidence can be obtained from overseas; whether it would be proportionate to go to the High Court; and suitability of alternative investigatory powers.

Agencies have several other well-established powers under Part 8 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 which they may use to compel information regarding the ownership of asset during an investigation such as Production Orders and Disclosure Orders. Law enforcement agencies are operationally independent from Government and cannot be tasked to use UWOs.

The Government committed to report on the number of UWOs applied for and obtained each year under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2022 and will lay this year’s report before September.

The report covering 2022-23 can be found at: Unexplained wealth orders: 2022 to 2023 annual report - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answers of 15 March 2024 to Questions 17337 and 17338 on Freeports: Foreign Investment in UK, when his Department plans to publish the UK Freeports Programme Annual Report 2023; and if he will include the information on foreign direct investment performance (a) at the level and (b) for the dates requested in Questions 17337 and 17338.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

Announcements will be set out in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 13 March to Question 16658 on Sloane Helicopters: Contracts, whether the value of the contract extension will be disclosed alongside the publication of the new Contract Award notice.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

I would be content to make the information available following the publication of the new contract award.

More broadly, I would note that such transport arrangements are long-standing and have operated under successive Governments of all political colours.