Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether HM Treasury has produced, commissioned or received an estimate of the total amount lost through fraud and error across Covid-19 support schemes that exceeds the published estimate of £10.9 billion.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Neither HM Treasury nor the Public Sector Fraud Authority have produced, commissioned or received an estimate of the total amount lost through fraud and error across Covid-19 support schemes that exceeds the published estimate of £10.9bn.
The Public Sector Fraud Authority’s (PSFA) estimate of £10.9bn is HMG’s best estimate for the level of fraud and error in COVID-19 support schemes. The methodology is derived from fraud measurement loss exercises or similar statistical modelling published by departments in their Annual Reports and Accounts.
In its 2023 report ‘Tackling fraud and corruption against government’, the National Audit Office (NAO) estimates that “fraud against the taxpayer rose from £5.5 billion in total over the two years before the pandemic (2018-19 and 2019-20) to £21 billion in total over the two years since the start of the pandemic (2020-21 and 2021-22).’ Of this £21 billion, £7.3 billion specifically related to fraud and error in COVID-19 support schemes.
The NAO and PSFA consider both their respective estimates are likely to be under-estimates.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many times his Department has responded to a written parliamentary question saying that the information is not held in 2026.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds
The information requested can be found at https://questions-statements.parliament.uk.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2026 to question 113071, whether he plans to bring forward legislation to strip Lord Mandelson of his peerage.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds
The Government is committed to introducing legislation to enable the removal of peerages from disgraced peers. We will announce further details in due course.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he expects to bring forward legislation to strip Lord Mandelson of his peerage.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds
The Government will provide further details about legislation to create a system to remove peerages from peers in due course.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will (a) make a statement and (b) bring forward legislation to strip Lord Doyle of his peerage.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds
An ongoing investigation is being carried out by the Labour Party.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what was the total civil service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion expenditure in the 2024-25 financial year.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Cabinet Office does not routinely collect data on all expenditure of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Delivery of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion falls within the responsibility of departments under the Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Guidance.
In 2023/2024, the Civil Service conducted a one-off review of expenditure; the outcomes of the Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Review have been published in the CS EDI Expenditure Review Data.
Since the Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Guidance published on 14 May 2024, the Cabinet Office routinely collects and publishes only external expenditure on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. The 2024/2025 external expenditure was published in the Civil Service 2024/2025 External Expenditure on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion on 30 May 2025.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what was the total civil service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion expenditure for the 2023-24 financial year.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Cabinet Office does not routinely collect data on all expenditure of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Delivery of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion falls within the responsibility of departments under the Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Guidance.
In 2023/2024, the Civil Service conducted a one-off review of expenditure; the outcomes of the Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Review have been published in the CS EDI Expenditure Review Data.
Since the Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Guidance published on 14 May 2024, the Cabinet Office routinely collects and publishes only external expenditure on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. The 2024/2025 external expenditure was published in the Civil Service 2024/2025 External Expenditure on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion on 30 May 2025.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what was the total civil service external expenditure on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the 2023-24 financial year.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Cabinet Office routinely collects and publishes the external expenditure on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion from departments under the Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Guidance, which was published on 14 May 2024. Before the guidance was published, combined internal and external expenditure was gathered as part of the one-off Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Review.
The 2024/2025 external expenditure was published in the Civil Service 2024/2025 External Expenditure on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion on 30 May 2025.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what was the total civil service external expenditure on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the 2024-25 financial year.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Cabinet Office routinely collects and publishes the external expenditure on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion from departments under the Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Guidance, which was published on 14 May 2024. Before the guidance was published, combined internal and external expenditure was gathered as part of the one-off Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Review.
The 2024/2025 external expenditure was published in the Civil Service 2024/2025 External Expenditure on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion on 30 May 2025.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his oral contribution on 10 July 2025 in response to a Question from the hon. Member for Tatton, Official Report, column 1112, how much money has been saved as a result of the implementation of the Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure guidance, published on 14 May 2024.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. The CS Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure guidance remains in place.