First elected: 5th May 2005
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Urge the Indian Government to ensure safety of protestors & press freedom
Gov Responded - 15 Feb 2021 Debated on - 8 Mar 2021 View Pat McFadden's petition debate contributionsThe Government must make a public statement on the #kissanprotests & press freedoms.
India is the worlds largest democracy & democratic engagement and freedom of the press are fundamental rights and a positive step towards creating a India that works for all.
These initiatives were driven by Pat McFadden, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Pat McFadden has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
Pat McFadden has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Transparency and Accountability (European Union) Bill 2015-16
Sponsor - Caroline Lucas (Green)
Although no investigations have been formally announced, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is investigating a number of suspected fraudulent applications for COVID loans.
In order to protect the investigative process, it is not always possible, or even desirable, for investigative bodies such as the SFO to announce investigations prematurely, or provide any details of the matters under investigation. The SFO proactively publishes information about its cases on its website whenever it is appropriate
SFO investigations follow the evidence, and their focus or scope may change as an investigation advances. The number of staff working on a specific case will fluctuate throughout an investigation’s lifecycle and will depend on factors such as the complexity of the allegations being investigated, and intelligence gathered or provided.
Although no investigations have been formally announced, the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) is investigating a number of suspected fraudulent applications for COVID loans.
In order to protect the investigative process, it is not always possible, or even desirable, for investigative bodies such as the SFO to announce investigations prematurely, or provide any details of the matters under investigation. The SFO proactively publishes information about its cases on its website whenever it is appropriate
SFO investigations follow the evidence, and their focus or scope may change as an investigation advances. The number of staff working on a specific case will fluctuate throughout an investigation’s lifecycle and will depend on factors such as the complexity of the allegations being investigated, and intelligence gathered or provided.
Such information is not centrally recorded or collated in the form requested. More generally, I would refer the hon. Member to the long-standing policies on legal expenditure, as set out recently by Cabinet Office Ministers on 12 March 2024, Official Report, PQ 17709 and 12 March 2024, Official Report, House of Lords, Cols. 1901-1904
I refer the Rt Hon. Member to my response to UIN 17515 on 12th March 2024.
The Government publishes on GOV.UK details of the cost of overseas Ministerial travel, including costs of travel, and on other costs (visas, accommodation, meals).
But as has been the case under successive administrations, the Government does not publish granular detail on Ministers’ travel at home or abroad.
The Government is proud of its record in proactively seeking to find and prevent more fraud in the system. As part of wider cross-government counter fraud investment, the government established the Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA). In its first year, the PSFA delivered £311 million in audited counter fraud benefits.
The PSFA produces a Fraud Landscape Report (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cross-government-fraud-landscape-annual-report-2022). This provides data on fraud and error detection, loss and recoveries in central government, outside of the tax and welfare system and includes the Cabinet Office. The 2020/21 Report was published in March 2023. To note it outlines all figures rounded to the nearest £0.1m.
In 2022-23, as published in the department’s Annual Reports and Accounts, the Cabinet Office detected error of £3.48m, of which £3.43m was recovered in year and detected fraud of £60k of which none has been recovered to date. Efforts to recover the detected fraud are continuing at this time. The Cabinet Office does not hold specific data on fraud for previous years.
The Cabinet Office does not recognise a loss arising from error or fraud until efforts to recover the funds have been explored. This means that write-offs of error and fraud usually occur in the years after the original problem arose.
Losses recognised and written off by the Cabinet Office for the last three years are:
2022/23 - £4,800
2021/22 - £327,400
2020/21 - £703,300
The requested information is not centrally held, and complying with this request would incur a disproportionate cost to the department. Reports and guidance that the Department has published can be found on gov.uk. Examples include the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Accounts (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/cabinet-office-annual-reports-and-accounts), Strengthening Ethics and Integrity in Central Government (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/strengthening-ethics-and-integrity-in-central-government) and policy papers such as the Disability Action Plan (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disability-action-plan).
The Cabinet Office spent the following on advertising in the last three financial years:
20/21: £376,029,723.21
21/22: £168,730,321.96
22/23: £27,485,611.31
Detail on this and other spending is routinely published by the Cabinet Office on GOV.UK here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/cabinet-office-spend-data
Advertising spend in 20/21 and 21/22 was considerably higher due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Cabinet Office played a leading role in providing the public with information about the Pandemic. Increased advertising was essential to doing this and keeping the country safe.
The Cabinet Office budgets for advertising and other public relations activity is set in order to provide flexibility to the Cabinet Office to deal appropriately with what are often unforeseen events. This has been a long standing budgetary good practice under successive administrations.
The overall budget for Marketing and Media for the years in question are set out below:
20/21: £558,297,000
21/22: £242,177,000
22/23: £39,501,000
Work on advertising is primarily carried out by communications staff employed by departments and like all areas of government spending, costs are reviewed regularly to ensure value for money.
The requested information is not centrally held, and complying with this request would incur a disproportionate cost to the department.
The requested information is not centrally held, and complying with this request would incur a disproportionate cost to the department.
As at 31 January 2024, approximately 11.2% of Digital roles were vacant across the Cabinet Office and were either in an active or planned recruitment stage, showing we are making good progress towards reaching the 10% target by 2025 set by the 2022 to 2025 roadmap for digital and data. The majority of these roles sit within Cabinet Office Digital, Government Digital Service and Central Digital and Data Office.
We set this target to drive modernisation and digitisation in Government, improving public services for the British people and saving taxpayer money. Overall good progress has been made, with total vacancies across the Civil Service now at 15%.
In order to improve recruitment success and fill existing vacancies CDDO has:
recently launched its Government Digital and Data Civil Service Careers (https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/professions/working-in-digital-data-and-technology/) webpage to attract new talent to the Civil Service. The webpage showcases secondment opportunities, talent programmes and digital and data jobs available in departments.
developed a digital and data pay framework that enables departments to pay more competitive market rates to attract specialist digital and data skills. Participating departments can fund higher civil service pay allowances from savings flowing from reducing their contingent labour headcount.
The budget assigned to complete remediation of legacy IT is defined and agreed between the Chief Digital Information Officer and ultimately the Accounting Officer of each Department and HM Treasury. The Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO), in the Cabinet Office, does not have visibility of these figures directly, nor does CDDO monitor individual departments' technology spending on legacy treatment.
CDDO has established a programme to support departments in treating legacy. CDDO has agreed a framework to identify ‘red-rated’ systems, indicating high levels of risk surrounding the asset. Departments have committed to have remediation plans in place for these systems by 2025.
Ministers regularly meet with department officials and external stakeholders. Details of Ministerial meetings with external organisations and individuals are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
The Minister without Portfolio’s unique role allows her to work across government, supporting the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for the Cabinet office, to identify where our public sector delivery is inhibited by bureaucracy and inefficiencies. The Minister’s overarching aim is to ensure that the provision of public services delivers the best possible value for the taxpayer.
Further information on the Minister without Portfolio’s role can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/people/esther-mcvey.
Ministers regularly meet with department officials and external stakeholders. Details of Ministerial meetings with external organisations and individuals are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
The Minister without Portfolio’s unique role allows her to work across government, supporting the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for the Cabinet office, to identify where our public sector delivery is inhibited by bureaucracy and inefficiencies. The Minister’s overarching aim is to ensure that the provision of public services delivers the best possible value for the taxpayer.
Further information on the Minister without Portfolio’s role can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/people/esther-mcvey.
Ministers regularly meet with department officials and external stakeholders. Details of Ministerial meetings with external organisations and individuals are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.
The Minister without Portfolio’s unique role allows her to work across government, supporting the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for the Cabinet office, to identify where our public sector delivery is inhibited by bureaucracy and inefficiencies. The Minister’s overarching aim is to ensure that the provision of public services delivers the best possible value for the taxpayer.
Further information on the Minister without Portfolio’s role can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/people/esther-mcvey.
The National Security Unit for Procurement, based in the Cabinet Office, will investigate suppliers who may pose a risk to national security and assess whether companies should be barred from public procurements. The Unit was announced as part of stepped up measures to protect national security in government contracts, and will be operational in time for commencement of the Procurement Act in Autumn 2024, when debarment and exclusion powers come into effect.
The Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA), established in August 2022, works with government departments and public bodies to understand and reduce the impact of fraud and error against the public sector. In line with the PSFA Mandate public bodies are required to report identified fraud and error loss figures to the PSFA.
The most up to date estimate used by the PSFA, relating to financial year 20/21 suggests that the annual level of fraud and error against the government is between £33bn and £55bn. This estimate excludes fraud and error within COVID-19 schemes as fraud measurement activity within these schemes is still ongoing.
The new Government Counter Fraud Profession Strategy sets out how the government is increasing the capability of staff within government and beyond to tackle fraud.
The Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA), established in August 2022, works with government departments and public bodies to understand and reduce the impact of fraud and error against the public sector. In line with the PSFA Mandate public bodies are required to report identified fraud and error loss figures to the PSFA. This is to aid transparency and fill the gaps in reporting. For this reason, the PSFA does not collect data on tax and welfare fraud and error losses, as these are published directly by HMRC and DWP respectively within their annual report and accounts process.
Fraud measurement work in Covid-19 spending is ongoing and as such the PSFA does not currently have sufficient information to estimate levels of fraud and error across government Covid-19 contracts. The PSFA publication reporting fraud and error losses incurred by Government in 21/22, will be published in due course.
The Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA), established in August 2022, works with government departments and public bodies to understand and reduce the impact of fraud against the public sector.
Accounting Officers have primary responsibility for managing the risk of fraud in their department. They are accountable for understanding and managing the risk of fraud within the schemes and services they are responsible for delivering. As such, the latest estimates for potential fraud and error loss in the government’s Covid-19 support schemes can be found in departments’ Annual Reports and Accounts, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/annual-reports-and-accounts-for-central-government-departments.
The latest information on post-event assurance for Test and Trace and PPE Procurement can be found within the Department for Health and Social Care's Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22 (paragraphs 761 – 774);
Detail of The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s central estimate for estimated levels of fraud and error loss in the Bounce Back Loan Scheme can be found within their Annual Report and Accounts; and
The latest information on error and fraud from HM Revenue & Customs can be found within HMRC’s Error and Fraud in Covid-19 Schemes publication.
The Terms of Reference of the Domestic and Economic (Efficiency and Value for Money) Committee are to drive efficiency, effectiveness and economy in government spending, and scrutinise plans to manage major current and future cost pressures. Further details about this committee were released on GOV.UK on 20 March 2022, accessible below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-efficiency-drive-to-cut-55-billion-of-government-waste.
There are a number of Cabinet Committees that could take agenda items related to civil service staffing. It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its Committees is not normally shared publicly.
The government publishes an Annual Fraud Landscape Report or Bulletin. The 2019/20 Fraud Landscape Bulletin states that our best estimate of the total fraud and error losses to the government is between £29bn and £52bn per year. This is an estimate built from the best available evidence on fraud and error loss.
HMRC produces annual estimates of loss (Measuring Tax Gaps) based on statistical sampling. The closest fit to fraud and economic crime are the criminal attacks and evasion categories. HMRC also produces a loss estimate for tax credits - this is made up of fraud and error - not just fraud. Since 2017 (1), HMRC has reported ‘additional tax generated,’ which is made up of a wide range of compliance activities to recover due tax, not all related to fraud. With regards to serious tax fraud, the HMRC Fraud Investigation Service has recovered over £1bn of criminal assets using a combination of both civil and criminal recovery powers over the last 5 years.
| 15/16 | 16/17 | 17/18 | 18/19 | 19/20 |
HMRC Criminal Attacks and Evasion + Tax Credit Estimated loss | £11.3bn | £11.6bn | £10.8bn | £11.2bn | £11.6bn |
HMRC Additional Tax Generated | n/a | n/a | £26.1bn | £29.3bn | £31.8bn |
DWP produces annual estimates of the fraud and error in the benefit system based on statistical sampling. The losses are apportioned between fraud and error. DWP also produces figures on recoveries of overpaid benefit each year, however, is it not possible to break this down to just fraud - it is made up of fraud, claimant error and official error. DWP’s reporting includes 2020/21 which shows a marked increase in loss level post-pandemic.
| 16/17 | 17/18 | 18/19 | 19/20 | 20/21 |
DWP Estimated Value of Fraud and Error | £3.6bn | £3.8bn | £3.9bn | £4.6bn | £8.4bn |
DWP Estimated Value of Fraud | £2.0bn | £2.2bn | £2.1bn | £2.8bn | £6.3bn |
DWP Recovered Fraud and Error (Official and Claimant) | £1.1bn | £1.1bn | £1.1bn | £1.0bn | £800m |
The ‘rest of government’ (e.g. not HMRC and DWP) report detected fraud and recoveries through centrally and this is published in the Government’s Annual Fraud Landscape Report or Bulletin. Information on fraud recoveries was not collected until 2016/17. The rest of government figures are below:
| 15/16 | 16/17 | 17/18 | 18/19 | 19/20 (2) |
Rest of Govt Detected Fraud | £73.6m | £119m | £151m | £99m | £227m |
Rest of Govt Recovered Fraud | n/a | n/a | £12m | £22m | £26m |
(1) The CCG (Customer Compliance Group) was created in 2017, hence the inability to report previous figures.
(2) The 19/20 figures largely predate Covid-related fraud.
Such information is not centrally recorded or collated in the form requested. More generally, I would refer the hon. Member to the long-standing policies on legal expenditure, as set out recently by Cabinet Office Ministers on 12 March 2024, Official Report, PQ 17709 and 12 March 2024, Official Report, House of Lords, Cols. 1901-1904.
The regions visited with an overnight stay over the last 3 financial years are as follows:
Financial Year | Regions visited |
2021 – 2022 | Scotland – 12 Northern Powerhouse – 4 Wales – 1 South West – 2 Jersey – 1 Northern Ireland – 2 |
2022 – 2023 | Scotland – 3 Northern Ireland – 4 South West – 2 Northern Powerhouse – 2 Wales – 1 |
2023 – 2024 | Northern Powerhouse – 3 Northern Ireland – 7 Midlands – 1 Scotland – 1 Channel Islands – 2 South West – 1 |
An official from the Office for Investment attended a meeting between Infosys and the Minister for Investment on 27 April 2023, in Bengaluru, India.
The Office for Investment did not attend any meetings prior to this or afterwards with Infosys or their representatives in 2023.
The number of overnight ministerial domestic visits undertaken over the last 3 financial years are as follows. The total costs provided are limited in scope, to only the Minister themselves, and to those booked through the Department's, and its predecessor's (the Department for International Trade), contracted travel provider, which covers costs of rail, air and hotel; where these costs were available.
Financial Year | Total number of overnight visits | Total Cost |
2021 - 2022 | 22 | £6,470.97 |
2022 - 2023 | 12 | £4,493.86 |
2023 - 2024 | 15 | £4,514.84 |
The Government is proud of its record in proactively seeking to find and prevent more fraud in the system. We have established the dedicated Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA). In its first year it delivered £311 million in audited counter fraud benefits.
The PSFA produces a Fraud Landscape Report. This provides data on fraud and error detection, loss and recoveries in central government, outside of the tax and welfare system. The 2020/21 Report was published in March 2023.
Due to the recent Machinery of Government changes, the Department for Business and Trade have not yet published any fraud and error estimates.
The latest published figures available for the Department for International Trade are available in the 2022 Cross-Government Fraud Landscape Annual Report.
The latest Government figures made available in the BEIS Annual Report and Accounts (2022/2023), for all BEIS activities, indicated that estimated expected losses due to fraud and error within the Bounce Back Loan Scheme will be £1.74bn. There are not material levels of fraud and error within the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme or the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme.
Other losses include £4 million in relation to 2 suspected fraudulent payments within the Future Fund Scheme.
The requested information is not centrally held, and complying with this request would incur a disproportionate cost to the Department. Reports and guidance that the Department has published can be found on gov.uk.
The Department buys advertising media through its media buying agency Omnicom Media Group UK Ltd. Advertising is used to promote investment and UK exports.
The Department’s general ledger records spend with Omnicom Media Group for the last three years for which figures are available as follows:
2020/21: £15,102,407.21
2021/22: £11,890,853.20
2022/23: £13,124,598.26
Advertising is part of the Department’s wider marketing strategy. Budgeting is carried out at the marketing category level, so no records are held on sums specifically budgeted for advertising.
These figures relate to the Department’s predecessor department, the Department for International Trade.
The Department for Business and Trade has centrally managed subscriptions for the Economist and the Financial Times for financial years 2022/23 and 2023/24. Information on locally sourced and managed subscriptions is not routinely collected and to make it available could only be done at a disproportionate cost.
The Department for Business and Trade has centrally managed subscriptions for the Economist and the Financial Times for financial years 2022/23 and 2023/24. Information on locally sourced and managed subscriptions is not routinely collected and to make it available could only be done at a disproportionate cost.
As part of the 2022 to 2025 roadmap, all departments made a commitment to reduce their digital and data vacancies to under 10% of total Government Digital and Data headcount by 2025. This is to drive modernisation and digitisation in Government, improving public services for the British people and saving taxpayer money.
Overall, good progress has been made with total current vacancies in the Department for Business and Trade at 24% (91 vacancies). To further support recruitment, the department has an internal dedicated team to lead the end-to-end recruitment process and access recruitment agency support where required.
This information is not held centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
The Government publishes on GOV.UK details of the cost of overseas Ministerial trips, including costs of travel and other costs (visas, accommodation, and meals).
But as has been the case under successive administrations, the Government does not publish granular detail on Ministers’ travel at home or abroad.
The Government publishes on GOV.UK details of the cost of overseas Ministerial travel, including costs of travel, and on other costs (visas, accommodation, meals).
But as has been the case under successive administrations, the Government does not publish granular detail on Ministers’ travel at home or abroad.
The Government proactively investigates and prevents fraud in the system. We have established the dedicated Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA). In its first year it delivered £311 million in audited counter fraud benefits.
Due to the Machinery of Government changes, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has not yet produced fraud and error estimates but this will be published in the 23/24 annual report and accounts.
The latest Government figures for the former department BEIS can be found in the BEIS Annual Report and Accounts (2022/2023).
The requested information is not centrally held, and complying with this request would incur a disproportionate cost to the Department.
Reports and guidance that the Department has published can be found on GOV.UK.
Please see the below costs with reference to the PQ, that were searched under the following account names:
Department/ Year | Sum of invoice amount (£) |
BEIS |
|
FY 21/22 | 1,264,235.55 |
FY 22/23 | 510,338.09 |
FY 23/24 | 172,144.24 |
DESNZ |
|
FY 23/24* | 227168.96 |
*Post MoG ledgers were not split until September 2023, so figures pre this date can include some former BEIS spend.
Please be advised that the data above is actual spend, we do not hold any data for budgeted spend relevant to the proposed question.
This information is not held centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
This information is not held centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
There are 19 vacancies in the digital directorate among 178 posts. We do not centrally hold information on Digital posts and vacancies around the Department.
The Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) discount is applied directly to the energy bills of eligible non-domestic customers by their energy providers. Therefore the Government does not have the data available at industry level.
The Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) is available to eligible non-domestic customers in all sectors, including businesses, charities and the public sector. The EBRS discount is applied directly to the energy bills of eligible non-domestic customers by their energy providers.
The Energy Prices Act 2022 enacted the legislation for the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. Under this legislation, the Secretary of State is required to report expected expenditure as soon as reasonably practicable after the end of any quarter. Energy Bill Relief Scheme expenditure will be included in the next report.
The Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) discount is applied directly to the energy bills of eligible non-domestic customers by their energy providers. Therefore the Government does not have the data available at industry level.
The Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) discount is applied directly to the energy bills of eligible non-domestic customers by their energy providers. Therefore the Government does not have the data available at industry level.
Energy suppliers will deliver this support to households with a domestic electricity meter over six months from October. Customers with pre-payment meters will have the money applied to their meter or paid via a voucher.