Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to page 19 of the Public Sector Fraud Authority Annual Report for 2022-23, published on 13 November 2023, how many investigations by public sector organisations arising from referrals received from the Covid Fraud Hotline by the Public Sector Fraud Authority's Intelligence Hub are ongoing.

5,124 referrals were made to the COVID Fraud Hotline during its time being operational from October 2020 through to the end of June 2023.

All 5,124 of these referrals were disseminated to the relevant department(s) or organisation(s) for consideration as of the end of June 2023.

Once Hotline intelligence is forwarded, the decision to investigate sits with the relevant organisation and the decision to charge rests with the Crown Prosecution Service.

As of October 2023 there were 20 Operations at various stages of the investigative process with the National Investigation Service (NATIS). As of 31/3/23 a further 83 intelligence reports originating from a C-19 Hotline submission were being investigated by the Insolvency Service, with the majority being focused on insolvent investigations and dissolved investigations.

The Public Sector Fraud Authority established last year works with stakeholders to track outcomes linked to the Hotline intelligence.

The value of intelligence is not only for progressing prosecutions. The Hotline intelligence has helped us better understand the threat across Government and informed the wider intelligence picture across public sector organisations. It has also contributed to media campaigns providing guidance in relation to Covid Pass fraud, vaccine fraud and phishing.