Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, how many (a) company self-referrals, (b) whistleblower, (c) victim, (d) professional advisory, (e) competitor and (f) other referrals have been made to the Serious Fraud Office in each financial year between 2015-16 and 2020-21.

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) receives a large number of reports and referrals from multiple different sources relating to a wide range of offences. Whistleblower referrals have been routinely published in the SFO Annual Report on Whistleblowing Disclosures since 2017. The figures are set out below:

• During the period from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021, the SFO managed 175 whistleblowing disclosures.
• During the period from 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020, the SFO managed 128 whistleblowing disclosures.
• During the period from 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019, the SFO managed 137 whistleblowing disclosures.
• During the period from 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018, the SFO managed 102 whistleblowing disclosures.

The SFO does not hold a detailed breakdown of the number of referrals within each of the other categories requested. However, the total number of all other referrals made to the SFO within the time period requested are set out below:

• During the period from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 the SFO managed 1335 non whistleblower referrals.
• During the period from 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020 the SFO managed 1160 non whistleblower referrals.
• During the period from 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019 the SFO managed 1151 non whistleblower referrals.
• During the period from 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018 the SFO managed 1045 non whistleblower referrals.
• During the period from 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017 the SFO managed 1397 referrals – including whistleblower reports received in this financial year.
• During the period from 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016 the SFO managed 2749 referrals – including whistleblower reports received in this financial year.