Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress the Covid Counter Fraud Commissioner has made in recovering public money lost through pandemic-related (a) fraud and (b) non-delivered contracts.

The government is leaving no stone unturned to investigate and recover public funds lost to fraud and error during the pandemic. The Covid Counter Fraud Commissioner will report to Parliament by the end of his term in December 2025.

In his first phase, the Commissioner focused on £1.4 billion of disputed personal protective equipment (PPE) contracts. This revealed that that c.16% of pandemic era PPE contracts failed. Recovery action has resulted in some PPE suppliers being referred to the National Crime Agency for suspected fraud.

The second phase of the Commissioner’s work focused on government-wide recovery activities. In response to his recommendation, Government launched a Voluntary Repayment Scheme and Covid fraud reporting website in September 2025. Claimants who have yet to respond to the voluntary repayment scheme risk court. New powers for the government will make detection easier and allow the government to levy civil penalties, which will ensure that those who have defrauded the taxpayer face the consequences.

The Commissioner is currently preparing his final report, which will include his assessment of further opportunities for action and recommendations to strengthen government procurement, fraud prevention, and recovery in future crises.