Government Departments: Disclosure of Information

(asked on 16th March 2023) - View Source

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 9 March (HL6179), how many of the whistleblowing cases formally raised, investigated and upheld in each of the last three years fell into each of the following categories (or similar categories): (1) financial wrongdoing, (2) sexual misconduct, (3) national security, (4) misleading Parliament or the public, and (5) other.


Answered by
Baroness Neville-Rolfe Portrait
Baroness Neville-Rolfe
Shadow Minister (Treasury)
This question was answered on 30th March 2023

CSHR commissions departments annually to provide an overview of cases investigated formally through their whistleblowing procedures.

Data is provided based on a number of categories set out in the Civil Service annual data return and so does not align directly with the categories set out in the question; financial wrongdoing, sexual misconduct, national security, misleading Parliament and other.

Please note the caveat that national security whistleblowing data is a matter for the United Kingdom Security & Vetting team and is therefore not captured in these summaries.

  1. 2019/2020 - 33 cases were formally raised, investigated and upheld in government departments, falling into the following categories:

    • Breach of Civil Service code - 3

    • Breach of security / information policy - 4

    • Bullying and harassment - 1

    • Danger to environment/health and safety - 1

    • Deceiving/misleading Ministers, Parliament and others - 0

    • Discrimination - 1

    • Failure to comply with legal obligations - 3

    • Fraud - 12

    • Frustrating implementation of policy -0

    • Influence by improper pressure/personal gain - 1

    • Misuse of official position - 0

    • Other/Blank - 7

  1. 2020/2021 - 13 cases were formally raised, investigated and upheld in government departments, falling into the following categories:

    • Breach of Civil Service code - 1

    • Breach of security / Information Policy - 0

    • Bullying and harassment - 0

    • Danger to environment/health and safety - 6

    • Deceiving/misleading Ministers, Parliament and others - 0

    • Discrimination - 1

    • Failure to comply with legal obligations - 0

    • Fraud - 1

    • Frustrating implementation of policy - 1

    • Influence by improper pressure/personal gain - 0

    • Misuse of official position - 1

    • Other - 2

  1. 2021/2022 - 30 cases were formally raised, investigated and upheld in government departments, falling into the following categories:

    • Breach of Civil Service code - 0

    • Breach of Security / Information Policy- 2

    • Bullying and harassment - 0

    • Danger to environment/health and safety - 3

    • Deceiving/misleading Ministers, Parliament and others - 3

    • Discrimination - 1

    • Failure to comply with legal obligations - 5

    • Fraud - 6

    • Frustrating implementation of policy - 1

    • Influence by improper pressure/personal gain -0

    • Misuse of official position - 4

    • Other - 5

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