Fraud Committee to question former minister

These evidence sessions will be held remotely and streamed on Parliament TV.

At 9.30am the committee will hear evidence from:

• Arun Chauhan, Trustee Director, Fraud Advisory Panel
• Katy Worobec, Managing Director, Economic Crime, UK Finance
• Mike Haley, CEO, Cifas.

Topics the committee is likely to cover in this session include:

• Most common ‘business models’ used by fraudsters today.
• How fraud as a crime is perceived by the Government, police and wider society.
• Whether the Fraud Act 2006 is an effective legislative tool to tackle fraud in a digital context.
• Obstacles faced by the financial services, telecoms and tech sectors in tackling fraud.

At 10.30am the committee will hear evidence from:

• Lord Agnew of Oulton, former Minister for Efficiency and Transformation, Cabinet Office and HM Treasury.

Topics the committee is likely to cover in this session include:

• How well Government departments collaborate to tackle fraud.
• The “schoolboy errors” made by the Government in relation to fraud linked to COVID recovery schemes.
• Action needed by the banking sector to combat fraud.
• The future Economic Crime Bill and Companies House reforms.

More on this inquiry

Fraud is the most commonly experienced crime in England and Wales, causing losses of billions per year. The committee will consider what measures should be taken to tackle the increase in cases of fraud. It will consider how the provisions laid out in the Fraud Act 2006 are used in practice for the detection, prevention and prosecution of fraud, and explore whether the Act is in need of reform. The committee will pay particular attention to how the Act is being applied to tackle fraud committed online or through digital means.

Read the transcript of the committee’s previous oral evidence session on 24 February 2022.

The committee’s work can be followed on its website and via Twitter.