Harlow MP Chris Vince joins call for clampdown on Government fraud and error

Harlow MP Chris Vince is among Labour politicians pressing the Government to quantify the cost of fraud and error to the public purse.

Mr Vince, whose constituency also includes the Hallingburys, Hatfield Heath and Hatfield Broad Oak, joined Tom Rutland, MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, and Ealing Central and Acton’s Rupa Huq to press Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden about the bill racked up by Government departments and agencies.

Mr McFadden told them: “Estimates of the amount of money lost to fraud and error vary hugely, in truth: the latest estimate has a range of between £40 billion and almost £60 billion, which is a huge range.

“The public rightly expects us to do all we can to minimise fraud in the use of public funds, which is one reason why my right honourable friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer [Rachel Reeves], has announced the establishment of a Covid corruption commissioner, whose job it will be to track down as much as possible of the money lost to fraud during the pandemic.

“The Cabinet Office will work closely with the Chancellor on this to try to ensure best value for money for the public and, of course, crack down on fraud right across Government departments and agencies.”

In response to Mr Rutland’s claim that Covid contract fraud cost an estimated £7.6bn, Mr McFadden said he was “absolutely right to draw attention to what happened during Covid, when VIP lanes and dodgy contracts ended up burning through billions of pounds, sometimes for unusable equipment”.

He said: “We will do everything we can to recover money that has been lost.”

Mr Vince told him: “New technology must be at the beating heart of the new Government, and artificial intelligence presents an opportunity to tackle waste and error.”

He asked for assurances about how the Government would implement the latest developments to fight fraud.