Sign Up for our Free Newsletter
menu
Solicitors Journal Homepage
  • Home
  • News
  • Digital Edition
  • Practice Notes
    • Area of Law
      • Agricultural
      • ADR & Mediation
      • Asylum & Immigration
      • Aviation
      • Bankruptcy and Insolvency
      • Charities
      • Children
      • Clinical negligence
      • Commercial
      • Competition
      • Construction
      • Conveyancing
      • Costs
      • Crime
      • Data Protection
      • Discrimination
      • Education
      • Employment
      • Energy
      • EU
      • Expert witness
      • Family
      • Financial services & Tax
      • Health & Safety
      • Human rights
      • Inquest
      • Insurance
      • Intellectual property
      • Legal Aid
      • Litigation
      • Maritime
      • Media
      • Mergers & Acquisition
      • Pensions
      • Personal injury
      • Police & Prisons
      • Private client
      • Procedures
      • Professional negligence
      • Property
      • Public Law
      • Regulation
      • Residential
      • Road traffic
      • Vulnerable Clients
    • Management
      • Business Development and Marketing
      • Career development
      • Covid-19
      • Education & Training
      • Equality & diversity
      • Ethics and Compliance
      • Finance
      • Human Resources
      • Knowledge management
      • Leadership
      • Legal services
      • Marketing
      • Pro bono
      • Professional indemnity
      • Regulators
      • Risk & Compliance
      • Technical legal practice
      • Technology
      • Wellbeing
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • International
  • Interview
  • More
    • About
    • Contact Us
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletter
    • FAQ
    • Guide to Authors
    • Media Pack
    • Site Map
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Follow us:
    Twitter
    LinkedIn
© 2023 Solicitors Journal in partnership with the International In-house Counsel Journal | Picture Credits: Freepix, Unsplash and by permission of the authors
Sophie Cameron

Sophie Cameron

News EditorSolicitors Journal

NAO publishes report on tackling fraud and corruption against government

Thu Mar 30 2023News
NAO publishes report on tackling fraud and corruption against government

The report details the recent trends and what more can be done

The National Audit Office (NAO) published a report on tackling fraud and corruption against the government on 30 March, which finds that despite some progress being made since the last report in 2016, the ‘government still lacks robust assessments of where and what its fraud risks are, and most public bodies cannot demonstrate that they have counter-fraud resources commensurate with the risk.’

The report states that the establishment of the Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA), which was launched on 3 August 2022, is a welcome step by the government and presents the opportunity for a renewed focus on fraud and corruption in the public sector. The NAO report states that the PSFA, which aims to improve the government’s understanding of the fraud threats it is facing and the standards in the counter-fraud profession, will need to have influence across government if it is to be successful in improving the culture, preventative approach and robustness of risk assessments needed to effectively combat the fraud threat.

The NAO report includes nine suggestions for the PSFA on measures that can be taken to help the government reduce fraud and corruption against the public sector. The proposed measures include that the PFSA should help government departments by developing a better methodology to assess and measure fraud, as well as helping departments use data to prevent fraud and corruption.

The latest statistics on the amount of fraud in government expenditure featured in the accounts audited by the NAO rose from £5.5 billion in the two years before the pandemic (2018-19 and 2019-20) to £21 billion in the following two years. The proportion of the total £21 billion that relates to temporary covid-19 schemes is £7.3 billion, according to the NAO. In addition to this, an estimated £10 billion of tax revenue is also thought to be lost to evasion and crime every year.

Concerning the government’s response to the covid-19 pandemic, the report states that public sector bodies could have better managed the fraud risk in the circumstances without impairing their emergency response, which includes faster transparency, better management of conflicts of interest, addressing known vulnerabilities more quickly, and timely financial reporting.

Head of the NAO, Gareth Davies, said: “There has been a substantial increase in the level of fraud reported in the annual reports and accounts we audit. In addition to the loss of taxpayer money, it creates the risk that people come to perceive fraud and corruption across government as normal and tolerated. If not tackled, this could affect public confidence in the integrity of public services. Government has more to do to understand the scale of the problem it faces and cannot yet demonstrate that it is tackling fraud effectively. The creation of the Public Sector Fraud Authority creates a real opportunity to address this.”

AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement
Latest News

Parents and carers to be given new employment protections

Fri May 26 2023

Committee finds plans to level up the country risk failure due to funding concerns

Fri May 26 2023

Government consults on enforcement mechanisms for animal health and welfare offences

Fri May 26 2023

Government expands legal aid eligibility

Thu May 25 2023

Council of Europe identifies serious concerns affecting minorities in the UK

Thu May 25 2023

ONS finds international migration to the UK hit new high in 2022

Thu May 25 2023

Government consults on plans to reduce reporting burdens on businesses

Wed May 24 2023

Committee report finds government not taking harms from alcohol seriously enough

Wed May 24 2023

Committee seeks views on the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill

Wed May 24 2023
Featured
A closer look at the trademark dispute between retail giants Lidl and Tesco
FeatureThu May 18 2023
A closer look at the trademark dispute between retail giants Lidl and Tesco

Angela Jack dissects the recent ruling in Lidl Great Britain Ltd & others v Tesco Stores Limited & others [2023] EWHC 873 (Ch)

The UK maternity care crisis: £5bn in avoidable damages claims
FeatureThu May 18 2023
The UK maternity care crisis: £5bn in avoidable damages claims

Billions of pounds in NHS damages claims could have been avoided had recommendations from past reviews been followed by action, argues Kerstin Scheel

Understanding Chinese underground banking and the risks
FeatureThu May 18 2023
Understanding Chinese underground banking and the risks

Laurence Howland explores the mechanisms of Chinese underground banking and the red flags

The building blocks for a successful collaborative culture
FeatureThu May 18 2023
The building blocks for a successful collaborative culture

Chris Marston explores the ways in which law firms can establish a powerful collaborative culture

SJ Interview: James Fulforth
SJ InterviewThu May 18 2023
SJ Interview: James Fulforth

The Solicitors Journal spoke to James Fulforth, Kingsley Napley’s newly appointed Senior Partner, about his experiences in the law, his thoughts on the UK’s tech sector and what he hopes to achieve in his new role

Long-awaited reports and controversial bills dominate
ForewordTue Apr 25 2023
Long-awaited reports and controversial bills dominate

Sophie Cameron takes a look at the news in the April Foreword