Extract from Lords
repeat of Commons statement on Russia: Sanctions
The Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development
Office () (Con):...I know
that my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary alluded to
the issue of tier 1 visas. Of course, while this is a Home Office
lead, it also involves the National Crime
Agency and we will continue to bring the full
weight of law enforcement to those who threaten the security of
the UK and our allies. More broadly, the noble Lord, Lord Purvis,
asked about the current changes we are bringing and the
remit—that is, which individuals and organisations they would
apply to. Just to be clear, under the current regime, the UK has
been able to sanction only individuals linked to the
destabilisation or undermining of the territorial integrity of
Ukraine. This new approach, with the governance structures—I am
not talking specifically about who or which organisation may be
designated—will allow us to target any company that is linked to
the Russian state, engages in business of economic significance
to the Russian state or operates in a sector of strategic
significance to the Russian state. The noble Lord, Lord Purvis,
mentioned a number of those sectors...
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Extract from Treasury
Questions
(Leeds West) (Lab): It
is in black and white on the Government’s own website still
today, and in the Government accounts—£4.3 billion written off.
Despite the Chancellor’s words, “written off” means giving up on
that money. This is just the tip of the iceberg. [Interruption.]
It is on the Government’s website and in the Government’s
accounts. Can he tell us how many of the covid fraud cases have
gone to court? Given his failure, will he ask the National Crime
Agency to conduct a full investigation into all
cases of covid fraud and ensure that those responsible are held
to account? It is not the Chancellor’s money to write off; it is
the public’s money, and the public want their money back.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer (): It is great that the
Labour party has realised that it is the taxpayer’s money and not
the Government’s money. I am glad that it has joined us in
recognising that. I can say categorically that no one has written
this off; we are going after it, as the Chief Secretary said. We
invested £100 million last March in creating a taxpayer
protection taskforce staffed with over 1,200 people to recover
hopefully up to £1 billion. That is just one of the many things
we are doing, as well as taking more powers to go after rogue
directors, enabling Companies House to do exactly that. The hon.
Lady asked about the National Crime
Agency I am pleased to tell her that it has
already helped in investigations that have led to 13 arrests with
regard to bounce back fraud, so that work is already under way.
Opposition Day debate on
Tackling Fraud and Preventing Government Waste
