UK Inquiry Tracker

Government use of data analytics on error and fraud

Public Accounts Committee Open Inquiry

Opened: 17 Nov 2025 Parliament page

Government lost between £55bn-£81bn to fraud and error in 2023-24. There are central platforms for public bodies to use to detect error and fraud, and in the same year these generated around £400m of savings. Some have used data analytics to detect and prevent fraud and error for many years, … Read more Government lost between £55bn-£81bn to fraud and error in 2023-24. There are central platforms for public bodies to use to detect error and fraud, and in the same year these generated around £400m of savings. Some have used data analytics to detect and prevent fraud and error for many years, and a few are now trialling new technologies including artificial intelligence. The National Audit Office (NAO) found in July that the use of data analytics to tackle this issue have produced only modest savings compared to the amount which they could potentially achieve. It also found that the £6bn/yr which the Government Digital Service believes government could save in this way should be read with caution, due to the fact it does not account for the costs or effort needed to achieve it. The PAC found in 2023 that large gaps remained in government’s understanding of its exposure to the risks of fraud and corruption against government, while its 2021 report on fraud and error warned that government significantly increased taxpayer exposure to fraud and error by its twin decisions to drop basic fraud and error checks in paying out Covid-19 loans, and to support people and businesses that it had no prior relationship with. Proceeding from the NAO’s July report, the PAC will hear from senior government officials as it scrutinises how government can overcome barriers to using data analytics to save more of the taxpayer’s money. If you have evidence on these issues, please submit here by 23:59 on Thursday 18 December 2025. Please look at the requirements for written evidence submissions and note that the Committee cannot accept material as evidence that is published elsewhere. The Committee decides what information to publish and how. You can request anonymity or confidentiality when you send evidence, but it is for the Committee to say whether it will agree. It may treat submissions confidentially, even where you have not requested this. Please note that the Committee’s inquiry cannot assist with individual cases. If you need help with an individual problem you are having, you may wish to read the information on Parliament’s website about who you can contact with different issues. Show less

6 Recommendations

16 Conclusions

1 Report

1 Oral session

1 Letter

1 Event

Activity timeline 4 events

27 Mar
2026

Report published

75th Report - Government use of data analytics on error and fraud

16 Mar
2026

Correspondence

Letter from the Chief Executive of the Cabinet Office relating to Follow Up - Estimation of counter fraud outcomes following legislative ch…

15 Jan
2026

Oral evidence

Oral evidence session

15 Jan
2026

Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House

Committee event

Oral evidence sessions 1 session

15 Jan 2026

View on parliament.uk

Conrad Smewing · HM Treasury Emran Mian · Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Mark Cheeseman OBE · Public Sector Fraud Authority

Reports 1 report · click to expand

Title	HC No.	Published	Items	Response
75th Report - Government use of data analytics on error and fraud	HC 891	27 Mar 2026	22	Overdue

Recommendations & Conclusions

22 results

2 Recommendation Accepted

75th Report - Government use of da…

Government’s digital and counter-fraud experts know what government needs to do to make fraud and...

Government’s digital and counter-fraud experts know what government needs to do to make fraud and error savings through data analytics, but do not have a robust plan to support public bodies to do so. There are several barriers preventing the … Read more

Government Response

GDS, PSFA and GFF will establish a co-led counter fraud data analytics action forum to agree, publish and deliver, an overarching plan that more effectively utilises data analytics to tackle fraud and error.

HM Treasury

Government use of data analytics on error and fraud

Activity timeline 4 events

Oral evidence sessions 1 session

Reports 1 report · click to expand

Recommendations & Conclusions

Government’s digital and counter-fraud experts know what government needs to do to make fraud and...

We are concerned that government has not built the digital capability or senior digital leadership...

Government is not doing enough to promote the effective sharing of data, which is stopping...

Departments are not doing enough to be transparent or build public trust on the use...

Current legislation limits government’s ability to deploy data analytics to tackle fraud and error.

On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence...

The PSFA told us that it now agrees annual targets for all government departments to...

There are a number of issues that are undermining government’s efforts to use data analytics...

We recommended in March 2025 that government’s planned digital and AI roadmap should be underpinned...

The previous Committee recommended in September 2023 that all Departments should appoint at least one...

The Cabinet Office told us in March 2025 that, to achieve annual savings of up...

At present much work on sharing best practice and increasing digital and counter-fraud capability across...

As confirmed in January 2025’s Blueprint for modern digital government policy paper, cross-government digital leadership...

The Digital Economy Act 2017 established a process through which government bodies can agree arrangements...

The National Fraud initiative (NFI) is a tool created in 1996 that brings data together...

The NAO report noted that, at present, there is no available library of counter-fraud tools...

The PSFA told us that it is important to use data to fight fraud, and...

To ensure transparency, government bodies are required to disclose the use of algorithms, AI and...

The NAO noted that DWP provided an example of good practice in transparency by setting...

The PSFA told us that current legislation, for example the Digital Economy Act 2017 mentioned...

However, the PSFA also told us that there are instances where legislation, written some time...

Legislation also requires that data collected as part of the National Fraud Initiative, enabled by...

Government Response AI assessment · 6 of 6 classified

Correspondence 1 letter