Theft and Fraud (Hansard, 25 February 2002)

§ Malcolm Wicks

The Department takes its responsibilities to protect its assets from theft and fraud very seriously and has put in place a wide range of security measures designed to deter and detect such events.

We have appointed a senior accountable official to ensure that we have effective measures for deterring internal fraud and for investigating it vigorously if it should happen. A central probity team supports the senior accountable official and provides guidance and advice to managers and staff, security specialists and internal investigators. Our recruitment security measures fully meet Cabinet Office requirements.

Staff have a policy statement setting out their personal responsibilities in combating internal fraud and theft, and detailed guidance outlining what to do if they suspect fraud. Later this year we shall be publishing a guide to security for all managers and a guide for staff emphasising their duties and responsibilities, and introducing security awareness induction training for all new staff. Our whistleblower's hotline allows staff to report, in confidence, any suspicions they may have about possible fraud or abuse by staff.

Our management controls include mandatory checks and audit trails targeted at areas of high risk. As well as acting as a deterrent, these checks allow us to identify and tackle potential weaknesses in our systems. We have a network of security specialists to help managers identify risks and put in place counter measures, and teams of internal investigators to investigate cases of suspected internal fraud and theft when they arise.

To emphasise to staff that we will not tolerate wrongdoing, we publish within the Department the outcomes of internal investigations. Penalties may include dismissal and prosecution for serious offences.

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We keep all of these measures under review to ensure they continue to support our vigorous approach to tackling fraud and theft.