FOI request (FOI-117379754)

Transparency code fraud data

Requested Mon 06 May 2019
Responded Mon 10 June 2019

I am looking for the following information published under paragraph 53 of the Local Government Transparency code:

53. Local authorities must publish the following information about their counter fraud work:

- number of occasions they use powers under the Prevention of Social Housing Fraud (Power to Require Information) (England) Regulations, or similar powers

- total number (absolute and full time equivalent) of employees undertaking investigations and prosecutions of fraud

- total number (absolute and full time equivalent) of professionally accredited counter fraud specialists

- total amount spent by the authority on the investigation and prosecution of fraud

- total number of fraud cases investigated.

I can not seem to find this information for 2017, 2018 or 2019, could you please advise where I can find this? Please send a link if possible.

Response

I am sorry to learn that you were not able to access this information more easily.

We have continually maintained this information at the following site even prior to February 2015 when the Transparency Code for Local Government 2015 formally came into effect. https://www.hastings.gov.uk/content/my_council/budgets_finance/budgets_finance/fraudtransparency

Our interpretation of the code is that this data needs to be published annually and that is what we have done. Unfortunately, we haven't kept the data for previous years. We are looking to refresh the page in mid June 2019.