Issue - meetings

[To note the current position regarding the counter fraud work undertaken].

Mark Wilkes, Audit Business Partner presented the update report on current counter fraud activities undertaken by Audit Service since the last meeting.

The Committee were advised that the Council had been responsible for the allocation of small business grants, discretionary grants and hospitality grants by Government to assist with the impact of the pandemic. Reasonable steps were taken to try and prevent fraud which included; using Government recommended ‘Spotlight’ RAG rating tool and NFI to run background checks and validate data on those applying for the grants. Online checks were also conducted to ensure the businesses were in operation in March 2020 and bank accounts were checked. Over 4,000 applications for the grants were received, 180 were rejected.

Government had indicated that a post payment checking regime should be put in place. Therefore, the Council had created a post payment assurance framework which would look into key areas of risk and concern and if it was found that any money may have been incorrectly paid to businesses, attempts would be made to claw it back. 

Resolved:

That the current position regarding the counter fraud work undertaken on the business support grants introduced by the Government in response to Covid-19, and the Cabinet Office’s latest National Fraud Initiative report be noted.