Agenda item

2.55 p.m.

Report by the Director of Finance

This report presents a summary of activity against the Counter Fraud Plan for 2021/22, presented to the July 2021 Audit & Governance committee meeting.  The Counter Fraud plan supports the Council’s Anti-Fraud and Corruption Strategy by ensuring that the Council has proportionate and effective resources and controls in place to prevent and detect fraud as well as investigate those matters that do arise.

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to note the summary of activity against the Counter Fraud Plan for 2021/22.

The Audit & Governance Committee considered a report by the Director of Finance presenting a summary of activity in relation to the Counter Fraud Plan for 2021/22 which had been presented to the Audit & Governance Committee meeting in July 2021.

The Counter Fraud Plan supported the Council’s Anti-Fraud and Corruption Strategy by ensuring the Council had proportionate and effective resources and controls in place to prevent and detect fraud as well as investigating matters that might arise.

It was recommended that the Audit & Governance Committee note the summary of activity against the Counter Fraud Plan 2021/22.

The report was presented by Sara Cox, Chief Internal Auditor.

The Chair referred to Paragraph 7 of the report, “National Fraud Initiative” (NFI), noting the number of Blue Badges and Concessionary Travel Passes that had been cancelled and the estimated future loss to the Council that had been prevented because of the cancellations. She also noted that, on the death of a Blue Badge or Concessionary Travel Pass holder, there was a requirement that the relevant authorities were informed of the holder’s death and that the holder’s Blue Badge or Concessionary Travel Pass was cancelled.

In the subsequent discussion, the following points were raised.

(a)  As part of the On Street Enforcement Exercise, there was a detailed Enforcement Plan which set out procedures to be followed in seizing and/or returning Blue Badges.

ACTION: Officers to consider publishing the Enforcement Plan and any appeals procedures on the Council website.

(b)  Referring to Paragraph 4: Key Performance Indicators & Trends, it was confirmed that the number of investigations and cases was consistent with the number of cases in previous years. In addition, the outcomes of the investigations that had been conducted was in accordance with officers’ expectations.

It was proposed that the statistics presented in Paragraph 4 of the report were indicative of there being strong controls and processes in place.

(c)   The financial value to the holder of a Blue Badge or a Concessionary Travel Pass was calculated nationally based on parking and travel fees that were waived for holders of a Blue Badge or a Concessionary Travel Pass.

(d)  Regarding levels of abuse of the Blue Badge Scheme, it was anticipated that, as the On Street Parking Enforcement Exercise progressed, and work was carried out with Blue Badge Enforcement Officers, Blue Badge “hot spots” would be identified, and the necessary enforcement action taken.

(e)  Regarding “New Cases by Referral Source”, category referred to in the report, it was noted that “whistleblowing” cases could originate from several sources including Members of the Public, Service Providers and Council employees. It was whether the case met the definition of whistleblowing that determined how it was categorised.

(f)    Regarding fraud within schools, if the school concerned was a maintained school, responsibility for investigating the fraud and any loss because of fraud would lie with the Council as the Local Education Authority.

In bringing the discussion to a close, the Chair thanked officers for the work carried out in relation to Counter Fraud Plan 2021/22.

RESOLVED: to note the summary of activity against the Counter Fraud Plan for 2021/22.