Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill Report Stage: New Clause 21
95
Ayes
—
257
Noes
Defeated · Government won
293 did not vote
Analysis
Commons
Commons
**What happened:** The House of Commons voted on 29 April 2025 on whether to add New Clause 21 to the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill during its Report Stage. The clause was proposed by the opposition and would have added further provisions to the bill's existing framework for tackling fraud and error in public spending. The motion was defeated by 257 votes to 95, with the government successfully holding off the amendment. **Why it matters:** The Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill is designed to give the government new tools to identify, prevent and recover fraudulent or erroneous payments from public funds. New Clause 21 would have added additional measures beyond those the government had already included in the bill. Its defeat means the legislation will proceed without those extra provisions, keeping the bill closer to the form the government originally proposed. The practical effect is that the scope of anti-fraud and public spending oversight powers remains as the government designed them, rather than being extended in the direction the opposition sought. **The politics:** The vote divided sharply along party lines. All 225 Labour MPs and 26 Labour and Co-operative MPs who voted opposed the clause, while 90 Conservatives voted in favour alongside 4 Reform UK members, one Traditional Unionist Voice MP and one Ulster Unionist MP. This was one of several opposition amendments defeated on the same day, including on Amendment 11, New Clause 1 and New Clause 10, suggesting a sustained but unsuccessful Conservative effort to reshape the bill at Report Stage. The bill itself passed its Second Reading in February 2025 by 343 votes to 87, indicating broad initial support that has since fractured into more partisan disagreement over the bill's precise scope and powers.
Voting Aye meant
Support adding Conservative-proposed safeguards and proportionality measures to the fraud and error recovery powers in the Bill
Voting No meant
Oppose the Conservative amendments, preferring the Government's version of the Bill without additional opposition-drafted constraints on recovery powers
352 voting MPs. Each dot is one vote; left-to-right by party. Grey dots in the centre are the 293 who did not vote.
Aye
No
Absent
Labour PartyWhipped No
0
225
137
Conservative and Unionist PartyWhipped Aye
90
0
26
Liberal Democrats
0
0
72
Labour and Co-operative PartyWhipped No
0
26
16
Independent
1
3
9
Scottish National Party
0
0
9
Reform UKWhipped Aye
4
0
3
Sinn Féin
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist Party
0
0
5
Green Party of England and WalesWhipped No
0
3
1
Plaid Cymru
0
0
4
Social Democratic and Labour Party
0
0
2
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
0
0
1
Speaker
0
0
1
Traditional Unionist Voice
1
0
—
Ulster Unionist Party
1
0
—
Your Party
0
1
—
Bill is tough and fair, essential to tackle £7.4bn benefit fraud and £55bn public sector fraud; includes robust safeguards, independent oversight, and will recover £1.5bn; existing legislation already covers sickfluencers and similar offences.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (6,372 words) →
Bill will only recover 1.8% of fraud losses (£1.5bn of £55bn); concerned that suspicionless financial surveillance may breach Human Rights Act articles 8 and 14; demanded legal advice be made public.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (429 words) →
Bill has gaps where not tough enough and parts vaguely prepared; supports new clauses on sickfluencers (10-year sentences), arrest powers for DWP investigators, liability orders for asset seizure, and independent tribunal appeals instead of ministerial review.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (2,733 words) →
Bill presents Orwellian mass surveillance risk; concerns about proportionality, impact on 136,000 carer's allowance claimants, and lack of fundamental DWP reform; fears powers will worsen situation for vulnerable people without independent oversight.Liberal Democrat · Voted no_vote_recorded · Read full speech (1,014 words) →
Welcomes Bill as crackdown on £7.1m fraud in Wales; supports Government amendments on devolution, safeguards, and proportionality; Bill protects vulnerabilities and encourages early dialogue to prevent error escalation.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (913 words) →
Existing powers against sickfluencers are not being used effectively; supports new clauses 8 and 21 for targeted legislation; called for annual reporting of recovered amounts and assurances on Scottish Government fraud reporting.Conservative · Voted aye · Read full speech (335 words) →
Questioned whether Bill contravenes Human Rights Act 1998 secrecy provisions; sought assurance on legal compliance.Labour · Voted no · Read full speech (51 words) →
Expressed concerns about automated decision-making, AI, and algorithms; sought commitment to transparency to protect vulnerable people from unfair treatment.Labour · Voted no_vote_recorded · Read full speech (87 words) →
Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0