Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill Report Stage: New Clause 1
73Ayes
255Noes
Defeated · majority 182 · Government won319 did not vote
647 Members · Aye 73 · No 255 · DNV 319 · grey dots in centre are abstentions
Analysis
Commons
Commons
Parliament voted on 29 April 2025 on whether to add New Clause 1 to the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill during its Report Stage. The clause would have introduced stronger oversight mechanisms or safeguards over the government's fraud recovery powers. The motion was defeated by 255 votes to 73, with a substantial number of MPs absent from the division. The vote matters because it determines how much independent scrutiny will be placed on the government's powers to identify and recover fraudulent or erroneous payments from public authorities. By defeating the new clause, the House of Commons rejected additional constraints on those powers, leaving the government with broader executive discretion in how it pursues fraud recovery. The outcome affects members of the public who may be subject to those recovery powers, as well as civil liberties considerations around the checks placed on government action. The division followed clear party lines. Labour MPs, including those sitting under the Labour and Co-operative Party label, voted almost unanimously against the clause, providing the bulk of the 255 noes. The Liberal Democrats led the opposition to this position, supplying 46 of the 73 aye votes, with further support from Independents, the Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru, the Democratic Unionist Party, the Green Party, and single votes from Your Party and Reform UK. One Labour MP broke with the government to vote aye. This division was one of several on the same day in which opposition parties sought unsuccessfully to amend the Bill, with comparable defeats recorded on Amendment 11 and New Clauses 10 and 21, all at Report Stage.
Voting Aye meant
Support delaying use of recovery powers against Carer's Allowance recipients until an independent review is conducted, protecting vulnerable carers from enforcement action
Voting No meant
Oppose the delay, preferring to proceed with the Bill's recovery powers without waiting for an independent review of Carer's Allowance overpayments
Each row is one party. The stacked bar gives the within-party split of Aye / No / Absent; the columns on the right give the raw counts. The whip column shows the published party position — “Free vote” means the whip was formally removed for this division.
Party
Whip
Aye / No / Abs
Aye
No
Abs
Labour Party
Whipped No
1
222
138
Conservative and Unionist Party
—
0
0
116
Liberal Democrats
Whipped Aye
46
0
26
Labour and Co-operative Party
Whipped No
0
27
15
Independent
—
8
3
2
Scottish National Party
Whipped Aye
6
1
2
Reform UK
—
1
0
6
Sinn Féin
—
0
0
7
Democratic Unionist Party
Whipped Aye
4
0
1
Green Party of England and Wales
Whipped Aye
3
0
1
Plaid Cymru
Whipped Aye
4
0
0
Social Democratic and Labour Party
—
0
0
2
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
—
0
0
1
Restore Britain
—
0
0
1
Speaker
—
0
0
1
Traditional Unionist Voice
—
0
1
0
Ulster Unionist Party
—
1
0
0
Your Party
—
1
0
0
Source · Hansard · UK Parliament Votes API · whip status from announced positions; “free vote” indicates the whip was formally removed
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 no_vote_recorded · 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 no_vote_recorded · 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 aye · 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 no_vote_recorded · 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 aye · Read full speech (87 words) →
Sources
Division dataUK Parliament Votes API
DebateHansard · Commons
Stance analysisAI analysis · Claude 4.x
LicenceOpen Parliament Licence v3.0