Whitehall departments to be given power to share details of government debtors

Whitehall departments are to be given powers to share details on people and businesses that owe the Government money, under plans to cut Government losses from unpaid debt.

Earlier this year, the Cabinet Office's Fraud, Error and Debt Taskforce published a review of debt, which found that more than £20 billion was owed to Government, while more than £7 billion was lost through unpaid debt being written off each year - equivalent to more than £400 per working household every single year.

The proposed new measures aim to make it easier for departments to share "appropriate and proportionate" information which ministers hope will lead to swifter action to recover money and reduce losses.

The move to implement the new laws, will be unveiled in a speech by Minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude today.