The work of the Serious Organised Crime Agency: fourteenth report of session 2008-09 report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence

House of Commons papers 730 2008-09

Corporate Author:

Great Britain Parliament House of Commons Home Affairs Committee

Author:

Keith Vaz (chairman)

Publisher:

TSO (The Stationery Office)

The Serious Organised Crime Agency was created from the merger of the National Criminal Intelligence Service and the National Crime Squad and was intended to also co-ordinate HMRC's investigative and intelligence work on drug trafficking and the recovery of criminal assets and the Home Office's responsibilities for organised immigration crime. It assumed full legal functions on 1 April 2006. SOCA's performance was to be assessed over the first three year's of its existence in terms of: a reduction in social harms caused by criminal markets; evidence of the dislocation of criminal markets and a growth in the Agency's own capacity. Against a background of continuing concerns about SOCA's effectiveness, the Committee held evidence sessions with Sir Stephen Lander, the former SOCA chairman, and his successor Sir Ian Andrews. In principle the Committee accepts that proceedings to seize assets take some time and that there are currently significant cases in preparation. They also agree that it is important to take the wider view that all assets denied to criminals hinder their activities, rather than looking solely at money recovered to the public purse. Nevertheless SOCA will be judged by the public in part on its success in asset recovery because this is easily measured. It is important that SOCA is able to quantify its results and justify its budget. The evidence taken from Sir Stephen Lander and Sir Ian Andrews is included in this report.

Extent	[2], 12, Ev 19p.	ISBN	9780215542069
Size	N/A	Price	£10.00
Binding	Paperback	Published	18 Nov 2009
Availability	Colour copy: 3 - 5 days	Delivery	Delivery options and charges

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