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Mr. Tom Watson (West Bromwich, East) (Lab): My right hon. Friend should be commended for introducing proposals that are proportionate to the new challenges facing British security, and especially for the extra resources to be made available for counter-terrorism work. Will he confirm that the additional resources for the Met police will not lead to a reduction in the West Midlands police force's fight against terrorism? What representations has he received from the intelligence services on the use of intercepts? Does he envisage that they will have the ultimate veto on the use of intercept evidence in court?
Mr. Blunkett: On the first part of my hon. Friend's question, no, what I have announced will not interfere with developments in the regions of England and Wales, because I had already allocated £3 million. Part of the £15 million will go to establish the new regional intelligence cells and to the work of co-ordinating special branch. On the second part of his question, I do not intend to spell out this afternoon which agency is in favour of what. I read about such things in the newspapers, but I take such reports with as large a pinch of salt as I take press reports about intelligence and security issues in general. There will not be a veto, because we will lay down in which areas this will be appropriate, subject to the final decisions that stand to be taken by the Prime Minister.
Mr. Graham Brady (Altrincham and Sale, West) (Con): Will the Home Secretary confirm that the number of police officers attached to NCIS is already being reduced from 260 to 100? Does he intend those experienced, trained and skilled investigators to be redeployed to the new agency, to ensure that their skills are not lost?
Mr. Blunkett: It is important that we do not lose the experience that people have gained. The officers in question were seconded and had come to the end of their secondment. It is important that, during the interregnum between now and the full operation of the agency, we give people an opportunity either to continue or to reapply, so that we do not lose their expertise and dislocate that experience.
David Cairns (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): May I press my right hon. Friend further on narco-terrorism? He will be aware that this year's increased poppy harvest in Afghanistan will inevitably lead to more and cheaper heroin on Britain's streets, which will bring domestic
criminal and health problems. In addition, profits from the trade are being used to fund terrorism in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Will he spell out how the various agencies will work together to combat what I believe will be acknowledged in the coming Session to be an increasing problem of narco-terrorism?
Mr. Blunkett: It certainly is a problem. I met President Karzai at the end of last year, and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has pressed the case strongly. We discussed how we could assist both within and across the borders of Afghanistan in tackling the organised criminal line that leads inexorably to much of the heroin arriving on our streets. Customs and Excise has done a good job of disruption and seizure, but the agency's role will be not only to work inside this country, but to link up with colleagues in other countries to tackle internationally the organised trade in narcotics.
Lady Hermon (North Down) (UUP): Even though my colleagues in the Ulster Unionist party are not with me in body, I assure the Home Secretary that they are with me in spirit when I say that we support his statement today and the White Paper. Incidentally, we also support the Minister for Citizenship and Immigration, who is sitting beside him.
I particularly welcome the Home Secretary's statement that “We will make the UK one of the most difficult environments in the world for organised crime”. As he knows, organised crime in Northern Ireland is particularly nasty very sophisticated, but very brutal. Will he give me an assurance today that, despite the sensitivities about supergrass evidence, non-jury trials and phone-tapping in Northern Ireland, the legislation introduced on the back of the White Paper will extend to Northern Ireland from the start, instead of colleagues of mine having to plead with him to extend it to Northern Ireland?
Mr. Blunkett: I always take notice of the hon. Lady. If I might be really cheeky, I think that I have said to her before that I prefer her body, wherever the spirit might be that she described this afternoon. [Interruption.] Of course it was a compliment. I know that the hon. Lady is still able to take a compliment, which is nice.
I am concerned that we do not resile from being able to use powers in Northern Ireland and that we are able to extend what has been done despite the difficulties that have been experienced, given that some of the most vivid examples of organised crime, nationally and internationally, have been provided by the way in which people have behaved towards one another in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Nigel Beard (Bexleyheath and Crayford) (Lab): Is my right hon. Friend aware of concern in the financial services industry that reports generated by the industry on suspected money laundering are not being fully pursued by the National Criminal Intelligence Service due to a lack of resources? Will he give an assurance that the arrangements that he has announced will strengthen the ability to investigate money laundering?
Mr. Blunkett: There is already a task force, precisely for the reason that my hon. Friend describes. There have been real difficulties. That needs to be fed into the
operation of the agency, not least because getting the National Criminal Intelligence Service and the National Crime Squad working in the same organisation will assist with the gathering, investigation and prosecution of that evidence.
Mr. Mark Field (Cities of London and Westminster) (Con): May I also endorse the words of my right hon. Friend the Member for Haltemprice and Howden (David Davis) in supporting the statement? Clearly we have some concerns about all aspects of civil liberties, but they will be discussed and debated at a later stage.
My concern relates to the City of London police, within my constituency. The Home Secretary will appreciate the important role that they play in relation to serious fraud, particularly the international element, to which the right hon. Gentleman has rightly referred. I endorse the words of the hon. Member for Bexleyheath and Crayford (Mr. Beard) who asks where the resources will come from? A structure is in place but, as the Home Secretary will be aware, a number of the initiatives that the City of London police have taken, particularly with the police in Miami, on drug abuses have foundered in recent months because of a lack of funding.
I hope that the Home Secretary will give serious consideration to ensuring that such initiatives are properly resourced. It is all very well to have a structure in place but without proper resourcing, as we know from all areas of civil contingency protection, many of the advantages of new legislation and new policy will come to nought.
Mr. Blunkett: The hon. Gentleman will be aware that there have been detailed discussions with the City of London police on their relationship with the Serious Fraud Office and on the important role that my right hon. and learned Friend the Attorney-General believes can be played by their work. That has already involved resources.
I will make no commitment today because the City of London Corporation has, as ever, been full of its usual guile in making sure that our contribution is substantial regardless of the part of the pot to which it thinks that it can contribute. I will write to the hon. Gentleman separately on the way in which that progress is being made.
Tony Cunningham (Workington) (Lab): I have spoken to police officers who have to deal with organised crime, especially drugs and people smuggling. They tell me that the vast majority of those who control this illegal trade do not live in this country. They live in Spain, Holland or elsewhere. How will my right hon. Friend deal with such an issue?
Mr. Blunkett: During the statement made earlier by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister we were discussing the importance of being able to co-operate across boundaries, to be able to pursue criminals throughout the rest of Europe, to be able to use the new arrest warrant that the House has already approved and to be able to ensure that through the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 we are able to seize the product of organised criminality. That will be crucial to getting things right. I am sure that the new Spanish Government will want to
co-operate with us. They would not want on their doorstep or beaches the sort of criminals that we do not want on our doorstep or beaches.
Mr. Ian Davidson (Glasgow, Pollok) (Lab/Co-op): I welcome the Government's statement, although many of us are worried that the Home Secretary may be a bit soft on some elements. What steps is he taking to deal with the key support mechanisms for organised crime, such as the lawyers, bankers and accountants who appear to be beyond the reach of the law but who provide such important assistance to organised crime? What steps is he taking, together with the Treasury, to attack financial and banking jurisdictions of dubious quality? Does he intend to try to pursue jurisdictions that hide behind banking secrecy to allow not only money laundering, but the tax avoidance and tax evasion so often used by organised crime?
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