Oral Answers to Questions

Esther McVey Excerpts

Monday 1st November 2010 Commons Chamber

[Damian Green]

I welcome the hon. Lady to the Front Bench and congratulate her on her very rapid promotion. May I repeat what I said to the right hon. Member for Leicester East (Keith Vaz)? There is a police investigation going on at the moment. It would clearly be inappropriate for me or my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary to give any details about this case while the police investigation is going on. I am surprised that the shadow Home Secretary asked the hon. Lady to do that while a police investigation was going on.

[Esther McVey (Wirral West) (Con)]

3. What assessment she has made of the likely effect on the administrative burden on police forces of the establishment of the proposed national crime agency.

[Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds) (Con)]

14. What assessment she has made of the likely effect on the administrative burden on police forces of the establishment of the proposed national crime agency.

[The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mrs Theresa May)]

We believe there is a real need to bring a greater focus to the issue of organised crime and other national aspects of policing. The national crime agency will strengthen the operational response to organised crime and better secure our borders. The NCA will contribute to our aim of rationalising the national policing landscape, thereby driving out waste and increasing productivity.

[Esther McVey]

Will my right hon. Friend assure the House that the new joined-up approach of the national crime agency, which will also incorporate functions from the National Policing Improvement Agency, will not only provide efficiency savings but will give equal attention to the individual regions, mine being the north-west?

[Mrs May]

I thank my hon. Friend for her question. I assure her that in setting up the national crime agency we are considering efficiency, and efficiency savings. We will be changing the national policing landscape and it is important to put greater emphasis on serious organised crime. Organised crime is calculated to cost this country and society £20 billion to £40 billion a year and it is right that we should do something to enhance our fight against it.