Oral Answers to Questions

Jo Stevens Excerpts

Thursday 14th September 2017 Commons Chamber

The Attorney General was asked—

[Jo Stevens (Cardiff Central) (Lab)]

1. What plans the Government have for the future of the Serious Fraud Office.

[The Attorney General (Jeremy Wright)]

The Serious Fraud Office does vital work in tackling the most serious instances of fraud, bribery and corruption. We will continue to consider how best to allocate resources and improve joint working between all the enforcement agencies involved in combating economic crime.

[Jo Stevens]

Blockbuster funding can make up a significant amount of SFO funding. Does the Attorney General agree that it would be better to have a greater level of permanent funding?

[The Attorney General]

The hon. Lady is right that blockbuster funding forms a significant component of the SFO’s funding. I think that is likely to remain the case because, as she will appreciate, it is difficult for the SFO to predict exactly the number or severity of the cases it will deal with in any given year. However, there is an argument for relooking at how core funding is developed for the SFO, particularly so that it can attract and retain the best quality staff.