Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, what steps she is taking to ensure that appropriate oversight is given to the decision by the Serious Fraud Office to not open an investigation into the Vashi diamonds case.

The SFO is a relatively small, highly specialised government department that is permitted by law to investigate only the most serious and complex cases of fraud, bribery and corruption affecting the UK. Decisions on which cases to investigate are taken independently by the SFO, with the Director determining whether to authorise an investigation in accordance with the criteria set out in the Director’s Statement of Principle.

To assist with my oversight of the Serious Fraud Office, I hold regular superintendence meetings with the SFO’s executive team to keep me appraised of relevant SFO casework matters.