Written question asked by Mike O'Brien (Labour) on Friday, 17 May 2002, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 12 June 2002. It was answered by Bob Ainsworth (Labour) on Wednesday, 12 June 2002 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the merger of Her Majesty's Custom and Excise investigation teams into drug and migrant trafficking with NCIS and NCS to create a new organisation relating to international and national organised crime.

Answer: Mr. Mike O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the merger of Her Majesty's Customs and Excise investigation teams into drug and migrant trafficking with NCIS and NCS to create a new organisation relating to international and national organised crime. [58358] Mr. Bob Ainsworth: There are no present plans to merge Customs and Excise investigative teams with those from the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) and the National Crime Squad (NCS). Customs, NCIS and NCS work closely together to tackle organised crime threats including drug trafficking and people smuggling. We have established multi-agency working groups to co-ordinate the response to key threats, including the Concerted Interagency Drug Action Group (CIDA) for class A drug trafficking and REFLEX for organised immigration crime, which involve key law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 58358; 386 c1304W;386 c1305-6W
Session: 2001-02
Subjects: Customs and Excise Crime Organised crime Mergers National Criminal Intelligence Service National Crime Squad
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk