§ Phil SawfordTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on progress made with combating the illegal trade in fuel oils in Northern Ireland. [74022]
§ Jane KennedyOn 23 May, the Secretary of State launched the second annual Organised Crime Task Force threat assessment and strategy. The OCTF threat assessment provided an overview of the scale and scope of organised crime in Northern Ireland and highlighted trends and developments in the preceding year.
The threat assessment tells us that oils fraud continues to be a problem although there is evidence that the position has stabilised and slightly improved. The latest figures show that deliveries of legal product to Northern Ireland have risen for the first time in five years.
The Government believe however that oils related fraud remains unacceptably high. On 4 July as chair of the OCTF, and on behalf of the Financial Secretary to the treasury too, I opened an Oils Fraud Expert Group Seminar. This drew together a wide range of agencies with an aim to develop a multi-agency strategy for tackling oil frauds in Northern Ireland. This group will meet again on 30 October.
There have been some tremendous operations this year in this field. In June Customs & Excise detected a fuel laundering plant, seized 137 vehicles, including taxis, commercial and private vehicles and three filling stations all using illegal fuel.