§ Shona McIsaacTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to tackle organised crime; and if he will make a statement. [157530]
§ Mr. StrawThe Government are making £90 million available over the next three years (2001–2004) to help tackle organised crime. The use of the money will be concentrated against heroin and cocaine trafficking, in support of the Government's strategy "Tackling Drugs to Build a Better Britain", and against people smuggling. Our approach in tackling both forms of crime as set out in the publication "Criminal Justice: The Way Ahead" is to encourage a co-ordinated inter-agency effort and the additional funding will be allocated to Her Majesty's Customs and Excise, the National Crime Squad, the National Criminal Intelligence Service, the Immigration and Nationality Directorate, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the security and intelligence agencies.
These additional funds will provide the means for effective new collaborative operational effort against these forms of organised crime, adding to the measures which we have announced recently for a Criminal Assets Recovery Agency and a High-tech crime strategy, for which we have also provided additional resources.