§ David TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the Organised Crime Task Force's second annual threat assessment. [65737]
§ Jane KennedyI congratulate the Organised Crime Task Force, on their first year's work. Much has been achieved—the figures in the second annual threat assessment and strategy documents speak for themselves—but we are under no illusions that there is much more to be done. Fighting organised crime will be a long and hard struggle. This year, as it was last year, the priority areas for concerted multi-agency effort are extortion, drugs, oils-related fraud, tobacco and alcohol duty evasion and money laundering. In addition, we have added two new strategic priority areas: the trade in counterfeit goods, as this has an on—going potential to affect investment in Northern Ireland; and armed robbery, which is on the increase here, while declining elsewhere in the United Kingdom.
No one should doubt that we have the resources and determination to pursue it to the utmost. The publication of the threat assessment and strategy for dealing with organised crime in Northern Ireland, shows that the agencies involved have made an impressive start.