Organised Crime (Hansard, 7 November 2002)

§ Mr. Dodds
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the membership is of the Organised Crime Task Force in Northern Ireland. [79416]

§ Jane Kennedy
The Organised Crime Task Force (OCTF), which I chair, is a Government led multi-agency initiative to tackle organised crime. It is made up of the Northern Ireland Office. Police Service of Northern Ireland, Her Majesty's Customs & Excise, National Criminal Intelligence Service, Home Office and the Inland Revenue. The Task Force is supported by a number of sub groups and expert groups comprising of other Government departments and agencies with a role to play in tackling organised crime including the Health and Safety Executive, Trading Standards Services and the Environment and Heritage Service

§ Mr. Dodds
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what funds have been allocated specifically for tackling organised crime in Northern Ireland. [79417]

§ Jane Kennedy
It is for the law enforcement agencies to decide what resources should be allocated to tackling organised crime effectively in order to deliver their operational strategies.
The Organised Crime Task Force seeks to bring the Agencies together in a way that respects their independence and autonomy and allows them to share information and agree priorities. This enables the agencies to agree shared priorities at a senior level and to commit resources and assistance to each other.

§ Mr. Dodds
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the terms and conditions are of the appointment of Professor Ronald Goldstock as an adviser to the Secretary of State on organised crime; and what his remuneration is. [79415]
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§ Jane Kennedy
The Secretary of State appointed Professor Goldstock, ex-director of the New York State Organised Crime Task Force, in March 2002 to act as an independent expert and to provide an international perspective on the problem of organised crime in Northern Ireland.
He has been asked to report to the Secretary of State, with recommendations for tackling the problem and, in particular, to formulate proposals for securing cross-community support for action, drawing on international experience.
His remuneration is 1,000US dollars per diem.