The National Crime Agency (NCA) is the national lead agency for tackling serious and organised crime, tasked with reducing the impact it has on the UK, and thereby protect the public from the highest-harm criminals we face. To achieve that it manages intelligence and information that requires the highest levels of security and provides sensitive intelligence and covert tactics to law enforcement from across the whole of the UK.

HM Inspectorate for Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) have finalised their 12^th inspection of the NCA. They assessed how effectively the NCA is at dealing with corruption, and specifically the NCA’s effectiveness and efficiency in helping and working with police forces and other law enforcement agencies to identify and tackle corruption involving police officers and staff.

I have asked HMICFRS to publish the report. It will be published today and will be available online at https://hmicfrs.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/publications/national-crime-agency-vetting-and-anti-corruption-part-2. I will arrange for a copy to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

The inspection found the Agency works well with partners to identify and tackle corrupt police officers and staff, the Agency understands the threat posed by corruption to law enforcement, and its Anti-Corruption Unit employ’s effective policies and approaches to tackle corruption.

However, it found the intelligence the Agency receives could be improved and it’s ACU could strengthen its approach to identifying and prioritising investigations. I expect the Agency to ensure it has dedicated sufficient resources to meet future demand and has the procedures in place to support law enforcement on the most appropriate and serious cases.

The inspectorate also found that a new nationally co-ordinated approach to collating and assessing intelligence relating to corruption in police forces and other law enforcement agencies, may strengthen our understanding of this issue and our collective ability to address it. My officials are considering the feasibility of this suggestion with the NCA and relevant partners.

Overall, the inspectorate has made 5 separate recommendations. These are designed to better enable the NCA to effectively support law enforcement address corrupt police officers and staff, an issue that poses a significant threat to fair and effective policing, and ultimately public safety. These changes will enable the NCA to have the intelligence, resources and approaches it requires to robustly address with partners this threat to police forces and wider law enforcement.