Schedule 1 - The Serious Organised Crime Agency

Part of Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 3:15 pm on 11 January 2005.

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Photo of Caroline Flint Caroline Flint Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office) 3:15, 11 January 2005

I have listened to what the hon. Gentleman has said, and that will form part of our debate on these particular areas of crime and the future role of the agency.

Amendment No. 4 seeks to remove responsibility for deciding the level of staffing for SOCA from the agency's board to the director general. That would be inconsistent with the Government's arrangements for SOCA as set out in the Bill. Under clause 6, it is the responsibility of the SOCA board as a whole to prepare an annual plan. The level of resources, including the numbers of staff required, must be a central part of any such plan. Clearly, the director general will play a central role in preparing the annual plan and will need to consider the level of staffing necessary to enable him to give effect to it. Ultimately, the plan must be agreed and owned by the board.

I have no doubt that the board will wish to delegate to the director general responsibility for the recruitment of individual staff, although the board might wish to have a say in certain appointments. It is entirely proper for the board of SOCA to retain those responsibilities. That crystallises the concept that the director general discharges SOCA's functions on behalf of the board. On the other hand, the amendment would give too much independent control of SOCA's human resources to the director general.

Accordingly, rather than follow the example of NCS and NCIS under the Police Act 1997, we have adopted the approach of corresponding paragraphs in schedule 1 to the Private Security Industry Act 2001 and in schedule 2 to the Police Reform Act 2002. Those relate to the Security Industry Authority and the Independent Police Complaints Commission respectively, both of which are NDPBs like SOCA. I hope that what I have said about the respective roles of the director general and of resources and staffing in relation to the annual plan will reassure the hon. Member for Sutton Coldfield that the director general will not be involved in advising on and influencing the shape of the organisation.

Even the NCS and NCIS model ensures that the director general does not have responsibility for appointing staff but, rather, that their respective service authorities do. In that sense, it is the board that is analogous to those service authorities. I hope that that clarifies our intention, and I invite the hon. Gentleman not to press the amendment.

In taking decisions on the level of grant, we must consider the bigger picture. I assure the hon. Gentleman and other Committee members that, before determining its grant, there will be full discussion with SOCA about its needs. That should be taken as read; it is not necessary to put it in the Bill.