Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress she has made on the pilot for a national cyber-crime force.

The Government takes fraud and cyber crime very seriously. That is why, through the Spending Review 21 settlement and the Economic Crime Levy an overall package over the next three years of circa £400 million is being used to tackle economic crime, including fraud, including support for the National Crime Agency (NCA) and law enforcement.

As part of this, the NCA are increasing their capabilities on fraud. The pilot of a national cyber crime force focused on fraud, based in the NCA was set out in the 2021 Statement of Progress on the Economic Crime Plan. The NCA’s pilot has delivered new tasking, intelligence and strategic communications capabilities in the NCA. This new national cyber crime force focused on fraud will be fully established by 2025.

Tackling cyber crime is at the heart of the UK government’s new National Cyber Strategy which is supported by £2.6bn of new investment over the Spending Review period.