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National Crime Agency ‘could prove to be expensive’ says Hogan-Howe

The cost of moving the Met’s national responsibility for counter-terrorism into the hands of the National Crime Agency (NCA) may be difficult to justify, the force’s Commissioner has said. Cmr Bernard Hogan-Howe told the Home Affairs Select Committee that the potential transfer of the ‘crucial’ portfolio to the soon to be formed NCA could be expensive.

The Home Office is currently conducting a review into whether the proposal would work. The committee heard that the Met had been given assurances from the Home Secretary that it would be allowed to make its voice heard over the matter. Cmr Hogan-Howe said: “If there is to be a change, there will be a cost. At a time of austerity I am not sure where that money will come from.

“The NCA as of yet is not up and running – it will be in the next two years. I am sure everyone will need to think how that (the NCA) will work with its original responsibilities – as well as considering the new possibility (of attaining counter terrorism).”

The NCA is set to be fully operational from October 2013 and will swallow up SOCA, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) and some functions from the NPIA. However Cmr Hogan-Howe said there were clear benefits of having a police force delivering counter terrorism and people needed to ask themselves whether there was a problem with the current system. Hinting at intelligence sharing and flexibility, he said: “It is pretty hard in the capital of the UK to divide counter terrorism and security from policing.

“One of the strengths in this country is the golden thread from community policing that links through to counter terrorism.”

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