To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many disclosure notices have been obtained by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency to date. (187276)

SOCA’s annual report for 2006-07 reported the use of 22 disclosure notices. Comparable figures for 2007-08 are not yet available.

The Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 confers powers on the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Director of Revenue and Customs Prosecutions and the Lord Advocate in relation to the giving of disclosure notices. Detailed cross-matching and validation of data between SOCA and its partners is carried out at the end of each financial year.

As required under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005, SOCA will publish a report on the exercise of its functions during 2007-08 as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. Comparable figures for 2007-08 will be available when this report is published.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people employed by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency have been trained in powers of arrest since 1 April 2006. (187277)

Further to my response of 8 March 2007, 182 SOCA staff are undergoing the SOCA investigators course, which incorporates training in powers of arrest.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases relating to (a) drugs, (b) firearms and (c) counterfeit currency have been referred to the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) by HM Revenue and Customs; and how many of those cases have been investigated by SOCA. (187278)

Between 1 April 2006 and 31 August 2006, 444 notifications relating to drugs seizures were referred to SOCA by HM Revenue and Customs. Four of these cases were investigated by SOCA.

In order to align these notifications with the UK Serious Organised Crime Control Strategy a refined framework was introduced on 1 September 2006. Since then 101 notifications relating to drugs seizures have been received and SOCA has undertaken investigations in 30 of these cases.

No notifications have been received relating to firearms or counterfeit currency.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been (a) arrested, (b) prosecuted and (c) convicted as a result of operations by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency. (187280)

The SOCA annual report for 2006-07 reported that SOCA casework in the UK had led to 749 arrests; 283 cases reached court and 271 resulted in convictions.

Detailed cross-matching and validation of data between SOCA and its partners is carried out at the end of each financial year. SOCA will publish a report on the exercise of ail their functions during 2007-08 as soon as possible after the end of the financial year.