To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were employed in the e-crime department of the Serious and Organised Crime Agency in April 2006; and how many people are now so employed. (269673)

In April 2006 50 staff, employed previously by the National High Tech Crime Unit, were absorbed into the Serious Organised Crime Agency. At that point the work of the High Tech Crime Unit was divided between SOCA's e-crime department and the Child Exploitation and On-line Protection Centre (CEOP).

In April 2009, 38 staff were directly employed in the SOCA e-crime department, with other staff employed by CEOP working on offences of alleged child abuse where technology may be a factor.