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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| National Crime Agency details to be outlined | National Crime Agency details to be outlined |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Details of how the proposed National Crime Agency will operate when it is set up next year are to be unveiled. | Details of how the proposed National Crime Agency will operate when it is set up next year are to be unveiled. |
| It will replace the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) covering drugs and gun crime, and the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre. | It will replace the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca) covering drugs and gun crime, and the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre. |
| Plans for it to absorb the Serious Fraud Office were reportedly dropped. | Plans for it to absorb the Serious Fraud Office were reportedly dropped. |
| With policing devolved in Scotland and Northern Ireland, the Home Office is expected to explain how the NCA will liaise with forces across the UK. | With policing devolved in Scotland and Northern Ireland, the Home Office is expected to explain how the NCA will liaise with forces across the UK. |
| Last month BBC business editor Robert Peston reported that Home Secretary Theresa May had been forced by her cabinet colleagues to back down on her plans to break up the Serious Fraud Office (SFO). | Last month BBC business editor Robert Peston reported that Home Secretary Theresa May had been forced by her cabinet colleagues to back down on her plans to break up the Serious Fraud Office (SFO). |
| He reported that the home secretary wanted to put the lawyers who front the organisation into the Crown Prosecution Service and its investigators into the NCA. | He reported that the home secretary wanted to put the lawyers who front the organisation into the Crown Prosecution Service and its investigators into the NCA. |
| But when she presented her proposals to cabinet colleagues the discussion that followed was "exceptionally difficult" and there was almost no support for the break-up of the SFO. | But when she presented her proposals to cabinet colleagues the discussion that followed was "exceptionally difficult" and there was almost no support for the break-up of the SFO. |
| The NCA will have a chief constable and two key "commands" - one focusing on organised crime and the other on border policing. | The NCA will have a chief constable and two key "commands" - one focusing on organised crime and the other on border policing. |
| It will have its own officers but will also be involved in the "tasking" of local forces who are involved in the same kind of work. For instance, there are 3,000 officers around the UK involved in border work. | It will have its own officers but will also be involved in the "tasking" of local forces who are involved in the same kind of work. For instance, there are 3,000 officers around the UK involved in border work. |
| 'Radical' police reform | 'Radical' police reform |
| This model is considered to have worked successfully in counter-terrorism, where there is a national co-ordinator in the Metropolitan Police who draws on teams based in forces around the UK. | This model is considered to have worked successfully in counter-terrorism, where there is a national co-ordinator in the Metropolitan Police who draws on teams based in forces around the UK. |
| The home secretary told the BBC the new agency would be a "powerful crime-fighting body" able to help police to put a greater focus on organised crime - such as drugs, people trafficking and prostitution - at a regional, national and international level. | |
| She said for too long there had not been "sufficient focus" on organised crime. | |
| BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) was generally "supportive" of the move and saw it as an improvement on Soca, which was perceived to be "rather opaque and secretive". | |
| However, our correspondent said there were also "questions about resources at a time of budget cuts". | |
| Details of an extensive policing shake-up, which included the creation of the National Crime Agency, were unveiled last year by Mrs May in a Home Office consultation paper - Policing in the 21st century. | |
| She described it as the "most radical reform of policing for 50 years". | She described it as the "most radical reform of policing for 50 years". |
| Peter Neyroud, former head of the National Police Improvement Agency, said he supported the principle of one body covering organised crime. | |
| He said Soca had a "tight focus" and other bodies, particularly in the field of economic crime, had "grown up in parallel", so he could understand the need to create a new, single body. | |
| However, Mr Neyroud said it was important that the National Crime Agency remained in place for some time. | |
| Flip-flopping fear | |
| He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It is absolutely critical that this is a stable organisation which will last more than four or five years. | |
| "Otherwise, how do you build international relationships with agencies across the world in order to tackle serious and organised crime if we keep flip-flopping from one organisation to another?" | |
| He said constant changes were demoralising for staff and the cost attached to changing from Soca could cost about £20m. | |
| Soca was criticised in 2009 when figures showed that for every £15 of public money it spent, just £1 was recovered from criminals. | Soca was criticised in 2009 when figures showed that for every £15 of public money it spent, just £1 was recovered from criminals. |
| Ceop was set up in 2006 to help find and convict paedophiles and work to keep young people safe from predators when they are online. | Ceop was set up in 2006 to help find and convict paedophiles and work to keep young people safe from predators when they are online. |
| Earlier this year, Jim Gamble, the former head of Ceop, suggested children could be put at risk by the planned reforms. | Earlier this year, Jim Gamble, the former head of Ceop, suggested children could be put at risk by the planned reforms. |
| He said the plans were driven not by what was best for children but by the drive for a "bonfire of the quangos". | He said the plans were driven not by what was best for children but by the drive for a "bonfire of the quangos". |