Recommendation 22

HM Government · verbatim extract Accepted in Part

The Government recognises the importance of ensuring that those responsible for deterring, investigating and prosecuting offences related to impermissible foreign money are appropriately resourced and supported, and that there is clear accountability for the effectiveness of these efforts. We agree with the Committee’s underlying objective of maintaining confidence that the enforcement system is capable of responding to evolving threats, and we note the intent behind proposals for more structured reporting to Parliament. We also recognise the Committee’s forward-looking reference to the establishment of a Political Finance Enforcement Unit and the benefits that a more coordinated and visible enforcement capability could bring to this area. However, the Government does not consider that a formalised requirement for annual resourcing updates to this Committee is the most appropriate mechanism to deliver this objective. Wider policing reforms—most notably the establishment of a new National Police Service (NPS), which will in due course incorporate Counter Terrorism Policing functions—present a significant opportunity to strengthen and rationalise the national approach to complex threats, including foreign interference in UK democratic processes. This reform programme will support a more coherent and strategic approach to capability, resourcing and operational coordination across relevant agencies, enabling more consistent oversight and the development of specialist expertise. Within this context, we consider that resourcing and capability questions should be addressed as part of broader, system-wide reviews of enforcement structures rather than through separate, bespoke reporting arrangements.