Serious Crime Bill [HL]

My Lords, on behalf of my noble friend Lady Scotland of Asthal, I beg to introduce a Bill to make provision about serious crime prevention orders; to create offences in respect of the encouragement or assistance of crime; to enable information to be shared or processed to prevent fraud; to enable data matching to be conducted both in relation to fraud and for other purposes; to transfer functions of the director of the Assets Recovery Agency to the Serious Organised Crime Agency and other persons and to make further provision in connection with the abolition of the agency and the office of director; to amend the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 in relation to certain investigations and in relation to accredited financial investigators and search warrants; to make amendments relating to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs in connection with the regulation of investigatory powers; and for connected purposes. Moved accordingly, and, on Question, Bill read a first time, and ordered to be printed.