Blair to merge agencies into 'British FBI'

Tony Blair today revealed plans to merge a series of law enforcement agencies into a British version of the FBI.

The agency, which has yet to be named, would combine the National Crime Squad, Serious Fraud Office and National Criminal Intelligence System in a crime-fighting operation.

It could even take on the roles of Customs and Excise and the Inland Revenue in dealing with drugs and money laundering.

The Prime Minister unveiled the initiative today at a conference on the future of the criminal justice system saying that more needed to be done to fight organised crime. "Some have argued that the time has come to create a new dedicatednational agency which could share intelligence, expertise and investigative talent," he told the conference in London.

"We are looking at this idea alongside the review which the Chancellor announced on the future of the Inland Revenue and Customs and we will set out our conclusions in the autumn." Until now the Government had always denied plans for an FBI-style agency in the face of stiff resistance from police forces who do not want to lose prestige and officers, as well as the existing agencies such as NCIS.

The Prime Minister also launched a vigorous defence of plans to limit the right to trial by jury and have judges sitting alone in cases where there is the possibility of jury intimidation. The proposals, set out in the current Criminal Justice Bill, are facing fierce opposition in the Lords and the Government is facing defeat on the measure to allow judges to hear trials alone.

Mr Blair said: "Parliament has got an obligation to protect the public. Those charged with responsibilities for making laws, must see there is a public interest to be balanced with individual rights."