Part 9: Miscellaneous and General Chapter 1: Miscellaneous Schedule 19: Amendments where NCA is party to police collaboration agreements
Schedule 19 amends Part 3 the Police Act 1997 (which provides for the authorisation of action in respect of property) and Part 2 of RIPA (which provides for inter alia the authorisation of covert surveillance, covert human intelligence sources and intrusive surveillance) consequential upon the provisions in section 157.
	The consequential amendments to the Police Act 1997 provide for the following:
	that where a collaboration agreement under section 22A of the 1996 Act is made between the NCA and one or more police forces, an NCA authorising officer can authorise applications for property interference from both NCA officers and members of the police collaborative force who are part of that agreement;
	that a police authorising officer can similarly authorise property interference on application from members of the police collaborative force(s) and NCA officers; and
	that authorisations given by a police authorising officer and authorisations given to members of the police collaborative force(s) can only be given for activity to take place in a "relevant area", which will usually be the (combined) area of operation of the police collaborative force(s).
	The amendments do not alter the area of operation of the NCA and do not limit the geographic area for authorisations for property interference given by the NCA authorising officer to an NCA applicant. However the NCA will be subject to the provisions of the collaboration agreement.
	For example: in a collaboration agreement between Surrey Police, Sussex Police and the NCA, an authorising officer from either Surrey or Sussex Police or the NCA will be able to authorise property interference applications made by an officer from either of those police collaborative forces or from the NCA who is part of the collaboration agreement.
	A key benefit of entering into a collaboration agreement is that it removes the requirement for the applicant and authorising person to be from the same police force/body. This provides a more collaborative approach when the NCA is working with a police force on a joint operation.
	The consequential amendments to RIPA similarly allow for the authorisation of other covert techniques by either NCA or police authorising officers on application from a member of the collaborative police force or the NCA.
	This includes the use of Covert Human Intelligence Sources ("CHIS") (undercover officers or informants) and the use of directed surveillance. This also includes intrusive surveillance (which is in relation to residential premises, private cars or similar non-public areas).
	Similarly to the amendments to the Police Act 1997, consequential amendments to RIPA in relation to authorisations for intrusive surveillance provide that:
	where a collaboration agreement under section 22A of the 1996 Act is made between the NCA and one or more police forces, an NCA authorising officer can authorise applications for intrusive surveillance from both NCA officers and members of the police collaborative force(s) who are part of that agreement;
	a police authorising officer can similarly authorise applications for intrusive surveillance from members of the police collaborative force(s) and NCA officers; and
	where the surveillance is to be carried out in relation to any residential premises, the authorisation granted by a police authorising officer and authorisations given to members of the police collaborative force(s) can only be given for activity in relation to residential premises which are in the area of operation of the police collaborative force(s).
	The amendments do not alter the area of operation of the NCA and do not limit the geographic area for authorisations given for intrusive surveillance by the NCA authorising officer to an NCA applicant. However the NCA will be subject to the provisions of the collaboration agreement.
	The use of such techniques remains subject to existing oversight arrangements including, for example, prior approval by the surveillance commissioners for the use of intrusive surveillance or certain kinds of property interference.
	Whilst the provisions in the Police Act 1997 and RIPA have UK-wide extent, the application of these amendments is limited to England and Wales because they are consequential to an agreement made under section 22A of the 1996 Act, which is limited to England and Wales.