Legal background Information Orders (IOs)
The Criminal Finances Act 2017 (CFA) inserted sections 339ZH-ZK into POCA and sections 22B-E in TACT.
	Currently the NCA can receive information on a voluntary basis in relation to the NCA’s statutory functions. Section 7(1) and (8) of the Crime and Courts Act 2013 (CCA) provides an information sharing gateway that allows the sending of information to NCA officers relevant to the exercise of NCA functions, including financial intelligence, from regulated businesses and others.
	The NCA can request information voluntarily that would fall within this gateway. The NCA opt to use section 7 CCA requests rather than IOs due to the duration of time it can take to apply for and process a court order. Section 7 CCA requests are easy for the NCA to submit as they do not require authorisation from the courts and information requested can be broad. Section 7 requests are complied with in the majority of cases.