The Home Office Economic Crime Research Strategy

On Tuesday, May 4th 2021, Home Office analysts published an Economic Crime Research Strategy in response to action 5 of the Economic Crime Plan 2019:  ‘Resolve evidence gaps through a long-term research strategy’. The strategy has been published to coincide with publication of an update on progress against the wider Economic Crime Plan.  

Economic Crime is a unique threat and the research strategy represents a key development in the Home Office’s future response to this threat. By identifying evidence gaps and priorities, the strategy aims to set out clearly the most important areas for research and analysis in economic crime, improving the evidence base on which policy choices are made and the targeting of resources.

The research priorities have been agreed in discussion with a range of stakeholders and the intention is that this research strategy will set the direction for both internal Government research and that of the external research community to improve the evidence base on economic crime. There is value in addressing all of these evidence gaps, but for the purposes of focussing this strategy on the priorities most relevant to delivery of the Economic Crime Plan, it focuses on the agreed national strategic economic crime priorities, fraud and money laundering.

The Home Office is keen to work collaboratively with a range of stakeholders to improve the evidence base on Economic Crime. Therefore, they would welcome discussions on planned research programmes. Home Office analysts can be contacted directly at their dedicated inbox: SOCResearchAgenda@homeoffice.gov.uk.