Today, the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (“POCA”) Appointed Person report covering England and Wales for the period 2024 to 2025, has been laid before Parliament. The Appointed Person is independent of Government and scrutinises the circumstances and manner in which search and seizure powers conferred by the Act are exercised without prior judicial approval and where no property is seized or property is seized for less than 48 hours.

I am pleased that we are now able to publish the Appointed Person’s latest report. The report details that POCA search and seizure powers were used on seven occasions in a way that required notification of the Appointed Person.

The Appointed Person has confirmed in the report that he is satisfied that the criteria required for justifying the searches without prior judicial approval were met and that the powers of search were exercised appropriately. This would indicate that the powers are being used reasonably and appropriately in accordance with the Act. We will continue to monitor the way that the powers are used closely. The Appointed Person recommended that the standard template be used in all reports sent to them and that the sections of POCA used for search and seizure should be clearly indicated in those reports. Guidance will be updated to reflect these recommendations.

Copies of the report will be available in the Vote Office. It will also be published on gov.uk.

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wms/?id=2026-05-21.hcws58.0