The Ulster Unionist Party’s North Antrim MLA Robin Swann has said that he is delighted with the responses he has received to his consultation on a Private Members Bill he is bringing forward to amend current legislation regarding oversight arrangements for the Department of Agriculture's Central Investigation Service.

Mr Swann said:

"I have brought my Private Members Bill, to have DARD’s Central Investigation Service subject to inspection from an external body and not simply DARD's internal audit, due to the range of work that it undertakes for other bodies. I believe that it should be inspected by the Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice.

“In the last five years the CIS has investigated suspected fraud cases to the value of £1,347,000 but has only managed to secure two convictions and successfully prosecute £32,478 of fraud, against a running cost of the unit of £733,000. The apparent ineffectiveness of this unit is therefore a key driver of this Private Members Bill. Given the significant sums of money involved taken alongside the prosecution and conviction rates, I believe it is vital that appropriate oversight is in place.

“In the responses to this consultation, I have received a 92% response rate "supporting the view that DARD's Central Investigation Service should be externally inspected" and that it "should be one of the organisations that must be inspected by the Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice."

“None of the respondents to my consultation have identified another organisation that they think could provide the necessary oversight.

“So it is with this support that I will now take my Private Members Bill to the next Legislative Level."