Committee publication · Estimate memoranda · 29 April 2026

National Crime Agency Main Estimates Memorandum 2026-27

Summary

The National Crime Agency's Main Estimates memorandum for 2026-27 requests £722.5m in Resource Departmental Expenditure Limit, £135.5m in Capital DEL, and £204.5m in Resource AME. This represents a £154.1m (27%) increase in Resource DEL from the prior year, driven by Spending Review settlement and baseline funding consolidation. The three-year Spending Review period allocates approximately £650m for investment across operational capabilities, risk reduction, AI-enabled workflows, and infrastructure.

Key findings

Resource DEL increased by £154.1m (27%) from Supplementary Estimate 2025-26, primarily from Spending Review settlement and departmental budget transfers. Administration costs decreased by 1.6%.
Over the three-year Spending Review period, approximately £650m will be invested in the NCA with focus on four domains: risk reduction, operational uplift, productivity and efficiency through AI and cloud modernisation, and infrastructure sustainability.
External funding proportion of overall budget declining from 31% in 2025-26 to 24% in 2026-27, with previously ring-fenced project funding now built into core budget for greater flexibility.
Pay costs increased by £61.1m (19.2%), and Enabling Capabilities spending rose by £72.1m (48.9%), reflecting workforce growth and transformation programme investment.
Depreciation reclassified from DEL Ringfenced to AME Ringfenced, adding £164.5m to Resource AME in line with consolidated budgeting guidance; £40m pension uplift added to Resource AME outside original Spending Review settlement.

Tone

Procedural

Topics

public-financelaw-enforcementorganised-crimecybersecuritygovernment-spending

Key actors

National Crime Agency, Home Secretary, Director General NCA, Sophie Ingram, Scottish Government, Police Service of Northern Ireland, National Audit Office

Notable line

“Over the three-year Spending Review period, c.£650m will be invested in the NCA.”

Key Quotes

“Agency (NCA) is a non-ministerial department which has operational independence and is accountable to the Home Secretary.”
— National Crime Agency · Setting out the NCA's constitutional status and governance structure

“External funding will become a smaller proportion of our overall budget, from 31% in 2025-26 down to 24% in 2026-27.”
— National Crime Agency · Explaining the shift towards core baseline funding

“The portfolio is expected to deliver measurable benefits across four domains:  Risk reduction : safeguarding resilience, improved cyber-security …”
— National Crime Agency · Outlining how the three-year investment allocation will be deployed

“The NCA is committed to delivering efficiency savings over the Spending Review period. These savings will be delivered through a combination of changes to working practices, the implementation of transformation programmes and improved commercial arrangements.”
— National Crime Agency · Describing approach to achieving value for money despite budget growth

View original document →

Source · parliament.uk record ↗