BRITAIN’S national law enforcement agency has “questions to answer” about claims it withheld information about alleged phone hacking by law and insurance firms, an Oxford MP has said.

A leaked report put together by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency shows how private investigators were paid to intercept telephone calls, hack into computers and obtain itemised phone bills. But this report was not publicised and withheld from MPs, despite being submitted to the Leveson Inquiry.

Nicola Blackwood, the MP for Oxford West and Abingdon who sits on the home affairs select committee, criticised the agency.

She said: “SOCA has got questions to answer. We need to find out what justification there was for this being withheld.

“These allegations are as concerning in any sector as they were in the media and no sector should be immune from having criminal behaviour rooted out.

“We need to find out how much further substance there is to the report and see how much police forces have taken action or not.”

Oxford East MP Andrew Smith said: “It is a huge concern that the Serious and Organised Crime Agency appears to have allowed illegal hacking by companies and private investigators to continue, and did not report this criminal activity and its alarming scale to the Home Affairs Select Committee.

“I have put down a parliamentary question asking the Home Secretary to refer the SOCA report to the select committee.”

A SOCA spokesman said: “We produced a confidential report in 2008 on the issue of licensing the private investigation industry.

“This report remains confidential and SOCA does not comment on leaked documents or specific criminal investigations. Information is shared with partners as required.”