Lord INGLEWOODasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will indicate the progress made to date in implementing paragraph 4 of Section 11 communique de presse attached to the Council of Europe (Minister of the Interior) paper dated 6th July 1976 concerned with the fight against terrorism; and whether they will state in particular how many police officers from different forces in the United Kingdom have paid visits on an exchange basis to forces in other member countries.
§ Lord HARRIS of GREENWICHThe noble Lord no doubt has in mind the communique issued after the conference of Ministers of the Interior of the European Economic Community on 29th June 1976 at which it was agreed among other things to promote exchanges of police personnel among Member States to ensure greater familiarity with the organisation and working methods of police forces in different countries and also that there should be a greater exchange of information on police training.
Chief officers were informed by Home Office circular of the outcome of this conference and there is no doubt that they are becoming increasingly aware of the value of exchange visits with police forces in the EEC. However as central records of exchange visits are not maintained the total number of United Kingdom police officers who have paid visits to forces in other member countries is not known. In a more limited context more than 100 police officers attending the most senior command course at the Police College, Bramshill, have made study visits to police forces in other EEC countries since 1973 and steps arc being taken to encourage officers from EEC countries to attend this course.
With regard to exchange of information on training, heads of police academies in the EEC met at Bramshill in November 1305WA 1977 to discuss the content and techniques of command training. A further conference is to be convened in Paris in November 1978 to examine the task of the police in the social community and its implications for personnel training. Member States have also agreed to establish a working group of officials and serving police officers which will be charged with organising training conferences and with promoting the exchange of specialist personnel and training information. The United Kingdom will be represented on this working group which is expected to meet for the first time in September 1978.