§ Lord Stoddart of Swindonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What consultation they carried out with police or judicial authorities and any voluntary organisation concerned with the liberty of citizens, prior to publication of any draft convention or protocol relating to Europol; and to whom was any response received made available. [HL1670]
§ Lord Williams of MostynRepresentatives of the Association of Chief Police Officers and the National Criminal Intelligence Service are included in the United Kingdom delegation to the Europol Working Group, the European Union forum in which these matters are initially discussed. The draft text of the Protocol on Privileges and Immunities for Europol, its directors and staff, was first deposited for United Kingdom parliamentary scrutiny, together with an Explanatory Note, on 17 March 1997. An updated text and Note were submitted on 12 May 1997. The final draft and related Note were tabled for scrutiny on 14 August 1997. There followed correspondence between Ministers and Justice.
Copies of the correspondence were sent to the noble Lord, Lord Tordoff, Chairman of the Select Committee on the European Communities.