§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the UK share of (i) costs and (ii) personnel for the Schengen Information System. [86446]
§ Mr. StrawThere are likely to be three main elements to the costs for the Schengen Information System (SIS): the cost of running and staffing the inquiry points at the United Kingdom National SIS; the cost of the national contribution to the costs of the central SIS in Strasbourg; and a one-off contribution towards the start-up costs of the system. At this stage, it is not possible to provide a precise estimate of the costs and staffing arrangements, which we are discussing with interested parties, including the police service.
§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the cost of current applicant countries joining the Schengen Acquis; and whether present member states intend to share those costs. [86737]
§ Kate HoeyThe Schengen acquis was incorporated into the European Union Treaty structures on the entry into force of the Treaty of Amsterdam on 1 May 1999. Any costs falling on to member states and associated with 93W accession to the Schengen acquis are, therefore, now part of the overall costs incurred in assisting candidate countries to prepare for accession to the European Union.