HC Deb 31 October 2000 vol 355 cc427-8W
Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Schengen Information System inquiries have been made by the UK to date; and what estimate he has made of the number in total for the first year of the UK membership. [134804]

Mr. Charles Clarke

The United Kingdom does not yet put data on the Schengen Information System or have access to the Schengen Information System data. No inquiries of the System have therefore been made. The United Kingdom will not make any inquiries of the System during its first year of membership.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his assessment of the level of security of Schengen Information System(a) data and (b) premises.[134794]

Mr. Charles Clarke

The Schengen Implementation Convention provides for comprehensive controls over national sections of the Schengen Information System (N.SIS), the central service computer facility in Strasbourg (C.SIS) and the data on the Schengen Information System itself. I have no reason to doubt that the security arrangements in place are in accordance with these provisions and I have no plans to seek to have them modified.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which national authority will supervise the UK element of the Schengen Information System under Article 114 of the Convention. [134792]

Mr. Charles Clarke

The United Kingdom's application of 20 May 1999 to participate in certain provisions of the Schengen Implementing Convention stated that the United Kingdom Data Protection Commissioner will be the supervisory authority responsible for the activities described in Article 114.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many United Kingdom nationals have requested that a check be made on the Schengen Information System data pertaining to them and on the use made thereof; what procedure is involved; and if he will make a statement. [134791]

Mr. Charles Clarke

As the United Kingdom does not put data on the Schengen Information System or have access to the data, there are at present no arrangements in the United Kingdom enabling individuals to make checks.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK subjects have been included in the Schengen Information System. [134683]

Mr. Charles Clarke

The United Kingdom does not put data on the Schengen Information System (SIS) or have access to SIS data.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement on his policy towards recognising documents issued by the Schengen Joint Supervisory Authority indicating that a passport holder is the subject of criminal imposture, as indicated in the JSA opinion of March 2000; [134817]

(2) if he will make a statement on his policy towards providing information to the Schengen Information System on people of usurped identity, where that individual has been the subject of imposture by a criminal. [134803]

Mr. Charles Clarke

Replacement travel documents issued by United Kingdom authorities for those that have been stolen or misappropriated are easily distinguishable from the stolen documents. Accordingly, the United Kingdom does not intend adopting the procedure followed by other Schengen states which involves the recording of fingerprints and photographs of persons whose identity has been usurped.

The Joint Supervisory Authority does not issue documents indicating usurped identity.

Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those categories of suspects from the UK that are placed on the Schengen Information System; and if he will list those categories of information which may be stored. [134790]

Mr. Charles Clarke

Articles 95, 98 and 99 of the Schengen Implementing Convention lists those categories of wanted persons and suspects whose details may be placed on the Schengen Information System. Article 94 of the Schengen Convention sets out those items of information which may be stored in relation to any person whose details are entered on the Schengen Information System. The United Kingdom is not yet participating in the System and has, therefore, made no entries in relation to any suspect from the United Kingdom. A copy of the Schengen Implementing Convention may be found in the Library.