§ Mr. HepburnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations are being made to other European Governments to ensure hooligans from other countries are stopped from travelling to the World Cup. [57536]
§ Mr. DenhamThere is close liaison with the governments and police of European countries competing in the World Cup. England will have around 8,000 supporters in Japan for the first phase of the tournament, but other European countries will have much lower levels of support. Hooligans are not expected to feature among their number. It is for each country to determine whether the behaviour of its supporters warrants the introduction of measures to prevent hooligans from travelling to such tournaments. To date, only Germany has felt it necessary or appropriate to introduce measures comparable to those in place in England and Wales, though a number of European governments are currently reviewing their football-related legislation.