§ Mr. GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been required to surrender their passports in connection with football events in the last five years. [124377]
§ Mr. StrawThere are currently 100 people subject to international football bans, all of whom are required to report to a police station throughout the period of Euro 2000. The Football (Offences and Disorder) Act 1999,506W which came into force in September 1999, includes provision for the court to require an individual to surrender their passport for designated periods as a condition of their banning order. The courts have imposed nine such conditions to date.
The Dutch and Belgian authorities have extensive powers to refuse entry to any England supporter who poses a threat to public order, including those subject to domestic bans. Acting on information provided by the National Criminal Intelligence Service, police will be monitoring all England supporters at every United Kingdom exit point throughout the tournament and sharing the intelligence gathered with the Dutch, Belgian and French authorities and the English police team operating in all these countries.