§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on Government policy on acceding to elements of Schengen in lieu of a third state agreement, as set out in the Council Decision of 27 March, 2000/C106/01; what elements of
Direct Costs £ million Benefit 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 Home Office — — — — 537 Department of Social Security: Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance 205 195 150 150 1— Housing Benefit 205 195 145 125 — Council Tax Benefit 10 10 10 10 — Department of Health: Adults/Families — 10 68 170 — Children — 3 2 20 52 Total (to nearest £ million) 420 413 375 475 590 1 Home Office figures for 1999–2000 include the following amounts paid to the Department of Social Security for the cost of asylum support: Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance—£170 million Housing Benefit—£135 million Council Tax Benefit—£10 million Note:
Figures may not sum due to rounding
332Winformation may not be shared under the latter agreement; and what assessment he has made of the additional benefits from direct partial accession. [120850]
§ Mrs. RocheThe United Kingdom Government have applied to participate in the law enforcement and judicial co-operation aspects of the Schengen acquis, including the Schengen Information System (SIS), in order to enhance co-operation at European Union level in the fight against organised and international crime.
The purpose of the Council Decision referred to is a limited one: it authorises the Director of Europol to enter into negotiations on agreements with third States and non-European Union related bodies. The United Kingdom is, of course, already a full member of Europol.
The Decision does not cover the broader police and judicial co-operation arrangements provided for in the Schengen Convention, nor the opportunity to participate in the SIS.
Europol and the SIS were established for entirely different purposes: the Europol Convention specifically excludes exchanges of information between the two databases. The Government's application to participate in parts of the Schengen acquis is complementary to its existing participation in Europol.