HC Deb 01 November 2000 vol 355 c519W
Mr. Bercow

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement on his policy towards the establishment of a European registry of sentences passed on criminals and procedures pending, as set out in Corn (2000) 495; [134679]

(2) if he will make a statement on his policy towards including (a) Eurojust and (b) the ECJ in the process of determining claims of jurisdiction between member states in multiple cross-border crimes, as set out in para 13.1 of Com (2000) 495; [134799]

(3) if he will list those proposals on page 22 of Corn (2000) 495 which it is his policy to (a) support and (b) oppose; and if he will make a statement. [134800]

Mrs. Roche

I refer the hon. Member to the Explanatory Memorandum on Corn (2000) 495, the Commission's Communication on the mutual recognition of final decisions in criminal matters, which was deposited in the House of Commons Library on 12 October 2000. The Government broadly support the proposals in the Communication.

In the Explanatory Memorandum on Corn (2000) 495, the Government indicated that improvements in the arrangements for requesting information on existing criminal records should be given priority over creating a European Criminal Registry. The practical benefits of the proposed European Criminal Registry should be carefully assessed in view of the possibility of high costs and data protection considerations.

As regards the determination of claims of jurisdiction, and the roles that Eurojust and the European Court of Justice might have, the Government consider that it would be appropriate to wait until Eurojust has developed relevant experience before developing criteria for ranking such claims.

The Government consider that the discussions in Corn (2000) 495 on ne bis in idem are sensible; the suggestion that prosecutions are co-ordinated needs careful consideration, but no proposal has yet been tabled to address this issue.

For further information on the subject of mutual recognition, I refer the hon. Member to the Explanatory Memorandum on the Programme of Measures to implement the principle of mutual recognition.