§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the planned(a) budget and (b) activities of the European Forum for the Prevention of Organised Crime. [147453]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThe Commission's proposal for a Council Decision, which includes establishing a European Forum on the Prevention of Organised Crime, has been deposited with the Parliamentary scrutiny committees.
178WThe Forum would include officials from the member states and experts from academic institutions and other bodies. It would discuss and advise on crime prevention trends and policies. We support the purposes of the Forum, but attach importance to ensuring that it should not duplicate activities in other European Union fora. We are also seeking information on the likely costs of the Forum and how these would be financed.