§ Jim KnightTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the level is of the UK's civilian policing commitment to the United Nations Mission in Kosovo. [19090]
§ Peter HainThe UK currently contributes 140 civilian police officers, mainly on secondment from the Police Service for Northern Ireland and the Ministry of Defence Police, to the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) international civilian police force. These officers are engaged in both operational duties to maintain civil law and order in Kosovo, and in duties related to the work of UNMIK's Criminal Investigation Unit in Pristina. UNMIK police officers, including those seconded from the UK, played a key role in ensuring that the Kosovo elections on 17 November were conducted peacefully.
On 6 December the UK will deploy 18 recently retired British police officers to Kosovo. The secondment of recently retired British police officers is a new initiative and will increase our commitment in Kosovo to 158 officers. This figure excludes Mr. Chris Albiston, the Police Commissioner in Kosovo, who is a serving Assistant Chief Constable on secondment from the Police Service for Northern Ireland. If this initial deployment of retired police officers proves successful there might be scope for the deployment of increased numbers of retired policemen to peacekeeping duties with the UN in Kosovo and elsewhere.