§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the mandate of the Committee for the implementation of the programme of training, exchanges and co-operation in the field of asylum, immigration and crossing of external borders (Odysseus) is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if he will list the items currently under its consideration; if he will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [58454]
§ Beverley HughesThe Odysseus Committee assisted the European Commission in the management and implementation of a programme to co-fund projects to promote co-operation in matters of asylum, immigration, the crossing of external borders and the security of identity documents. The programme expired on 31 March 2002.
The Odysseus Committee met once a year to discuss the proposed bids for funding and agree the allocation of funds to successful projects. One of the first projects to receive such funding was a seminar held at the Civil Service College in Sunningdale in 1998 on combating illegal immigration.
The United Kingdom was represented on the Committee by a Home Office official and an official from the United Kingdom Permanent Representation in Brussels.
The Odysseus programme was funded by the European Community budget and travel costs to attend Committee meetings were met by the European Commission. However, the Home Office paid a subsistence allowance to cover attendance at a Committee meeting.
The European Commission was required to prepare an annual report on the implementation of the Odysseus programme and is currently preparing the report for its final year. This will he sent to the European Parliament and Council, and will be published on the EUROPA internet website. I did not see a need for further measures to increase the Committee's accountability and transparency during its lifetime.
The Odysseus programme is to be replaced by a new funding programme for co-operation in the fields of external borders, visas, asylum and immigration to be known as ARGO.