§ Mr. RosindellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress made towards the establishment of the European Police College. [57907]
§ Mr. DenhamThe European Police College has a work programme for 2002, which will deliver up to 6,000 days of training to senior police officers, with strong participation by the United Kingdom (UK). Priorities include non-military crisis management, anti-terrorism, trafficking in human beings and border control. The first phases of the European Police Knowledge Net have now been implemented. In the absence of a decision by the Council on a permanent seat of the Secretariat of CEPOL, the Governing Board has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Danish National Commissioner of Police to locate temporarily the Secretariat in Copenhagen on the understanding that Denmark is not applying for the permanent seat. The UK continues to press for an early decision, and is still promoting its bid for Bramshill to host the Secretariat on a permanent basis. The post of Administrative Director has been filled on a temporary basis, until the permanent seat is decided, and the process of recruiting the Secretariat staff should commence shortly.
§ Mr. RosindellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his policy towards the establishment of a European Institute of Police Studies (2002/C42/10); what the relationship is with the European Police College; what account he has taken of Recital 6 on expanding the role of the Institute; what plans exist to centralise the Institute after the initial period is complete; who will constitute the UK delegation to the governing board; for what reason external observers will attend; what manner of expert will attend board meetings; what manner of research activities will be excluded as ultra vires research; and for what reason socioeconomics and political processes will be included as areas of interest. [57866]
§ Mr. DenhamThe Presidency proposal to establish a European Institute of Police Studies has been discussed in the Police Cooperation Working Group. In common with a number of other Member States, the United Kingdom has expressed its concern that the proposal, rather than helping to co-ordinate activity across existing European Union institutions, would actually overlap the activity of those institutions, most particularly the European Police College (CEPOL). The Presidency has now remitted the proposal to the CEPOL Governing Board asking how CEPOL could take forward the proposals. The matter is due to be discussed by the CEPOL Governing Board at its next meeting, at the end of May 2002.