§ Mr. WeirTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions in the last six months(a) he and (b) his officials have met their Italian counterparts; and what subjects were discussed. [56892]
§ Beverley Hughes[holding answer 16 May 2002]: Home Office Ministers and officials participate on a regular basis in European and international fora at which their Italian counterparts are present. In particular, working groups of the European Union Member States meet routinely to discuss Justice and Home Affairs matters.
Specifically, the Home Secretary met briefly with the then Italian Minister of Interior, Mr. Claudio Scajola, on 16 November 2001 during a meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council in Brussels.
2WTwo representatives of the Italian Ministry of Interior also visited the International Policy Directorate in the Immigration and Nationality Department on 14–15 January 2002 to discuss Italian proposals for the creation of a European border guard.