EU: European Investigation Order

Lord Tebbit Excerpts

Tuesday 27th July 2010 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Neville-Jones]

An understood procedure for considering issues of this kind was laid down by the noble Baroness, Lady Ashton. The Government are following that procedure. The order resulting from that will follow the normal procedure in the European Union.

[Lord Tebbit]

My Lords, does my noble friend think that opting into an arrangement whereby foreign police and other authorities can instruct British police to gather evidence on their behalf sits very well with the proposal for elected police commissioners, in the interests of the big society?

[Baroness Neville-Jones]

I have to say to my noble friend that there is no provision whereby and no way in which, under the EIO, foreign police authorities can exercise jurisdiction in this country. It is not a provision of the EIO, is not a feature of the MLA, and will not happen.

[Lord Tebbit]

My Lords, my noble friend may have misunderstood me. I did not suggest that foreign police officers would be able to exercise jurisdiction. I suggested that, as I understood it, this new departure would allow foreign police authorities to instruct British police authorities to gather evidence on their behalf. Is that so or not?

[Baroness Neville-Jones]

I apologise to my noble friend if I misunderstood his question. Foreign police may request the assistance of British police. They may not instruct.