Asked by: Nigel Evans (Conservative - Ribble Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time was between arrests for extradition and the surrender of people so arrested from the UK to EU15 countries in (a) 2003 and (b) 2017.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Home Office does not hold the specific information requested.
Statistics on the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) are published by the National Crime Agency each year. These figures include a breakdown of the numbers of individuals extradited from the UK by country.
These figures are published at: http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/european-arrest-warrant-statistics
Prior to 2004, when the EAW was introduced, fewer than 60 individuals a year were extradited from the UK (this figure includes all countries, not just EU Member States).
Asked by: Nigel Evans (Conservative - Ribble Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 2 July to question 156611 on European Arrest Warrants, what the average time was between arrests for extradition and the surrender of people so arrested from the UK to (a) Norway and (b) Switzerland; and what comparative assessment he has made of (a) that average time and (b) the average time under the European Arrest Warrant.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Home Office does not hold the specific statistics requested.
The UK’s position is that it is the interests of both the UK and the EU to continue the efficient and reliable operational capabilities provided by the European Arrest Warrant once the UK leaves the EU, and we are working with the EU and Member States to ensure that this is the case.
The Government’s policy paper ‘Framework for the UK-EU Security Partnership’, published on 9 May 2018 sets out the value the UK judges the European Arrest Warrant provides.
Outside of the EU, the UK enjoys good relations in respect of extradition with Norway and Switzerland, with timely extradition of individuals to and from the UK.
Asked by: Nigel Evans (Conservative - Ribble Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the functioning of the European Arrest Warrant as a result of the recent case brought to the ECJ, the Irish Supreme Court Case Minister for Justice -v- Celmer.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The UK will continue to apply Council Framework Decision of 13 June 2002 on the European Arrest Warrant and the surrender procedure between Member States, in line with EU law. Any impact on the operation of the European Arrest Warrant with Poland cannot be properly assessed until the outcome of the case is known.
Asked by: Nigel Evans (Conservative - Ribble Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been extradited from the UK to (a) Poland, (b) Hungary, (c) Spain and (d) Italy since 1 March 2018.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Home Office does not hold the specific information requested.
However, statistics on the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) are published by the National Crime Agency each year. These figures include a breakdown of the numbers of individuals extradited from the UK by country.
These figures are published at: http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/european-arrest-warrant-statistics
Asked by: Nigel Evans (Conservative - Ribble Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make it his policy to suspend extraditions under the European Arrest Warrant until the Irish case of Minister for Justice v Celmer is resolved.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Until we leave the EU, the UK remains a full member and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force. We will continue to apply Council Framework Decision of 13 June 2002 on the European Arrest Warrant and the surrender procedure between member states, in line with EU law.
Regarding our future relationship with the EU, the UK is seeking a comprehensive security relationship which preserves mutually important operational capabilities whilst allowing the UK and EU to continue to work together to combat fast evolving security threats. The UK’s position is that it is the interests of both the UK and the EU to continue the efficient and reliable operational capabilities provided by the European Arrest Warrant once the UK leaves the EU, and we are working with the EU and Member States to ensure that this is the case.
The Council of Europe’s European Convention on Extradition continues to be an important basis for our work with a number of European countries who are not currently operating the European Arrest Warrant, including Norway and Switzerland.
Asked by: Nigel Evans (Conservative - Ribble Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it remains his policy for the UK to seek to remain a member of the European Arrest Warrant system following Michel Barnier’s speech of 19 June 2018.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Until we leave the EU, the UK remains a full member and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force. We will continue to apply Council Framework Decision of 13 June 2002 on the European Arrest Warrant and the surrender procedure between member states, in line with EU law.
Regarding our future relationship with the EU, the UK is seeking a comprehensive security relationship which preserves mutually important operational capabilities whilst allowing the UK and EU to continue to work together to combat fast evolving security threats. The UK’s position is that it is the interests of both the UK and the EU to continue the efficient and reliable operational capabilities provided by the European Arrest Warrant once the UK leaves the EU, and we are working with the EU and Member States to ensure that this is the case.
The Council of Europe’s European Convention on Extradition continues to be an important basis for our work with a number of European countries who are not currently operating the European Arrest Warrant, including Norway and Switzerland.
Asked by: Nigel Evans (Conservative - Ribble Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the merits of the UK reverting to the European Convention on Extraditions after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Until we leave the EU, the UK remains a full member and all the rights and obligations of EU membership remain in force. We will continue to apply Council Framework Decision of 13 June 2002 on the European Arrest Warrant and the surrender procedure between member states, in line with EU law.
Regarding our future relationship with the EU, the UK is seeking a comprehensive security relationship which preserves mutually important operational capabilities whilst allowing the UK and EU to continue to work together to combat fast evolving security threats. The UK’s position is that it is the interests of both the UK and the EU to continue the efficient and reliable operational capabilities provided by the European Arrest Warrant once the UK leaves the EU, and we are working with the EU and Member States to ensure that this is the case.
The Council of Europe’s European Convention on Extradition continues to be an important basis for our work with a number of European countries who are not currently operating the European Arrest Warrant, including Norway and Switzerland.
Asked by: Nigel Evans (Conservative - Ribble Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the value was of illicit tobacco products seized in (a) 2016 and (b) 2017.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
This information can be found in the Border Force Transparency Data. This is published quarterly on the GOV.UK website at https://www.gov.uk/search?q=Border+Force+Transparency+Data
Asked by: Nigel Evans (Conservative - Ribble Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the recommendations contained in the report, Desperate for a Fix: Using shop theft and a Second Chance Programme to get tough on the causes of prolific drug-addicted offending published by the Centre for Social Justice on 6 June 2018.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Drugs can devastate lives, ruin families and damage communities. This Government’s approach to them remains clear - we must prevent drug use in our communities and support people through treatment and recovery.
Our Drug Strategy, published in July 2017, sets out a balanced approach which brings together police, health, community and global partners to tackle the illicit drug trade, protect the most vulnerable and help those with a drug dependency to recover and turn their lives around. We will consider the recommendations contained in the report, Desperate for a Fix: Using shop theft and a Second Chance Programme to get tough on the causes of prolific drug-addicted offending, as part of our ongoing work programme.
Asked by: Nigel Evans (Conservative - Ribble Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain have been rejected as a result of evidence included in previous applications being classified as expired.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
This information is not aggregated in national reporting systems. This information could only be obtain by a manual case by case review to collate the data which would be disproportionately expensive.