Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU without a deal on the ability of UK police to deal with child abduction cases.

The Government is committed to ensuring the safety and security of UK and EU citizens. Our intention remains to establish a comprehensive and legally binding agreement on internal security which would enable continuing cooperation based on EU measures.

However, we are preparing for all eventualities. In a no-deal scenario, UK law enforcement agencies will use well-established alternative mechanisms to co-operate with partners on a police-to-police basis. This will include use of the INTERPOL secure network and pre-existing bi-lateral channels to facilitate police cooperation on child abduction cases.