Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they plan to make to European Union ministers at the 14 September meeting on EU migration; and whether they plan to make representations on the issue of co-operation between EU member states, including those outside the Euro or Schengen areas.

I apologise for the late reply to your question. This is due to the rapid pace of development of the EU response to the migration crisis currently facing the European Union, as demonstrated by the convening of a further extraordinary JHA Council meeting on 22 September.

The Luxembourg Presidency of the European Union convened the extraordinary meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council on 14 September in Brussels in response to a joint request that My Right Honourable Friend the Home Secretary (Theresa May MP) made with the French and German Interior Ministers. A further extraordinary meeting of the JHA Council was held on 22 September. The Home Secretary attended both meetings on behalf of the United Kingdom.

My Rt Hon Friend the Home Secretary will write to the Chairman of the European Scrutiny Committee, and to his counterpart in the European Union Committee, setting out the key decisions taken, and the interventions that my Rt. Hon Friend made, at the Extraordinary JHA Councils that took place on 14 and 22 September. A copy of these letters will be placed in the House library. Additionally, the Commission’s Migration Package has been deposited for scrutiny by both Houses.