Lords to investigate impact of Brexit on counter terrorism

The focus of the evidence session will be to examine what EU tools are currently of value to UK counter-terrorism and how they might be replaced after Brexit. The Committee will cover issues such as whether the UK should look to retain or replicate the benefits afforded by EU law enforcement databases and data-sharing agreements, criminal justice tools such as the European Arrest Warrant, or EU agencies such as EUROPOL.

The House of Lords EU Committee and its six Sub-Committees are conducting a coordinated series of short inquiries looking at the key issues that will arise in the forthcoming negotiations on Brexit. Taken as a whole, this programme of work will be the most extensive and thorough parliamentary scrutiny of Brexit.

At 10:15am the Committee will hear evidence from:

•  Helen Ball, Deputy Assistant Commissioner and Senior National Co-ordinator for Counter-Terrorism Policing, Metropolitan Police Service

The Committee is likely to ask:

• What are the practical benefits, if any, of the UK's current membership of Europol and Eurojust for UK counter-terrorism policing?
• How might Brexit affect the UK's ability to promote and advance our own policy agenda in this area with our European partners?
• How heavily does the UK rely on EU tools and partners for counter-terrorism versus how heavily they rely on us?
• What do the EU institutions have to lose from a diminished UK role in this area?
• In regards to EU databases and data-sharing platforms to which the UK has or will have access, which (if any) are mission-critical for UK counter-terrorism policing?

The evidence session will take place at 10:15am on Wednesday 26 October in Committee Room 1 of the House of Lords.