Written question asked by Margaret Moran (Labour) on Tuesday, 6 November 2007, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 8 November 2007. It was answered by Lord Coaker (Labour) on Monday, 19 November 2007 on behalf of the Home Office.

Sexual Offences: Registration

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in the exchange of sex offenders registers between the UK and the US.

Answer: We made initial contact with US Department of Justice officials during a visit, earlier this year, which formed part of the Review of the Protection of Children from Sex Offenders. A meeting was conducted specifically to discuss the possibility of developing an arrangement for the exchange of appropriate data on convicted sex offenders between authorities in the UK and USA. This meeting was followed by a letter, at official level, from the Home Office to the Department of Justice seeking to progress work in this area. We intend, shortly, to pursue the matter at ministerial level as part of a broader effort to seek closer co-operation in tackling sex offenders.

Secondary information