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Home Office

Answer

Mrs. Fiona Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to restrict the rights of fans to travel abroad to football matches in cases where they have been identified as being involved in incidents of hooliganism but have not been successfully prosecuted. [123717] Mr. Straw: Only convicted football hooligans who are subject to international banning orders can be prevented from leaving the United Kingdom. The Dutch and Belgian authorities have extensive powers to refuse entry to any individual or group who they consider may pose a risk to public order. This includes people subject to domestic bans. The National Criminal Intelligence Service has provided their Dutch and Belgian counterparts with details of the 506 people currently subject to football banning orders and another 500 or so names of suspected hooligans have also been passed on. Police will be monitoring all England supporters at every United Kingdom exit point throughout the period of the tournament and the information gathered will be shared with the Dutch, Belgian and French police teams and United Kingdom police operating in these countries. I have placed in the Library a report prepared by the Euro 2000 Co-ordinating Group on measures which have been taken in preparation for the tournament.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

351 c241W; 123717

Session

1999-00

Subjects

Football Hooliganism Travel Travel restrictions European Championship

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk