UK Criminal Records (Interoperability)

Monday 1st September 2014 Written Statements

[The Minister for Security and Immigration (James Brokenshire)]

Today we have completed work to connect Northern Ireland criminal records to those of the rest of the UK. For the first time, this will provide interoperability through an automated link between the Police Service of Northern Ireland and all other UK police forces. This will allow the searching of all criminal records and associated fingerprints via a national system.

This will improve public protection, enhance counter terrorism capability, assist crime solving (including previously unsolved cases) and further strengthen the protection of the UK borders.

This work delivers against key recommendations made on criminality information management by Lord Bichard, Sir Ian Magee and Mrs Sunita Mason, CBE.