Reid finally fit for purpose?

10.38.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 20th Jun 2007

Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP, Liberal Democrat European justice spokeswoman, is backing a European Parliament report being voted tomorrow which endorses a new EU system to radically improve the exchange of information on convicted criminals.

In a major reform of outdated procedures, this will standardise national criminal record-keeping, cut red tape and make information exchange automatic. It envisages computerising the system so that all exchanges would be electronic, not paper files. Ministers of EU states finally reached agreement on the new scheme last week after Home Secretary John Reid decided after all to support it.

Sarah Ludford said:

"After last year's shambolic mismanagement at the Home Office involving 1,013 foreign criminals set loose across the UK and 15 still untraced, no wonder John Reid at last saw that this EU scheme can save Labour's bacon."

"It's just a shame that one of the very positive contributions he has made to international security comes just a week before his departure."

"MEPs are demanding not only a strengthening of EU capabilities to fight crime, but also safeguards to ensure that information on criminal records is adequately tracked and protected from wrongful disclosure."