All take and no give?
The sharing of information is somewhat technical, but ultimately has fallen to 3 areas:
- SIS II – was the most effective for real-time tracking of stolen vehicles but is no longer available to the UK.
- Prüm – once fully restored, will be the best alternative, especially for validating vehicle registration info.
- INTERPOL – remains a valuable global tool but lacks the speed and system integration of EU databases.
More about the above systems and repatriation can be read here.
In 2022, a UK registered vehicle was stolen in England. In 2023, the vehicle was located abroad. More information can be found here. As a result of the difficulties associated with repatriating the car, various authorities were the subject of a request for information, which generally sought the:
- agreement for the sharing of
a. the UK’s PNC LoS (VRM) records with other countries
b. other countries sharing information with the UK - policy/procedure when notified a vehicle stolen in the UK has been recovered abroad
- policy/procedure to be adopted by the country recovering/possessing the vehicle. Should
this not be a general (all-encompassing, all country but individual to each)policy, I ask to
be provided with the arrangement insofar as it pertains to [redacted – specified country] - any UK Interpol office contact, phone number and email for liaison about LoS vehicles
located abroad
The Authority responses are as follows:
DfT
17/06/2024 Response – FOIAdvice@dft.gov.uk
Following a thorough search of our paper and electronic records, I have established that the information you requested is not held by this Department.
The information would ordinarily be held by either West Midlands Police or Home Office, but given you have already approached these organisations, we can offer no further suggestions on whom you may approach for the
information you seek
The DfT were questioned about the reference to WMP. It appears this was an error; they subsequently wrote:
I apologise this was not the correct area. I can see you were directed to the National Police Chiefs Council previously, I am unsure if you have received any information from them. But unfortunately I am unable to direct you to any department or agency as we do not hold this information
Unfortunately, we do not hold this information in Department for Transport but if you feel you may be able to get the information from GMP please contact them.
GMP is understood to host the UK’s Interpol liaison.
DVLA
30/05/2024 response – foi@dvla.gov.uk
Home Office
25/04/2024 Response – foirequests@homeoffice.gov.uk & FOIResponses@homeoffice.gov.uk
We have carried out a thorough search and we have established that the Home Office
does not hold the information which you have requested.
Given the subject matter of your request, INTERPOL may hold the information you are
seeking. If you have not already done so, you may wish to write to them. Contact details
can be found on their website at https://www.interpol.int/.
In relation specifically to point three, and the policy/procedure of another country, you will
need to address this request to the specific country
Interpol had failed to respond. Indeed, they have never done so. Seemingly, not conveyed above, Interpol only reply to law enforcement (police). The NCA were understood to be Interpol’s representative in the UK – confirmed below by the Hoem Office.
A response was sent to the Home Office:
The NCA, who I understand are the ‘local representation’ of Interpol in the UK have responded that they are not subject to FoIA – failed to provide further assistance despite a request.
There must exist an organisation/party responsible for providing the UK stolen records to others. In turn, the grounds for doing so and the expected assistance. Does the Home Office have so say in this, no involvement?
I understand the United Kingdom, along with other countries, participates in international efforts to tackle vehicle crime, through cooperation with INTERPOL and its Stolen Motor Vehicle (SMV) database. This database collects data on stolen vehicles from member countries and facilitates international cooperation by allowing national police forces to access and share information about stolen vehicles, which can then be traced and recovered globally. https://www.interpol.int/en/Crimes/Vehicle-crime/Our-response
However, it is clearly not working. For over a year, I have been struggling to have a [redacted] court release a vehicle stolen in the UK.
If not the home office, who would be responsible for providing the data to Interpol, who would possess the agreement?
20/05/2024, the Home Office responded:
I can confirm that the UK is a member of INTERPOL, including cooperation to tackle vehicle crime, including through the Stolen Motor Vehicle database. The Home Office is responsible for the UK’s policy towards INTERPOL across Government. All operational matters, including the sharing of police data with international partners, are dealt with through the relevant law enforcement agency. The UK’s INTERPOL desk for operational matters sits in the Joint International Crime Centre hosted in the National Crime Agency.
The NCA is not listed as a ‘public authority’ in Schedule 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, and as such is not obliged to respond to Freedom of Information requests. The NCA is also not listed as a ‘Scottish public authority’ in Schedule 1 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. Any information from, or relating to, the NCA is subject to an absolute exemption from disclosure by other public authorities by virtue of Section 23 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (as amended by the Crime and Courts Act 2013).
Consequently, we are unable to provide the further information that you have requested.
When a notified vehicle in the UK has been recovered abroad, the fact of the recovery is likely to be returned to the relevant local police force investigating the original theft. Each force will have their own procedures for handling these notifications. You may wish to contact the NPCC: npcc.foi.request@npfdu.police.uk.
As noted in our reply to your previous FOI, we do not hold information on the processes and procedures in other countries.
According to the above, a recovery abroad is ‘likely’ to be returned to the relevant local constabulary i.e. the police service to whom the vehicle was reported LoS should be notified, seemingly via Interpol … the NCA.
But this does not always occur and when it does, what do they do with the information? It appears this is not always imparted to the insurer concerned, who made payment and acquired title.
We raised the issue of EU legislation on Prüm.
14/06/2024, the Home Office responded:
Copies of the EU legislation on Prüm can be found here: Stepping up cross-border cooperation – the Prüm decision | EUR-Lex (europa.eu) but that no longer applies to the UK.
As per the response provided to FOI request 2024/04802 dated 31 May, the historical Prüm agreements and subsequent actions of the UK regarding Prüm participation are no longer applicable since the UK left the European Union in 2020.
The provisions under this framework are now governed by the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA).
The full and latest copy of this Agreement can be found online (link provided below). The Prüm specific elements sit within Part 3 of the TCA, running from Articles 527-540, and Annex 39, with vehicle registration data specifically covered in Article 537: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/608ae0c0d3bf7f0136332887/TS_8.2021_U
K_EU_EAEC_Trade_and_Cooperation_Agreement.pdf *
*A 2,555-page document, Article 527 is located @ pdf page # 689:
The objective of this Title is to establish reciprocal cooperation between the competent law enforcement authorities of the United Kingdom, on the one side, and the Member States, on the other side, on the automated transfer of DNA profiles, dactyloscopic data and certain domestic vehicle registration data.
Metroplolitan Police Service (MPS)
It was not anticipated the MPS would have knowledge of national processes. Therefore they were approached about their own procedures. The request and response can be read here.
MoJ
13/06/2024 Response – data.access@justice.gov.uk
The MOJ does not hold any information in the scope of your request. This is because we are not the appropriate authority to contact on this subject. You may wish to contact the Department of Transport as they may hold some of the information you requested.
NPCC/ACRO
15/05/2024 Response – npcc.foi.request@npfdu.police.uk
I can confirm that ACRO does not hold recorded information captured by questions 1 – 4 of your
request.
In wishing to explain further, the NPCC FOI team are responsible for responding to FOI requests
received by the national unit ACRO Criminal Records Office. Please note that these searches were
completed previously with ACRO as part of your request 105/2024.
FoI: 176/2024 – full reply
