Written question asked by Lord Hylton (Crossbench), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Baroness Neville-Jones (Conservative) on Wednesday, 23 March 2011.

Sex Offenders

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will review information held about British nationals convicted of sexual offences both at home and abroad so that accurate lists of names and addresses are available to police and welfare authorities by the end of 2011.

Answer: Details of sex offenders convicted in the UK are stored on the ViSOR database, which holds information on a range of offender types who are considered to pose a risk of harm to the public, including registered sex offenders (RSOs). This information is available to the police and other public protection agencies. Notifications of British nationals convicted outside the United Kingdom are received by the Association of Chief Police Officers Criminal Records Office (ACRO) and placed on the police national computer. Where appropriate, offenders' details are placed on ViSOR. ACRO also makes extensive enquiries to ensure that accurate lists of names and addresses are available to the police and welfare authorities. ACRO in conjunction with the National Offender Management Service at the Ministry of Justice is currently reviewing arrangements between the UK and other countries on the exchange of information held on sexual offenders.

Secondary information