To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals who have been convicted in this country in each of the last five years were identified by a Government department or agency as having a criminal record in another country or countries (a) on entry into the UK and (b) on release from custody. (303323)

It is not possible to obtain the requested information.

In the case of EU nationals there is a mechanism for the exchange of conviction information, operated under 2009 Framework Decision (previously conviction information was transferred under the Council of Europe arrangements, 1959).

In the case of non-European countries there are arrangements via Interpol, which concentrate on more serious offences.