Counter-terrorism powers affected by Brexit outlined by Government

The UK Government has outlined a series of cross-border counter-terrorism powers returning from the EU following Brexit which affect Northern Ireland.

They include the sharing of DNA databases to find terrorist profiles, alerts seeking suspected insurgents and the seizing of criminal assets.

Northern Ireland's long and porous frontier with the Irish Republic is a major issue in the Brexit negotiations.

The Cabinet Office has published 82 areas where common frameworks may be required, essentially understandings between police forces or other bodies rather than specific laws.

They include:

- Preventing cyber-crime and human trafficking.

- Combating child pornography.

- Surveillance.

- Standardised requests for information and evidence.

- Cross-border threats to public health.

Dissident republicans have in the past used the border to launch attacks across.

A variety of coordinated work on tackling organised crime has been carried out by the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Garda.

On Friday the UK Government published its provisional analysis of returning EU powers affecting devolved administrations.

Northern Ireland has not had a devolved Government for more than a year.

Justice and policing powers are among those which had been devolved from Westminster to the former powersharing coalition at Stormont.

The Cabinet Office said none of the existing powers of the devolved governments will be affected in any way.

Since no ministers are in place the civil service has been representing Northern Ireland during meetings to discuss the implications of Brexit for devolved regions.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster David Lidington said: "The vast majority of these new powers will be in the control of the devolved administrations on the day we leave the EU.

"There is a much smaller group of powers where the devolved governments will be required to follow current EU laws for a little bit longer while we work out a new UK approach.

"We are discussing with the devolved governments how this process will work but, as the UK Government, we feel very strongly that we must have the ability to take action to protect the UK internal market which represents a huge investment to everyone in the UK."

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