Clause 2 - Entering United Kingdom without passport
Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Bill
5:00 pm
Mr David Heath (Somerton and Frome, Liberal Democrat)
The specific act of destroying travel documents is not covered. I stand to be corrected on this, and if I am wrong I apologise to the Minister. Given that that is why we are introducing clause 2, it
seems perverse that it does not include reference to the person who gives the advice or instructions to destroy documents as described in subsection (5)(b)(iii). That seems to be a loophole or an omission that the Minister might want to look at.
I do not want to detain the Committee further on this. There are important issues, and I ask the Minister to accept that I want to improve the Bill, rather than to undermine its provisions. There are areas associated with this provision that she could clarify. For instance, how will people boarding planes be aware of the new law? That is critical to the success of the whole operation. That is a far more potent weapon than writing something into a statute that the person arriving from abroad is unlikely ever to read.
Identifying people as they disembark at our airports rather than at the immigration desk is another way to establish a much more effective system. There are many areas where the Minister and I can usefully seek improvements. When I raise points of concern about the law that she proposes, it is because I want a law that functions successfully. There is concern in this area, but I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Further consideration adjourned.—[Mr. Heppell.]
Adjourned accordingly at thirteen minutes past Five o'clock till Tuesday 13 January at ten minutes past Nine o'clock.