Clause 2 - Entering United Kingdom without passport
Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc.) Bill
11:15 am
Ms Beverley Hughes (Minister of State (Citizenship and Immigration), Home Office; Stretford and Urmston, Labour)
The amendment would change the time at which the criminal offence was committed. It would make it an offence to be undocumented or improperly documented only when an individual was being interviewed under caution and in accordance with PACE. I can understand the concerns of the hon. Member for Somerton and Frome that no one should be prosecuted for the offence without the normal safeguards applicable to the handling of criminal proceedings, but I hope that I can convince him that that concern is already met and that his amendment has consequences for the application of the criminal offence in clause 2 that would effectively neuter it. I acknowledge the point made by the hon. Member for Isle of Wight: the definition of first interview in the amendment would be the wrong definition.
It might help if I set out the sequence of events that would arise if someone turned up at Heathrow.
It being twenty-five minutes past Eleven o'clock, The Chairman adjourned the Committee without Question put, pursuant to the Standing Order.
Adjourned till this day at half-past Two o'clock.