UK Borders Bill
4:30 pm
Steve Symonds: There is a specific issue about children in relation to section 11 of the Children Act 2004. That sets out that various agencies have a duty of care to the child’s welfare. Immigration officers are excluded from that. Now there are increased powers where children are again going to come into the hands of immigration officers; I am thinking of the first clauses in this Bill. It may be children who are detained under the powers in clauses 1 and 2. They are not, at present, going to have the statutory protection under section 11 and it seems to us that they should do.