Clause 29
Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill [Lords]
Public Bill Committees, 9 June 2009, 5:45 pm
Crispin Blunt (Shadow Minister, Home Affairs; Reigate, Conservative)
I want to follow up the arguments that have just been made by my hon. Friend the Member for Ashford and to invite the Minister to explain to the Committee what the powers will be used for. The clause takes powers to allow Her Majesty’s inspectors of constabulary to take their responsibilities to the agency. My hon. Friend described the potential problems that could come from an agency looking in several different directions, to different sets of inspectors.
Can the Minister explain to the Committee what will happen in practice? What powers will be exercised by the inspectors of constabulary that will not be exercised by the chief inspector of the UK Border Agency or, indeed, HMIP? The clause is clear about the role of the Comptroller and Auditor General.