Embarkation Control

                    The text on this page has been created from Hansard archive content, it may contain typographical errors.
                

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the changed arrangements for embarkation control at United Kingdom ports and airports, with particular reference to (a) the manning of closed circuit television monitors, (b) the training of staff to monitor CCTV equipment, (c) which categories of immigration officers are being trained to monitor CCTV equipment, (d) how many immigration officers have been re-deployed as a result of the changes and (e) how many of these have been seasonal immigration officers. [40310]

Implementation of the new embarkation arrangements which I announced on 16 March commenced on 14 April. The transition is running smoothly. The answers to the hon Lady's specific questions are as follows:

(a) the closed circuit television (CCTV) monitor will be staffed on the basis of operational need and intelligence received by the respective enforcement agencies;

(b) basic instruction by an established company in this field has already been delivered and further training is being planned.

(c) a number of relevant operational staff in the chief immigration officer, immigration officer and assistant immigration officer grades have received instruction in basic techniques of CCTV monitoring.

(d) we estimate that it should be possible to re-deploy the equivalent of up to a maximum of 90 permanent posts in a full year once all the changes have been made; and

(e) it is unlikely that in the long term any seasonal immigration officers will be re-deployed.

Volume 311: debated on Thursday 30 April 1998