To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many enforcement actions for breach of (a) UK visitor, (b) resident and (c) overseas status limitations on working his Department and its agencies undertook in (i) 2004-05, (ii) 2005-06 and (iii) 2006-07. (140179)

This information could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Published statistics on immigration and asylum, including enforcement activity are available on the Home Office's research, development and statistics website at:

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

In January of this year Bulgaria and Romania joined the European Union. Bulgarian and Romanian nationals are the only European economic area (EEA) citizens to have their access to the UK labour market restricted; all other EEA citizens have the right of movement as workers or in case of A8 nationals via the worker registration scheme.

If individuals from Romania and Bulgaria are caught working illegally they are liable to a fixed penalty notice of £1, 000. Records indicate that since January 77 fixed penalty notices have been served.