Channel Tunnel Freight Services (Hansard, 11 April 2002)

§ Lord Filkin
My Lords, the Government continue to press at the highest level for urgent action by the French Government to tackle the disruption to Channel Tunnel services caused by would-be illegal immigrants. We welcome the announcement by SNCF that it plans to restore services from next week.

Lord Berkeley
My Lords. I declare an interest as chairman of the Rail Freight Group. I am grateful for the Minister's reply, but unfortunately the same reply was given by SNCF two months ago, one month ago and on 2nd April, not 1st April.
I am sure that the Minister appreciates that this has been going on for five months. Will he suggest to my right honourable friend the Prime Minister that he invite the new president of France, when elected, to visit Calais as a priority to look at the holes in the fence and the lack of policing and to try to understand how things are there, rather than viewing them from the centre of Paris or even London?

§ Lord Filkin
My Lords, that is a courteous thought. However, I hope—without being able to guarantee it—that we will see effective action well before the May presidential elections are resolved. If the French Government do what they said that they would do at the end of March, in response to the requests of the European Union, we shall see a substantial improvement to physical security around Fréthun and to the level of staffing, including SNCF guards, gendarmerie and the national paratroop branch of the gendarmerie. That will approximately double the number of security force personnel policing the area.
529 We have argued for a long time that physical security measures had to be put in place and that they had to be supervised by appropriate security staff.

Lord Campbell of Croy
My Lords, it has recently been reported that unauthorised immigrants have jumped on to trains. Is the vigilance of the British police being increased, so that such refugees can be questioned before they disappear off into our countryside?

§ Lord Filkin
My Lords, the Kent police, who carry much of the burden, are particularly aware of their responsibilities. They responded vigorously on Monday, when, as the noble Lord will know, 60 illegal immigrants found their way into Dover. The police managed to arrest, I think, 40 of those 60 within hours. We commend them on their vigilance. Of course, it should not be necessary for the police to act in that way; such people should be stopped before they enter the Tunnel.

§ The Countess of Mar
My Lords, I declare an interest as a member of the Immigration Appeal Tribunal. It is not only the French Government who should be approached by the British Government; most people at Sangatte get there with the aid of agents in their own country. Those agents are known. Could the Government communicate with the countries of origin, in order to make sure that the penalties for being an agent and trading in people—that is what it is—are enough to prevent such activity?

§ Lord Filkin
My Lords, that is an interesting suggestion. I shall certainly discuss it with my colleagues in the Home Office and see whether we already have such action in place. I expect that we have. As noble Lords will know, the Home Office published a White Paper on significant measures to improve security and deter illegal immigrants. Nevertheless, I shall take the issue forward. It is big criminal business, and it would be helpful if we could nip it in the bud in countries of origin.

§ The Lord Bishop of Hereford
My Lords, is the Minister aware of the serious effects that the breakdown of freight movement through the Channel Tunnel is having on freight businesses? They have built up business valiantly over a long time, and now, in many cases, they face bankruptcy, the loss of jobs and the collapse of business.
Is the situation not inflicting a severely damaging blow on the environmental transport policy to which the Government are, in theory, committed? What proposals do the Government have to pay compensation to firms that go out of business because of the failure to tackle the disruptive behaviour of the asylum seekers and the failure of the French Government to deal with it?

§ Lord Filkin
My Lords, I support the sentiments behind the initial part of the question. The 530 Government are concerned about the effect on the rail freight industry and on British and European targets for a modal shift of traffic off roads and on to rail.
We are aware that some firms are claiming serious difficulty. Our advice—if they need it, which they may not—is that they should initially pursue a civil remedy under the terms of their contracts. They should also pursue remedies, where appropriate, under the European Union's "strawberry" regulation on the free movement of goods. The British Government will give support, in the form of non-legal advice and information; we will not provide financial compensation.

§ Baroness Scott of Needham Market
My Lords, is the Minister prepared to say whether he will encourage the European Commission to take action, as it did against the French on the issue of British beef imports? The situation represents a contravention of the Treaty of Rome in exactly the same way.

§ Lord Filkin
My Lords, the Government have had discussions with the European Commission. The Commissioners for trade and for transport are seriously and actively involved in the issue. My noble friend Lord Berkeley has, through the Rail Freight Group, had vigorous discussions with the trade Commissioner recently. The Commissioner is most interested to hear and see evidence of the action that is being taken by the responsible authorities on the other side of the Channel. We will support those efforts to find a resolution, although we recognise that the French Government have recently shown a commendable increase in commitment.