§ Mr. SedgemoreTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what considerations underlie his decision to decline to allow Hackney council to interview 663W Ms Jill Arnfield as part of an enquiry to identify an individual or individuals who have broken the law; [31228]
(2) when his Department was informed by Hackney council that names and other information concerning council employees were unlawfully removed from council payroll records; and if he will publish the minutes of that meeting; [31229]
(3) how Ms Jill Arnfield of the immigration and nationality division of the Home Office came to be in possession of details of employees of Hackney council; [31230]
(4) for what reasons Ms Arnfield asked the Benefits Agency to carry out checks on employees of Hackney council; upon what evidence or allegations this request was made; what instructions she gave as to how widely this request was to be made known; and for what reasons; [31231]
(5) what is his Department's policy on co-operation with Hackney council's investigation of alleged unlawful acts in relation to information from the council's payroll records; and what is the reason for this policy; [31232]
(6) when information concerning employees of Hackney council was passed to his Department; who supplied the information; what steps the Home Office took to inform the council that it had received the information and for what reasons; and what lawful authority the Home Office had to act on the information. [31233]
§ Mr. Nicholas BakerMs Arnfield is one of a number of immigration officers employed in the enforcement directorate of the immigration service. One of her main tasks is to investigate allegations and information, from whatever source, about persons who may be working and/or residing in this country illegally. All information alleging breaches of the immigration laws is thoroughly researched both within the Department and with other agencies and is discounted wherever it is possible to identify the person(s) concerned as being lawfully resident here.
A number of allegations about persons from abroad working illegally at Hackney council have been received from various sources over a long period. It would not be appropriate to disclose these sources publicly, but the immigration service has never received a computer disk containing details of Hackney employees. Where it has been established that the subject(s) of the information was illegally in the United Kingdom, the council has been informed. So far, eight council employees—three finance officers, two teachers, an estate manager, a personnel officer and a cook—have been served with either notice of illegal entry or notice of intention to deport and three others were dismissed by the council after the immigration service asked to interview them.
Discussion have taken place between representatives from Hackney council and members of the immigration service and a further meeting scheduled for 28 June has been postponed at the council's request. At a meeting on 10 March, the assistant chief finance officer of Hackney council suggested that an inquiry into an alleged breach of the Data Protection Act 1984 concerning the unauthorised 664W release of details of Hackney council employees was being considered. The draft minutes of this meeting were circulated to Hackney council on 17 March for approval, but the council has not responded.
Alleged breaches of council security are for the local authority to pursue with the police and/or the Data Protection Registrar.
The general question of disclosure of sources of information made available to the immigration service is a matter for the Home Office. In these circumstances, it has been made clear that the Home Office would be happy to respond to any written inquiries but not to allow individual immigration officers to be interviewed about matters which go beyond their responsibilities.