§ Mr. DismoreTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the proposed pilot study for financial bonds for visitors. [133687]
§ Mr. VazAfter consultations with the Home Office, I can announce that we are unable to proceed with the scheme for the present.
Developmental work on detailed proposals for the pilot study has identified a number of difficult practical issues. In particular, moves toward a more flexible approach to the operation of the immigration control—including the introduction of new IT systems for issuing visas at posts overseas—have frustrated attempts to design a simple and effective scheme for providing a bond facility for visitors, and for recording their entry to and departure from the UK.
The planned pilot study in Manila and Casablanca will therefore not proceed.