HC Deb 15 February 1999 vol 325 cc512-3W
Mr. Gerrard

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria he uses to assess the appropriate locations for the postings of airline liaison officers. [71060]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

Airline liaison officer locations are selected primarily on the basis of the number of inadequately documented passengers departing from or passing in transit through overseas airports. In addition, due account is taken of other relevant factors: personal safety; the agreement of the host governments; and the co-operation of other bodies including airlines and airport authorities.

Mr. Gerrard

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what records are kept of action taken by other Governments as a result of assistance given by airline liaison officers. [71061]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

Airline liaison officers do not provide direct assistance to other governments on cases involving individual passengers who are not adequately documented for travel to the United Kingdom. They do provide information to the appropriate authorities on the activities of facilitators and racketeers involved in human smuggling and records are kept of the outcome when it is known.

Mr. Gerrard

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to which locations further airline liaison officers have been posted since 27 July 1998; and to what additional locations he plans to post further officers during 1999. [71063]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

Since 27 July 1998, airline liaison officers have been posted to Bahrain, Bangkok, Dubai, Istanbul and Pretoria. An officer will be posted to Moscow towards the end of April. By the end of 1999 we plan to have posted up to nine more officers. Final decisions on the exact locations of these additional posts have yet to be made.

Mr. Gerrard

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimates he has made of the number of prospective passengers who have not travelled to the United Kingdom in the past 12 months as a result of the work of airline liaison officers.[71062]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

In 1998, airlines operating from the five locations where airline liaison officers were based refused carriage to 2,095 prospective passengers who were not adequately documented for travel to the United Kingdom.