HC Deb 27 July 1999 vol 336 cc280-1W
Fiona Mactaggart

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 7 July 1998,Official Report, column 427, on what criteria decisions to waive fines under the Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act 1987 are made. [93449]

Mr. Mike O'Brien

The criteria for waiving charges are contained in Appendix A of the publication entitled "Charging Procedures. A Guide for Carriers", commonly known as the "Green Guide", a copy of which is in the Library. In addition, charges are normally waived in respect of passengers arriving without documents from stations with Approved Gate Check (AGC) Status. The criteria for AGC status are contained in section 7 of the "Green Guide". Charges are also waived in respect of inadequately documented passengers who are granted full refugee status in accordance with the 1951 United Nations Convention and the 1967 Protocol relating to the status of refugees, as described in section 5 of the "Green Guide". Charges are also not imposed where a false document is produced unless the falsity of the document is reasonably apparent nor where a carrier is able to show that the required documents were produced to them when the passenger embarked for the United Kingdom.