HL Deb 05 November 2001 vol 628 c2WA
Lord Marlesford

asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they ceased to require passengers departing from the United Kingdom by air to shoe, their passports to officers from the Immigration Service; why this practice ceased; and whether they will reintroduce it. [HL957]

The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Rooker)

In 1994, the Government withdrew the embarkation control for passengers travelling to continental destinations from ferry ports and small/medium sized airports. The residual embarkation control at the large airports was reconfigured by the Immigration Service in March 1998 after a lengthy period of consultation with interested parties. The routine presence of immigration officers was replaced by a new arrangement based on an intelligence-led approach, with enhanced co-operation between the agencies and an increased use of CCTV technology.

The reconfiguration of the embarkation control means that the Immigration Service can now use its resources more flexibly, concentrating on key delivery areas, while operating a targeted embarkation control any time there is an immigration-related operational need. It has a contingency plan for emergency. short-term targeted embarkation controls, which can be set up at one hour's notice if there was an urgent operational need. This involves setting up an embarkation control at the traditional point and an additional gate check embarkation control at airports.

I do not think a return to a routine, manual embarkation control is a sensible use of Immigration Service resources, which is why we are considering as a matter of urgency a range of measures to enhance border security, including the use of new technology.