§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to review information technology systems, with specific reference to the Asylum and Immigration Directorate.[8559]
§ Angela EagleThe Home Office Head Office has a Planned Office Information System Environment (POISE). This is being made available to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) and the work will be completed by the end of the 2001–02 financial year.
The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) system has been enhanced and the redevelopment of the Warnings Index continues. An enhanced standard build for all desktop PCs, the availability of the Asylum Casework Information Database (ACID) and similar databases for recording both general and nationality casework are enhancements to the Team-Based Caseworking (TBC) Information Technology system used by caseworkers. Within the Immigration Service (IS), the initial phase of a management system for Detention Centres has been completed.
We will further review our IT systems to accommodate the changes to Immigration policy as in the Home Secretary's statement of 29 October.