HC Deb 17 December 2002 vol 396 cc749-50W
Mr. Malins

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether immigration officers based at Waterloo station will be permitted to continue to work at Waterloo in the event that they decline to work in France or Belgium. [86860]

Officers of all grades will continue to be deployed at Waterloo International while there is a continuing business and operational need.

There will be opportunities for staff who are not willing to work overseas in France or Belgium to transfer to other locations.

Mr. Malins

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the working month of immigration officers based at Waterloo station who undertake work in France and Belgium will be spent at either venue; and what extra allowances or salaries will be paid. [86861]

Beverley Hughes

Officers of all grades undertake juxtaposed immigration control duties on a voluntary basis. On average officers currently perform one such duty per week. In early 2003 local management at Waterloo will commence trials which will test a four night and a nine night package in France. These trials will last six months. We are unable to comment on the frequency that staff will be expected to carry out these duties until the results of these trials have been evaluated.

In addition to their salary, staff receive overtime payments for excess hours worked and a locally agreed subsistence allowance to cover additional out of pocket expenditure. The Department meets hotel costs.

Mr. Malins

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if immigration officers based at Waterloo station will be obliged to agree to undertake work in(a) France and (b) Belgium. [86862]

Beverley Hughes

Officers of all grades based at Waterloo undertake juxtaposed immigration control duties in France and Belgium on a voluntary basis. At present officers stay one night overseas.

In early 2003, local management at Waterloo will trial a range of options to determine a more efficient means of staffing juxtaposed controls in France and Belgium. A trawl seeking volunteers to take part in these trials will be published early in the new year. We will evaluate the trial after six months and do not rule out compelling staff to work in France and Belgium should there be insufficient volunteers.