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MPs Demand Border Row Papers Date: Wednesday, November 23, 2011 |
An influential group of MPs have continued to voice concern that they are not being given documentary evidence to carry out their inquiry into border checks. Speaking during an evidence session, Home Affairs Committee Chairman Keith Vaz said he remained dissatisfied that he had not been given access to an email trail surrounding the suspension of UK Border Agency Head Brodie Clark. He said the Committee would again be writing to the Home Secretary Theresa May pointing out that members did not accept that copies of the document could not being provided because it was subject to a separate investigation. The Chairman emphasised: "It is for this Committee to decide what is relevant. "We do not want a fight on the floor of the House. We will be writing again to the Home Secretary about these matters and if necessary we will take them forward." Mr Vaz was speaking as members heard from Dame Helen Ghosh, Permanent Secretary at the Home Office, who defended the UKBA Chief Executive's decision to suspend Mr Clark. The civil servant, who had 38 years of experience, went on to resign. Dame Helen argued that Mr Clark's argument that some border checks, including those for non-EEA nationals, could be suspended on health and safety grounds was flawed. While Mr Clark maintained this was permitted under regulations published in 2007, she said that the suspension of checks did not apply to arriving from outside the European area. Dame Helen also maintained that the terms of a pilot scheme approved by the Home Secretary – during which there more focused checks of higher risk travellers while those for lower risk individuals were relaxed – had been well understood. She stressed that examination of non-EEA nationals remained consistent in all instances. "They must be subject to the full barrage of checks," she added. Dame Helen went on to point out that she fully supported the decision to suspend Mr Clark. She also maintained that she could not agree to him taking an enhanced retirement package because of the circumstances of the investigation. As previously reported, Mr Clark has consistently stood by his position that checks on non-EEA nations could be suspended if there were health and safety concerns at ports of entry. He added that his career had been destroyed within two days as a result of the Home Secretary's actions, and that he had been left devastated as a result. Courtesy of SecurityOracle.com - The Secury Industry's Portal |