UK Border Force Debate

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Department: Home Office

UK Border Force

Rob Wilson Excerpts
Monday 7th November 2011

(12 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Theresa May Portrait Mrs May
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I have been perfectly clear with the House that I take responsibility for the decisions I have made, and I have done that this afternoon. In the circumstances that have been set out, what we have seen is a pilot that was agreed, and actions going beyond that—unauthorised actions—taking place at our border.

Rob Wilson Portrait Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East) (Con)
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The Public and Commercial Services Union is alleging that staff cuts and staff shortages caused the relaxation of these rules. Will my right hon. Friend take this opportunity completely to reject those allegations?

Theresa May Portrait Mrs May
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Yes, I will take that opportunity. It was clear when the proposals for the pilot were presented to me that the desire was to ensure that more risk-based checks could be made and therefore that we would target resources on higher-risk individuals. In doing that, it could well be possible to improve security, but, of course, evaluating whether that was the case was the purpose of ensuring that this was only a pilot.