Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 15 July (WA 111), whether the comprehensive exit checks on passengers departing on scheduled commercial air, sea and rail routes which will apply from April 2015 will enable a check to be made on whether those who have been admitted to the United Kingdom on visas or permits for limited periods have complied with the required departure date; and what arrangements they propose for exit checks on those leaving by non-scheduled aircraft or by private boats.

Exit checks will improve our knowledge of who is leaving the UK so we are better able to respond appropriately. We will bring together entry and exit data with visa and immigration application records to help identify those who have failed to leave the UK when they should have done so. Currently there are no plans to use the Embarkation Checks powers in the 2014 Immigration Act for General Aviation and General Maritime operators. We are working separately with those sectors to improve our ability to control departures from the UK by non-scheduled aircraft and private boats.