Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many lorry drivers have been fined by United Kingdom authorities during the last 12 months for unintentionally having migrants in their vehicles; and how many migrants have been fined for illegally hiding in lorries coming into the United Kingdom.

Border Force has imposed 3,319 civil penalties so far, during the 2014/15 financial year. These penalties have been imposed on both hauliers and drivers.

Civil Penalties are not imposed on illegal migrants themselves who are handed to the French authorities for processing following detection by Border Force and its contractors. The Civil Penalty Scheme only allows for penalties to be levied on hauliers and drivers. Earlier this year Immigration Minister James Brokenshire held an inaugural summit to promote lorry security and tackle the impact of illegal immigration on the haulage security. The Minister has since hosted a series of roundtable events with haulier groups.

It is important that vehicles are secured properly to help mitigate the threat of illegal immigration. The UK provides clear guidance on lorry security under the Civil Penalty Codes of Practice which many responsible drivers and hauliers take steps to follow. This is also an international issue and it is vital we ensure drivers from across the other countries maintain the same standards as ours. In 2013/14 only 7% of fines issued were to British drivers. We need to ensure that the rest of the world's freight transport industry is keeping up with the UK. The UK is held up in Europe as a leading example of best practice and we need to get that message to our European and international counterparts.

On 14 July the Home Secretary announced in Parliament the creation of a new secure zone at the port of Calais for UK bound lorries. This will provide a secure waiting area for 230 vehicles - the equivalent of removing a two-and-a-half mile queue from the approaching road. This should transform protection for lorries and their drivers - removing them from the open road where they can become targets for migrants attempting to board their vehicles.