Last autumn it was revealed that a pilot scheme to reduce passport checks on some citizens of EU countries had been used at 28 ports and airports."...
1/19/12, "MPs 'shocked' by border check relaxations," BBC
"A "highly troubling" breakdown of communication between officials led to UK border controls being relaxed too often last year, MPs have said.
The Commons home affairs committee said it was "shocked" at the number of times checks had been waived when ports and airports became too busy.
It blamed the Home Office for a "lack of supervision" of senior staff.
Labour called the committee's report "damning"; the government said it would respond "in due course.
Last autumn it was revealed that a pilot scheme to reduce passport checks on some citizens of EU countries had been used at 28 ports and airports."...
"What this agency desperately needs is a root and branch reform. This is the only way that we are going to make this agency... fit for purpose."
Mr Vaz also criticised the government for not giving his committee access to what he said were "key" documents about the affair.
He said it wanted to see e-mails between Mr Clark and Mrs May, minutes of a UK Border Agency meeting at which the issue was discussed and the details of historic guidelines allowing border controls to be suspended in certain circumstances.
"We would like to have had those documents. We would still like to see them. We have recommended that the Home Office place them in the library of the House of Commons so that others can look at it in the light of the recommendations of making this agency better."
Shadow immigration minister Chris Bryant said the "damning" report showed "senior officials
- were aware for some time of the suspension of border checks"."
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