UK Borders Bill

My Lords, I hope that noble Lords will forgive me for being a little confused. I thought that his amendment dealt with designated officers being fit and proper for the purpose and being suitably trained. However, I still think that this is the point at which I would like to talk through the thoughts I have on Report. The Minister will have been aware from our exchanges in Grand Committee that it was likely that we might return to the devolution issues as Clauses 1 to 4 will not apply to Scotland. The noble Lord in his reply on our last day in Committee promised us that there was no problem in the lack of powers being granted in the Bill to immigration officers in Scotland. He said that, "““police officers will attend and deal with those identified as liable to arrest””." What then to the other powers the immigration officers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will have to search and deal with those who assault or obstruct them? One has a vision of every immigration officer in Scotland having to be issued with a mobile phone programmed to speed dial 999 the minute somebody becomes a bit difficult. At the end of July, the Minister emphasised how closely the Government are working with the Scottish Executive and ACPO Scotland, via, he said, "““the border management programme to agree a suitable framework””." Perhaps he could inform the House of the outcome of that work and the structure that is envisaged, either today or before Third Reading. Perhaps the other, rather more worrying aspect, was his phrase on that day that, "““the view has been taken that the activity of immigration officers is also a devolved matter.””— [Official Report, 25/7/07; col. GC 203.]" Does that mean that the activities of immigration officials will be subject to devolution issues procedure under the Scotland Act? Noble Lords will be aware that that means that if you disagree with an immigration officer you could take a case to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. If the Minister wishes to stand by the meaning of that statement, where is the amendment to the Scotland Act that will bring immigration officers into the devolved structure? Surely this will add complications to the training of these officers—and means in reality that the UK Borders Bill is no longer a borders Bill for the UK but just for England, Wales and Northern Ireland—by adding confusion to the rights of immigrants and also to the powers of immigration officers.