UK Borders Bill

My Lords, I do not have that information at my fingertips but I will be happy on another occasion to detail the way in which NOMS was established. The point I am making is a very serious one. If we are to create a new force of this nature, then clearly it will be complex, clearly it will require detailed legislation and, more appropriately, it will need a very full consideration. It should be based on a well thought through and constructed review—which, of course, my argument suggests is being conducted and which we should await. The Prime Minister has made a very clear commitment in this area and it would be wrong to pre-empt the Cabinet Secretary’s review. I am, as ever, grateful to the noble Baroness and other noble Lords for raising the issue, but they will have to accept that there are some flaws in their approach; indeed, flaws of such gravity that the amendments risk running the accusation of being somewhat of an insult to the issue and of undermining the general direction in which we have been progressing for some time. The effect of the amendments would be to create an organisation without a head, an organisation without new powers, an organisation which is accountable to no one and an organisation which does not have a proper money order attached to it. Constructive consideration has to be given to those issues and, for those reasons, I would argue that the amendments are not fit for purpose—although, of course, I fully accept that they are brought forward in the spirit, which is shared across your Lordships’ House, of where we see potential for development.