UK Borders Bill

moved Amendment No. 36: 36: Before Clause 57, insert the following new Clause— ““Provision of information to immigrants from A8 countries (1) Secretary of State may by order made by statutory instrument make provision for information to be provided at major ports of entry to persons entering the United Kingdom from A8 countries. (2) The information provided under subsection (1) shall include information on— (a) finding employment; (b) employment law, including rights and responsibilities and the worker registration scheme; (c) obtaining a national insurance number; (d) the provision for language training; (e) finding accommodation; (f) access to health care and education; (g) sources of further advice and support. (3) The information provided under subsection (1) shall be provided in a form determined by the Secretary of State. (4) In this section the ““A8 countries”” are Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia and Slovakia.”” The noble Lord said: As we reach the last amendment I would like to say that it has been a great privilege to take part in this Bill. I have not won many of my arguments, but at least we have made our points and some arguments have had a response from the Minister, which has been encouraging. I am sure that someone else will be thanking all those concerned when we come to Third Reading, but I say, ““Diolch yn fawr””, or ““Thank you”” in Welsh. We are calling for information for those coming into the UK from the new countries of eastern Europe. They should have available information that is essential to anyone who is new to the United Kingdom. It should be in a format that they can access easily, that is attractive and readable and gives information gathered together from various sources into one comprehensive piece of literature, in the different languages of those new countries. That is what we are looking for. The Minister rightly said when we last discussed this point, that there were sources where nearly all this information could be obtained; it was available on the web or in different government briefings. I am sure that it is, but not in all the languages that I would like. However, I suggest that we need a welcome pack for those who come to the UK so that they know exactly where they can get health provision, where they register for work, and where to get help if they are finding it difficult to find homes or food. They should be able to have all that information in one piece of literature. The information should be in hard copy as well as on the web because many of those who come here have no access to the web at the beginning. You need something at the port of entry so that you can go to the information desk and ask for comprehensive and co-ordinated information to help meet those various problems. I would like to see this guide—if I may call it that—made available in the consulates of the countries of origin of these people so that they will have this information in their hands before they come here. It might deter some from coming here. We know that 97 per cent of folk who come from eastern Europe are able to survive. They make arrangements for accommodation and jobs before they come. I am worried about the other 3 per cent—3 per cent of 400,000 is a substantial number. We are trying to prevent these folk from slipping totally into destitution—I use again the word that we have used many times during the passage of the UK Borders Bill. The information could be printed in various languages; it could be available in the countries of origin and at the ports of entry into the UK. I have tried to find out whether any information is available. I visited the information counter at Victoria coach station, but there was nothing. There might have been another counter where this information could be found, but I could not find it. Is not Victoria coach station the sort of place where people could be guided and helped in their initial meeting with the folk of the United Kingdom? There could be a government publication, but we are told that that would have cost implications. I was told, ““No, no. You must not spend money, Rog. That money is not easily available””. Perhaps we could emulate the Canadian Newcomer Magazine, which includes part of the information that I would like to see. It is a commercial venture.