UK Border Force

Michael McCann Excerpts

Monday 7th November 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mrs May]

Yes, I will take that opportunity. It was clear when the proposals for the pilot were presented to me that the desire was to ensure that more risk-based checks could be made and therefore that we would target resources on higher-risk individuals. In doing that, it could well be possible to improve security, but, of course, evaluating whether that was the case was the purpose of ensuring that this was only a pilot.

[Mr Michael McCann (East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow) (Lab)]

Having served as a full-time official in the civil service trade union movement for 26 years, may I say that if a civil servant under the senior civil service had wilfully disobeyed an instruction he would have been guilty of gross misconduct and would have been summarily dismissed? If the matter is as clear-cut as the Home Secretary suggests, will she tell us why Brodie Clark is not facing the same sanction?

[Mrs May]

Because a proper process is being undertaken. Further investigation by Dave Wood is taking place to ascertain the full extent of what happened.