Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what account her Department took of the effects of and reasons for the removal of embarkation procedures in 1996 when making the decision to re-establish such procedures in the current Parliament.

Embarkation controls were abolished partially in 1994 and completely in 1998, as the paper-based checks were deemed outdated and checks were not carried outon all modes of transport.

There have been considerable technological advances since the 1990s. Moreover, there are expanding and differing requirements and challenges for border services in the modern world. The Government’s commitment to introduce exit checks takes full account of these developments.

The new approach will make effective use of electronic systems that are able to support technology-based checks on those leaving the UK and produce more accurate and increasingly valuable information for immigration and border security purposes.