Extent to which systematic structure
is in place for meeting the indicative tasks listed, and response
of Department
28. The Home Office is one of the busiest departments
of state, employing some 70,000 people in the central Home Office,
the Immigration and Nationality Department and the Prison Service,
and responsible for the supervision of many more in related public
bodies. It is not possible for a single parliamentary committee
employing six full-time staff to conduct systematic and comprehensive
scrutiny of every aspect of the Home Office's responsibilities.
Inevitably we have to focus our major inquiries on areas of particular
importance and concern, as well as taking a wide spread of written
and oral evidence on other topics which deserve scrutiny.
29. Following an internal review of Committee Office
staffing, our staff complement, along with that of other departmental
committees, will shortly be increased. We are grateful for this
extra, much-needed, provision. However, the Committee's workload
and range of activities is likely to continue to expand, as we
seek further to improve the scope and quality of our scrutiny
of the Home Office. We trust that the House of Commons authorities
will monitor the situation and bear in mind the possible need
for further staff increases when appropriate.
30. Broadly speaking we are content with the assistance
offered us by the Home Office. In general we have received timely
responses to requests for information, and effective liaison with
the wider Department is maintained through contacts between the
Committee staff and the Parliamentary Clerk.
31. However, there are two areas where we think an
improved service should be provided. As we have mentioned above,
it is crucially important that we receive adequate notice of the
Home Office's plans for draft legislation. A reasonable period
for parliamentary scrutiny of draft legislation—at least
three months—should be allowed for when the timetable of
that legislation is planned, and every effort should be made to
stick to that timetable. Secondly, it would materially assist
our work if the Home Office were to be more pro-active in alerting
us to impending policy initiatives and developments, particularly
where these relate to currently active inquiries. We will explore
with the Home Office mechanisms for achieving this.
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