Letter to the Secretary of State for Foreign
and Commonwealth Affairs, Foreign and Commonwealth Office from
the Chairman of the Committee
PARLIAMENTARY SCRUTINY OF VISA OPERATIONS
At its last meeting, the Foreign Affairs Committee
considered the letter dated 31 March sent to me jointly by Kim
Howells and Liam Byrne, about the transfer of the work of UKVisas
to the UK Border Agency, and its consequences for parliamentary
scrutiny.
The Committee note that the UK Border Agency
is an agency of the Home Office alone and that accordingly the
Home Affairs Committee has the primary responsibility for its
scrutiny.
However, the Committee also note that the Foreign
and Commonwealth Office will retain significant responsibilities
in respect of aspects of visa operations, not least because staff
of the Border Agency will be based in and co-ordinate their work
with that of UK posts overseas. It follows that, to the extent
that this is the case, the Foreign Affairs Committee will continue
to have an oversight role. I have been asked to write to you to
make clear that the Committee will continue, where appropriate,
to scrutinise the FCO and question Ministers on this subject.
I am copying this letter to Keith Vaz as Chairman
of the Home Affairs Committee.
25 April 2008
| 
