Supplementary written evidence submitted
by Damian Green MP, Minister for Immigration,
Home Office
During my evidence to the Scottish Affairs Committee
on January 19 in response to Question 71 (Fiona O'Donnell: I
would not have thought that the fact it was a reserved issue was
a reason for the role of the devolution champion to be less but
more. Who is the devolution champion in your Department?)
I replied, "We don't have a devolution champion because
we are not devolved." That answer requires clarification
in the context of the Committee's inquiry.
The UK Border Agency is an executive agency of the
Home Office and does not have a devolution champion. Responsibility
for interaction with the devolved administrations within the UK
Border Agency falls to the respective Regional Directors: Phil
Taylor for Scotland & Northern Ireland and Jane Farleigh for
Wales. Victoria Bowman, a Deputy Director in the Scotland &
Northern Ireland Region, is the UK Border Agency Devolution Policy
Lead for the Agency.
The Home Office has a devolution champion who is
Helen Kilpatrick, Director General Finance & Commercial Directorate.
Helen's role is to ensure that the Home Office keeps sight of
strategic concerns and issues involving the devolved administrations.
The Home Office Devolution Champion's role does not
cover the checking of letters issued by the UK Border Agency to
a Scottish local authority this is done should have been done
by the UK Border Agency in Scotland. In the events surrounding
the termination of the Glasgow City Council (GCC) contract this
letter was not sent to the regional team for clearance before
being sent.
I can confirm that Scotland Office and Scottish Government
officials were kept informed by the regional office of developments
and were told in advance that the contract was going to be terminated
at GCC's invitation.
27 January 2011
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