May Faces Committee Over Border Relaxation

The Home Secretary is to face a committee of MPs on Tuesday, to discuss the revelations she advised a relaxation of border controls during the Olympics.

On Monday, Theresa May admitted she had authorised officials at the agency to relax security procedures, such as passport checks, on some travellers coming into the country.

However, she says the checks on non-EU nationals were then scaled back further, without ministerial approval.

The Labour party has accused the minister of "passing the buck" on the issue. Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday evening, Yvette Cooper said it was no good blaming the previous government or officials, "this is her watch, these are her decisions and her government’s mistakes", the Labour minister said.

"We now know that 6,500 staff are being cut from the Border Agency, including 1,500 from the Border Force and we need to know what pressure officials were put under to cut corners as a result to keep queues down with reduced staff.

"The truth is that instead of strengthening the checks year on year as all previous Ministers had committed to do, this Home Secretary decided to water them down as official government policy, even though she never told this House.

Mrs May has ordered an inquiry into the claims identity checks on travellers from outside Europe were scaled back in the summer, beyond what ministers had agreed in a pilot scheme.

In a statement to MPs on Monday, Mrs May said those responsible would be punished. Brodie Clark, head of the UK border force, is among three staff suspended.

Mrs May's appearance before the home affairs committee was originally arranged before the issue emerged. She was due to speak about the new National Crime Agency and the summer riots.

(DW)