Section 20: Supply of information to Secretary of State
81.This section provides for information to be supplied to the Secretary of State by the police, the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS), the National Crime Squad (NCS), HM Customs and Excise (HMCE) and a person with whom the Secretary of State has made a contract or other arrangements under section 95 or 98 or a sub-contractor of such a person. This section is designed to facilitate closer inter-agency co-operation in tackling abuse of the immigration control, racketeering and other immigration-related offences. It will also enable resources to be deployed more effectively. Those who contract with the Secretary of State to provide support for asylum seekers and their families have been specified in the Act in addition to the law enforcement agencies in order to make it clear that they have the power to pass on any information relating to asylum seekers or more generally to immigration control or immigration crime. Information may only be supplied to the Secretary of State under this provision for the specific “immigration purposes” set out in the section.
82.In addition, the Secretary of State is given the power to specify by order further bodies which may supply information to him, and additional immigration purposes for which he may be supplied with information, under the section. This order-making power will be subject to draft affirmative procedure.
