Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Bill

I rise to oppose the questions that Clauses 40 and 41 stand part of the Bill. Clause 40, as the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, has said, gives significant powers to authorised persons to examine premises and vehicles, and to detain and perform limited body searches. Clause 41, among other things, introduces a criminal offence when an individual seeks to abscond. I should make clear that that does not apply to children in such cases. I share the concerns of the Refugee Children’s Consortium and I am pleased that the Minister is answering this debate, due to her experience of the Children Act and the DfES. We are especially concerned about the vulnerability of children found in lorries while trying to immigrate to this country. In Standing Committee in the other place, Gwyn Prosser said:"““Anyone who has witnessed””—"