Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Bill

My Lords, I note what the Minister says. The Home Office seems somehow to trump every other department around it. I may be unfair and wrong in my observation, but that seems to have happened in the past. I encourage the Minister not to give up all hope of looking again at this problem and how such arrangements might work in practice. As I said only last week, the relevant court looked at an approach for judicial review under Section 9 of the power to make families destitute to encourage them to return to their home countries. It found that the immigration service was acting within its remit in doing so. Perhaps that gives some comfort to the Minister. Perhaps a compromise is possible before Third Reading. As the noble Lord, Lord Dholakia, said, the Government could look at the different arms of the immigration service as it deals with children and families. Perhaps one arm could be brought under Section 11, with a sunset clause applying after two years. One could at least see how it worked and whether the consequences would be as grave as the Minister clearly fears. There would be an opportunity to evaluate that pilot scheme, just as there has been a very useful evaluation of Section 9 in the previous Bill. I know that we all wish to work in the best interests of children. The danger arises when a system becomes unthinking because it is driven towards a particular target. I am seeking to encourage that system to think more carefully about children as it moves towards its necessary target. It is a little like doing a maths and showing the working. That is what I am asking: I want to see the working behind the system. I think of the league tables in schools. There has been so much concern to set down a clear target for pupil achievement, but the softer targets of including, and working with, the more vulnerable children are harder to deliver. The Government have introduced value-added elements to the system to balance it. I am asking for more balance in this area and a proportionate response which achieves the aims of the Government—which we all wish—but does so in a humane way. I again thank the Minister for her response. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Schedule 3 [Repeals]: