UK Borders Bill

All three agencies exercise coercive powers. The noble Lord understands that and the rest of the Committee will understand it as well, I am sure. Our view is that they ought to receive protection from a specific offence, which is described as equivalent to common assault. I do not think that there is any distinction there. The noble Lord is asking us to create one offence that is then applicable to all three agencies. That is how the legislation has been layered, in terms of the three services, but the noble Lord is right that in the end all three groups of workers will have the same level of penalty applied for an offence that is equivalent. I do not think that there is much between us here. It is just a matter of how we have got to that point. However, I understand the point that the noble Lord is making.