UK Borders Bill

I think it will be a new Bill but it will involve consolidation and simplification. Let me turn my mind back to the issues raised by the noble Lord, Lord Avebury. He asked whether the immigration Bill in the next Session would be consolidated in due course. I hope I am right in assuming that that is a reference to the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill. The noble Lord nods his assent. We will look carefully at whether the immigration proposals in that Bill should be brought into the range of the simplification Bill that is proposed. As I understand it, it is our intention to produce a draft simplification Bill in 2008, following consultation. There will have to be a timetable for that but I cannot give the precise details. It would be wrong to predict; consultation can throw up difficulties and problems which may mean that the timetable has to be extended. It is right that the question was asked and perhaps later in the year I will be able to give some more details. Although I do not give an absolute undertaking to do so, it would not be unreasonable for me to try to achieve that. I will try to keep noble Lords advised of where we are in the process of simplification; that is as far as I can go today.