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Home Office

Answer

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training is given to Home Office presentation officers before they appear before the Immigration Tribunal and Immigration Appeal Tribunal. [156096] Beverley Hughes: A new Home Office presenting officer initially receives three weeks of classroom-based training. This includes technical, and skills-based elements. This is followed by a period of mentoring by an experienced presenting officer, at the end of which the trainee is ready to represent the Home Office alone in appeals heard before an independent Adjudicator of the Immigration Appellate Authority. Each presenting officer attends a period of consolidation training within three months of completion of initial training. Senior presenting officers represent the Home Office in cases heard before the Immigration Appeal Tribunal. Where these staff have previously been experienced presenting officers, an analysis of their skills and abilities is conducted to identify specific areas which may require further training. Training will then be tailored to the individual and conducted by experienced mentors. Those with little or no experience of presenting in court follow a training and mentoring programme similar to that provided to presenting officers, although with more focus on the role of the Tribunal, before they appear alone before the Tribunal.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

156096; 419 c493W;419 c495W

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Appeals Civil servants Immigration Immigration officers Tribunals Training Immigration Appeal Tribunal Immigration Appellate Authority

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk