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Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Bill

I am grateful to noble Lords for setting out very clearly the issues behind these amendments. I begin from a position of agreeing with a huge amount of what has been said about what we are seeking to achieve. I say to my noble friend Lady Turner that we agree that we want to use our professionals properly and that we recognise the expertise in the Immigration Service; I agree that we should use resources effectively; and I agree that we should use contractors effectively and properly, make the necessary checks, ensure that they are properly trained and see them as individuals and not organisations. I completely agree with all of that. And I could not agree more with the noble Earl, Lord Listowel, about the issues on children. I hope to address those particular concerns, as I think the noble Earl would expect me to, in my remarks. The noble Earl, Lord Sandwich, raised the point about ““thinks”” and ““is satisfied that””. I do not mind at all his raising the issue once again, but I am afraid that, being a non-lawyer, I stand by the idea of using plain English. One issue as a Minister is looking at legislation and sometimes finding it difficult to interpret. When I say, ““I think that”” something is right, I am satisfied that it is right. So, for me, the two terms are interchangeable. I rely on parliamentary counsel to steer me in that. I do not think it is any discredit to try and find better language as time goes on. Sometimes the language we use in the Chamber to describe each other gets in the way of our debates when perhaps it is rather more flowery than it needs to be. However, that is for another occasion.