Member

Finally, Amendment 200 would require the Secretary of State to make regulations to specify scientific methods for assessing a person’s age and to disapply the requirement for consent for scientific methods to be used. This amendment speaks to the principle that I have already outlined: if a person lands in the UK illegally, the Government have a right and duty to understand how old that person is. If the person in question refuses to co-operate, this cannot be a way for them to frustrate the determination and removals process. The balance that I discussed earlier can be reached only if these powers are maintained and if the Government retain the authority to take action, whether a person consents to an age assessment or not.