Kevin Foster corrected a written answer on Immigration Controls: Manston Airport and Port of Dover

26 July 2022 · Commons written answer · Home Office

Ms Diane Abbott (Labour, Hackney North and Stoke Newington) asked written question 38483 on 18 July 2022. Kevin Foster answered on 25 July 2022 for the Home Office, and Kevin Foster corrected the answer on 26 July 2022. The corrected text no longer gives the figures 130, 335, 365, £3.78m, £3.92m, £6.84m. Altogether 361 words differ between the two versions.

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the current minimum staffing levels are on contracts between the Border Force and private security contractors in (a) the Port of Dover and (b) Manston Airport.

Original and corrected answer

Struck through: original only. Bold: correction only.

Original	Corrected
The Home Office ~~has a~~ number of ~~arrangements~~ in ~~place~~ to ~~provide security, and custodial staff~~ at the ~~Port of Dover,~~ and at ~~its site in Manston. Details of these arrangements~~ are as follows. Mite Care and Custody provide staff at both Port of Dover and Manston under the pre-existing Escorting and Related Services Contract, details of which can be found at the link below. https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/8e94f338-6049-48f7-8b82-9dea24af8857?p=1 In respect of staffing provided at Port of Dover and Manston this contract provides for a) 16 general security staff at Port of Dover working shifts over a 24 hour period (8 per shift) b) 40 general security staff at Manston working shifts over a 24 hour period (20 per shift) c) A total staffing complement of 335 custodial staff who work across a number of shifts to provide security services 24hrs a day 365 days a year at Manston Definitive PSA (trading as Interforce) provide security staff at both Port of Dover and Manston. This supplier has provided services under two contracts, one directly with them (August 2021 to March 2022) valued at £3.78m, and one via Bloom Procurement Services (April 2022 to September 2022) valued at £6.84m In respect of staffing this is demand lead and has changed over time. The current contract provides for a) Up to 130 security staff working shifts over a 24 hour period at Port of Dover b) Up to 30 security staff working shifts over a 24 hour period at Manston Management & Training Corporation (UK) Ltd provides security staff at Manston. These services are provided under a 6 month contract (July 2022 to December 2022) valued at £3.92m In respect of staffing this contract provides for a) A total staffing complement of 65 custodial staff who work across a number of shifts to provide security services 24hrs a day 365 days a year at Manston.	The Home Office does not routinely publish information relating to the number of staff working in specific locations as this would publicise operational practises which, in the wrong hands, could be used to attempt to evade controls at the border and compromise border security. However, resource and staffing requirements at every port are continually reviewed by Border Force and we work closely with all port operators to try and anticipate demand. Resources are deployed flexibly as and when they are required.

Original

Corrected

The Home Office ~~has a~~ number of ~~arrangements~~ in ~~place~~ to ~~provide security, and custodial staff~~ at the ~~Port of Dover,~~ and at ~~its site in Manston. Details of these arrangements~~ are as follows.
Mite Care and Custody provide staff at both Port of Dover and Manston under the pre-existing Escorting and Related Services Contract, details of which can be found at the link below.
https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/8e94f338-6049-48f7-8b82-9dea24af8857?p=1
In respect of staffing provided at Port of Dover and Manston this contract provides for
a) 16 general security staff at Port of Dover working shifts over a 24 hour period (8 per shift)
b) 40 general security staff at Manston working shifts over a 24 hour period (20 per shift)
c) A total staffing complement of 335 custodial staff who work across a number of shifts to provide security services 24hrs a day 365 days a year at Manston
Definitive PSA (trading as Interforce) provide security staff at both Port of Dover and Manston. This supplier has provided services under two contracts, one directly with them (August 2021 to March 2022) valued at £3.78m, and one via Bloom Procurement Services (April 2022 to September 2022) valued at £6.84m
In respect of staffing this is demand lead and has changed over time. The current contract provides for
a) Up to 130 security staff working shifts over a 24 hour period at Port of Dover
b) Up to 30 security staff working shifts over a 24 hour period at Manston
Management & Training Corporation (UK) Ltd provides security staff at Manston. These services are provided under a 6 month contract (July 2022 to December 2022) valued at £3.92m
In respect of staffing this contract provides for
a) A total staffing complement of 65 custodial staff who work across a number of shifts to provide security services 24hrs a day 365 days a year at Manston.

The Home Office does not routinely publish information relating to the number of staff working in specific locations as this would publicise operational practises which, in the wrong hands, could be used to attempt to evade controls at the border and compromise border security.
However, resource and staffing requirements at every port are continually reviewed by Border Force and we work closely with all port operators to try and anticipate demand. Resources are deployed flexibly as and when they are required.

The question and answer on the Parliament website.

Receipt

Read from	https://questions-statements-api.parliament.uk/api/writtenquestions/questions/1490081?expandMember=true
Date read	15 October 2026
SHA-256	`9c3378c39158cf846c46b745b6debb2fec846950f97df42cad5de9d1503ad072`