Dear J Cassidy,

Thank you for your request dated 21/01/10. This falls to be dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. I have listed your questions below for reference.

Summary: Photo-Pass/building access pass issuance, Vetting and access to UKBA Estate, specifically UKBA's Lunar House, by Croydon Borough Council (CBC) co-located Social Workers

Q1. Can you advise how many Lunar House building access passes have been issued to Social Workers from CBC, since they started to work at the Asylum Screening Unit at Lunar House?.

R1. UKBA do not specifically record this category of worker, Social workers would be categorised under “ contractor” to which we have issued around 5000 passes.

Q2. Please describe what level or levels of vetting and security clearance have been required for these CBC social workers, to be able to work at Lunar House on a co-located basis?

R2. All contractors who have unescorted access to the UKBA estate need to have a national security vetting of Counter Terrorist Check “CTC”. Social workers, who require access to the UKBA estate and don't have CTC clearance will be escorted by a member of staff.

Q3. Can you confirm how many CBC Social Workers have been refused security clearance to work at Lunar House?.

R3. As per R1 UKBA don't specifically monitor security clearance for social workers, social workers are categorised under contractors.

Q4. Please provide copies of any application forms or associated documents that are issued to CBC or directly to those social worker's CBC wishes to be co-located at Lunar House.

R4. Please se attached of the CTC security questionnaire form

Q5. Please provide copies of any internal guidance you hold that cover the nature and extent of the security clearance and vetting that CBC Social Workers have to agree to before being issued with a building pass, to work from Lunar House on a co-located basis.

R5. As per R1 UKBA do not make any specific arrangements for social workers, the procedures to be applied to social workers will be the same as a contractor, which is effectively completing the attached CTC form and submitting the form to their HO sponsor, a national security vetting at CTC level will then be undertaken, once this has been completed and subject to the individual passing the clearance a building access pass will be issued to that person.

If you are dissatisfied with this response you may request an independent internal review of our handling of your request by submitting a complaint within two months to the address below, quoting reference 13841.

The Deputy Director
UK Border Agency

Freedom of Information Team

11^th Floor

Lunar House

40 Wellesley Road

Croydon CR9 2BY

e-mail: [UKBA request email]

As part of any internal review the Department's handling of your information request will be reassessed by staff who were not involved in providing you with this response. If you remain dissatisfied after this internal review, you would have a right of complaint to the Information Commissioner as established by section 50 of the Freedom of Information Act.

Yours sincerely

Freedom of Information Team

UK Border Agency