Extract from Commons
statement on Integrated Review Refresh
(North West Hampshire) (Con): Given that the
biggest killer of our people, the most frequent breaches of our
border and, arguably, the most significant impact to the
integrity of our economy result from the work of overseas
organised criminal gangs, why is there hardly any mention of them
in this document? Where is the resource to allow
the National Crime
Agency to deal with threats that are felt on the
streets of the Secretary of State’s constituency and mine every
day?
The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development
Affairs (): My right hon. Friend
is right to say that organised criminal gangs have an
international component. This document is predominantly but not
exclusively focused on state-level threats. However, I assure him
that the role of international organised crime gangs is very much
part of our interactions with our interlocutors internationally.
We did not have the opportunity to put every single element of
what we do internationally into this review, and of course a
large of part of what he refers to lies within the home affairs
area of responsibility. However, we liaise closely to ensure that
we discuss with international interlocutors the threat posed
within the UK by international criminality.
To read all the exchanges, CLICK HERE
Extract from Second
reading (Commons) of the Illegal Migration Bill
The Secretary of State for the Home Department ():...Critics of this
Government’s plan to stop the boats would have more credibility
if they offered up a plan of their own. Let us look at what the
Opposition plan is. They would increase the funding to
the National Crime
Agency to disrupt trafficking upstream; never mind
that the Government have already doubled the funding for the
NCA precisely for that purpose. The Opposition
say that they would go harder on the people smugglers; never mind
that Labour voted against our Nationality and Borders Act 2022,
which introduced life sentences for people smugglers. The
Opposition speak about establishing a cross-channel taskforce;
never mind that we have already set up a small boats operational
command, with more than 700 new staff working hand in hand with
the French...
For context, OPEN HERE
