Extract from Urgent
Question on channel crossings in small boats
The Secretary of State for the Home Department ():...We would be in a much worse
position if it were not for the work already untaken by the
Government. We have ensured that the National Crime
Agency has the resourcing it needs to tackle and go
after the people-smuggling gangs, resulting in 94 ongoing
investigations, 46 arrests and eight convictions this year. We
have also: reached two new deals with France, putting more police
officers on French beaches and introducing new groundbreaking
technology to better detect migrants; set up a joint intelligence
cell with France to target migrant interceptions on French
beaches; introduced new and tougher criminal offences for those
attempting to enter the UK illegally; laid statutory instruments
to stop asylum claims being made at sea; and agreed returns deals
with India and Albania—and had discussions just last week with
Pakistan—to take back more foreign national offenders and failed
asylum seekers, with more returns deals imminent...
(Wokingham) (Con): What
is the Home Secretary’s message to someone thinking of
undertaking one of these illegal journeys, at great cost, as to
why they should not take that risk and why it will not work?
: This is why we are
bringing in new legislation. These individuals are putting their
lives at risk and putting their lives in the hands of people
smugglers. I come back to the work we are doing with
the National Crime
Agency which has the resources and is going after
the gangs, resulting in 94 ongoing investigations, 46 arrests and
convictions—the last conviction was made last week, of an
Albanian people smuggler...
(Dudley North)
(Con): Does my right hon. Friend agree that unlike
Opposition Members who would have completely open borders,
Government Members will, with determination, sort out the problem
of illegal immigration? Given that there are so many persecuted
people in Calais, does she agree that perhaps we should ask the
United Nations to investigate what is happening in that
country?
: That is a telling
comment. Of course, it would not be the United Nations in France;
it is actually the role of the European Commission. Speaking to
my counterparts across EU member states, they are somewhat
exasperated right now about the lack of leadership on the issue,
which is why member states are engaging with us directly. We are
looking at a whole-of-route approach. I should say that we are
also working with the National Crime
Agency and with other countries upstream to look at
how we can find some long-term solutions...
To read all the exchanges, CLICK HERE
Extract from committee
stage (Lords) of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency
Bill
(LD):...It is always good to
speak after the noble Baroness, Lady Noakes, and strangely my
opening assertion very much follows on from hers. Without our
amendments, ARIA would follow in the footsteps of a very small
number of institutions that currently do not have Freedom of
Information Act obligations: the Royal Family; security and
intelligence bodies such as MI5, MI6 and GCHQ; Special Forces;
and the National Crime
Agency I think that is the list. There may be
others, but I am pretty sure that is it. It gives noble Lords an
idea of the sort of organisations. They do not seem to be natural
paradigms to ARIA...
(LD): We are unashamed
supporters of the Freedom of Information Act. As my noble friend
said, the Government are equating
ARIA with the security services, the National Crime
Agency and the Royal Family. It is nowhere near
justified that it is in the public interests to do that. If ever
I saw a Report stage amendment coming along the track, this is
it, and it will be an extremely important debate on Report. I
urge the Government to rethink this issue....
To read the whole debate, CLICK HERE
