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Tag: Priti Patel

  • Priti Patel – 2020 Statement on State-Based Threats

    Priti Patel – 2020 Statement on State-Based Threats

    Below is the text of the statement made by Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, in the House of Commons on 17 March 2020.

    The risks posed to the UK and its allies from state-based threats have both grown and diversified in recent years, ranging from espionage and subversion to coercion and assassination. The use of the internet as a way for states to expand their influence poses new issues and has made it easier for attacks to be carried out, whilst making it harder to identify those responsible. We face sustained and hostile activity which is deliberate and targeted and intended to threaten our national security. Together with our allies, we are taking steps to safeguard our open and democratic societies and promote the international rules-based system that underpins our stability, security and prosperity.

    My officials have been reviewing current legislation in this area. As set out in the Queen’s Speech in December, we are developing proposals for new legislation to counter the threat of hostile activity emanating from states during this Parliament.

    But new legislation is not the only way we are working to counter this threat. Given the risk of state-based threats, the Government created a specialist assessment organisation to focus resource on this critical issue in 2017. The Joint State Threats Assessment Team, or JSTAT, is an independent assessment body whose function is to deepen understanding across Government of this threat and to inform the policy response. Like other assessment bodies including the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, JSTAT reports to a governance board comprising ​senior officials from across the UK intelligence community and wider policy departments, with the Director General of MI5 having ultimate responsibility for the organisation.

    Until now JSTAT has not been publicly acknowledged but in order to maximise its utility to the national security community, I have taken this important step of announcing the existence of this organisation. Reaching out to all parts of the Government, our stakeholders, industry and academia offers the opportunity to gain a better understanding of state based threats and will enable more analytic challenge. It will also enable a broader communication of the threat to HMG and partners across a wide range of areas as well as enabling the private and charitable sectors to have access to information about the threats so that they can better protect themselves.

    JSTAT has enhanced our capabilities and understanding of the state-based threats we face and will continue to do so now it has been made public. More information about the work of JSTAT can be found on a webpage on the MI5 website.

  • Priti Patel – 2020 Statement on an Independent Review of Drugs

    Priti Patel – 2020 Statement on an Independent Review of Drugs

    Below is the text of the statement made by Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, in the House of Commons on 27 February 2020.

    In February last year, the former Home Secretary, my Right hon. Friend the Member for Bromsgrove (Sajid Javid), announced that Professor Dame Carol Black had been appointed to lead a major independent review of drugs. Dame Carol was asked to look at a wide range of issues, including the system of support and enforcement around drug misuse, in order to inform our thinking about what more can be done to tackle drug harms.

    I am pleased to announce that today Dame Carol’s review has been published. The review provides detailed analytical insights on the challenges around drug supply and demand and I would like to thank Dame Carol for producing such an accomplished piece of research. This will be of significant value in guiding further Government action to tackle drugs as we move forward.

    This Government recognise that illegal drugs devastate lives, families and communities. There are strong links between drugs and serious violence which have played out on our streets, as well as a range of wider health and social harms. The review makes clear that we face a whole system problem that should be addressed by looking at Government intervention in the round. It is therefore critical that we bring together partners from across Government and externally to build upon this work and tackle the challenging issues Dame Carol has raised.

    Activity is already in place to tackle the findings in the review. The Home Office is stepping up activity to address the challenges highlighted around drug supply and county lines. We will bring the full force of the Government’s response to bear on drugs supply, with work to disrupt supply from source countries; build resilience and enhance interception at the border; improve our ability to disrupt the groups that control UK wholesale and distribution of illegal drugs; pursue associated money flows; and use interventions to divert users into treatment where appropriate.

    This activity includes further investment to significantly increase the law enforcement response to county lines. Our investment is having a direct impact against high harm county lines which is why we have now committed an additional £5 million, on top of the £20 million that we announced in October 2019. This means we will be investing £20 million in 2020-21 to further increase ​activity against these ruthless gangs. We are also working with colleagues across Government and with key partners to develop a wider, whole system response to tackle the county lines business model and associated violence and exploitation

    Alongside this, my Right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will commission a further review of prevention, treatment and recovery. Dame Carol will lead this further review with input from experts in the field. It will build on Dame Carol’s work to ensure vulnerable people with substance misuse problems get the support they need to recover and turn their lives around. It will look at treatment in the community and in prison, and how treatment services work with wider services that enable a person with a drug dependency to achieve and sustain recovery, including mental health, housing, employment, and the criminal justice system.

    The Department of Health Social and Care will work closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Ministry of Justice to ensure the review is wide-ranging.

    There are also a range of wider activity across Government to address the issues raised by Dame Carol, including work to prevent drug misuse among young people.

    I am pleased that the new Prime Minister-chaired taskforce on crime and justice has been announced, which will enable us to be ambitious in reducing crime, including county lines, and drug-related crime such as the acquisitive crime driven by heroin and crack cocaine use.

    Given the devolved nature of many parts of the response, we will continue to work closely with the devolved Administrations to ensure drug misuse is tackled as a UK-wide problem.

    With this renewed focus on drugs across Government we are determined to address the challenges raised in the review head on.

    A copy of Dame Carol’s review and the executive summary will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-drugs-phase-one-report

  • Priti Patel – 2020 Statement on Points Based Immigration System

    Priti Patel – 2020 Statement on Points Based Immigration System

    Below is the text of the statement made by Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, in the House of Commons on 24 February 2020.

    With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement about the United Kingdom’s new points-based immigration system.

    Last week, I announced our plans for a radical new approach that works in the interests of the British people. It will be a fair, firm and fundamentally different system in the control of the British Government that prioritises those who come to our country based on the skills they have to offer, not on the country they come from, and it will enable the UK to become a magnet for the brightest and the best, with special immigration routes for those who will make the biggest contribution. We will create new arrangements for new migrants who will fill shortages in our NHS, build the companies and innovations of the future and benefit the UK for years to come.

    As this Government restore our status as an independent sovereign nation, we will set our own immigration standards and controls as an open, democratic and free country. The Government have listened to the clear message from the British public and are delivering what the people asked for in the 2016 referendum and the December 2019 general election. That includes ending free movement through the introduction of a single global immigration system that prioritises the skills that people have to offer, not where they come from, and restoring public trust in our immigration system with a system that truly works for this country. That is what people voted for, and we are a Government who will deliver on the people’s priorities.

    We are ending free movement: that automatic right for EU citizens to enter and reside in the UK, which does not apply to people from other countries. Now that we have left the EU, this ambitious Government of action are ending the discrimination between EU and non-EU citizens so that we can attract the brightest and best from around the world. Our country and our people will prosper through one system and an approach that is in the control of the British Government—one that will also deliver an overall reduction in low-skilled immigration, as the public asked for.

    Many of the values that define our great country originated in the huge benefits immigration has brought to our nation throughout its history. People from every corner of the globe have made an enormous contribution to the fabric of our society, which is why at the heart of this new single global immigration system will be a focus on attracting talented people from around the world and on the contribution they and their families will make, irrespective of their country of origin.

    Last Wednesday, I published a policy statement setting out the new UK points-based immigration system, which will start operating from 1 January 2021 and will work in the interests of the whole United Kingdom. This will be a single, comprehensive, UK-wide system for workers and students from around the world. Our points-based system will provide a simple, effective and flexible arrangement to give top priority to the skilled workers we need to boost our economy and support our brilliant public services. All applicants will need to demonstrate that they will have a job offer from an approved sponsor. The job must be at an appropriate skill level and the applicant must be able to speak English and meet tougher criminality standards and checks.​

    We have acted on the advice of the Migration Advisory Committee to make the skilled workers route more flexible, as businesses asked for, and we have reduced the required skill level to the equivalent of A-level qualifications and cut the general salary threshold to £25,600.

    The threshold for many NHS workers and teachers will be set in line with published pay scales to ensure that our public services do not suffer and we attract the talent that we need. Experienced workers who earn less than the general threshold, but not less than £20,480, may still be able to apply tradable points to reward vital skills and to bring us the talent that our economy needs. For example, a PhD in a relevant subject will earn extra points, with double the number of points for specialists in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Additional points will be awarded for occupations that struggle to fill vacancies, and I am asking the Migration Advisory Committee to keep its list under regular review to ensure that it reflects the needs of the labour market.

    The Government will ensure that talented employees from overseas on whom our great NHS relies can come here to work and provide high-quality, compassionate care. That means that we will prioritise qualified staff who seek to move to the UK to work in our NHS, as well as retaining our own national commitment—through the investments made by this Government—to invest in and train more brilliant nurses, doctors and public health professionals in our own country. The new NHS visa system will provide a work visa with a fast-track decision, a larger dedicated advice service for applicants, and reduced fees.

    Like many other Members, I represent a partly rural constituency. Our commitment to British agriculture is clear. In addition to the reforms that I have outlined, I am quadrupling the size of the pilot scheme for seasonal workers in the horticulture sector to ensure that our farms and our horticultural sector continue to thrive. That is happening immediately.

    We will continue to welcome international students who want to study in our world- class universities across the United Kingdom, and there will be no cap on their numbers. Those who apply will be accepted provided that they are sponsored by an approved educational institution, have the necessary academic qualifications and English language aptitude, and are able to support themselves financially once they are in the United Kingdom. When they have finished their studies, our new graduate route will allow them to stay in the UK and work at any skill level for up to a further two years. Let me also take this opportunity to reassure the House that the immigration arrangements for members of the armed forces, musicians and other performers are completely unchanged, and those routes will operate as they do now.

    In line with the ending of free movement, there will be no immigration route for lower-skilled workers. No longer will employers be able to rely on cut-price EU workers. Instead, we are calling on them to invest in British people—as well as investing in technology and skills—to improve productivity, and to join the UK Government’s mission to level up our skills and economic growth across our country. Those changes are vital if we are to deliver a high-skill, high-wage and highly productive economy, and because we have provided certainty in respect of the new immigration system, the economy and businesses have had time to adjust.​

    The proposals set out in our policy statement are just the start of our phased approach to delivering a new immigration system. We will continue to refine our immigration system, and will build in flexibility where it is needed. Over time, more attributes for which points can be earned—such as previous experience and additional qualifications—may be added, which will allow us to respond effectively to the needs of the labour market and the economy. However, to be effective the system must be simple, so there will not be endless exemptions for low-paid, lower-skilled workers. We will not end free movement only to recreate it in all but name through other routes.

    The world’s top talent will continue to be welcome in our country. From January we will expand our existing global talent route to EU citizens, giving all the world’s brightest and best the same streamlined access across the UK. Reforms that I introduced last week will allow us to attract even more brilliant scientists, mathematicians and researchers through that route to keep this country at the cutting edge of life-changing innovation and technology, and the points-based system will provide even more flexibility to attract the finest international minds with the most to offer. Alongside the employer-led system, we will create a points-based unsponsored route to allow a limited number of the world’s most highly skilled people to come here without a job offer as part of the phased approach, if they can secure enough points.

    Our new fair and firm immigration system will send a message to the whole world that Britain is open for business as we continue to attract the brightest and best from around the world, but with a system that the British Government have control over. Our blueprint for taking back control will transform the way in which people come to our country to work, study, visit or even join their family. Our new independence will strengthen border security, allowing us to reject insecure identity documents from newly arriving migrants. We will be able to do more to keep out criminals who seek to do harm to our people, communities and country.

    Finally, I am pleased to say that when it comes to EU citizens already in the UK, the EU settlement scheme—the biggest scheme of its kind ever in British history—has already received 3.2 million applications resulting in 2.8 million grants of status. Through this system, we will finally develop a true meritocracy where anyone with the skills who wants to come here will have the ability to do so. This is just the start of a phased approach to delivering a new system. I will shortly be bringing forward an immigration Bill and radically overhauling and simplifying the complex immigration rules that have really dominated the system over a number of decades. For the first time in decades, the UK will have control over who comes here and how our immigration system works. I commend this statement to the House.

  • Priti Patel – 2020 Statement on the Windrush Compensation Scheme

    Priti Patel – 2020 Statement on the Windrush Compensation Scheme

    Below is the text of the statement made by Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, in the House of Commons on 10 February 2020.

    I beg to move, That the Bill now be read a Second time.

    Members of the Windrush generation came to the United Kingdom to rebuild Britain after the war, and they have contributed so much to our country, our economy and our public services. It is no exaggeration to say that we would not be the nation we are today without the men and women who came here to build a life, to work hard, to pay taxes and to raise families. They included nurses and midwives, and their overall economic contribution helped to rebuild post-war Britain. That is why the whole country was shocked by the unacceptable treatment of some members of the Windrush generation by successive Governments over a significant number of years. They are people who have done so much for our country and who had in some cases arrived on these shores when little more than infants, yet they were effectively told that they were not welcome.

    This was a terrible mistake by successive Governments, and the implications will be felt for many years. Some suffered tremendous hardship and indignity as a result of an erroneous decision. They were denied a right to work, or to rent a place to live. Some individuals were even detained or removed, leading to families being broken up and left without parents or grandparents, and it is only right that those who have experienced hardship as a result are offered proper compensation. No amount of money can repair the suffering and injustice that some have experienced, and this Bill is therefore a vital and important step in righting the wrong, but there are still many issues to be addressed.

    The Windrush compensation scheme was formally launched on 3 April 2019, and it was designed to ensure that full and proper compensation could be made. The scheme rightly includes a personal apology to each person issued with the award of compensation and, most importantly, it allows those who suffered to avoid court proceedings in the pursuit of justice.

    Stephen Doughty (Cardiff South and Penarth) (Lab/Co-op)

    The explanatory notes for the Bill show the full scale of this scandal, and state that the estimated compensation cost based on 15,000 claimants would range from £120 million to £310 million. The Home Secretary was not in the Chamber for my question to the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, the hon. Member for Torbay (Kevin Foster), a few moments ago when I said that the wider issues with the immigration system and the failings of the Home Office, including unlawful detentions and deportations, are also costing millions of pounds. Will she commit to publishing the full cost of the wrongful deportations, outside the Windrush scheme, over the past few years and put that information before the House, so that we can see what has been going on in her Department? She is refusing to give that information at the moment.

    Priti Patel

    The hon. Gentleman has raised some significant issues here. We are still waiting for the lessons learned review from the independent—​

    Thangam Debbonaire (Bristol West) (Lab)

    When will it be published?

    Priti Patel

    If the hon. Lady will let me finish instead of jumping up in such a way, I will answer her question. [Interruption.] Let me just state this, and I will answer her question if she will bear with me. The lessons learned report has yet to be submitted to Ministers in the Home Office by the independent adviser, Wendy Williams. That is not a shock to anybody, and it is right that she should have the time to undertake her review. It is a fact that the review has been going on for two years, but she will bring it forward in due course and I will receive it when it is ready. It is fair to say—I do not think anybody can question this right now—that we want to know the full scale of what has happened and the background to it, and that is the purpose of the review. At the right time, we will be able to look at everything in the round. If I may say so, this is not about publishing pieces of evidence at this stage. It is important that we look at everything. The report will come to me once Wendy Williams has had the time and space to consider everything, because this is an independent review. It is not for the Home Office to dictate anything around that report. We will wait for that, and then of course we will look at everything that is required.

    Thangam Debbonaire

    I thank the Home Secretary for giving way. I know she is impatient with my impatience, but I am speaking on behalf of constituents of mine who died while waiting for their compensation. They were promised that compensation before they died, and their relatives are still unclear about whether any of this is ever going to be resolved. That is why I am impatient. Can she even tell us how many people have died while waiting for their compensation to be settled?

    Priti Patel

    Let me say a few things to all hon. Members about not just the compensation scheme but Windrush. Many of us, including me, have made representations to the Home Office on behalf of our constituents. That is a fact and we have all worked constructively in doing so. The hon. Lady mentions being impatient. If I may say so, these cases are complicated, as I am sure she recognises. [Interruption.] The hon. Lady is shaking her head, but the cases are complicated in terms of the provision of information, background, data and evidence, and this will take time. [Interruption.] They are complicated cases. They have to be looked at on a case-by-case basis. This is not about providing a carte blanche assurance or a cheque to people. It is right that there is due process. We want to get this right and I make no apology for that.

    Thangam Debbonaire rose—

    Priti Patel

    I have given way already. If I can just finish, it is important that we do this in the right way, provide the right amount of time and ask people to work with the Home Office to find whatever evidence is required.

    Lucy Powell (Manchester Central) (Lab/Co-op)

    I thank the Home Secretary for giving way. Some of the cases are, indeed, complicated, but does she agree with me and many of my constituents with whom I have spoken, that her Department has overcomplicated the issue? As she said at the beginning of her speech, we ​cannot put a value on some of these things. The approach being taken is arbitrary, but she could apply discretion and make it a lot simpler

    Priti Patel

    It is a fact that this is not about money. Money cannot compensate for the awful experience and hardship that people have been affected by. We should be very clear about that. [Interruption.] An hon. Lady says, “It helps.” There is a scheme and a process, which I will come on to as I make progress with my speech. It is right, however, that we have the right process, and I will explain how we will do that. We should never lose sight of the fact that this scheme has been established. It is difficult but there are ways in which we are going to make this simpler, undo some of the bureaucracy and make swift progress with some of the cases that have been raised.

    Simon Hoare (North Dorset) (Con)

    A moment ago my right hon. Friend used the word “mistake”, and I think it is right to remind ourselves that the Windrush scandal was not a conspiracy but a cock-up of the most enormous magnitude. Will she confirm that she is confident that her Department and ministerial team are now fully on top of these kinds of issues so that that sort of scandal will not happen again?

    Priti Patel

    My hon. Friend raises issues that go right to the heart of what happened in the Windrush scandal. No Government would want to preside over something so scandalous, and there has to be recognition that responsibility was attributed to successive Governments. It is right that we wait for the review from the independent adviser, Wendy Williams, which will have lessons for us all, including the Home Office and previous Governments. I think it will have plenty of information about what happened. We want to build on that and make sure that we learn the lessons.

    Many of the comments made thus far have reflected on the compensation scheme and its complexities and design. I will now focus on its design. The Home Office’s first priority was to ensure that the scheme was accessible to claimants. In doing so, it has considered some 650 responses to the call for evidence and nearly 1,500 responses to the public consultation. The Home Office held several public events across the country to give potential claimants the chance to make their voices heard. Martin Forde QC, himself the son of Windrush parents, has a wealth of experience and complex knowledge of public law and compensation matters, and he was appointed by the then Home Secretary in May 2018 to advise on the scheme’s design. Late last year, Martin and I launched the Windrush stakeholder advisory group and met key stakeholders and community representatives to hear their personal testimonies and views. Ministers and civil servants will rightly continue to work with them, and they will continue to listen to those who have been affected to ensure this scheme works for them. Their personal views and considerations have been taken into account in the development of this scheme, and the House should note that the views of stakeholders have been instrumental to its design. That is why, last week, the Home Office announced the scheme will be extended by two years so that people will be able to submit claims up until 2 April 2023.​

    The Home Office also announced amendments to migration policy to apply a more flexible approach to the cases under review, and rightly so. The Home Office will now consider all evidence provided on the steps an individual will take or has taken to resolve their situation, which is an important change.

    Yvette Cooper (Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford) (Lab)

    The Home Secretary is being generous in giving way.

    I welcome the extension for applications to the scheme, but the Home Secretary will be aware that, nearly two years ago, the Select Committee on Home Affairs also recommended a hardship scheme. We were concerned that, in practice, this compensation scheme would take too long for many people who are in urgent need of compensation and some sort of support following these shocking injustices. Our report mentioned four people: Anthony Bryan, Sarah O’Connor, Hubert Howard and Judy Griffith. Shockingly, two of them have still had nothing, despite facing great hardship, and the other two died before they could get any compensation or hardship support at all.

    Will the Home Secretary urgently consider a hardship scheme, as well as a compensation scheme, because this affects too many people? I have been contacted about someone today who is currently homeless and still struggling to get any support at all. Will she look at these cases urgently to see what hardship support can be given?

    Priti Patel

    I will look into those cases. Of course we have the exceptional payments scheme, which should stop anybody falling through—such people should receive those payments.

    Meg Hillier (Hackney South and Shoreditch) (Lab/Co-op)

    I was interested to read the updated impact assessment, which reduces the assumption that there will be 15,000 claims to 11,500 claims. Will the Home Secretary explain why that is the case and whether the Bill will cover the 160,000 Commonwealth citizens who could be affected, to which the Public Accounts Committee drew attention last year?

    Priti Patel

    The numbers were reduced in the impact assessment due to the fewer-than-anticipated claims thus far. I will come on to Commonwealth citizens because, of course, this is not specific to Caribbean nationals.

    Even though time has elapsed since individuals may have effectively been caught up in the Windrush issue—experiencing hardship, losing their job and, in some cases, also losing their home—I will, as I said to the right hon. Member for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford (Yvette Cooper), look into any specific cases that hon. Members would like to raise with me. Our changes may help some people to qualify for a potentially higher award, particularly where it relates to the loss of employment.

    “Windrush” has been used to describe what happened to a specific group, but that term and this scheme are not limited to those of Caribbean nationality. The scheme, of course, is open to anyone of any nationality who arrived and settled in the UK before the end of 1988, and to anyone from a Commonwealth country ​who arrived and settled in the UK before 1973. The scheme is also open to the children and grandchildren of Commonwealth citizens who arrived and settled before 1973, and to other close family members of such a person who may have been affected. In the cases of those who sadly passed away before compensation could be paid, a claim can be made by their estate.

    Harriett Baldwin (West Worcestershire) (Con)

    I welcome the steps my right hon. Friend is taking in this Bill. Will she outline how the measures she has just described are going to be widely publicised, to make sure that everyone who might be entitled to claim under this legislation knows about it?

    Priti Patel

    I thank my hon. Friend for her question. I will come on to this issue, primarily because our stakeholder advisory group has a very important role to play in it and I will explain why that is shortly. Importantly, we will continue to work with third party stakeholders, such as Citizens Advice, and many other groups that we are engaging with. I am very mindful, of course, that we have to rebuild trust with the communities that have been affected.

    Several hon. Members rose—

    Priti Patel

    If I may, I will finish the point. To rebuild that trust, working with third parties and other stakeholder groups and organisations is vital, and we will continue to do that.

    Ms Lyn Brown (West Ham) (Lab)

    On that point of trust, the phone calls to my office today are about a flight tomorrow to Jamaica, and some of my constituents believe that this Bill is being used as some kind of flim-flam before that flight goes. Will the Home Secretary assure me that she will look carefully at every one of the cases that we bring to her to ensure that only those people who absolutely need to be deported are deported tomorrow?

    Priti Patel

    Let me make a few points on that. First and foremost, we should not be conflating this charter flight—the criminality—with the issue of the Windrush compensation scheme. The hon. Lady will know that the House has heard the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, my hon. Friend the Member for Torbay (Kevin Foster) respond to the urgent question earlier, and every person on the flight has been convicted of some of the most serious offences and has received a custodial sentence of 12 months or more. That means that under the UK Borders Act 2007, introduced by the Labour Government at the time, a deportation order must be made. These crimes cover manslaughter, rape, violence, the appalling scourge of drug dealing and sexual offences against children, with a total sentence for this group totalling more than 300 years. It is important to say that the suffering of their victims is incomprehensible, and these offences have a real impact on victims and their communities. It is important to recognise that the individuals being deported have criminal convictions, and that this is about the criminality of the acts they have participated in, not their nationality.

    Lucy Powell

    Actually, this point is not about criminality; it is about whether people are or are not regarded as British citizens. That is the key issue we are discussing this evening, because when the Windrush generation and their descendants came here before 1973, they ​arrived on British passports—they might have said “Jamaica” or “Trinidad and Tobago” on them, but they were British passports. We are now looking at whether their citizenship was valid from that point or not. We are not now deciding whether they are British citizens; we are saying that they have always been British citizens, so whether or not they have committed a crime is irrelevant to whether they are British citizens. If they have committed a crime, it is our problem. They are our citizens, and we need to deal with it. That is the key issue here, and the Home Secretary has completely missed that point.

    Priti Patel

    I do not think I have missed that point, because this is a charter flight for foreign national offenders—[Interruption.] Members are welcome to bring individual cases, but I can give the House the assurance, as my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary did earlier today, that—

    Mr David Lammy (Tottenham) (Lab)

    The right hon. Lady will understand that one of her predecessors resigned because she assured the House that the people involved were foreign nationals and they were not. I would urge her to tread more lightly if she wants to remain in post.

    Priti Patel

    I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the comments made during the urgent question by the Minister. The facts have been provided. I say again that if individuals wish to make representations to the Minister about cases in their constituencies, they are very welcome to do so.

    On the Windrush compensation scheme, simplicity and ease of use has been at the forefront of designing it. Requirements for evidence have been designed to be straightforward and easy to understand and, most importantly, not too onerous for the claimant. Our priority has also been to ensure that payments are made as quickly as possible. The first payment was made in July, within four months of the scheme being launched, and the Government want to ensure that all those who have suffered come forward and apply for compensation.

    Abena Oppong-Asare (Erith and Thamesmead) (Lab)

    Will the Secretary of State give way?

    Priti Patel

    No, I will not give way.

    As mentioned earlier, the Home Office is extending the length of the scheme by two years, so people will be able to submit claims up to 2 April 2023.

    I have outlined some positive steps, but we need to ensure that the scheme is underpinned by the necessary financial parliamentary authority, which is exactly what the Bill is designed to provide. Payments are currently made under the ministerial direction that was issued in July last year, but the Bill offers Parliament the opportunity to give its legislative authority for expenditure under the compensation scheme. Details of the scheme are set out in the non-statutory scheme rules, which give us freedom to amend the scheme swiftly where required. That freedom proved useful last October when, following feedback ​from stakeholders and claimants, the scheme was amended to allow a broader range of immigration fees to be refunded.

    For the scheme to be effective, it is vital that awareness is raised, as my hon. Friend the Member for West Worcestershire (Harriett Baldwin) pointed out, and that everyone who has suffered is given a fair chance to claim. Through the Windrush stakeholder advisory group, the Government are overseeing how to reach those who have been affected and hurt. There is no simple or straightforward way in which that hurt can be repaired or that trust rebuilt. It is a sorry fact that there are still members of the Windrush generation who do not have the documentation that they need. Some will not even know that they are entitled to apply for compensation. Others have been put off by false claims that funding for the scheme is capped at £200 million, or have been subject to much misinformation about the scheme, which of course needs to be addressed. We will of course work to correct those inaccuracies, rebuild trust through the advisory group and provide the compensation and justice that people deserve. The role of the stakeholder advisory group is to do exactly that and to find the best links to get back into the affected communities. In addition to that, the Home Office has, as I have already indicated, attended and hosted more than 30 engagement events to promote the scheme, and would welcome interest from Members who wish to support community events in their own constituencies.

    No compensation can ever hope to undo the injustice of someone being told that they are not welcome in their homeland. Nothing that we can do or say can ever wipe out the hurt and loss that should never have been suffered in the first place, but we hope that the Windrush compensation scheme can go some way towards easing the financial burden endured as a result, and that we can begin to do justice to those who have contributed much to our country. The United Kingdom is making a start on a new era of openness, and it is a home to everyone with the talent and tenacity to contribute to national life. It is only right that we do everything in our power to redress this historic injustice, so I hope that Members from all parties will take an important step forward in doing so and join me in giving the Bill the support that it needs. I commend the Bill to the House.

  • Priti Patel – 2020 Statement on Countering Terrorism

    Priti Patel – 2020 Statement on Countering Terrorism

    Below is the text of the statement made by Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, in the House of Commons on 21 January 2020.

    The Government’s first priority is to keep families, communities and our country safe. Following the terrorist attack at Fishmongers’ Hall in November 2019 we have reviewed our overall approach to counter-terrorism and the package of measures we have announced today represents a major shift in the UK’s approach to the sentencing and management of terrorist offenders.

    The counter-terrorism strategy—CONTEST—was strengthened in 2018 and remains one of the most comprehensive approaches to countering terrorism in the world. But we know the threat we face will to continue to diversify and evolve as it has done in recent years and we must continually assess the effectiveness of our action and remain flexible in adapting our approach.

    The package announced today includes a major overhaul of prisons and probation, including tougher monitoring conditions for terrorist offenders and doubling the number of counter-terrorism probation officers. This will also include a full independent review of the multi-agency public protection arrangements. Jonathan Hall QC will lead this review.

    A new Counter-Terrorism (Sentencing and Release) Bill, will be introduced in the first 100 days of this Government. The Bill will include measures that will force dangerous terrorist offenders who receive extended determinate sentences to serve the whole time behind bars and will introduce a new statutory minimum sentence of 14 years in prison, which can be applied to those convicted of the most serious terrorist offences.

    Funding for CT policing will also grow to £906 million in 2020-21, a £90 million year-on-year increase. The money will support and maintain the record high numbers of ongoing counter-terrorism policing investigations and ensure a swift and effective response to the threat.

    The Government will also review the support available to victims of terrorism, including families and loved ones, and immediately invest £500,000 to increase the support provided by the victims of terrorism unit, to ensure more victims get the support and advice they need, faster.

    This package of measures sets out how we will continue to build on the UK’s formidable capabilities, experience and expertise to tackle the growing and changing threat from terrorism in all its forms.

  • Priti Patel – 2017 Speech at BICOM Jewish News Conference

    Below is the text of the speech made by Priti Patel, the Secretary of State for International Development, to the BICOM Jewish News conference on 2 November 2017.

    Introduction

    Lords, ladies and gentlemen; distinguished guests and friends.

    Theresa, thank you for your introduction. It is a pleasure and a privilege to be speaking here today, at this event to mark the centenary of the Balfour Declaration, in the presence of esteemed colleagues. I am extremely grateful to BICOM and Jewish News for hosting this important event and for inviting me to speak – it is an honour.

    100 years on from the Balfour Declaration, Britain is proud of the role we played in helping to make a homeland for the Jewish people – after so many centuries of persecution.

    As the Prime Minister said last week in Parliament, we are proud of the role that we played in the creation of the State of Israel and we will certainly mark the centenary with pride. The Prime Minister said she is pleased about the good trade and other relationships we have with Israel which we are building on and enhancing.

    She also said that we must be conscious of the sensitivities that some people have about the Balfour Declaration.

    I agree.

    It is also vital to look forward towards establishing security and justice for both Israelis and Palestinians through a lasting peace. We believe the best way to achieve this is through a two-state solution based on a negotiated settlement that leads to a safe and secure Israel living alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state.

    Today, the United Kingdom remains a close and reliable friend of Israel.

    From the strong and enduring bilateral relationship, built on decades of cooperation in education, technology medical research, business, arts and culture to the trade relationship which between our two countries is at record levels.

    Within the region in particular, Israel is an important strategic partner for the UK. Britain’s commitment to Israel’s security remains unwavering as is our support of Israel’s absolute right to defend its citizens. During meetings with Prime Minister Netanyahu earlier this year, the Prime Minister reiterated the UK’s commitment to building on the strong ties that already exist between our two countries and to continue to build upon our people to people ties.

    I believe there is great potential for our two countries to work together, as we work to set the foundations for a more stable and prosperous future.

    A changing world

    As International Development Secretary, I see and make decisions everyday about our changing world and about some of the poorest and most troubled places.

    It is staggering but true that there are more refugees and displaced people now than at any time since World War Two – with over 15 million in the Middle East region in particular.

    In fact, the Middle East and North Africa is the only region in the world where poverty rates are expected to rise in the coming years… if nothing changes, the number of people living in extreme poverty will continue to escalate.

    There are already 29 million children living in poverty in the region and many countries in the region also have a poor track record on women’s rights; development is going into reverse.

    The Middle East is therefore not just a security challenge, but a development challenge too.

    Violence and conflict are pulling people back into poverty.

    We are seeing the enormous potential of people squandered – because governments and leaders have failed to create the conditions for stability, opportunity and growth…conditions where fairness and human endeavour can flourish.

    As a result some areas of the world have become fertile territory for extremist groups and organisations and their poisonous ideologies.

    Extremist groups are seeking to control schools and what they teach by repressing all freedom of thought and a secular education.

    Which is why we must invest in those people and communities so that we can end the hateful ideology that seeks to create division across countries, communities and people.

    And let me say, that 100 years on from the Balfour Declaration, it is deplorable that anti-Semitism has once again raised its ugly head in our country.

    We will fight it wherever it appears.

    And speak out against intolerance, hatred and bigotry in all its forms.

    And together we must ensure that it appears no more.

    UK development

    The UK has a critical role to play in development and in helping to tackle the root causes of terror and violent extremism.

    Education is a critical part of this.

    Education is critical to breaking down barriers, in attitudes, perceptions about people and cultures.

    By investing in education and education systems we are able to go across boundaries, in a world where physical borders have less and less meaning.

    Today across the Middle East in particular, we see over 10 million children out of school in a region that is experiencing the largest reversal of education progress in history.

    In the Middle-East, Britain has led a global campaign to ensure there is no lost generation of Syrian children. Last year, we helped get over 700,000 children into formal education.

    Protecting and educating a generation of vulnerable young people is critical to development to turn them away from the toxic messages of extremists and instead providing new opportunities through education, skills and work.

    As believers in the two state solution, DFID’s work is focussed on building the institutions of a future Palestinian State through our work in education and in providing basic services from water to health.

    This includes job creation through economic growth opportunities for women and young people.

    But also to build and support people to people ties across communities through co-existence programmes and support.

    And we are working across communities and across the region to support peace and stability.

    I have seen for myself the very best of Jewish organisations and charities around the world including here in the UK doing such amazing work by investing in people.

    Because education, skills and jobs are crucial to opening up opportunities and widening horizons… bringing hope and the possibility of a better future.

    The case for open markets, private sector investment and technology has also never been stronger in development.

    This is how we can transform the poorest and most unsecure parts of the world, and help countries stand on their own two feet.

    It is to no country’s benefit if we leave millions of people without hope or aspiration… another generation locked into the vicious cycle of the politics of hate and repression.

    Working with Israel

    I have always been struck by the exceptional achievement that is the state of Israel.

    A country that has turned desert into fertile and plentiful land.

    A country that started with nothing, in a struggle for subsistence and survival and is now a world leader in technology and innovation.

    A country that despite the challenges of a turbulent region has become a democratic success story.

    A country that is at the forefront of the skills revolution, whether in technology, life skills, vocational skills and is creating the most practical solutions to enhance the lives of the poorest and most marginalised in the world.

    The desire and responsibility to want to help others, coupled with a can do attitudes, is Ladies and Gentlemen, precisely the sort of Jewish Homeland that was dreamt by Herzl and was of course was supported by the historic letter – the Balfour Declaration.

    I have long admired Israel’s extraordinary ingenuity and leadership in technology and innovation, and I am delighted that the UK is working so closely with Israel, in so many ways.

    For example the Israel/UK Tech Hub helps the UK to ally with Israel’s status as the “Start-Up Nation” – with more start-ups per capita than anywhere but Silicon Valley – and with its incredible innovative and entrepreneurial culture.

    And in turn Israel is partnering with the UK’s world-leading science, research and the fast growing tech sectors.

    In my role as Development Secretary I am keen that we continue this collaboration and work together to help create jobs and opportunities in the poorest parts of the world and also to provide essential support to the most vulnerable and marginalised in society.

    The UK is also committed to deepening our partnership – across trade, security, and cultural interests – and working together to tackle pressing global issues.

    This is important for security and stability in the UK, and across the world.

    Conclusion

    On this Centenary, it is fair to say that the Balfour Declaration was indispensable to the creation of a great nation.

    In the decades since its birth, Israel has prevailed over what has sometimes been the hostility of neighbours to become a liberal democracy and a dynamic hi-tech economy.

    In a region where many have endured authoritarianism and misrule, Israel has always stood out as a free society.

    Britain will stand by these values and stand by Israel.

    And by doing so we stand up to tackling this region’s challenges in the short-term and for the long-haul – working to build a more prosperous, more stable future for us all.

    These values were precisely the sort of values that were central to the historic letter we commemorate today.

  • Priti Patel – 2017 Speech at Conservative Party Conference

    Below is the text of the speech made by Priti Patel, the Secretary of State for International Development, at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester on 3 October 2017.

    Conference, good afternoon.

    Britain has always been a bold and confident nation.

    We are unafraid to stand up for what we believe in.

    In our history, we’ve helped to end the slave trade, defeat dictators, and champion democracy around the world.

    And today, we are leading the fight to end poverty, eradicate disease and help refugees survive brutal conflicts.

    Influence is about knowing what you believe in.

    Having the confidence to project British values internationally.

    Looking outwards not inwards and utilising our unique history and our position as a force for good.

    Using British values to shape a better world and create hope and optimism for the future.

    When people across the globe see UK aid supplies arriving in their village or refugee camp – proudly marked with the Union flag – they know that Britain is on their side.

    Our heroic Armed Forces forces and aid experts are serving around the world, from Nigeria, to Afghanistan, to South Sudan and the hurricane relief efforts across the Caribbean.

    They are providing a badge of hope to millions, shaping a better and safer world.

    Each and every one of them deserves our thanks.

    We all know that money spent by Ministers and civil servants does not belong to them.

    It belongs to you – the very taxpayers who have worked hard for it.

    As Margaret Thatcher once said: “Pennies do not come from heaven. They have to be earned here on earth.”

    The public are right to be angry when they hear stories about wasted aid.

    They naturally think that their Government is throwing away their hard-earned cash.

    That is why under my leadership, my priority is to make sure that aid delivers value for money.

    My Ministers have scrutinised every aspect of DFID’s spending

    I have removed programmes which did not stand up to scrutiny.

    Where partnerships weren’t working, I have ended them.

    Where legitimate concerns have been raised over poor spending, I have taken action.

    And where other Government Departments need to improve their aid spending, I am challenging them to raise their game and be accountable to UK taxpayers.

    I am delivering close to £500 million pounds of savings.

    And I have been ruthless in closing programmes that did not meet the standards I have set.

    I am expanding the use of Payment by Results.

    That means performance based funding.

    If they don’t deliver, we won’t pay.

    I am taking back control of our spending and decision-making.

    Making sure we use British values to bring hope and optimism to millions across the world.

    I would like to thank the Ministers who are supporting this improvement: Michael Bates, Rory Stewart and Alistair Burt.

    I also want to pay tribute to James Wharton, my former Africa Minister, who until the General Election, helped to drive essential change across DFID.

    He was an outstanding Minister, and I know that he’ll be back in frontline politics again.

    When it comes to getting value for money, the job is not yet done.

    Today, I am announcing the conclusion of a comprehensive review of DFID’s relationships with suppliers.

    I am setting out tough reforms that will encourage the private sector to work with DFID and end the appalling practice of fat cats profiteering from the aid budget.

    I am introducing a tough Code of Conduct, with legally enforceable sanctions for non-compliance, to root out unethical behaviour.

    I‘m taking the toughest approach in Whitehall to crack down on contract costs.

    I‘m cutting red tape and simplifying the bidding process to help small British firms win with DFID and create jobs up and down the UK.

    On my watch I will end the crony-market where a handful of suppliers, would win contract after contract, which blocked innovation and competition.

    I will always put the interests of taxpayers and the world’s poor ahead of consultants and middle-men.

    I am leading global efforts to reform the way the whole world does development and aid.

    Two weeks ago I announced a new regime of performance-related funding for the United Nations and its agencies.

    From next year 30% of our funding will be conditional on improved results and reform.

    But that’s not all.

    For years the United Nations has ignored the shocking scandal of sexual abuse and the exploitation of children.

    This must end.

    I have told them that all future funding is subject to them implementing the highest standards of child protection; investigating all allegations; and securing prosecutions of those responsible for these crimes.

    If they don’t make the grade, believe me, they won’t get the aid.

    I will continue to challenge the aid system to ensure that the international rules remain relevant to our changing world.

    As Hurricane Irma graphically demonstrated, they need to be flexible, so aid gets to the right place at the right time.

    That equally applies to our British citizens in our British territories.

    In today’s world of new threats and extremist ideologies – and I’m not just talking about Mr Corbyn – we must be bold and unapologetic in standing up for our values.

    Conservatives do not talk Britain down.

    We are the party that raises horizons, transforms lives and secures a better future.

    We know that trade, investment and free markets provide the route out of poverty.

    And as we look to support prosperity in developing countries and growth in the UK, Brexit is the opportunity to secure our place in the world.

    Britain can reassert itself as a global beacon for free trade, enterprise and free markets.

    Earlier this year I launched DFID’s first-ever Economic Development Strategy and set out a vision for how the private sector can boost jobs, growth and development.

    My objective is clear.

    I’m not here to endlessly hand out money.

    I will help people and countries stand on their own two feet.

    Like Mary in Ethiopia who now works full-time in the new industrial zone in Hawassa.

    Thanks to DFID, she can now provide for her family.

    Also millions of girls around the world are now able to go to school.

    And the job of everyone working in development must be to end aid dependency.

    We are offering a hand-up, not a hand-out.

    That’s why I’m working with colleagues across Government to promote economic development.

    In Nigeria, we are working to create real jobs and tackle the scourge of modern day slavery.

    Our trade Department is creating new trading links in some of the poorest countries in the world.

    I want the countries who receive aid today be our trading partners of tomorrow.

    We made a clear commitment on aid in our manifesto.

    We will honour it.

    The money I’ve saved from closing programmes, is going on projects such as the fight against Neglected Tropical Diseases.

    We will deliver over a billion treatments to fight cruel, avoidable infections such as trachoma, Guinea-worm and river blindness.

    Britain is leading the way on clearing landmines globally.

    And I am placing a new international emphasis on improving the lives of people with disability.

    That’s not all.

    Across this country there are thousands of small charities led by inspirational people, doing amazing work around the world.

    But for years, they have found it impossible to access UK aid, because the aid budget supported big international charities.

    That is why I’m opening up the aid budget to the Best of British charities up and down the country.

    Using British values and expertise to shape a better world.

    This Conservative Government is leading the way in eradicating polio from the face of the earth, forever.

    And I want to pay tribute to the thousands of Rotarians across the world – and in this audience – who have led the fight against polio.

    Earlier this year, the world faced the terrifying prospect of four famines.

    We succeeded in getting the rest of the world to pull their weight.

    It was Global Britain that raised the alarm and pushed the international community to step up and deliver a life-saving response.

    That saved millions of lives, and I will continue to challenge others to do more.

    Compare that with Labour’s approach to the world.

    Last week, at their conference, Mr Corbyn failed to condemn North Korea for abusing human rights and flouting international rules by launching missiles.

    He failed to condemn Venezuela – where the regime he has held up as a beacon for others to follow, is viciously stamping out all opposition.

    He failed to condemn the terror his friends in Hamas have unleashed upon the Israeli people.

    And not once did he confront or condemn his supporters who have launched a wave of anti-Semitism, bullying, and abuse against anyone who does not subscribe to their extremist views.

    And as he stood in Brighton, of all places, he once again failed to apologise for standing side-by-side with the IRA terrorists who brutally murdered and maimed. Disgraceful.

    Our approach is different from Labour’s, because our values are different from Labour’s.

    They believe that wealth is created by governments and bureaucracies.

    We believe that wealth is created by people and enterprise.

    I believe in people, markets and freedom.

    This is what will genuinely serve the interests of the many and not the few.

    The Labour Party, despite what they say, does not stand for the many.

    It stands for the vested interests and narrow dogma of the few.

    Exploiting the hopes and fears of young people, only to go on and lie to them.

    Celebrating the state-sponsored theft of the property held by private citizens.

    And when it comes to international relations, they have just one principle.

    To turn a blind eye and refuse to speak out as their socialist friends and comrades unleash violence and repression against people and communities.

    Shame on them, shame on the Labour Party and shame on their vile brand of socialism.

    It is our responsibility to stop them from getting anywhere near the door of Number 10.

    They are not fit to represent Britain or the British people.

    That is why what you do is so important.

    From me, from all of my colleagues in Cabinet and Parliament, I want to say a huge thank you.

    Because it’s your hard work and campaigning that made all the difference.

    You delivered us the highest Conservative vote for many years – some 13.6 million people who backed us at the ballot box.

    So, we know what we need to do.

    We must set out the positive case for Conservative values across all areas of policy.

    Explain why our ideas will create the society that we all want to see and live in.

    Not just for us, for our children and for their children.

    One which is open, tolerant and extends opportunity for all.

    British Conservative values are my values.

    And I will use them to shape a better country and a better world for all.

    Thank you.

  • Priti Patel – 2017 Speech at Family Planning Summit

    Below is the text of the speech made by Priti Patel, the Secretary of State for International Development, at the Family Planning Summit in London on 11 July 2017.

    Good morning ladies and gentlemen and friends. I’m really delighted to be here today and also to welcome you all. I know it’s a bit of a late welcome this morning. Because we have been taking the message externally.

    You heard from Melinda earlier on, she and I were doing some media this morning and really talking about the virtues of what we are doing and, of course, making the case.

    So I am just thrilled that you are all here – you heard me say a bit of this last night.

    But also I really want to give my thanks to Melinda, Natalia but all of you – all of you who’ve been such powerful and passionate advocates of this very, very essential issue.

    We are here because of the nature of the issue and the nature of the challenges that family planning brings to all countries around the world. But, also, because of the ability that it brings to save lives and change lives and, of course, because it’s so fundamental to development.

    Family planning enables women to take control of their futures, so that they can finish their educations. get better jobs, but also to plan for their families – rather than being trapped in that cycle of grinding poverty and deprivation.

    Which we have to keep on saying. And I was quite struck this morning when undertaking some media interviews just the fact that we have to state that, re-state that again and again. Because we all take it for granted. In the west we all take this for granted.

    So we have to be out there and really drive the case and be the advocates for this.

    But we also know that these women have fewer children, and later. And these children, of course, then grow up to be healthier, they have better outcomes in terms of their own life chances and opportunities.

    And that’s exactly what we need to keep on speaking about.

    And, of course, that has much more, in terms of positive outcomes, for local economies, countries to grow, the prosperity agenda.

    It’s exactly what we saw in Asia. The World Bank attributes one-third of economic growth in South Korea over a 40 year period to the demographic dividend, where family planning programmes have of course enabled the fertility rate to fall, alongside education programmes, awareness programmes but of course comprehensive economic plans and policies as well.

    And, frankly, we know that family planning, from a development perspective, is one of the smartest and savviest tools that we have out there. And it’s a clear investment any country can make when it comes to poverty reduction.

    Every pound spent on family planning can save governments over four pounds which can be spent on other public goods – on health, housing, sanitation and other public services.

    So, today, we are saying that family planning is not a nice-to-do, it isn’t an add-on if you are a politician, a minister anywhere around the world – it is crucially essential. Because we cannot beat poverty, we cannot tackle the scourge of poverty unless we get on top of this issue.

    And for the 214 million girls and women in the developing world right now who don’t want to get pregnant and aren’t using modern contraception – we need to give them hope, we need to give them the ability to change this, we need to give them the ability to change their circumstance and their outcomes.

    And of course that’s the purpose of why we are here, the urgency as to why we need to move fast.

    And right now 1.2 billion adolescents are at the start of their reproductive years –most of them don’t know about or aren’t even allowed to get access to contraception.

    And every year there are 6 million unintended pregnancies amongst adolescent girls in developing countries – and 2.5 million, as we know, tragically and completely unnecessarily as well, end up in backstreet abortions. So, together, pregnancy, childbirth, HIV are the leading killers of adolescent girls in Africa.

    And we can change that, we can absolutely be at the front of the queue in changing that.

    And the story of a typical girl in a poor community is that she has her first, often coerced, sexual experience at a very young age, very early teens, and of course that means her first child is going to arrive at a very early age as well. And that leads to that cycle of dropping out of school. And then of course it’s that cycle, that vicious cycle, where she then goes on to have more and more children – on average around 6 children in her lifetime.

    And, of course, if that young girl’s story doesn’t change, neither will that story about her own country…the prospects of her own community and her country.

    And it’s simple, if we can give girls and women the chance to own their bodies, they can own their future.

    And that’s why the United Kingdom feels so strongly about this. On working with many friends that I can see here, on working across the political but also public policy landscape as well.

    We know that we want to make this a stronger and firmer pillar when it comes to family planning and that comprehensive approach to sexual and reproductive health and rights for women and girls.

    We absolutely put this on the agenda five years ago, alongside both Bill and Melinda Gates, by hosting the inaugural Family Planning Summit here in London.

    And the progress that has been made has been immense, supported by the FP2020 partnership work.

    And, of course, within the UK as well, much of the work that we have focused on has been on helping nearly another 8.5 million additional women to take up modern contraception.

    So we are steadfast, absolutely steadfast, in our support, unwavering in our determination. And I think that’s how we all must be as well – not just as the advocates but absolutely calling others out that need to do more in this space as well.

    So it gives me tremendous pleasure to say today that the British Government will boost our support for family planning around the world by 25%.

    So we are going to increase our funding as well.

    And that 25% increase is an additional £45million a year. We are also extending the timeframe of our support by an additional two years – committing ourselves right up to 2022.

    Which means we’re going to spend £225million on family planning every single year over the next five years…cementing our place as the leading European donor to family planning.

    We’ve got to walk the talk – and that’s what this is absolutely about. Be the advocate and also call upon others to do more as well.

    But the fantastic thing about this support, we can talk about money but then we have to speak about people and what this means –

    We will be providing through that money contraceptive support for 20 million women and girls every year…and prevent 6 million unintended pregnancies…but also prevent the trauma of over 75,000 still births.

    So that is a very comprehensive package of measures.

    And what I would like today is for some of us just to hold some of those numbers, not just about the money, but the people who are associated…the 20 million women and girls, the 75,000 mothers that are involved in still births and the psychological traumas, the physical and health traumas as well.

    Because behind every one of those numbers is a story. And they are the women and girls that we are here to speak up for today.

    And of course this new support and the initiative, and the working together today, the partnership work in particular…is helping to bring together and knit together all of us – civil society organisations, our NGO partners, but also private sector and businesses, to tackle and unblock those supply chain issues and to reach women and girls in those rural communities through new technologies.

    And actually this is the exciting aspect of what we are doing. Yes we are providing a lifeline, yes we are helping so many more women and girls, but technology is a front-runner here as well.

    And we are absolutely at the front in terms of pioneering much of the research and development that’s taking place.

    And of course our partners here are rolling out the new injectable contraceptive, Sayana Press, at the newly agreed reduced price; and this is the first time in more than a decade that a new contraceptive method is being introduced – but importantly being globally scaled up. We are here really as the pioneers in new technology and new methods as well.

    And at the same time, supporting safe abortion and working to prevent the horrors of backstreet abortions that kill so many women and girls.

    Now this can never be done in isolation. And of course we have to link this and knit this together with the wider investment when it comes to education for girls, maternal health, women’s economic empowerment, preventing HIV/AIDS, ending violence against women and girls including FGM and child marriage.

    And we are the community in this room. Many of us have already been the champions and the advocates on this. And that gives us a great sense of pride and a great sense of purpose.

    And we demonstrate once again that our call to action means that we can carry on with the global commitment on family planning, the global commitment that we all have for women and girls.

    And we know that we can do more within the international community, as well, to bring others to the table.

    In developing countries – and I know that I interrupted the country programme session – that’s exactly where the change is going to start to happen.

    So we know we can’t sugar-coat some of the challenges that we are all here to address and deal with.

    We know that we can work with all our partners at a macro-level in the international community – but also within countries as well.

    Because we know that it’s not just about the money, it’s about the ways of working, we know that it’s about the technology. But, importantly, focusing on the efforts where we are falling short and looking through today in particular how we can pick up those challenges and step up to meet those challenges,

    Work with other donors obviously – because I know many others are going to make great contributions,

    But I think, importantly, being the change that we want to see and being the powerful voice in this space is effectively what this is about.

    So thank you very much, have a fantastic day, I look forward to talking to so many of you throughout the day as well.

    And I really just want to give a genuine and heartfelt thank you to everyone, not just for being here – but for being at the forefront of the change that we want to work together to achieve. Thank you.

  • Priti Patel – 2016 Speech at Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers Conference

    pritipatel

    Below is the text of the speech made by Priti Patel, the Minister of State for Employment, on 28 April 2016.

    It is a privilege to be here today and speak to and meet so many representatives from our licensed retail sector.

    Coming from a family business background,

    I believe passionately in the vital role that businesses and entrepreneurs play in supporting investment, growth and jobs in our economy.

    A strong, dynamic private sector creates wealth and opportunity for all.

    So I want to pay tribute to everyone here today for the tremendous work you do and the tireless efforts you put into supporting our economy.

    The 200 companies that are members for the ALMR have an amazing and powerful economic footprint.

    22,000 outlets supporting 650,000 jobs gives you a voice in every part of the country

    – And that number is growing at a fast and impressive pace.

    And I particularly welcome the employment opportunities provided to young people, starting out in their chosen careers and getting their first taste of employment.

    The skills and responsibilities that they learn and the training and apprenticeships that this sector provides gives them an invaluable start in life.

    I also welcome the lead your members are taking with supporting apprenticeships, with over two-thirds of your members giving young people the chance to earn and learn through this career path.

    Your success and entrepreneurial spirit is very much appreciated and welcome.

    I also welcome the opportunity to be able to speak to you about the big choice that Britain faces in the forthcoming referendum on our membership of the European Union,

    The economic benefits of standing tall as a free, independent and sovereign country,

    And to set out the positive case for Britain to Vote Leave on 23 June.

    EU Referendum

    I am a firm believer in setting business free to innovate and invest,

    I know how much red tape and regulation acts a barrier to your businesses.

    I know that every pound you have to spend complying with rules and regulations is a pound taken away from investment on the frontline of your business;

    And as a result you expect and demand action from Government on delivering supply-side reforms and reductions in red tape.

    But Government and Parliament can only go so far –

    There is a limit to what they can do to cut red tape

    And that limit is there because we are a member of the European Union.

    Ladies and Gentlemen,

    It is a fact that while we remain a member of the European Union, our hands are tied and we are powerless to act on reducing the burdens of red tape.

    Britain is a proud nation of entrepreneurs, and small businesses, including in your sector, are the backbone of our economy.

    I want us to be able to do everything we can to support them to thrive, but EU membership prevents that.

    Unaccountable and unelected bureaucrats with no clue how to run a business and no local knowledge of this country dictate the rules that we all must follow.

    British Ministers and MEPs are left to plead our case but all too often their views are over-ruled.

    The UK has not managed to block a single proposal from becoming law through the EU Council, costing this country £2.4 billion each year.

    We have opposed 72 measures in the EU Council, all of which have gone on to become law with the British interest ignored.

    While our success rate at standing up for the Britain interest in the EU Parliament is also almost as bad.

    During the last full term of the EU Parliament (2009-2014), 1,936 motions were passed, of which 576 were opposed by a majority of British MEPs.

    But 485 of those – 84% – were still passed.

    That means that when the British national interest is at stake,

    Government Ministers in the EU Council have always been outvoted by the rest of Europe,

    And five times in every six votes, European MEPs block our national interests.

    Not only does this undermine our democracy as we are unable to hold European decision-makers to account,

    Our lack of power over these matters is worrying because new rules and regulations from Europe cost you and our country money.

    Research from Open Europe has shown that there are dozens of regulations imposed by the EU with the costs on British business totalling over £33 billion.

    In 2010 the British Chambers of Commerce put the total cost of EU regulation on British business at £80 billion per year.

    In 2005, the Treasury, estimated that the costs of the ‘single market’ could be over £125 billion per year, which is the equivalent of 7% of GDP, £4,639 per household, or £23,236 per company.

    Other research shows that while every single business is bound to the EU’s ever-increasing rulebook, the percentage of businesses exporting to the EU are 6% and 12.5% of the British economy is exports to the EU.

    Just think of the jobs that you could create and the investments you could make in expanding your businesses if you were not bound by these burdens.

    Just think of the freedom you would have to innovate if we were no longer forced to compel with every diktat from Brussels.

    Just think that by getting rid of some of the EU rules that make it so difficult to create employment, we could deliver a £4.3 billion boost to our economy and 60,000 new jobs.

    The evidence from business of the consequences to our economy of EU regulations is damning.

    CBI members list cutting back EU regulatory burdens as a priority, and 49% of their members report that EU employment law has a negative impact on their business.

    Similar findings from the English Business Survey found that 46% of businesses affected by EU red tape said the impact was negative.

    Bureaucracy from the EU does not have the confidence of British businesses.

    Businesses, growth and jobs have all been sacrificed to satisfy the dogmatic march towards greater integration and a federal European superstate.

    The only way we can liberate ourselves from these burdens is to Vote Leave and take control over our laws on 23 June.

    Red Tape Cuts for Small Business

    If this country Votes Leave, we can have a strong and positive future as an independent, free and sovereign country.

    By being able to take back control of the laws that we make, we can begin the process of auditing and untangling our laws from the Brussels red tape from that hits our businesses hardest.

    This is categorically not about rolling back workers’ rights

    – this is about releasing businesses from unnecessary and meddlesome red tape

    – which will in fact benefit working people by helping businesses create more jobs.

    Cutting EU red tape on business – starting with small and medium sized businesses business – will be a valuable boost to productivity, growth and job creation.

    We know that we can only safeguard business from EU red tape by leaving the EU because attempts to reform from within have failed.

    Despite those wanting to remain in the EU stating that they want to “exempt Europe’s smallest entrepreneurial companies from more EU Directives.”

    The renegotiation deal has given no guarantees of red tape cuts.

    But if we Vote Leave on 23 June, we will not need to negotiate and lobby the EU,

    Or beg Commissioners and other Governments for favours.

    We can crack-on and free business from the shackles of regulation.

    EU laws will be replaced by laws made in the UK by politicians accountable to you.

    Risk

    During the campaign so far, those in favour of remaining in the EU have played up the so-called risks of leaving the EU.

    We’ve heard all sorts of scare stories about the economy,

    And British business has been talked down.

    But the biggest risk and uncertainty does not come from leaving the EU.

    The biggest risks to business come from remaining in the EU.

    Leaving business exposed to face the consequences of the future burdens that the EU can unilaterally impose on them is playing Russian Roulette with peoples’ livelihoods.

    With all the damage and costs from the EU, it is astonishing to see that those who want the UK to remain in the EU have put so much faith in its failing institutions.

    It is simply not plausible to claim that the EU is ‘good for jobs’ when there is over 20% unemployment in Spain and Greece, with youth unemployment in some parts of the EU over 40%.

    And there’s over 10% unemployment – some 3.6 million people – across the Channel in France.

    In fact, 3 of the 4 European countries with the highest employment rates – Norway, Switzerland and Iceland – are not in the EU,

    While Japan and the USA also have much lower unemployment rates.

    Membership of the EU is no guarantee of a strong healthy jobs market.

    In fact, with the plans from Brussels to harmonise more of our employment, social and other laws with countries that have a terrible jobs record, like Greece and Spain,

    We can see that the big risk to peoples’ jobs is staying in the EU.

    Outside of the EU, we can set the sensible and flexible employment policies that suit employers and employees and offer secure employment.

    History also tells us that the prosperity of our businesses cannot be left in the hands of the EU.

    I remember the devastating consequences that the ERM had on businesses, including my parents’.

    And just imagine the utter carnage that would have affected our economy had we listened to the EU elite and joined the Euro.

    More recently, the EU has forced up insurance prices for female drivers.

    Last year they turned their fire on small scale cider producers demanding the removal of tax exemptions.

    And they’ve put obligations on housebuilders, set limits on the maximum energy of appliances like vacuum cleaners, and limited the size of containers that olive oil can be sold in.

    Remember, at any time bureaucrats from the Commission and judges in the Court can strike.

    And your business and your interests could be next.

    That is a risk that to business that I cannot stand by and accept.

    And this is why we are safer and more secure as a free, independent, and sovereign country.

    Money

    If we vote to leave the EU, we will be better off from being liberated to cut red tape to boost productivity.

    We will also be better off as a result of no longer needing to send a £350 million per week membership fee to Brussels.

    Those costs are forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility and the Treasury to be a contribution to the EU of £19 billion in this financial year,

    And a total of £96.5 billion by 2021.

    As our economy grows stronger compared to the rest of the EU, we could end up paying even more in.

    That money does not come out of thin air.

    It comes from the tills of your businesses from the taxes that you pay.

    It comes from the fruits of your labours and from the rewards for the risks that you take.

    And what does the EU do with your money?

    It does not spend it on your priorities.

    It spends it on its own self-serving schemes, wasteful bureaucracy, and on projects in far-flung parts of Europe.

    By leaving the EU, that money can be spent in this country on your priorities.

    We can use it, for example, to support businesses by investing in new infrastructure, or by cutting the tax burden.

    I am sure you will agree with me that your hard-earned taxes can be put to more productive use in this country.

    Conclusion

    I spoke earlier of the importance of business and your sector to our economy,

    And it is because I am determined to see business succeed that I believe we will be better off voting to leave the EU.

    We have the fifth largest economy in the world, with growth outstripping Germany for the past four years.

    We are bursting with innovators, entrepreneurs and wealth-creators who bring in investment, create growth, and support jobs.

    We have a workforce that is upskilling.

    We have more children learning in good and outstanding schools being equipped with the skills needed for the modern workplace.

    We have record numbers of people in work.

    And we have more people starting their own businesses.

    But I want us to do better,

    And we can only do better if we vote to leave the EU and take back control of our laws and our money.

    Our choice on 23 June is a clear one.

    We can choose to remain in an unaccountable, unreformed EU,

    – that damages British business,

    – takes our money,

    – and puts our future prosperity at risk.

    Or we can vote for a positive and secure future as a free, independent and sovereign country,

    Where we can spend our money on our priorities,

    Make our own laws,

    Take an axe to EU red tape to free enterprise,

    And make the most of the potential and talent that our great country has to offer.

    Let’s Vote Leave on 23 June and take control of our destiny.

    Thank you.

  • Priti Patel – 2015 Speech at ERSA Conference

    piritpatel

    Below is the text of the speech made by Priti Patel, the Minister of State for Employment, at the ERSA annual conference on 8 December 2015.

    Thank you for inviting me to speak at this flagship event.

    You have played an important role in the success of the labour market over recent years – around half a million job outcomes across the Work Programme and Work Choice. Thank you.

    I’m grateful for your work and look forward to continuing to work closely with you.

    I welcome and share the sentiment of this conference: ‘Ambitious Futures: upping our collective game’.

    It is right that we are ambitious and my message to you today is that the focus should be on outcomes, not just inputs.

    My challenge is for you to think outside of the traditional approaches of provision – and to think innovatively.

    There is much we need to do, but it is worth reflecting on what changed over the last Parliament.

    Legacy

    Since 2010, we have made great strides reforming the welfare system – ensuring it better supports the people who need it, and remains affordable to the taxpayer in the long term.

    The labour market is in a much stronger position than it was 5 years ago:

    • the claimant count is nearly 700,000 lower and is at its lowest level since 1975
    • the unemployment rate is close to pre-recession levels
    • long-term unemployment has fallen by 274,000
    • 1 million fewer people on the main out-of-work benefits since 2010
    • the employment rate and number of people in work are at record highs

    I appreciate the role you have played in this….

    ….helping to deliver our shared goal of supporting those who need help back into work, and helping to drive performance improvements across our key provision.

    Building on success in this Parliament

    So, we’ve seen huge progress, but we know there is more to do.

    The government is committed to moving this country to a higher wage, lower tax and lower welfare society.

    So, we will press ahead with our reforms over this Parliament and we will continue to be ambitious.

    The overall position following the Spending Review is that the funding for employment support will remain broadly stable.

    However, within this, we have aimed to improve the effectiveness of our spending, reflecting our key priorities.

    That means:

    • continuing the roll-out of Universal Credit and extending the same support that Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants get to around a million more people by 2020
    • improving support for people with health conditions and disabilities through a real terms increase in funding
    • and ensuring value for money, with interventions that we know work

    This approach focuses on what our labour market most needs today whilst retaining flexibility for the future.

    I want to deal with each of these in turn.

    Universal Credit and refocusing employment offer

    Firstly, Universal Credit – the key plank of our welfare reforms.

    It marks a distinct shift in our approach and is transforming lives through more personalised support and by making sure work always pays.

    Under Universal Credit, people can expect early and continued support looking at what work they can do and what support they need to do it.

    Unlike in the past, Universal Credit stays with someone when they enter work and continues to support them until they leave the benefits system.

    Today we have published Universal Credit at Work.

    The independently reviewed research shows that Universal Credit is making a real difference.

    It shows that people who are on Universal Credit are:

    • more likely to be employed in the first nine months of their claim, spending twice as much time looking for a job than under the legacy system
    • work on average 12 days more than Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants
    • and are more likely to be earning more

    This is welfare reform in action, making things simpler, ensuring the right incentives are in place – and ultimately, changing culture and changing lives.

    The report also shows we are on track in terms of roll out.

    Universal Credit is now available in three quarters of all jobcentres, and by April next year it will be available across the country.

    Building on this, we are testing a digital service in 3 London jobcentres.

    This will expand nationally from May next year, initially to 5 jobcentres every month, as part of the gradual, safe and secure delivery plan.

    Health and disability focus

    Secondly, this renewed approach also represents the start of genuine integration between the health and work sectors, with a focus on supporting people with health conditions and disabilities return to and remain in work.

    Your input has been invaluable in helping us to set out our strategy here.

    I firmly believe that the perspective from the frontline – the perspective from people and organisations like you all who are helping people into work day in and day out – is essential to developing successful interventions.

    That’s why I so value the input you have been providing on the development of future employment support, and that’s why we’ll be taking those views on aboard as we design the new programme over the next few months.

    In particular you’ve told us that we need to target support more effectively.

    So, I have asked my officials to develop better ways of targeting and preparing people for employment programmes so that we can ensure that you have a good chance of supporting every person that walks through your door.

    Once people are with you, you should have enough resources to give them the support they need to make a difference to their lives.

    We will make sure the right incentives are there for you to deliver a first class service to everyone on the future programme, not feel the need to pick winners.

    You’ve also said that it is really difficult to find a way through the maze of services offered through different government departments and agencies.

    That is why my priority is to remove these roadblocks and prompt genuine integration of services across government, so you can better integrate services on the ground.

    Nowhere is this more important than in how we support people with health conditions and disabilities, which is why we have set out such an important programme of reform in this area.

    This work includes:

    • the launch of the new contracted Work and Health employment provision in 2017
    • an expansion of Access to Work, enabling up to 25,000 additional disabled people to receive support through Access to Work
    • and at least £115 million of funding for the Work and Health Unit, including a Work and Health Innovation fund

    The government will publish a White Paper next year setting out more detail of our plans to improve support for people with health conditions and disabilities.

    Good value for money for contracted employment

    Thirdly, we need to build on the success of current contracted employment provision and design support that helps today’s labour market and delivers good value for money.

    The decision on the level of central government funding to employment programmes in the recent Spending Review followed comprehensive consideration of our strategic direction against the current market; the economic climate and our manifesto commitments.

    Work has started on the design and structure of the new programme and draws heavily on all the best experience and consultation work we did over the summer.

    Senior officials also met with many of our prime providers last week and held an open, constructive dialogue around how we can continue to work in the spirit of partnership to ensure the most effective delivery of the Spending Review announcements and the best possible support for claimants.

    We will be working closely with providers both individually and collectively in the coming weeks and months.

    Devolution deals and integration

    We will also be capitalising on the expertise of local authorities.

    Local authorities know their local labour market and often have access to services which claimants may need alongside employment support. Help finding accommodation for example, or advice on budgeting and debt management.

    We have already collaborated with Manchester, Glasgow and Clyde Valley, and London to develop the Working Well, Working Matters and Working Capital programmes. And we will be looking carefully at whether the localised key worker approach being delivered in those areas improves outcomes for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants.

    We know that providing holistic support can be key to supporting the hardest to help claimants into work. It is therefore crucial that the design of the new programme supports providers, local authorities and other local organisations to better integrate services.

    So all local authorities will have the opportunity to comment on the national design of the new programme. And we will be testing different approaches to jointly designing and commissioning programmes across the 7 devolution deal areas – Greater Manchester, London, Sheffield, Tees Valley, Liverpool, West Midlands, the north-east.

    This approach will enable us put integration at the heart of the new programme. And accordingly, we will expect providers to demonstrate how they will forge strong partnerships with local organisations to deliver the integrated support that claimants need.

    Employers

    More often than not, we know that providing claimants with the support they need entails equipping them with the skills that local employers demand.

    It is the job of everyone in this room to engage with local employers, employer representatives and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) to understand that demand. This means working in partnership with them to: to:

    • identify sustainable job opportunities
    • create and support apprenticeships
    • nurture skills that aid progression
    • and improve the way that the labour market works in low employment areas

    Together, we must listen to what employers in varying local labour markets need.

    Together, we must understand their skills and progression challenges.

    And together, we must be innovative in reaching out to new employers and engaging with those who may have overlooked the employment services we can provide.

    So think about how you currently work with employers, and consider how you can engage with them more effectively to ensure the support you deliver to both claimants and employers reflects local labour market demand.

    Conclusion

    Today’s challenges are different to those of 2010.

    We have largely overcome the issue of long-term unemployment.

    Our focus now is on the nearly 3 million people who are on ‘inactive’ benefits.

    The majority of sick and disabled benefit claimants want to work, but there is a large gap between the proportion that want to work and those that feel able.

    We worked effectively together on the labour market challenges of 2010 and witnessed significant improvements in the labour market.

    I see ERSA and its members being key partners to support people that can work into work. This is a shared challenge – delivering more integrated support to those with some of the most significant barriers to work, particularly those with health conditions and disabilities.

    Our role is to embrace that challenge….to integrate and innovate…..to support people into sustainable jobs.

    Thank you.