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Tag: Speeches

  • Edward Leigh – 2022 Question on Asylum Seekers Being Housed in Grantham

    Edward Leigh – 2022 Question on Asylum Seekers Being Housed in Grantham

    The question asked by Sir Edward Leigh, the Conservative MP for Gainsborough in the House of Commons on 7 November 2022.

    This whole situation is a farce. There were recent reports that illegal migrants were being put up in a luxury rural hotel—a former stately home near Grantham—that normally charges £400 a night. Surely the easier and quicker that we make this whole process, the more people will come, especially since it is a complete pushover, with a large number of young Albanian men claiming modern slavery, which is ridiculous. Will the Minister confirm that the solution is to repeal the Human Rights Act, get out of the European refugee convention and repeal the Modern Slavery Act 2015, so that people can be detained when they arrive for being involved in an illegal activity and then deported?

    Robert Jenrick

    I, too, was disturbed to see images of the Stoke Rochford Hall Hotel, which is a luxurious setting and not the kind of hotel in which we want to see individuals being accommodated. We want to see decent but commonsensical treatment that does not create a further pull factor to the UK. The Home Secretary and I will review whether further changes are required. We start from the basic principle that treaties that the UK Government have entered into must work in the best interests of the British people.

  • Stuart McDonald – 2022 Speech on Asylum Seekers Accommodation and Safeguarding

    Stuart McDonald – 2022 Speech on Asylum Seekers Accommodation and Safeguarding

    The speech made by Stuart McDonald, the SNP Spokesperson on Immigration and the MP for Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East, in the House of Commons on 7 November 2022.

    I, too, congratulate the right hon. Member for North Thanet (Sir Roger Gale) on securing this urgent question and on his persistent scrutiny of these issues. Surely we have now reached the point where the Home Office can no longer be left responsible for the safety of those children. Hundreds are missing and thousands more are stuck in hotels outside the child protection system. Children are reportedly pressurised to claim to be adults and are increasingly misidentified as adults. There have been harrowing accounts of assault and rape; there is general evidence of fear and depression; and adults are not even being properly disclosure checked. Can we have a cross-Government taskforce, headed by the Prime Minister, to get children into local authority care instead of into more hotels?

    Progress in moving people out of Manston is welcome, but it massively begs the question why that was not possible last month. To help the Minister to free up accommodation, will he prioritise the outstanding claims of the 15,000 or so Syrians and Afghans, who should be comparatively easy to identify as refugees and to award their status? Will he suspend the pointless process that saw staff identify just 83 inadmissible claims out of 16,000 cases? For goodness’ sake, instead of wasting their time on that, they should be looking at asylum claims and the backlog.

    Robert Jenrick

    The hon. Gentleman is wrong to suggest that the UK Government pressurise any individual to falsely identify as a child. It is the people smugglers who do that; we are doing everything we can to clamp down on it. I have been to Western Jet Foil at Dover to meet the Border Force staff who try to make those assessments. At times, up to 20% of the adult males who arrive at Western Jet Foil claim to be under 18, when clearly the number is substantially less than that. We have already changed the law, which I think the SNP voted against, to change the way in which those tests are administered, and if we need to make further legal changes, we will.

    The hon. Gentleman is right to say that it is wrong that many children, in particular unaccompanied children, are in hotel accommodation. I want to change that. The way to do that is to encourage more local authorities throughout the United Kingdom to accept those individuals and to help them into private or state foster parenting arrangements. We have put in place a significant financial package of about £52,000 a year per foster carer per child to ensure that can happen, plus a £6,000 up-front payment to the local authority to help to accommodate that. The financing is available, so I want to ensure that more local authorities step up. If he can encourage those run by his SNP colleagues in Scotland to do so, I would be happy to support him.

  • Craig Mackinlay – 2022 Comments on Using Canterbury Christchurch University for Migrant Accommodation

    Craig Mackinlay – 2022 Comments on Using Canterbury Christchurch University for Migrant Accommodation

    The comments made by Craig Mackinlay, the Conservative MP for South Thanet, in the House of Commons on 7 November 2022.

    The Minister will be well aware that previous student accommodation at Canterbury Christchurch University—86 rooms—has been taken up by a company called Clearsprings, one of many outsourced companies around the country that have been trying to find accommodation. He may also be aware that Thanet District Council had been in correspondence with the Home Office in August, saying how unsuitable the site would be because of its close proximity to both primary and secondary schools that were a few hundred yards away, and because it was in a residential area.

    Is it not the case that outsourced companies such as Clearsprings and Serco are simply running roughshod over planning consents, local authorities and local consultation? I am very concerned about this example. The Home Office must get involved when these large sites are selected, rather than big outsourced companies just doing as they please.

    Robert Jenrick 

    My hon. Friend and I were in contact about this issue over the weekend, and I know how strongly he feels. My first duty has been to ensure that Manston can operate in a legal and decent manner, and we are well on the way to achieving that. The second task is ensuring that the Home Office and its contractors procure accommodation—whether it be hotels, spot bookings or other forms of accommodation—in a sensible manner, taking into account many of the factors that my hon. Friend has just described, such as safeguarding, the impact on the local community and the likelihood of disorder, whether there is already significant pressure on that community, and whether it is a tourist hotspot. Those criteria need to be followed carefully.

    My third priority, beyond that, is our exit from this hotel strategy altogether. It is not sustainable for the country to be spending billions of pounds a year on hotels. We now need to move rapidly to a point at which individuals are processed swiftly so that the backlog in cases falls and we disperse people fairly around the UK to local authority and private rented sector accommodation where appropriate. We also need to look into whether other, larger sites that provide decent but not luxurious accommodation might be available, so that we do not create a further pull factor for people to come to the UK.

  • Stephen Kinnock – 2022 Speech on Asylum Seekers Accommodation and Safeguarding

    Stephen Kinnock – 2022 Speech on Asylum Seekers Accommodation and Safeguarding

    The speech made by Stephen Kinnock, the Shadow Immigration Minister, in the House of Commons on 7 November 2022.

    I welcome the Minister to his place. The Home Secretary has stated that after 12 years of Conservative government the asylum system is “broken”. We agree, and it is the Conservative party that has broken it. The Government are processing just half the number of asylum claims that they were processing in 2015, and as a result the British taxpayer is footing a £7 million hotel bill every single day. Their failure to replace the Dublin agreement on returning failed asylum seekers, their failure to crack down on the criminal gangs, and their failure to get agreement with France have also increased the backlog.

    This catalogue of chaos has led to the overcrowding in Manston, for which the right hon. Member for North Thanet (Sir Roger Gale) has directly blamed the Home Secretary. The previous Home Secretary revealed today that on 20 October he received legal advice that Manston was

    “being used, or in danger of being used, as a detention centre”,

    and he took emergency measures to work within the law. However, the current Home Secretary met officials on 19 October, just before she was forced to resign for breaching the ministerial code. Can the Minister please confirm that the Home Secretary refused to take those same emergency measures, and can he explain why she ignored the advice that she was repeatedly given over a period of several weeks?

    The Home Secretary told the House just a week ago that she did not ignore legal advice. Can the Minister tell the House now whether he believes that statement to be correct? The key question on Manston is whether legal advice was followed or not. Given the Minister’s unlawful approval of a Tory donor’s housing project in his previous brief, is he really best placed to make that judgment?

    We know that 222 children have gone missing from asylum accommodation. What are the Government doing to find those missing children, to prevent more children from going missing, and to meet their legal obligations to vulnerable children?

    Robert Jenrick 

    For a few moments I thought that the hon. Gentleman was going to approach this in an intelligent and constructive manner, but sadly that was the triumph of optimism over experience. In fact, the Labour party is trying to politicise this, and we can of course say the same. The Labour party has no plan to tackle illegal immigration. It does not want to tackle illegal immigration. The Labour party left a system in ruins in 2010, as my right hon. Friend the Member for Ashford (Damian Green) would attest, as he had to help to pick up the pieces. We believe in a system of secure borders and a fair and robust asylum system in which all members of the public can have confidence.

    The hon. Gentleman asked about the Home Secretary’s conduct. Let me tell him that my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary has consistently approved hotel accommodation. More than 30 hotels have been brought on line in the time for which my right hon. and learned Friend has been in office, which has ensured that thousands of asylum seekers have been able to move on from the Manston site and into better and more sustainable accommodation. And look at her record over the course of the last week! The population at Manston has fallen from 4,000 to 1,600 in a matter of seven days. That is a very considerable achievement on the part of the Home Secretary and her officials in the Home Office, and I am proud of it.

  • Robert Jenrick – 2022 Statement on Asylum Seekers Accommodation and Safeguarding

    Robert Jenrick – 2022 Statement on Asylum Seekers Accommodation and Safeguarding

    The statement made by Robert Jenrick, the Minister for Immigration, in the House of Commons on 7 November 2022.

    We have set out on multiple occasions that the global migration crisis is placing unprecedented strain on our asylum system. Despite what they may have been told by many, migrants who travel through safe countries should not put their lives at risk by making the dangerous and illegal journey to the United Kingdom. We are steadfast in our determination to tackle those gaming the system and will use every tool at our disposal to deter illegal migration and disrupt the business model of people smugglers.

    So far this year, our French colleagues have prevented over 29,000 crossings and destroyed over 1,000 boats. Furthermore, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister will be speaking with President Macron this week about how, together, we can achieve our shared ambition to prevent further crossings.

    Some 40,000 people have crossed the channel on small boats so far this year, and the Government continue to have a statutory responsibility to provide safe and secure accommodation for asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute. To meet that responsibility, we have had to keep people for longer than we would have liked at our processing facility at Manston, but we have been sourcing more bed spaces with local authorities and in contingency accommodation such as hotels.

    I can tell the House that, as of 8 o’clock this morning, the population at the Manston facility was back below 1,600. That is a significant reduction from this point last week, with over 2,300 people having been placed in onward accommodation. I thank my Border Force officers, members of the armed forces, our contractors and Home Office staff, who have worked tirelessly to help achieve that reduction.

    Before the high number of arrivals in September, Manston had proven to be a streamlined and efficient asylum processing centre, where biographic and biometric details are taken and assessed against our databases, asylum claims registered and the vulnerable assessed. We are determined to ensure that Manston is back to that position as soon as possible, and I am encouraged by the progress now being made. We must not be complacent. We remain absolutely focused on addressing these complex issues so that we can deliver a fair and effective asylum system that works in the interests of the British people.

    Sir Roger Gale

    First, may I thank my right hon. Friend for the endeavours that he has made since his appointment to reduce the numbers of people overcrowding the Manston facility? I believe that this problem was wholly avoidable. He has worked tireless, with the staff at Manston—I thank them too—who have done a superb job under very difficult circumstances.

    We are now nearly back to where we need to be, with the Manston processing centre operating efficiently. Will my right hon. Friend confirm his understanding, shared with the Home Secretary and with me last Thursday when she visited the site, that Manston is a processing centre, not an accommodation centre? Does he therefore agree that the temporary facilities that were erected while he and I were both present there a week ago on Sunday will be demolished, and can he confirm that additional accommodation will be provided so that the spike in November that is anticipated—which will happen, as it happened last year—will be catered for so that we will not have a repetition of the clogging-up of the facilities at Manston?

    Robert Jenrick

    First, may I praise my right hon. Friend, who is an exemplary Member of Parliament? It has been my privilege to work alongside him over the past 10 days. He has consistently raised concerns expressed by his constituents, and also our joint desire that Manston should operate as a humane and decent facility that provides compassionate care to those who arrive at the United Kingdom’s borders. The population is now back at an acceptable level, which is a considerable achievement. It is essential that it remains so, and he is right to say that the challenge is far from over. Last year, for various reasons, November proved to be the largest month of the year for arrivals in the UK, so we have to be aware of that and plan appropriately. We are doing just that, and we are ensuring that there is now further accommodation so that we can build up a sufficient buffer, so that those arriving at Manston stay there for the legal period of 24 hours or thereabouts, and are then swiftly moved to better and more appropriate accommodation elsewhere in the country.

    I support my right hon. Friend’s view that Manston should always be a processing centre, not a permanent home for migrants arriving in the UK. I have taken note of his comment that he would like the temporary facilities there to be dismantled. I do not think that is possible right now, because the prudent thing is to ensure that we maintain the level of infrastructure that we have in case there is a significant increase in the number of migrants arriving in the weeks ahead, but it is certainly not my intention, or the Home Secretary’s intention, that Manston is turned into a permanent site for housing immigrants.

  • Rishi Sunak – 2022 Statement at COP27

    Rishi Sunak – 2022 Statement at COP27

    The statement made by Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, in Egypt on 7 November 2022.

    When Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II addressed COP 26 last year,

    she reflected how history has shown…

    “…that when nations come together in common cause, there is always room for hope.”

    I believe we found room for hope in Glasgow.

    With one last chance to create a plan that would limit global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees,

    ….we made the promises to keep that goal within reach.

    And the question today is this: can we summon the collective will to deliver them?

    I believe we can.

    When we began our COP Presidency, just one third of the global economy was signed up to net zero…

    …today it’s 90 per cent.

    And for our part, the UK…

    …which was the first major economy in the world to legislate for net zero….

    …will fulfil our ambitious commitment to reduce emissions by at least 68 per cent by 2030.

    And because there is no solution to climate change without protecting and restoring nature …

    In Glasgow, more than 140 countries which are home to over 90 per cent of the world’s forests…

    … made a historic promise to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by the end of this decade.

    And just this afternoon I co-hosted the first meeting of the Forests and Climate Leaders’ Partnership to ensure this is delivered.

    Central to all our efforts, is honouring our promises on climate finance.

    I know that for many, finances are tough right now.

    The pandemic all but broke the global economy.

    And before coming here today…

    …I spent last week working on the difficult decisions needed to ensure confidence and economic stability in my own country.

    But I can tell you today…

    ….that the United Kingdom is delivering on our commitment of £11.6 billion.

    And as part of this – we will now triple our funding on adaptation to £1.5 billion by 2025.

    Let me tell you why.

    First, I profoundly believe it is the right thing to do.

    Listen to Prime Minister Mottley of Barbados, as she describes the existential threat posed by the ravages of climate change.

    Or look at the devastating floods in Pakistan…

    …where the area underwater is the same size as the whole United Kingdom.

    When you see 33 million people displaced…

    …with disease rife and spreading through the water…

    …you know it is morally right to honour our promises.

    But it is also economically right too.

    Climate security goes hand in hand with energy security.

    Putin’s abhorrent war in Ukraine and rising energy prices across the world are not a reason to go slow on climate change.

    They are a reason to act faster.

    Because diversifying our energy supplies by investing in renewables…

    …is precisely the way to insure ourselves against the risks of energy dependency.

    It is also a fantastic source of new jobs and growth.

    In Glasgow, we began an approach globally…

    ….using aid funding to unlock billions of pounds of private finance for the development of new green infrastructure.

    So instead of developing countries being unfairly burdened with the carbon debt of richer nations and somehow expected to forgo that same path to growth,

    ….we are helping those countries deliver their own fast track to clean growth.

    And the UK is making further commitments to support this today …

    ….including by investing £65 million in a range of green investment projects in Kenya and in Egypt.

    I’d like to pay tribute to President Sisi for his leadership in bringing us all together…

    ….and to thank the UK’s President of COP26, Alok Sharma…

    …for his inspiring work to deliver on the Paris Agreement and Glasgow Climate Pact.

    By honouring the promises we made in Glasgow….

    ….and by directing public and private finance towards the protection of our planet….

    ….we can turn our struggle against climate change into a global mission for new jobs and clean growth…

    …and we can bequeath our children a greener planet and a more prosperous future.

    That’s a legacy we could be proud of.

    So as we come together once again in common cause today,

    there really is room for hope.

    Together, let us fulfil it.

  • Jane Hutt – 2022 Statement on Tackling Modern Slavery and Supporting Survivors

    Jane Hutt – 2022 Statement on Tackling Modern Slavery and Supporting Survivors

    The statement made by Jane Hutt, the Welsh Minister for Social Justice, on 3 November 2022.

    Modern slavery is a crime which causes incalculable harm and whose victims live in communities across Wales.  Wales continues to fight this horrendous crime and support its survivors.

    On Anti-Slavery Day (18 October), the Welsh Government stood in solidarity with people and organisations across Wales.  Our Cathays Park building was lit red to show Wales continues to stand against all forms of slavery, and we supported a webinar organised by BAWSO.  This included compelling and moving testimony from two modern slavery survivors.  We are proud to support such events, recognising the vital impact they have in raising awareness of modern slavery and its effect on people.

    To coincide with Anti-Slavery Day, the UK’s national standards body – BSI – launched a new British standard on modern slavery.  My officials have already had initial discussions with BSI, and we will continue to engage with BSI on how we can promote and raise awareness of this standard amongst our networks in Wales.

    Whilst modern slavery is a reserved matter, we have been consistent in the Welsh Government in using our levers and influence to work collaboratively and constructively with a range of partners so that we raise awareness of the risks and signs of modern slavery, tackle modern slavery wherever it exists, and provide support to survivors.

    This work includes co-ordinating regular meetings of the Wales Anti-Slavery Leadership Group, which brings together multi-agency partners to provide leadership and coordination.  We also continue to promote our Code of Practice on Ethical Employment in Supply Chains, which supports organisations in eradicating modern slavery and labour exploitation from their supply chains.  To date, more than 470 organisations are signatories to the Code.

    We also seek to work constructively with the UK Government on the modern slavery agenda.   However, we are concerned the recent political turmoil in Westminster is leading to delay in developing the new modern slavery strategy for England and Wales and in appointing a new Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner following the departure of the previous incumbent in April.  We continue to press the UK Government on these matters and advocate for a victim and survivor-focused approach to modern slavery, in which safeguarding concerns are of primary focus.

  • Justin Welby – 2022 Statement on COP27 (Archbishop of Canterbury)

    Justin Welby – 2022 Statement on COP27 (Archbishop of Canterbury)

    The statement made by Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, on 5 November 2022.

    As global leaders gather at COP27, the world holds its breath. A world which has this year suffered further catastrophic flooding, drought, heatwaves and storms. A world already in crisis. A world which knows that we are perilously near the point of no return.

    I’ve seen this myself just recently in Australia, whose great wealth is no protection against the flooding in New South Wales. And if it can happen in one of the most prosperous parts of the world, how much more devastating in one of the poorest like South Sudan, where more flooding has led to food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition.

    Living as one human family, I pray that we will hear clearly the voices of those suffering on the brutal front line of climate change and climate injustice. I pray that together we will listen to young people and Indigenous Peoples. At this COP, hosted in Africa, the perspectives from that continent must be heard.

    The climate emergency is an existential global threat that requires a global response, with radical action, imagination and justice. Let us together see justice done, so that countries can access new and fair finance for the loss and damage caused by climate change.

    It is imperative that we seek justice so that those nations with greatest responsibility will take the lead, achieving net-zero carbon emissions and supporting other countries in this transition.

    God calls us to embrace justice. Christian scripture describes how we share in the ‘renewed creation of heaven and earth with justice’ (2 Peter 3:13). Let justice flow so that we see human lives and hope restored, and the life of the earth itself protected and renewed.

  • Doug Beattie – 2022 Comments on the Northern Ireland Protocol

    Doug Beattie – 2022 Comments on the Northern Ireland Protocol

    The comments made by Doug Beattie, the Leader of the Ulster Unionists, on 3 November 2022.

    We are entering a pivotal period.  As negotiations are once again underway between the United Kingdom and European Union, we have the opportunity to finally deal with the problems caused by the Northern Ireland Protocol and see devolution restored.

    But any progress potentially stands to be put at risk by needlessly calling an Assembly election that will change nothing but stands to further undermine the return of devolution and cost the taxpayer £6.5million.

    Something needs to change.  The opportunity exists to pause the calling of an election and allow negotiations between to the United Kingdom and European Union to continue in earnest.  We believe that the time is right for the UK to trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol to facilitate this.

    Article 16 states that either party in the negotiations may act unilaterally “If the application of this Protocol leads to serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties that are liable to persist…”.  I think it is unquestionable that we are experiencing societal difficulties that are liable to persist.

    A negotiated outcome which removes the Irish Sea Border will be the remedy, not rerunning an election we had six months ago.  It is clear that the atmosphere and willingness to address the problems created by the Protocol are currently in a much different place than they have been.  They should be given time and space to continue as long as progress is being made.  After all this time I think it would be madness for the UK Government to jeopardise that because they have got themselves on a hook over the election that they are too embarrassed to be seen to climb down from.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Egypt Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry elected as COP27 President COP27 places loss and damage funding on its agenda [November 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Egypt Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry elected as COP27 President COP27 places loss and damage funding on its agenda [November 2022]

    The press release issued by COP27 on 6 November 2022.

    • Nations must move from pledges and promises to meaningful action

    • Equitable and just energy transition essential with funding overdue

    • Current geopolitical challenges must not derail or delay action to meet climate targets

    • Loss and Damage finance is part of the COP Agenda for the first time ever

    Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, 6 November 2022 – Egypt Foreign Minister H.E. Sameh Shoukry was formally elected as the COP27 President by the Parties during the opening plenary, following which he called on countries to show faith in multilateralism over the next two weeks as they negotiate to deliver on the goals of the Climate Convention and the Paris Agreement.

    Addressing climate envoys and delegates at what is considered to be one of the largest COPs ever in terms of attendance, COP President HE Sameh Shoukry said: “It comes as no surprise to anyone that the COP is being held this year in a world which is witnessing political turmoil that cast a long shadow on all our nations and has resulted in energy and food crises; however these challenges should be no reason for delaying our collective effort to fight climate change. It is inherent on us all in Sharm El Sheikh to demonstrate our recognition of the magnitude of the challenges we face and our steadfast resolve to overcome it.”

    Minister Shoukry highlighted that Egypt made sure that COP27 will provide the optimum setting to align and converge multiple views, and facilitate transparent, inclusive, and fruitful discussion to ensure the most positive outcome achievable. He stressed that albeit the challenging economic and geopolitical factors, external circumstances should not be allowed to negatively affect the negotiating process, adding that as a COP hosted in Africa, it must consider the needs of the developing countries and ensure climate justice through availing the appropriate finance and other means of implementation, as countries that are the least responsible for emissions are the most affected by climate change.

    The new COP President, HE Shoukry acknowledged the tireless efforts of his predecessor, COP26 President Alok Sharma, and thanked Mr. Sharma and his team for their effort and dedication with everything they achieved in hosting COP26 and commended the outcomes and agreements their work helped to secure, reiterating the commitment of the Egyptian Presidency to deliver on an impactful and inclusive COP.

    The conference of the parties adopted its agenda, and for the first time since the adoption of the UN climate convention, parties agreed to introduce loss and damage funding as an agenda item at the climate conference, after a yearlong work culminating in 48 hours of continuous informal consultations led by the Egyptian COP Presidency on the eve of the COP. Shoukry lauded the sense of responsibility and commitment that parties showed, as well as the collective keenness on preserving the credibility and relevance of the climate process by making the right decision that responds to the suffering of millions of climate calamities’ victims around the world.

    More than 50,000 attendees are registered and expected to participate at COP27’s Blue Zone and thousands of others at the Green Zone. The Egyptian Presidency has designated several key thematic days that will include pledging opportunities, discussions, roundtables, and side events. The thematic days are part of efforts to advance climate action that can address existing implementation bottlenecks and gaps and deepen engagement with youth, women, civil society and indigenous people.

    The Sharm El-Sheikh Climate Implementation Summit will start tomorrow and runs for two days, bringing all participating heads of state and government. Following the summit’s inauguration, several roundtables led and attended by tens of world leaders will be held to focus on six key topics: Just Transitions, Food Security, Innovative Finance for Climate and Development, Investing in the Future of Energy, Water Security, and Climate Change and The Sustainability of Vulnerable Communities.