---

Business of the House

At column 961 of Hansard yesterday, the Prime Minister made the astonishing claim about foreign prisoner releases that he is"““making sure that that system is radically overhauled so that those who are convicted of a serious criminal offence are deported automatically.””—[Official Report, 3 May 2006; Vol. 445, c. 961.]" I am sure that I do not need to point out to the Leader of the House that the Human Rights Act 1998 bears on that. Given that the Home Secretary’s assurances about that measure during the passage of the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 have not been effected and the PTA is being challenged in the courts under the Human Rights Act, may we have a debate on the latter’s operation? All hon. Members believe in human rights but many of us also believe that the House should determine those rights in relation to the national interest and not have them decided by an external jurisdiction that may not have the national interest at heart. Rubbish.