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Home Affairs and Justice

I am not under the misapprehension that everybody agrees on that issue. I have already quoted senior police officers who believe that there is now a case to consider going beyond 28 days. Rightly, that will be the subject of further discussion, and we will introduce those proposals—I hope having reached a consensus—when we introduced the Bill. Turning to immigration, we have heard some sensible and measured contributions, which is clear evidence that this House can approach such sensitive issues without recourse to unconsidered rhetoric. My hon. Friend the Member for North Durham was right when he discussed the need for a grown-up debate. I am therefore pleased that the Conservative party has taken on that issue in recent days by disciplining parliamentary candidates and ridding itself of anything that might smack of racism. I wonder what action it will take on the report in The Independent yesterday about the inflammatory Conservative leaflet now circulating in Dudley. In a passage about ““so-called asylum seekers””, it states:"““If you go abroad on holiday, check your suitcases before you come back!””" Lurid language is being used to whip up fears about immigration. Such language is as shrill as a dog whistle, and in my view it has no place in responsible political debate about the serious issues that we face on immigration and asylum. As the House knows, asylum applications are now at their lowest since 1993. We will rightly continue to provide a haven for those in genuine need, and we will also continue to ensure that speedy decisions are taken. We are resolving cases more quickly than ever before. In 1997, it took almost two years just to make an initial asylum decision. Now, the majority of new cases are given an initial decision within two months, and 40 per cent. of cases are completely resolved in six months. Today, some of my hon. Friends raised the issue of the exploitation of migrant labour, and it is crucial that determined enforcement is given the appropriate priority. This morning, I visited Communications house, a local enforcement office in London, where I spoke to staff about how they are cracking down on abuse in the system and targeting rogue employers of migrant labour. Across the country, there have been 3,700 successful operations to tackle illegal working. That vital work would have been slashed by Opposition Members, when they went into the last election calling for the immigration budget to be cut in half. Instead, we have doubled our enforcement effort and have 1,000 additional staff in border control. It is no good their talking tough on immigration, if they are not willing to invest in making it work. We are delivering a fair, firm and effective process for determining eligibility, processing applications and clamping down on abuse. We will go further, as we have heard, in making sweeping changes to Britain's migration system. From early next year, the points-based system will help us to do that, and we will work closely with the migration advisory committee and the migration impacts forum to give us the balanced analysis we need on the skills gaps we have to fill and the impact of immigration on our public services. From next year, the biometric identity card for foreign nationals working in the UK will be equally vital to the protections we are putting in place. Conservative Members like to think they talk tough on immigration, on crime, and on counter-terrorism, but they want to scrap the ID card scheme that is fundamental to helping to control immigration and to protect our citizens. A little over a month ago, they published figures saying that they will cut the costs for ID cards for foreign nationals as well. They claim that they will spend the savings on prison places, a border police force, and drug rehab. Unfortunately, if one looks at their figures, it becomes clear that they cannot get anywhere near the money that they would need for these commitments. They will not save anything like £250 million from scrapping ID cards, as they claim. Even if they could, it would cost that much to fund just the prison places that they say they want to build, never mind the port security and drug rehab plans that they have announced. The fact is that there is a black hole of at least £150 million in the Conservatives' plans, and, even worse, there will be a black hole in this country's security and the protection of our citizens if they have their way. But they need to do more than tighten up their figures if they want to be taken seriously. They need to get their story straight. Do they support the biometric ID card scheme for foreign nationals that we are introducing next year, or do they not? If they do, why are they planning to cut £40 million of set-up costs for the scheme? Until they can tell us unequivocally that they back ID cards for foreign nationals, their position is nearly as ludicrous—nearly, but not quite—as that of the Liberal Democrats. The hon. Member for Sheffield, Hallam (Mr. Clegg) has spoken proudly of how he will break laws passed by this House on the national identity scheme. [Hon. Members: ““Where is he?””] Apparently, he is off campaigning this evening. I genuinely wish him well, but I have to say that threatening laws passed by this House is no way to be taken seriously, either as a shadow Home Secretary or a future party leader. In contrast to the muddle, uncertainty and opportunism that these days passes for the policy of the Opposition, the Gracious Speech sets outs provisions to deliver stability, security and opportunity for this country. On this side of the House, we are committed to meeting the needs and aspirations of all our citizens, through measures that will make direct improvements to their daily lives with regard to housing, education, health care, employment and the environment. Provisions on counter-terrorism, immigration, citizenship and crime form an important part of the Gracious Speech. They offer critical underpinning and protection for our citizens and the freedoms that they enjoy as they go about their daily lives, and I commend them to the House. Debate adjourned.— [Tony Cunningham.] Debate to be resumed tomorrow.