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Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill [HL]

My Lords, I have much pleasure in putting my name to this amendment. The noble Lord, Lord West, may be thankful that he has tabled the amendment himself, because I swore last time that I raised the matter that if something was not done I would vote against the provision at this stage. I dare say that I might have won. That might not have been terribly good news for the noble Lord today. However, I am very grateful for his help in dealing with this matter and to the parliamentary draftsmen for having tabled the amendment, which we know is secure and will hold against that despicable crime, a crime that could not be dealt with it because of the lacuna in the previous law. Everyone knew that the lacuna was there, but it was hoped that somehow it could be got around. It could not. Now we have settled that with this amendment. I take full credit for it—just in case the noble Lord thought that he was going to. It was my amendment originally, although not my idea. I do not mind. I happily thank the noble Lord for producing his amendment.