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Cameron of Chipping Norton, Lord
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Cameron of Chipping Norton, Lord (6)
Answering member
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I join the Prime Minister in his comments about Peter Law. On behalf of the official Opposition, let me say that our thoughts and prayers are with his family.
The Government were told in July last year that there was a massive problem with foreign prisoners being released and not considered for deportation. The prisoners released on to Britain's streets included murderers, rapists and paedophiles. Does the Prime Minister accept that the measures taken after the Government were told about the problem were completely insufficient?
I join the Prime Minister in his comments about Peter Law. On behalf of the official Opposition, let me say that our thoughts and prayers are with his family.
The Government were told in July last year that there was a massive problem with foreign prisoners being released and not considered for deportation. The prisoners released on to Britain's streets included murderers, rapists and paedophiles. Does the Prime Minister accept that the measures taken after the Government were told about the problem were completely insufficient?
Asked by
Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton
(Conservative)
Answering body
Prime Minister
Prime Minister's questions - Supplementary
Status
Answered
Answered on
26 April 2006
First, let me say that I fully accept and regret that until recently the system for identifying and, where possible, deporting foreign nationals who have served sentences in United Kingdom jails has been seriously and fundamentally at fault.
Let me answer the direct question that the right hon. Gentleman asked. Last July, it was proposed that there should be a substantial expansion of both the funding and the staff to look after this particular aspect of the work of the immigration and nationality directorate. That actually happened: almost £3 million extra was put into financing the system adequately, and the number of staff has been built up. As a result, although it has taken time to put the proper system in place, since 1 April all cases are now considered pre-release.
There is another piece of information that I should give the House. It is, of course, a matter of deep regret, as the Home Secretary said, that since 1999—we have the figures since 1999 because that is when records were first kept; the system has been in place for many decades—there have been 1,023 cases. It is, however, important for people to understand that a third of those cases—cases in which there should have been consideration pre-release from prison—have been considered subsequently, or are under consideration, and many of those people have been deported. I agree that that still means that the system was not working adequately, which is why the changes that I have just described were implemented.
Subjects
Deportation; Foreign nationals; Home Office; Maladministration; Offenders; Prisoners; Prisoners' release; Reoffenders; HM Prison Service; Immigration and Nationality Directorate
Date
26 April 2006
Reference
445 c563
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
Let us be absolutely clear about what we have just heard. The Prime Minister backs incompetent Ministers, even when he does not know the facts. That is what we have discovered. When are this Government going to start backing and protecting the public, instead of protecting their own backs? Let us be clear about what has happened: 1,000 prisoners have been released on to our streets, when they should have been considered for deportation; the Prime Minister does not know where they are, or how many crimes they have committed since they were released. Is this not part of a wider story: a Government who said that they would be tough on crime releasing dangerous prisoners; a Government who told us that there were 24 hours to save the NHS sacking nurses? When a Prime Minister cannot even deport dangerous foreign criminals in our jails, are the public not entitled to say, ““Enough is enough””?
Let us be absolutely clear about what we have just heard. The Prime Minister backs incompetent Ministers, even when he does not know the facts. That is what we have discovered. When are this Government going to start backing and protecting the public, instead of protecting their own backs? Let us be clear about what has happened: 1,000 prisoners have been released on to our streets, when they should have been considered for deportation; the Prime Minister does not know where they are, or how many crimes they have committed since they were released. Is this not part of a wider story: a Government who said that they would be tough on crime releasing dangerous prisoners; a Government who told us that there were 24 hours to save the NHS sacking nurses? When a Prime Minister cannot even deport dangerous foreign criminals in our jails, are the public not entitled to say, ““Enough is enough””?
Asked by
Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton
(Conservative)
Answering body
Prime Minister
Prime Minister's questions - Supplementary
Status
Answered
Answered on
26 April 2006
First, I did give the right hon. Gentleman the facts on the 1,023 prisoners, and I indicated that over a third of them have already had their cases considered, or are in the course of being considered. As for the national health service, I think that people know very well, when they compare—[Interruption.] Well, it was the right hon. Gentleman who raised the issue of the national health service. I am well aware of the reason why Opposition Members do not want the answer.
Subjects
Deportation; Foreign nationals; Home Office; Maladministration; Offenders; Prisoners; Prisoners' release; Reoffenders; HM Prison Service; Immigration and Nationality Directorate
Date
26 April 2006
Reference
445 c565
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
We learned this morning that the Home Secretary offered to resign. That contradicts what Downing street said yesterday. They were asked:"““Has Charles Clarke or anyone else offered to resign?””,"
and replied, ““No.””
That is the sort of thing that we have come routinely to expect from this Government. Can the Prime Minister answer this? When the Home Secretary offered to resign, did the Prime Minister know that, even after the Government were told about systemic failure, 288 prisoners were released without being considered for deportation?
We learned this morning that the Home Secretary offered to resign. That contradicts what Downing street said yesterday. They were asked:"““Has Charles Clarke or anyone else offered to resign?””,"
and replied, ““No.””
That is the sort of thing that we have come routinely to expect from this Government. Can the Prime Minister answer this? When the Home Secretary offered to resign, did the Prime Minister know that, even after the Government were told about systemic failure, 288 prisoners were released without being considered for deportation?
Asked by
Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton
(Conservative)
Answering body
Prime Minister
Prime Minister's questions - Supplementary
Status
Answered
Answered on
26 April 2006
I do not accept that the Home Secretary did not act on this matter. He did act, for the very reasons that I have given, and in the way that I just described. The fact is that there has been action as a result of people realising that there were cases that should have been considered pre-release which were only considered post-release. There is now a system in place, however, for the first time since these procedures began, that will allow us to make sure that all cases are considered pre-release and that deportations follow, where appropriate. I may point out that that is literally the first time for decades that such a system has been in place.
Subjects
Deportation; Foreign nationals; Home Office; Maladministration; Offenders; Prisoners; Ministers; Prisoners' release; Resignations; Reoffenders; HM Prison Service; Immigration and Nationality Directorate
Date
26 April 2006
Reference
445 c564-5
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
But that, I am afraid, just is not good enough. We now know that even after Ministers were told about the problem in July, 288 prisoners were released without being considered for deportation. Why did the Home Secretary describe that last night as ““very, very few people””?
But that, I am afraid, just is not good enough. We now know that even after Ministers were told about the problem in July, 288 prisoners were released without being considered for deportation. Why did the Home Secretary describe that last night as ““very, very few people””?
Asked by
Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton
(Conservative)
Answering body
Prime Minister
Prime Minister's questions - Supplementary
Status
Answered
Answered on
26 April 2006
Again, it is important to emphasise that many of those 288—more than 70, I think—have been considered. Indeed, some of them have been deported. It is, however, correct that all of them must now be considered. The point that I am making to the right hon. Gentleman is that from last year extra resources and extra staff—[Interruption.]
As I was saying, from last July procedures were implemented to increase the number of staff and the resourcing of the unit concerned. That has taken time to build up, but as I said a moment ago, many of those 288 cases—more than 70—have already been considered or are being considered. Some of those people have already been deported. All those cases will be considered, and since 1 April the system has been working properly, so that for the first time ever, everyone who is identified pre-release has his or her case considered.
Subjects
Deportation; Foreign nationals; Home Office; Maladministration; Offenders; Prisoners; Prisoners' release; Reoffenders; HM Prison Service; Immigration and Nationality Directorate
Date
26 April 2006
Reference
445 c563-4
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
But the Prime Minister simply has not answered the question about what the Home Secretary said last night. Let us be clear about what he said on television. When asked whether anyone was released after he was told about it, the Home Secretary replied:"““I'm not prepared to say no one but . . . certainly very, very few people.””"
Given that the actual number was 288, that was completely misleading.
This Home Secretary has presided over systemic failure. He has failed to deal with this, and last night he misled people about the scale of the problem. Is it not clear that he cannot give the Home Office the leadership that it so badly needs?
But the Prime Minister simply has not answered the question about what the Home Secretary said last night. Let us be clear about what he said on television. When asked whether anyone was released after he was told about it, the Home Secretary replied:"““I'm not prepared to say no one but . . . certainly very, very few people.””"
Given that the actual number was 288, that was completely misleading.
This Home Secretary has presided over systemic failure. He has failed to deal with this, and last night he misled people about the scale of the problem. Is it not clear that he cannot give the Home Office the leadership that it so badly needs?
Asked by
Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton
(Conservative)
Answering body
Prime Minister
Prime Minister's questions - Supplementary
Status
Answered
Answered on
26 April 2006
Not surprisingly, I do not agree with that. The Home Office has given the figure of 288. Indeed, the reason we can give figures is that there is now a proper case management system. As I have said, the reason we give the figures since 1999 is that that was the first time that any figures were kept. I would also point out that over the last two years there have been more than 3,000 deportations. Indeed, since last October there have been 800. But let me repeat again that since 1 April all cases have been considered pre-release. The 288 cases to which the right hon. Gentleman has referred will be considered; some have already been considered, and deportations have followed.
Subjects
Deportation; Foreign nationals; Home Office; Maladministration; Offenders; Prisoners; Prisoners' release; Reoffenders; HM Prison Service; Immigration and Nationality Directorate
Date
26 April 2006
Reference
445 c564
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
I asked a simple question: can the Prime Minister tell us whether he knew, or not?
I asked a simple question: can the Prime Minister tell us whether he knew, or not?
Asked by
Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton
(Conservative)
Answering body
Prime Minister
Prime Minister's questions - Supplementary
Status
Answered
Answered on
26 April 2006
I did not know the details of the figures that the Home Secretary gave until today. However, it is as a result of the Home Office having put out the figures that we actually know them. It is therefore quite wrong to suggest that these figures were somehow concealed by the Home Secretary, and as I have already said to the right hon. Gentleman, it is not correct that the 288 cases will not be considered. They will be considered, and the Home Secretary will give details later of how quickly that can be done.
Subjects
Deportation; Foreign nationals; Home Office; Maladministration; Offenders; Prisoners; Prisoners' release; Reoffenders; HM Prison Service; Immigration and Nationality Directorate
Date
26 April 2006
Reference
445 c565
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons