Contributions
3,654 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDMigration and Economic Development Partnership with RwandaMy Lords, we had a good discussion on morality yesterday. As I said then, and shall say now, I think it is not moral to not do everything you can to prevent people drowning at sea…15 Jun 2022HANSARDCivil Servants: Reduction in NumbersWhat I can say to my noble friend is that the reductions will be laid out in more detail in due course. I cannot give her an answer, because I suspect that there is not one at…15 Jun 2022HANSARDCivil Servants: Reduction in NumbersI repeat that the areas that need more resource will be provided with it, and the figures I gave on passports within 10 weeks and driving licences are absolutely correct. However,…15 Jun 2022HANSARDMigration and Economic Development Partnership with RwandaThe question of tearing up treaties probably goes slightly beyond the purview of today’s Statement. As for going against all Christian and other faith teaching, as I said on the…15 Jun 2022HANSARDMigration and Economic Development Partnership with RwandaI cannot hear either noble Lord.15 Jun 2022HANSARDCivil Servants: Reduction in NumbersThe noble Lord will not recognise this, but he and I are saying a similar thing: we all need to look at our workforces and make sure that they are fit not just for the present but…15 Jun 2022HANSARDCivil Servants: Reduction in NumbersDuring lockdown, there was a massive diminution in the number of people applying for passports. Last year, we sent out reminders to people that their passports were going to…15 Jun 2022HANSARDCivil Servants: Reduction in NumbersI think 2016 is when some of those numbers went up. The noble Baroness homes in on the point that planning is vital, and the health of the future workforce and the department’s…15 Jun 2022HANSARDCivil Servants: Reduction in NumbersI totally agree with my noble friend.15 Jun 2022HANSARDMigration and Economic Development Partnership with RwandaMy Lords, with the leave of the House, I will repeat a Statement given in the other place by my right honourable friend the Home Secretary earlier. The Statement is as follows:…15 Jun 2022HANSARDCivil Servants: Reduction in NumbersThe security of our people is the number one priority for this Government, and the security and intelligence agencies will have the resources they need to do their job.15 Jun 2022HANSARDMigration and Economic Development Partnership with RwandaMy Lords, I thank both noble Lords for their comments. They will understand, as I said yesterday, that there are certain things which I cannot say because of ongoing legal…15 Jun 2022HANSARDMigration and Economic Development Partnership with RwandaMy Lords, I object to pretty much everything that the noble Lord has just said. Using what happened to the Jews in the 1930s and 1940s as a reason to undermine and criticise the…15 Jun 2022HANSARDCivil Servants: Reduction in NumbersMy Lords, there were quite a lot of questions there. I will try and deal with some of them, maybe starting from the noble Lord’s first question about driving licences. There are…15 Jun 2022HANSARDMigration and Economic Development Partnership with RwandaMy Lords, I did not state that we were going to withdraw; I said that the Deputy Prime Minister was looking at a Bill of rights. All through the passage of the Nationality and…15 Jun 2022HANSARDCivil Servants: Reduction in NumbersI really do not know the details of those figures, but I can find out for my noble friend.15 Jun 2022HANSARDCivil Servants: Reduction in NumbersI must confess to the noble Baroness that I do not have an up-to-date position on that; I will write to her.15 Jun 2022HANSARDMigration and Economic Development Partnership with RwandaI must confess to my noble friend that I have read that story but cannot corroborate it.15 Jun 2022HANSARDMigration and Economic Development Partnership with RwandaI would say all yes on all three counts—but on that last point, as I said earlier, I know the Deputy Prime Minister is looking at a Bill of rights, and there is nothing wrong with…15 Jun 2022HANSARDMigration and Economic Development Partnership with RwandaMy Lords, we had much discussion about the UNHCR’s view of the Nationality and Borders Act. We disagreed. He is perfectly within his rights to say what he did, but we respectfully…15 Jun 2022