Contributions
1,745 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDShamima Begum and Other CasesMy understanding is that we do not officially recognise the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria but that British officials may deal with individuals who are themselves…11 Mar 2019HANSARDShamima Begum and Other CasesI am happy to give the hon. Lady that confirmation. Due process needs to be followed in all such decisions. As I have already said to the House, the powers are used rarely. They…11 Mar 2019HANSARDShamima Begum and Other CasesMy hon. Friend is right to suggest that these are approximate figures. It is impossible to get the actual number of people who have gone to Syria and remain there, but he is right…11 Mar 2019HANSARDShamima Begum and Other CasesWe should be very proud of what we are doing as a Government to help those who have been hurt or displaced in that conflict. The UK Government have committed more than £2.8…11 Mar 2019HANSARDShamima Begum and Other CasesMy right hon. Friend asks a good question. It has been well documented that female terrorist fighters who have gone to join Daesh have engaged in murder, recruitment and…11 Mar 2019HANSARDShamima Begum and Other CasesI listened carefully to what the hon. Lady said. As she said, sadly, a number of her constituents are known to have gone to Syria to join Daesh and other terrorist groups. I…11 Mar 2019HANSARDShamima Begum and Other CasesI very much agree with my right hon. Friend. Much work has been done when the UK has suffered some terrible terrorist attacks, and the Government have been required to consider…11 Mar 2019HANSARDShamima Begum and Other CasesMy right hon. Friend raises a number of points. First, there is no British consular presence in Syria, so it is incredibly difficult for the British Government to intervene…11 Mar 2019HANSARDShamima Begum and Other CasesAs I have said, these decisions are never taken lightly. A number of factors would be considered, on a case-by-case basis, and we would look at what is in the best interests of…11 Mar 2019HANSARDShamima Begum and Other CasesMy right hon. Friend has made a number of good points. He is, of course, absolutely right: someone who returns can be prosecuted for an offence only if the relevant laws exist. He…11 Mar 2019HANSARDHome Office Funding 2018-19Parliamentary approval for additional resources of £500 million will be sought in a supplementary estimate for the Home Office. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure ahead of…07 Mar 2019HANSARDSeasonal Workers PilotOn 6 September last year, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and I announced that our Departments would implement a nationwide…06 Mar 2019HANSARDJustice and Home Affairs Pre-Council StatementThe EU Justice and Home Affairs Council of Ministers will meet on 7 and 8 March in Brussels. This will be the last JHA Council meeting that the UK will attend as an EU member…06 Mar 2019HANSARDKnife CrimeI agree with the hon. Lady’s points about young people suffering from trauma and who may have witnessed abuse, including in their own household. She is absolutely right to raise…04 Mar 2019HANSARDKnife CrimeI regularly speak to chief constables across the country about their needs, in regard not just to serious violence—although that is of course a priority for almost all of them—but…04 Mar 2019HANSARDKnife CrimeThe hon. Lady raises the important issue of early intervention, including very early intervention. A ministerial taskforce is looking at this issue and trying to do more in this…04 Mar 2019HANSARDKnife CrimeMy right hon. Friend will know that, as recently as 2015, changes were made to sentencing for serious violence crimes, including with bladed weapons. While it is right that the…04 Mar 2019HANSARDKnife CrimeThis is a hugely important priority issue across the Government: it was discussed very recently, just in the past few weeks, in the Cabinet, and just a couple of weeks ago we had…04 Mar 2019HANSARDKnife CrimeI join my hon. Friend in the condolences he just expressed; it is a truly senseless loss of life. He is also right to commend the response of Greater Manchester police to the…04 Mar 2019HANSARDKnife CrimeMy right hon. Friend has raised an important issue involving co-ordination and the need to make the most of the resources that are there. Last September I launched the national…04 Mar 2019