National Identity Cards

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Gadhia

Tuesday 14th March 2017 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

The noble Lord is quite right.

[Lord Gadhia (Non-Afl)]

My Lords, has my noble friend the Minister read the early evidence to the Economic Affairs Committee’s investigation into Brexit and the labour market? I do not want to prejudge the conclusions of that report but it makes for interesting reading, highlights the significant difficulties in both measuring and controlling migration, and provides some compelling reasons for revisiting the case for identity cards.

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

Unfortunately, I do not agree with my noble friend. The approach that we have adopted in successive immigration Acts is to make it harder for illegal migrants to live and work in the UK and easier for us to remove them.