Asylum Hotels: Migrant Criminal Activity

Baroness Laing of Elderslie Excerpts

Wednesday 23rd July 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

When fake posts are drawn to the Government’s attention, or when they examine those matters, they ask for the posts to be taken down. It is important that we maintain the integrity of the situation that is happening. Part of the challenge we face is to ensure that people are not led by fake news, or not encouraged by others to take action. Members will know that individuals who encouraged people to take illegal action last year found themselves before the court. People need to be very careful about actions taken at any time, because there is potential for further arrests, charges and consideration of matters before the court. I urge all to look calmly at the situation and reflect on how best to express a view to their Member of Parliament or the public in a peaceful, orderly way.

[Baroness Laing of Elderslie (Con)]

My Lords, I declare an interest: I live very close to the town of Epping, having served as the Member of Parliament for the Epping Forest constituency for 27 years until last summer. It has long been recognised that the Bell Hotel in Epping is not a good place for asylum seekers to be housed. I am sure that the Minister will recall that the then Conservative Home Secretary closed that hotel in April 2024 and the asylum seekers were dispersed to other places. The Minister’s colleagues then reopened the hotel without any consultation with the district council, which is somewhat unfortunate.

However, I join with the Minister in thanking Essex Police for the way they are dealing with this very difficult situation. It should be noted, among the misinformation that is out there, that both of the men who have been accused of serious crimes are now in custody awaiting trial—our justice system is working. Does the Minister agree with me that it is the duty of all elected representatives, regardless of which party they represent, to do their best to encourage community cohesion and to calm down a potentially riotous situation? The Minister said about as much in the past few minutes. The considerable amount of misinformation being spread by a particular political party is unfortunate and working against community cohesion. Will the Minister join with me in calling everyone involved in the situation in the Epping Forest area, and across Essex, to stop inciting violence, to call for calm and to think of the vulnerable people whom we should all be protecting?

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

I am grateful to the noble Baroness, who possibly knows that constituency better than anyone else in the House today; she brings her wise counsel with her comments this afternoon. It is important that everyone who holds office in society, elected or otherwise, ensures that they consider the situation there in a favourable way to ensure that the police have their support and that the criminal justice system is allowed to take its course. Community cohesion and community engagement is the most important issue before the House today.

Domestic Abuse: Victims and Survivors

Baroness Laing of Elderslie Excerpts

Thursday 12th December 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Laing of Elderslie (Con)]

My Lords, it is customary to thank the noble Baroness who has secured a debate for having done so, but in this case I—and, I believe, the whole of your Lordships’ House—genuinely thank the noble Baroness, Lady Chisholm, for having secured the debate today.

Surely the problem that we are facing here is not that Governments, for the last two decades, have ignored domestic abuse, and it is not that the police, the courts or Cafcass have ignored it; it is that all the efforts that have been made have not improved the situation, because what we really need is a change in attitude in society. As the noble Baroness, Lady May, rightly said earlier—I commend her for all the work that she did on this subject, particularly when she was Home Secretary—getting employers involved is terribly important.

We are all awfully polite in Britain. We say, “Oh, there might be something wrong, but it’s none of my business”. That is the change of attitude that we need. We need to have a change of society’s attitude so that we say, “I recognise that this person”—usually a woman, but sometimes a man—“is in some kind of difficulty”. So rather than saying, “It’s none of my business”, let us all see what we can do to improve matters.

We have come a long way in getting the police to recognise how important this hidden crime is, but it is still terribly difficult, especially in cases of coercive control, which is a very hidden crime. Where there is violent behaviour, there is often evidence—bruises, illness and other obvious problems—but, with coercive control, none of those is present: and certainly not if everyone turns their back and says, “It is none of my business”. Because it is all of our business and I only wish that the media would report this debate, and all the excellent points that have been made in it, in the way they take up columns in the newspapers and time on news bulletins talking about the trivia of celebrities and their relationships. Let us look at the relationships of real people throughout this country who need the help of the whole of society.

I ask the Minister: will the Government consider the definition of domestic abuse, which includes the age limit of 16? We have all been shocked by what happened to Sara Sharif. Because she was under 16, it does not mean that it was not domestic abuse.