Rochdale Grooming Gang: Offender Deportation Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Home Office
Lord Sentamu
Main Page: Lord Sentamu (Crossbench - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Lord Sentamu's debates with the Home Office
Rochdale Grooming Gang: Offender Deportation
Lord Sentamu Excerpts(1 month ago)
Lords ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)
If it were straightforward, we would have, as the noble Lord will know, dealt with the matter in a way that met the objectives that the House is pressing me to meet. There are three British citizens who have had their citizenship deprived. They have deportations in place and we are in discussions with the authorities in Pakistan to make sure that they can be deported. We will keep all options under review, to make sure that we achieve that objective. If the House will bear with me, that is as far as I can go today, but I hope the House has heard the meaning behind the words that I am saying.
Lord Sentamu (CB)
My Lords, does the Minister agree that a country that prides itself on keeping the rule of law and on the fact that nobody is above the law cannot hastily amend legislation which goes back to 1971? Such a country has to look at all the processes. Does he agree that it is time that he and the Attorney-General appoint somebody to go through all old legislation where we find ourselves caught up because it is the law?
Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)
I am grateful for the noble and right reverend Lord’s comments. The legislation in 1971 was put in place for a proper purpose, and that was to secure the rights of Commonwealth citizens to remain in the United Kingdom. That is a positive purpose. Part of the challenge for the Windrush generation has been a consequence of the avoidance of dealing with that in a proper way. That does not mean to say that, ultimately, the Government cannot then examine legislation when serious offences have occurred, such as those for which Mr Ahmed has been imprisoned. If that legislation is causing challenges in how we can deal with that individual, we need to examine those issues. As I have said to the noble Lords opposite, we are keeping all those matters under review. I will report back to the House as soon as possible on any outcome of that review.