Foreign National Offenders (Removal)

Debate between Baroness May of Maidenhead and Tom Greatrex

Wednesday 22nd October 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mrs May]

The prisoner transfer agreements are an important element of dealing with the issue. As my hon. Friend will know, there are still some countries in which we need to finalise the agreements and their approach. The prisoner transfer agreement is an important step and a useful tool and that is why it was one of the measures on the list of those to which we wanted to opt back in.

[Tom Greatrex (Rutherglen and Hamilton West) (Lab/Co-op)]

My constituent Elsie Giudici’s son was murdered in the most brutal way by a foreign national in his property in Scotland last summer. His mother has contacted me, concerned that it later transpired that the foreign national had a lengthy history of serious violent crime in his own country. The Home Secretary said that this is a serious issue and I believe that it is. The NAO report states:

“Current information held in the UK on foreign nationals who have committed…crimes in their own countries is less complete than most European countries.”

Will she therefore please explain why that is the case and why, four and a half years after she took office, the situation has not improved?

[Mrs May]

Absolutely. That was a serious and terrible case and our thoughts are with the hon. Gentleman’s constituent. We want to ensure that we have the maximum information available on which to act in relation to those with a violent history who try to come into this country and to ensure that we act properly to remove foreign national offenders. Our ability to do that will be improved by tools such as the Schengen information system, which is already being used by other European nations. We have said that we want to be able to opt back in to the system and to start to use it, which we have not been able to do up until this point.

Hillsborough

Debate between Baroness May of Maidenhead and Tom Greatrex

Wednesday 12th February 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mrs May]

I will certainly look into that matter. If I may, I will write to the hon. Gentleman on the issue.

[Tom Greatrex (Rutherglen and Hamilton West) (Lab/Co-op)]

I am sure the Home Secretary will recall that when we debated these issues in the House some time ago, the overwhelming sentiment on both sides of the House was that there was a need for full transparency and disclosure, not just as a prerequisite for justice but as a first step towards resolution. In the light of that, may I return to the question of the 13 retired police officers who have refused to comply with the IPCC’s requests for interviews? Does she agree that, rather than it being a matter for those officers to decide, before any interviews take place, that they have nothing to add, the IPCC should be allowed to discover whether that is the case during the process of such interviews?

[Mrs May]

As I said in response to earlier questions, those who have refused to be interviewed so far have been regarded as witnesses, which means that there is no requirement for them to take part in an interview at this stage. I understand the hon. Gentleman’s point about who should be the judge of whether they have anything to add to the investigation, but as I have said, they are being regarded as witnesses and are therefore not required to be interviewed.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Baroness May of Maidenhead and Tom Greatrex

Monday 21st May 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mrs May]

The Government intend to produce a White Paper. I have said that it will be published tomorrow, so I suggest the hon. Lady waits to see what is in it.

[Tom Greatrex (Rutherglen and Hamilton West) (Lab/Co-op)]

5. What recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of UK border controls.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Baroness May of Maidenhead and Tom Greatrex

Monday 7th November 2011 Commons Chamber

[Tom Greatrex (Rutherglen and Hamilton West) (Lab/Co-op)]

T7. When does the Home Secretary intend to review the definition of an “air weapon” under the Firearms Act 1968?

[Mrs May]

I shall come back to the hon. Gentleman. [Interruption.] I am sorry, but I did not actually hear the question. I understand that he said “air weapons”. Is that right?

[Tom Greatrex]

indicated assent.

[Mrs May]

May I write to the hon. Gentleman and set it out to him clearly?

Metropolitan Police Service

Debate between Baroness May of Maidenhead and Tom Greatrex

Monday 18th July 2011 Commons Chamber

[Tom Greatrex (Rutherglen and Hamilton West) (Lab/Co-op)]

The Home Secretary rightly said in her statement that confidence in the police—for both the public and serving police officers—must be of paramount concern in getting to the bottom of these allegations. She has just shared with the House information about other police forces, but has she had any contact with the Scottish Justice Minister, Kenny MacAskill, about how these types of inquiry can range across Scottish police forces as well as those for which she is directly responsible?

[Mrs May]

I have not had such interaction with the Scottish Justice Minister, but I am happy to alert him to the steps that we are taking in relation to forces in England and Wales so that he may look at that in relation to Scottish forces.