Found: ’s Rights Service, Southall Black Sisters, and Step Up Migrant Women UK, ‘Letter to Ministers Angela Eagle

Found: question the long-standing relations between Britain and Georgia. ’8 Home Office Minister, Dame Angela Eagle

Found: Commons Committee Stage debate on the clauses, the Minister for Border Security and Asylum), Dame Angela Eagle

Found: There is no similar condition in Clause 43, despite the fact that Dame Angela Eagle and the Home Secretary

Found: He said the measures were too broad and would criminalise asylum seekers.98 Dame Angela Eagle argued

Found: Signed: Date: Home Office bscbillteam@homeoffice.gov.uk Dame Angela Eagle DBE MP

Found: to prosecutions of asylum seekers more than people associated with smuggling gangs.25 Dame Angela Eagle

Found: by department Dan Jarvis Nil Return Nil Return Nil Return Nil Return Nil Return Nil Return Dame Angela Eagle

Found: Return Nil Return Nil Return Dan Jarvis Nil Return Nil Return Nil Return Nil Return Nil Return Dame Angela Eagle

<p>Diolch yn fawr, Jane. Yes, I think I was actually Minister during the Penally—. I think that, with both Penally and Llanelli, we looked—and they're in the same region as well—at the totally inappropriate proposals that were coming forward for use of accommodation, asylum accommodation, which, at Penally, was the Home Office going to the Ministry of Defence and saying, 'Right, we’ve got this empty army camp', without any thought of what that would mean in a village, in Penally. And, of course, we did a lot of work then, and, eventually, they moved them out and settled those who had been accommodated in Penally.</p>
<p>The Llanelli situation was complicated by the approach taken by the Home Office. So, although I can understand the question about, 'Well, could this have happened elsewhere?’, I do think, in Llanelli, the fact that it was not only inappropriate, taking away what was a prize place for the people of Llanelli, a hotel that employed 95 plus people, who were actually, then, all made redundant, almost overnight, but the misinformation from the Home Office, a lack of information—. I don’t think it was just anti-migrant feeling or sentiment, it was the loss—. There were weddings planned at that hotel. It was a really important community venue, with great memories for people in the area. And, yet, we didn’t get decisions. We got—. As a Government at the time, we were left out.</p>
<p>I think one of the points I’d like to make about this is that this was because the Home Office employs a private contractor called Clearsprings. Clearsprings was responsible for identifying Stradey Park Hotel, without pre-consultation with the local authority, with the Welsh Government, because, when that changed ownership, it was a multinational hotel owner. So, I think there are many lessons to be learnt from Llanelli and, actually, John's been very involved in responding to the report. I went to address a meeting, organised by the key people, the community people, and I think you've had evidence from them. The meeting was called 'Llanelli Unites', and it brought everyone together. But just quickly to say, because I know we've got a lot to get through, I do welcome the fact that the Home Office is now looking to pilot an alternative way of providing asylum accommodation. Dame Angela Eagle came down to Cardiff recently, and we looked at some of the good work that's being developed&nbsp;in Cardiff as a result of the Welsh Government's transitional accommodation capital programme. Many of you might have been to see the modular community homes and community that have been developed here in Cardiff with that funding.20</p>
<p>We talked about the fact that the Home Office want to pilot, asking local authorities if they will pilot providing asylum accommodation, instead of the private sector. Now, they're going to take time, I think, to come out of that contract with Clearsprings. We heard about the owner this weekend, didn't we, of Clear Springs? It is entirely inappropriate, as I said to the Minister when I first met her, after last July, to have the private sector making profit out of asylum accommodation. We, the public sector, could do this. So, I have written a letter to all our local authorities, encouraging them to take part in the pilot. I thought I'd share that letter with you, so that you could be aware, if your local authorities are taking an interest. So, I think, Jane, the situation in Llanelli could have been avoided. It might never have happened. There may be communities—. Obviously, when you identify community tensions, then something like this happens. And community and good community spirit can be destroyed almost overnight, and certainly if it goes on days and weeks, no wonder it got to that stage where we know it's a healing and reconciliation, and and also looking at the resources that people need to regain their pride and their community spirit, which has always been tremendous in Llanelli, and I know that's what the healing process, which is going on now, wants to see. But we have got to make sure that this is why community cohesion has to be there, working preventatively to stop this sort of thing happening.</p>

<p>This co-chaired nation of sanctuary strategic oversight board—long title—that's us working closely with local government, co-chairing with the leader of Monmouthshire council, and, in fact, there are invitations to both Dame Angela Eagle and Lord Khan to those meetings, from the UK Government, and policing and third sector colleagues are also at those meetings. So, that's a strategic leadership approach. Also, of course, local authorities have got cabinet members responsible for community cohesion, who I meet. There's very much a crossover with equality issues as well.</p>
<p>But in terms of UK Government, I think I've covered the point that I'm very keen to look at an alternative to the private sector. If we take a leadership role in supporting that as a Welsh Government, that is a really key sign of where we want to take more responsibility. It's not devolved, but it's one of those areas where we're delivering. It's actually all about integration from day one, and a nation of sanctuary. I hope, in terms of the evidence you've had, it did appear that, in the reviews of what happened in Southport, there was acknowledgement about our consistency with community cohesion support, and also our commitment to a nation of sanctuary. People said that to me in the summer. You don't want to gloss over the deep discomfort and experiences of racism that people had in the summer, but we're sticking to those values.</p>