Immigration: Skilled Migrants from Commonwealth Countries

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Fowler

Monday 19th April 2021 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

My Lords, I would share my noble friend’s concern if people were to fall through an imperfect net. We must not conflate them with the Windrush generation, who were genuinely and rightfully here and to whom we owe a debt of gratitude. The people we are talking about have falsified earnings in order to come to this country.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, I regret that the time allowed for this Question has elapsed. [Interruption. Excuse me—Members should not leave when I am standing up.

Undercover Policing Inquiry

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Fowler

Wednesday 14th April 2021 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

If the Home Office is asked for files that it has, it would most certainly have to provide them to the inquiry.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, all supplementary questions have been asked, and we now move to the fourth Oral Question.

Operation Midland

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Fowler

Thursday 11th February 2021 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

My Lords, it depends which promotions the noble Lord is talking about, but recruitment within the police is done by the police; recruitment of the commissioner, as I said, is done by the Home Secretary in conjunction with the Mayor of London.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Private Notice Question has passed.

Refugees: Napier Barracks

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Fowler

Thursday 11th February 2021 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

I think I have probably answered the noble Baroness’s question but, absolutely, there has been additional demand on the system, and we have accommodated it. However, to go back to what the noble Lord, Lord Kerr, said, we need to process those claims as and when it is safe to do so and either grant people asylum or return them to their country of origin.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed and we now move to the Private Notice Question.

EU-UK Joint Political Declaration on Asylum and Returns

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Fowler

Thursday 28th January 2021 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

Countries that behave in the way that the noble Lord has outlined clearly do not have regard for the well-being or humanity of their people. I think he will be satisfied by the fact that we will take a whole-of-world approach to resettlement and that asylum will be based on people’s need for our protection, as opposed to where they have come from.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed. We now come to the third Oral Question.

Extradition Arrangements: European Union Member States

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Fowler

Wednesday 13th January 2021 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

The noble Baroness will know that we are against the death penalty in all cases. I have talked about some of the fundamental rights and that may or may not be included in them, but we are against the death penalty. The noble Baroness is talking about the EU; it is important that people are brought to justice but it is also important that their fundamental rights are upheld.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, all supplementary questions have been asked on this Question, which shows that it can be done with sensible discipline.

Law Enforcement: Brexit Impacts

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Fowler

Wednesday 6th January 2021 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

My noble friend is absolutely right to point that out, and I think it will have been foremost in the minds of negotiators, both here and in Ireland. We do not want to go back to those days, and it is very important that arrangements are in place that allow for criminals and terrorists to be dealt with swiftly and efficiently.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed, which brings us to the end of Question Time.

Security Co-operation

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Fowler

Wednesday 2nd December 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

I can only admire the noble Lord’s ability to get about seven questions in his one question. Going back to SIS II, which we spoke about earlier, the Commission has stated its view that it is not legally possible for us, as a non-Schengen country, to co-operate through SIS II. As set out in the UK’s published approach to negotiations, we believe an agreement should provide for the fast and effective exchange of criminal records data between the UK and EU individual member states.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, I do not admire the noble Lord’s ability to get more than two questions in, because that is meant to be the requirement of Question Time. We now come to the fourth Oral Question.

Children: Online Grooming

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Fowler

Wednesday 2nd December 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

I certainly look forward to having those discussions with parliamentarians in your Lordships’ House, many of whom have such expertise in this area.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed. We now come to the third Oral Question.

Covid-19: Domestic Abuse of Older People

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Fowler

Tuesday 1st December 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

The noble Baroness makes a valid point, and I would be interested to see the outcome of that analysis. In working together, we can help alleviate some of the problems older people are facing in this area.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed. We now come to the fourth Oral Question.

LGBT Community: Domestic Abuse

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Fowler

Tuesday 24th November 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

I absolutely recognise the noble Baroness’s point about the barriers to accessing services, which are many and varied. I also acknowledge that in passing the Domestic Abuse Bill we will be complying with the Istanbul convention.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed. We now come to the fourth Oral Question.

Hate Crime: Misogyny

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Fowler

Monday 23rd November 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

I am aware that such an amendment may come forward to your Lordships’ House; the debate on it will be very interesting and thoughtful, as debates on such amendments always are. I look forward to discussing it with the noble Baroness before the Domestic Abuse Bill comes to your Lordships’ House.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, all supplementary questions have been asked. We will now move on to the next Oral Question.

Migrant Women: Domestic Abuse

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Fowler

Monday 23rd November 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

As a matter of course during the Covid pandemic, if someone is a victim of domestic violence, they are effectively supported as such first and foremost, before any other considerations are taken into account. Certainly, “no recourse to public funds” change of conditions grants have been 89% successful. I do not take away from what the noble Lord says at all, because he is asking whether we can help these people as victims of domestic violence first and foremost.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed and it brings Question Time to an end.

Domestic Abuse: Protection of Victims

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Fowler

Tuesday 27th October 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

What is important is that local providers of accommodation-based services are the people who are best placed to do the risk assessment when people are going into their accommodation. It has become a very volatile conversation and I would be very pleased, at a slow time, to have a conversation with the noble Lord on this issue.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed.

Project for the Registration of Children as British Citizens v Home Office

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Fowler

Monday 19th October 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

On Report, I promised to meet with noble Lords. I called it “task and finish”, but I am still thinking of the best way to set that up. And yes, I would like to report some of the findings of that discussion to your Lordships’ House.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed. We now come to the third Oral Question.

Lightweight Polyethylene Chest Plates

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Fowler

Wednesday 30th September 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

My Lords, I do not think that anyone could disagree with the noble Lord’s point. I have said that these things are routinely tested. I will find the exact date when they were last tested. The DSTL does not believe that the Mail on Sunday tests demonstrate a weakness in the equipment that it has approved.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, all supplementary questions have been asked.

Emergency Services Network

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Fowler

Thursday 24th September 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

I will respond to the areas raised by the noble Viscount that pertain to the Home Office and are linked to DCMS. Clearly, in January, the government restrictions on the use of Huawei equipment introduced the restrictions in 5G and FTTP networks. We expect the decision to be brought into law by the forthcoming telecoms security Bill.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

I call Lord Desai. No? We will move on. I call the noble Lord, Lord Paddick.

[Lord Paddick (LD)]

My Lords, this new emergency service network will operate on old 4G technology, and current estimates are that it will cost £33,000 per user. We learned from the King’s Cross fire and the 7/7 terrorist attacks the importance of this network working on the London Underground but, to date, it does not—even though my own iPhone does. How and when will this be resolved?

--- Later in debate ---

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

What is important with the infrastructure to which the Huawei systems relate is where security lies in terms of national security and, going forward, the security of people’s devices and that sort of thing.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, all supplementary questions have been asked, and we now move to the next Question.

Digital Evidence

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Fowler

Monday 7th September 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford (Con)]

I cannot stand at the Dispatch Box and say that there is clear evidence. I am saying here that the Government are doing a number of things across a number of areas to make it easier for people to come forward, to be listened to, and for evidence to be gathered in a proportionate and non-intrusive way. Digital extraction is one part of that, but we would not want that to impede a woman’s—or man’s—willingness to come forward.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed, and that brings Question Time to an end.

Hong Kong British National (Overseas) Visa

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Fowler

Wednesday 29th July 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, I think I explained at the beginning that this offer reflects the unique and unprecedented circumstances in Hong Kong and the UK’s historic and moral commitment to BNO citizens. It is outside the normal immigration legislation that we have in place.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed.

Domestic Abuse

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Fowler

Wednesday 29th July 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

I am not sure that there is a question to answer. I agree with my noble friend, and the reason that she got in is because the Minister was so quick at answering the questions.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

I congratulate them both. We now come to the fourth Oral Question, from the noble Lord, Lord Balfe.

Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Fowler

Monday 22nd June 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

The noble Lord mentioned something that is very much a concern at this point in time and has been in recent years as well. It is not for me, or indeed the Government, to tell IICSA what it must look into. In the main, it has been looking into institutional failures and problems in institutional settings. But I am sure that it will look into the appropriate issues at the right time.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time has now elapsed for this Oral Question.

Child Sex Predators

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Fowler

Thursday 4th June 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

The delays are regrettable. We will come forward with the online harms Bill as soon as we possibly can.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

Lord Morris of Aberavon. Lord Morris? Baroness Walmsley.

--- Later in debate ---

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

When I gave evidence to HASC the other week with Caroline Dinenage, she committed towards having it before the end of the year.

[The Lord Speaker]

My Lords, we have come to the end of the third Question.

National Asylum Support Service

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Fowler

Wednesday 6th May 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

I did not confirm that, but I am very happy to have a virtual meeting with the noble Baroness. On healthcare, as I said earlier, all asylum accommodation providers continue to provide translated public health guidance, which is available in 12 languages, and instructions to service users. Nobody, whether an asylum seeker or not, need worry that healthcare will not be available to them.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, the time allowed for this Question has now elapsed. We now come to the second Oral Question.

Domestic Violence

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Fowler

Tuesday 5th May 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

The noble Baroness hits on a point that will be at the heart of what happens not only during the coronavirus pandemic period but as we come out of it. We have put in £5 million of additional funding for mental health charities to support adults and children who are struggling with their mental well-being at this time. NHS England and NHS Improvement have instructed all NHS mental health trusts to establish mental health crisis lines that are clearly accessible from the trusts’ websites.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

I call the noble Baroness, Lady Burt of Solihull.

--- Later in debate ---

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, I did not denounce the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Kennedy; I pointed out some of the unintended consequences of stirring up tensions when a household might already be in a very tense situation. I by no means dismiss the noble Lord’s point.

[The Lord Speaker]

I regret that the time allowed for this Question has elapsed.

Policing: Covid-19 Guidance and Legislation

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Fowler

Tuesday 5th May 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

I hope the noble Lord will be comforted by the fact that every single day I join the Home Secretary on operational calls to not only the Met police but other law enforcement agencies. We also speak each day to a regional lead. I hope this will reassure him that we are doing just that and that we remain engaged with local law enforcement as we go through a very difficult process.

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

My Lords, I regret that the time allowed for this Question has elapsed. If we can keep the questions and answers a little shorter, we will be able to get more questioners in.

India: Scam Call Centres

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Fowler

Tuesday 21st April 2020 Lords Chamber

[Lord Naseby (Con)]

Is the Minister aware that I have lived, worked and visited India, and I know both good and rogue call centres there? The BBC recently exposed call centres that target UK elderly people, saying that their computer is frozen and giving them a phone number for technical support that will unfreeze it in return for payment. These are vulnerable people who are currently in self-isolation. They are elderly people with no family support and are worried stiff that they will lose their only means of visual communication, so they pay up. Will the Minister urgently link up with the City of London Police fraud action force and the National Crime Agency to put real pressure on the Indian Central Bureau of Investigation to act on this matter?

[The Lord Speaker (Lord Fowler)]

Minister. I was going to add “Baroness Williams of Trafford”, because I did not introduce you the first time.

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

That is quite all right, Lord Speaker.

I thank my noble friend for that question. He raises a very pertinent point, and I myself have had representation from older people who are worried about scams. As regards our work with India and the Indian Government, my noble friend mentioned the City of London Police, which, as I said, is the lead force for economic crime and has partnered with law enforcement and industry to combat call centre fraud from India and other jurisdictions. It has, for example, partnered with Microsoft, which has led industry efforts to combat this kind of fraud, and as a consequence of that partnership the City of London Police has supported Microsoft in the initiation of a number of enforcement actions, the most recent of which occurred in the Kolkata region. Obviously, things that happen overseas are a matter for the overseas authorities. Moreover, this type of fraud is global, and quite often you cannot trace where it originated.

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, I know that law enforcement agencies are working extremely hard. In fact, every day I am on operational calls with various law enforcement agencies, and my mother was targeted by exactly the same scam last week. The FCA has conducted the ScamSmart campaign to raise awareness of this type of thing, particular pension and investment scams.

[The Lord Speaker]

The noble Baroness, Lady Neville-Rolfe, has the next supplementary question. She is not here.

[Baroness Crawley (Lab)]

Thank you, Lord Speaker, and well done to everyone for getting us to this point. Given the rise in Covid-related fraud and scams in the UK, where we know unscrupulous criminals are exploiting fears about the virus in order to prey on older and vulnerable people, as the noble Lord, Lord Naseby, said, what are the Government doing to ensure that local government capacity, especially in trading standards departments, is fit for purpose, and what direct enforcement action has the Competition and Markets Authority taken in respect of companies breaking the law?

--- Later in debate ---

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, I am sorry; I am looking for the appropriate bit in my notes but cannot find it. The noble Baroness raised a very important point. Particularly at this time, when people are feeling vulnerable, it is really pertinent to raise that point. Obviously I am not in the pensions department, but I will take that point back and alert my colleague, my noble friend Lady Stedman-Scott, to it.

[The Lord Speaker]

My Lords, I fear that, again, the time allowed for this Question has elapsed, so we will have to move on, with apologies to those who have not been able to ask their question. We come to the fourth Oral Question, which is from the noble Lord, Lord Foulkes of Cumnock.