Informal European Council Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Informal European Council

Charlie Elphicke Excerpts
Monday 6th February 2017

(7 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Baroness May of Maidenhead Portrait The Prime Minister
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I have made it clear in a number of my responses today that it is important that the United States and Europe work together and co-operate on the many challenges that we share.

Charlie Elphicke Portrait Charlie Elphicke (Dover) (Con)
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Does my right hon. Friend not agree that, while it is welcome that the Calais Jungle was dismantled last autumn and that this country did the right thing by vulnerable children, it is very important that we work with the French to prevent the exploitation of children, target the traffickers, and, in order to ensure that the Jungle does not reappear this spring, take full action before the first tent is pitched?

Baroness May of Maidenhead Portrait The Prime Minister
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My hon. Friend is absolutely right. With his particular constituency interest, he is very aware of the issues around migrants being in the camp at Calais and the pressure that that puts on Dover, particularly when people are trying to get through to the United Kingdom. We will make every effort to work with the French Government to ensure that we do not see a return to the sort of camps that we saw last year in Calais before they were cleared.