Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Damian Green and Lord Stunell

Monday 7th July 2014 Commons Chamber

[Damian Green]

The hon. Lady makes a reasonable point, because clearly registered intermediaries do a good job. I will look at the details of what she says the NCA is saying, because the system does not appear to be working badly. I will certainly look at any details she may care to provide me with.

[Sir Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove) (LD)]

Does the Home Secretary agree that essential to restoring the public’s confidence in the immigration system is not just counting people into the UK, but counting them out of the UK? What progress is being made on that?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Damian Green and Lord Stunell

Tuesday 5th February 2013 Commons Chamber

[Damian Green]

I can assure my hon. Friend that we are monitoring this closely, because it is possible that displacement squatting, as it were, is happening. We are in the early stages of collecting evidence. If he has specific examples from his own constituency of squatters occupying non-residential buildings, we will look at it very carefully, because squatting is a damaging offence.

[Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove) (LD)]

12. What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of alternatives to short-term prison sentences.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Damian Green and Lord Stunell

Monday 7th January 2013 Commons Chamber

[The Minister for Policing and Criminal Justice (Damian Green)]

No, I do not think that, and nor does anyone who has investigated the riots.

I want to make an overall point about policing in London, which is extremely difficult but hugely important not just to Londoners, but to the whole country. In this time of financial stringency, the reason for which the hon. Gentleman will understand —it is because of what his Government did—recorded crime in the Metropolitan police area over the past 12 months was down by 3%. London is becoming safer. I wish that Opposition Members who have raised this matter a lot would look at the facts of what is happening on our streets—they are becoming safer.

[Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove) (LD)]

T7. The accident and emergency unit at my local Stepping Hill hospital has had an 11% spike in admissions, much of it, sadly, driven by the misuse of alcohol. The Government’s alcohol strategy is very welcome, but will the Minister assure the House that the current consultation will not simply be used to kick things into the long grass? We need serious action quickly.

[Damian Green]

I am grateful to my right hon. Friend for raising this important issue. Alcohol-related harm costs the country about £21 billion a year. Absolutely the alcohol strategy is not designed to delay anything. As he knows, it sets out a range of measures to tackle binge drinking, to cut alcohol-fuelled violence and disorder and to reduce the number of people drinking at damaging levels. Just as the Government overhauled the Licensing Act 2003 to give local authorities the tools they needed to tackle alcohol-related crime and disorder, so we will take further measures as and when necessary.