Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Home Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Keir Starmer Excerpts
Monday 11th January 2016

(8 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Karen Bradley Portrait Karen Bradley
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My hon. Friend has great expertise in this area, particularly given his time as a Minister. He knows that I take the welfare of children extremely seriously, as does the Home Secretary. We make sure that we have the information we need to protect those children.

Keir Starmer Portrait Keir Starmer (Holborn and St Pancras) (Lab)
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I spent Friday in the camps in Calais and Dunkirk. I have seen some pretty appalling conditions in my time, including in prisons in Africa and the Caribbean, but nothing could prepare anyone for the squalor of those camps, particularly in Dunkirk. What was obvious, among other things, was that there is simply no process in place on the ground for anyone—particularly children—who is entitled to join their family in the UK. What steps are the Government taking to address that issue and to ensure that children in Calais and Dunkirk who have the right to join their families are able to do so?

Karen Bradley Portrait Karen Bradley
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The hon. and learned Gentleman knows that we work very closely with the French authorities. We are working with them to make sure that their processing is done as swiftly and efficiently as possible. I must repeat that these are camps in France. It is a sovereign country and we cannot interfere in French matters.