Romanian and Bulgarian Accession Debate

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Department: Home Office

Romanian and Bulgarian Accession

Peter Bone Excerpts
Wednesday 27th November 2013

(10 years, 12 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Baroness May of Maidenhead Portrait Mrs May
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I recognise the issue that the hon. Lady has raised. If recruitment agencies were attempting to recruit only from certain countries, such as Romania and Bulgaria, that would be discriminatory and against the law. The Minister for Immigration is taking that matter up with the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which is the relevant enforcement body.

Peter Bone Portrait Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough) (Con)
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The only way for the Home Secretary to deal with the problem of thousands of people coming to this country from Romania and Bulgaria is to extend the transitional arrangements, and it would be perfectly legal for her to do so. My private Member’s Bill, which has its Second Reading this Friday, would do exactly that, and by the end of a five-year extension, the referendum would have taken place. I urge my right hon. Friend to be here on Friday if she can, and to support my Bill.

Baroness May of Maidenhead Portrait Mrs May
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I should make it clear to my hon. Friend that when he sees me here on Friday, it might have something to do with another private Members’ Bill that is being debated on that day. It is an important Bill that will put in place the legislation on the EU referendum, which we are clear that we should have.