Business of the House Debate

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Department: Leader of the House

Business of the House

Philip Davies Excerpts
Thursday 26th May 2016

(7 years, 11 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Thérèse Coffey Portrait Dr Coffey
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The hon. Gentleman will know that blacklisting is illegal and that appropriate things can be pursued where it is shown to have happened. I suggest that he try to secure a debate in order to raise these matters in more detail, and I am sure that a Minister will respond in due course.

Philip Davies Portrait Philip Davies (Shipley) (Con)
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The Prime Minister once said that immigration had

“placed real pressures on communities up and down the country. Not just pressures on schools, housing and healthcare—though those have been serious—but social pressures too.”

Can we have a debate on how the Government’s approach to reducing immigration to the tens of thousands is going? In such a debate, we would realise that the only way to control immigration, which he wanted to do, is to leave the EU. The clue is in the title: free movement of people.

Thérèse Coffey Portrait Dr Coffey
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The Prime Minister and the Government are still committed to reducing net migration to tens of thousands. We have strengthened measures through the Immigration Act 2014. The United Kingdom has created more jobs than the rest of the European Union put together in six years, so I do not think people should be surprised if some of those jobs have attracted people in the EU to come and work here. Nevertheless, the pledge still stands, and I am sure my hon. Friend will work alongside us to make it happen.