Abu Qatada Debate

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Department: Home Office

Abu Qatada

Thomas Docherty Excerpts
Thursday 19th April 2012

(12 years, 7 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Baroness May of Maidenhead Portrait Mrs May
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My hon. Friend has put it extremely well. I suggest that those who are trying to make that claim listen to him carefully.

Thomas Docherty Portrait Thomas Docherty (Dunfermline and West Fife) (Lab)
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When the Home Secretary came to the House on Tuesday, was she aware that there was a different opinion from hers about the deadline?

Baroness May of Maidenhead Portrait Mrs May
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As has been made clear to the House, the BBC was making claims about the deadline at that time. The Government have been absolutely clear that the deadline was 16 April. As I have tried to explain to the House today, the Government have also been absolutely clear that the decision as to what the deadline was and whether an application for referral can be accepted—and whether it is within the deadline or whether it can be accepted outside the deadline at the discretion of the European Court—is a matter only for the panel of the Grand Chamber of the European Court. It is the arbiter of this—nobody else.