Bill of Rights

Debate between Tom Hunt and Dominic Raab

Wednesday 22nd June 2022 Commons Chamber

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

The hon. Gentleman raises an important point, which is why I hope I can squarely give him the reassurance that we are not only remaining a state party to the convention but that it is properly enshrined in the Bill of Rights. That ought to answer all the consequential questions he raises.

[Tom Hunt (Ipswich) (Con)]

From what I can see, this very focused intervention is about making it easier to kick out rapists and people who have broken the law and to stop people arriving here illegally. The elephant in the room is border control, which the people of this country have repeatedly voted for and is bitterly opposed by the Opposition, whatever they say.

Does the Lord Chancellor agree that the Bill of Rights is so important because it will enable us to control our borders and deliver the Rwanda policy, and that it should be expedited? I do not mind doing all-nighters, and I do not mind staying up until 2 am. I think most people in this country who want border control would want this Bill of Rights because they can see how it links to that.

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

I share my hon. Friend’s restlessness to proceed with all due speed, because we have been talking about this for a long time. I wrote about it in a book in 2009, and it was in our 2010 manifesto. The consultation process is important, and we had a 12-week consultation on the consultation document, which included clauses. We are publishing it now, but there will be space for further scrutiny by the Joint Committee on Human Rights, the Justice Committee and others, including Lords Committees. It is important to garner cross-party support to ensure we have the scrutiny that will make our reform more robust when it enters into force.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Tom Hunt and Dominic Raab

Wednesday 16th March 2022 Commons Chamber

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

I went to Riyadh twice when I was Foreign Secretary, and I know the Prime Minister will be raising these issues again. We talked about women’s rights defenders. The hon. Gentleman says we have been ineffective, but they have all been released. We talked about Raif Badawi, the author and critic, and he was recently released.

The hon. Gentleman mentions Jamal Khashoggi, and we were one of the first to apply asset freezes and visa bans to those responsible for his murder. We are an international country, and this is Britain’s role in the 21st century, but we will never allow our moral red lines to be blurred.

[Tom Hunt (Ipswich) (Con)]

Q10.   Rousseau once said, “You may swallow the Poles, but you will never digest them.” That powerful quote says so much for how the Polish people have stood up robustly and strongly against aggression over the years and about their steadfast support right now for their close and dear allies, the Ukrainian people.Three lorries have gone from Ipswich to Lviv in support of the Ukrainian people. Will the Deputy Prime Minister outline the steps the Government are taking to support our close ally, Poland, as it takes unprecedented numbers of refugees while, of course, it has its own security concerns in relation to Russia?