Brexit: Crime Prevention

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Cormack

Thursday 30th March 2017 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

The noble Lord is quite right in the sense that the Prime Minister put these aspects of the negotiation right at the forefront. I have been in debates in the last few weeks talking about this co-operation. The fact that we have been world leaders in those areas is so important as we go forward, but of course it is all part of a whole deal, bearing in mind the context in which we operate.

[Lord Cormack (Con)]

My Lords, to reinforce what the noble Lord, Lord Blair, just said, would my noble friend agree that as we begin this long and difficult process, intemperate remarks are hardly helpful?

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

It depends which intemperate remarks my noble friend is referring to, but yes, I think we all have to be very careful about what we say.

Terrorist Attack: Response

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Cormack

Thursday 23rd February 2017 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

As I said in my initial Answer, the Government welcome the work that citizenAID does. As the noble Lord said, it is made up of military and civilian doctors and gives very good advice on what the public can do, once they are safe, to help other people. I understand it has an app, which is readily available. In terms of PSHE, schools can decide in their areas what is important and a priority. For example, schools in rural Sussex may make decisions which are different from those made by schools in central London about what is important for their children in the lives they lead. We leave it up to schools. The Government certainly welcome the work that citizenAID is doing.

[Lord Cormack (Con)]

My Lords, in expressing the hope that the police will become even more involved, would it be appropriate for us to send congratulations and good wishes to Cressida Dick on her appointment?

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, I am certainly very happy to send congratulations to Cressida Dick. I do not think I am the first Minister to do so, but perhaps I am the first Minister in your Lordships’ House to do so. It is a very good appointment, and, of course, she is the first female Metropolitan Police Commissioner.

Child Refugees

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Cormack

Thursday 9th February 2017 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

Noble Lords might rubbish that but the capacity of local authorities is limited. We have relied on their good will. It has been an entirely voluntary approach from local authorities, and of course I encourage more local authorities that think that they might have places to come forward. I refer noble Lords to what this Government have done. Up to September 2016 we have provided in this country refuge or other forms of leave for more than 8,000 children. I am very proud of that.

[Lord Cormack (Con)]

Will my noble friend accept that the concern that has been expressed this morning is not confined to the other side of the House?

[Noble Lords]

Answer it!

Passport Applications: Digitisation

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Cormack

Wednesday 18th January 2017 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, the current service, which has been in place since April last year, is available only to adults over the age of 26 who have previously held a British passport. That is where the rigour is in the new process.

[Lord Cormack (Con)]

My Lords, what is the difference between a dodgy selfie and a genuine selfie?

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, a dodgy selfie is one that does not meet the rigorous requirements of a passport photo.

Stalking and Domestic Violence

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Cormack

Thursday 24th November 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, the number of stalking and harassment referrals by the police to the Crown Prosecution Service in 2015 was almost 13,000. There were 1,102 prosecutions under the new stalking offences. These new laws need to have time to bed in. At this point the system appears to be working well.

[Lord Cormack (Con)]

My Lords, will my noble friend suggest to the Home Secretary that it would be a good idea to look at the maximum sentence? There seems to be fairly general agreement that it is too low. Why will the Government not at least discuss this matter?

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

These offences, in particular the stalking offences, are relatively new. As I said, the Government keep legislation under review all the time. We will look at it if there is evidence that it needs to be changed.

Crime: Illegal Arms

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Cormack

Monday 21st November 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, I can confirm to the noble Lord that we intend to keep up and enhance our joint working capabilities at the border and between member states, both during our membership of the EU and afterwards.

[Lord Cormack (Con)]

How many of these dogs are there and can they swim?

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

Dogs are generally very good swimmers, my Lords. I will get the exact figures for my noble friend of how many dogs are used on any given day—perhaps today.

Operation Midland

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Cormack

Wednesday 9th November 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, it is the view of the Government that there should be a presumption of pre-charge anonymity, unless it is for victims who previously felt unable to come forward to do so. I must stress that victims’ groups are very supportive of some situations where it is right that names are released.

[Lord Cormack (Con)]

Was Lord Bramall given a copy of this report prior to publication in full? Two Members of your Lordships’ House, one tragically dead, the other still alive, have been traduced in the most vile and improper way. The reputation of a former Prime Minister has been trashed. A former Member of Parliament, who was certainly not guilty of the appalling things with which he was charged, has also had his life ruined. We must, I suggest to your Lordships and my noble friend, have a further debate on this. Can we please have copies of the report in the Library before we have such a debate?

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, there will be a debate later today, if my noble friend would care to sit through the Committee stage of the Policing and Crime Bill. My noble friend and I do not disagree that there should be a presumption of anonymity, but it is important, in certain cases, for the police to be able to release names. The publication arrangements for the report are, as I have said, a matter for the commissioner to decide on.

Brexit: EU Citizens

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Cormack

Monday 24th October 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, there will obviously be a huge process of negotiation with the EU as we exit it, and we cannot give exact timescales or running commentaries on negotiations.

[Lord Cormack (Con)]

My Lords, would not my noble friend at least agree that there is sometimes merit in leading by example?

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

There certainly is merit in leading by example, but there is definitely a disbenefit in showing your hand too soon.

France: Dublin Regulation

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Cormack

Monday 10th October 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

The noble Baroness is right—the situation is absolutely terrible. As I said earlier, we are working with the UNHCR, UNICEF, NGOs and the Government to ensure that the process is speeded up. As I said, the Home Secretary is today meeting with Bernard Cazeneuve.

[Lord Cormack (Con)]

My Lords, do not the Answers to both this Question and the last one indicate that it is time the Home Office had as its motto “Action this day”, not “Festina lente”?

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, that is what I have, I hope, been explaining that the Home Office is in fact doing.

Homelessness: Rough Sleeping

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Cormack

Monday 7th March 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, as the noble Lord will know, we do not focus particularly on targets but on initiatives that will help reverse some of the trends that we are seeing. Nobody is denying that homelessness and rough sleeping are a problem, which is why we have protected and maintained central and local funding to deal with it, as well as the Homelessness Change programme which I have spoken about.

[Lord Cormack (Con)]

My Lords, has any study been done to find out how many of these rough sleepers are under the age of 30 or over the age of 60, for instance? How many were born in this country, and are there many immigrants?

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

I do not have any information about how many rough sleepers are over 60 or under 30 but if such information exists, I will get it to my noble friends. Statistics have been put out in the press showing that one in five rough sleepers is a migrant. I will look at government figures to see whether that can be confirmed.

Flooding: Relief Effort

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Cormack

Monday 25th January 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, the Prime Minister also said that we are going to have a complete review of how we mitigate flooding because the floods, both Desmond and Eva—and hopefully not Jonas—have seen unprecedented patterns in terms of both the strength of the rainfall and the destruction done. Therefore, there is going to be a complete review of how we actually manage flooding as well as the flow of water that we talked about in this House last week.

[Lord Cormack (Con)]

My Lords, what exactly does a flooding envoy do? Does he work with the usual channels?

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

Boom, boom, my Lords. He acts as a co-ordinator of what is being done and if anything in addition needs to be done in supporting those areas in managing the relief operation.

Living with Difference

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Cormack

Monday 18th January 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, while this is not an official report, I can certainly say that from my own department’s point of view, and certainly from my personal point of view, there are very good examples of schools—particularly faith schools—that do much to foster understanding and relationships between other faiths. I am sure there may also be examples where schools could do that better.

[Lord Cormack (Con)]

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for her comments about faith schools and for reinforcing the point that this report, welcome as it is as a contribution to debate, is not an official report. The Government have no obligation to respond to it, and many people feel that it does not have the balance entirely right.

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

I thank my noble friend for that comment. He is right; it is not an official report but I have undertaken to meet the noble and learned Baroness, Lady Butler-Sloss, and officials to discuss it. However, the noble Lord is absolutely right that it is not an official report.

Fire and Rescue Service: Thomas Review

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Cormack

Monday 11th January 2016 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, I have visited Bury, Salford and Rochdale over the Christmas period so it is unfair to say that noble Lords on these Benches have not shown an interest— and I am from Trafford. In addition—by sheer good fortune I was in the west of Scotland last week and missed the east coast flooding—I know that communities, local authorities and faith ministries have all pulled together just as they have in England. The community response has been humbling and I commend everyone who has played their part in the clean-up operation.

[Lord Cormack (Con)]

Will my noble friend remind the noble Lord, Lord Foulkes, that care and concern is not the monopoly of any group within this House?

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My noble friend is absolutely right.

Devolution: England

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Cormack

Wednesday 2nd December 2015 Lords Chamber

[Lord Cormack (Con)]

My Lords, is my noble friend aware that, as one of those who voted against having a directly elected mayor in London in the referendum, every time I get into my car I wonder whether I was not right?

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

I think others might disagree with my noble friend.

Housing Associations: Right to Buy

Debate between Baroness Williams of Trafford and Lord Cormack

Tuesday 9th June 2015 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, the Government can go on their record on this, which is that under the coalition Government more council homes were built than in the previous 13 years. Also, if the new revitalised scheme does not yield that one-for-one replacement within a three-year period—the one-in-10 figure is actually quite misleading, because we are only at the end of the first three-year period of the first council home sold—the HCA will take on those properties and sell them.

[Lord Cormack (Con)]

My Lords, how are we going to increase the supply of affordable housing, which is desperately needed, by selling some of the most affordable houses at very great discounts?

[Baroness Williams of Trafford]

My Lords, when affordable houses are sold, the discount to date is then refunded back to the housing association by the Government. As for replacing affordable with affordable, that capital receipt allows a new similar home to be built.