Small Boat Deaths: Cranston Inquiry Report

Lord Bellingham Excerpts

Wednesday 25th March 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)]

The Cranston report makes a number of recommendations. The actions to be taken my department in order to get the best possible outcome must consider all the recommendations together, so I am not going to mention any one particular action at this moment in time. However, the department is committed to taking serious note of everything Sir Ross said and to answering all the points made by him, both in the interim report and thereafter.

[Lord Bellingham (Con)]

My Lords, since 2024, the Government have given the French gendarmerie £500 million plus. Does the Minister feel that the French have done enough to make good use of that money?

[Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)]

I am not going to comment on the actions of our near neighbour. There is more collaboration now than there was. The number of boats that arrived last year, in 2025, was half that in 2022. We need to get on with them sufficiently for both sides to deal with this problem together.