Rochdale Grooming Gang: Offender Deportation

Lord Harris of Haringey Excerpts

Wednesday 8th July 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab)]

I told the noble Baroness yesterday, but will repeat it today, that those who are convicted of serious offences will not be considered under the early release scheme. I could not have been clearer yesterday and cannot be clearer today. The early release scheme details will be brought forward in due course. It is the intention of the Government to protect the public while dealing with a prisoner backlog in prisons, which, with due respect to the noble Baroness, lies at the door of the previous Conservative Government.

[Lord Harris of Haringey (Lab)]

My Lords, the noble Baroness, Lady Doocey, talked about lessons learned from the original case, but are there lessons to be learned about the release process and the way in which this individual’s immigration status was flagged up to the authorities at an early stage? I have the impression that the Government were slightly blindsided by this case. Frankly, that should not have been the case. It should have been clear earlier on from the file which no doubt follows the individual around the prison system.