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Written Question
Immigration: EU Nationals
Tuesday 10th January 2017

Asked by: Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many EU nationals in the United Kingdom have obtained the right to permanent residency; and how many applications for permanent residency are pending.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)

EU nationals who have lived continuously and lawfully in the UK for at least 5 years automatically acquire a permanent right to reside under EU law. They can if they wish apply for documentation to confirm this right but there is no obligation nor requirement to do so. Statistics on grants of Documents Certifying Permanent Residence issued to EEA nationals are published quarterly in table ee_02_q of Immigration Statistics, which has been attached to this response.

Written Question
Hate Crime: EU Nationals
Thursday 22nd December 2016

Asked by: Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to counter xenophobia towards European Union nationals.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)

We have been working with the police at national and regional levels to monitor hate crime since the EU Referendum and to ensure that local forces have the necessary assistance and guidance to respond.

Police forces are responding robustly to recent incidents, and victims can be reassured that their concerns about hate crime will be taken seriously by the police and courts.

On 26 July we published the cross-Government Hate Crime Action plan which includes actions to drive down hate crime across all communities, including £2.4million for security at places of worship and £300,000 funding for community groups who wish to start innovative projects. We have allocated some of that funding to a project which will support Polish and Romanian nationals dealing with hate crime incidents in London.

Ministers and officials have also met Ambassadors and High Commissioners from all EU states and offered reassurance and a single point of contact for them to raise concerns over hate crime on behalf of their citizens. We have also given advice to embassies on practical steps they can take to help their citizens and we continue to work closely with them on this issue.

Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 12 Dec 2016
Policing and Crime Bill

"My Lords, like the noble Lord, Lord Pannick, I was not intending to take part in this debate. However, with his great skill as an advocate, he has persuaded me to support my noble friend Lord Paddick’s amendment. I want to try to explain why. The main reason is that …..."
Lord Lester of Herne Hill - View Speech

View all Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Policing and Crime Bill
Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 12 Dec 2016
Policing and Crime Bill

"The Minister acknowledges that there is a problem and that there have been cases of monstrous injustice to individuals. Several of us have asked whether the Government will go forward, not backwards, with some alternative to either of these amendments. Can she tell us precisely what she proposes to do, …..."
Lord Lester of Herne Hill - View Speech

View all Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Policing and Crime Bill
Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 26 Oct 2016
Prevent Strategy

"

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to set up an independent inquiry to evaluate the operation of their Prevent strategy...."
Lord Lester of Herne Hill - View Speech

View all Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Prevent Strategy
Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 26 Oct 2016
Prevent Strategy

"My Lords, I think that what the Minister said was no, the Government have no intention of supporting an independent inquiry. Am I right in that? Could I also ask her whether she is aware that my Question is being asked not just by me but by two Independent Reviewers …..."
Lord Lester of Herne Hill - View Speech

View all Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Prevent Strategy
Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 27 Jun 2016
Investigatory Powers Bill

"I, too, like the noble Lord, Lord West of Spithead, and others, welcome this Bill as a significant step towards providing a much-needed clear and transparent basis for the investigatory powers used by the security and intelligence services and law enforcement authorities. I also welcome the safeguards that it contains, …..."
Lord Lester of Herne Hill - View Speech

View all Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Investigatory Powers Bill
Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 27 Jun 2016
Investigatory Powers Bill

"I apologise to the noble Lord and the whole House for the hurt I have caused him by suggesting that I trust David Anderson more than anybody else. I trust the noble Lord, Lord Butler of Brockwell, almost as much...."
Lord Lester of Herne Hill - View Speech

View all Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Investigatory Powers Bill
Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 27 Jun 2016
Investigatory Powers Bill

"I am grateful for what the Minister has just said, but will the Government consider, as David Anderson has suggested, that there should be a commission endowed with the kind of powers that he has recommended?..."
Lord Lester of Herne Hill - View Speech

View all Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Investigatory Powers Bill
Written Question
Carer's Allowance
Friday 24th June 2016

Asked by: Lord Lester of Herne Hill (Non-affiliated - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 3 June (HL311), whether one of the ideologies they are directly challenging is Wahhabism.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The Counter-Extremism Strategy set outs our approach to tackling extremist ideologies. We will challenge all those groups or individuals who vocally or actively oppose our fundamental values, who seek to promote, encourage and spread intolerance of individuals of different faith and beliefs. We are clear that this approach tackles all forms of extremism: violent and non violent, Islamist and neo-Nazi.