Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Home Office

Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Webb Excerpts
Monday 2nd June 2025

(4 days, 18 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
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Angela Eagle Portrait Dame Angela Eagle
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I am reeling at the New Labour point that the Father of the House has made. E-visas basically give us the capacity to do a similar thing, and they are easily checked, which is why, in the border security Bill, we are extending those checks to the gig and zero-hours economy.

Chris Webb Portrait Chris Webb (Blackpool South) (Lab)
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Around our asylum hotel on Blackpool seafront, we see increased illegal working in our takeaways, bars and restaurants. Will the Minister outline to my constituents how this Government are tackling that illegal working, to ensure that we have safe spaces for people in the jobs in our vital tourism industry?

Angela Eagle Portrait Dame Angela Eagle
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We are tackling illegal working by significantly increasing enforcement. That is why we have had a 40% increase in visits and a 42% increase in the number of arrests for illegal working. There are fines of £60,000 per illegal worker discovered, and those who are discovered working illegally can be arrested and put on the route to deportation.