Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Michael Tomlinson and Michael Fabricant(2 months, 1 week ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con)
The Minister for Countering Illegal Migration (Michael Tomlinson)
Joint working with our French partners is crucial to stopping the boats. Thanks in no small part to that joint working, small boat crossings were down by 46% last year.
Michael Fabricant
My spies tell me that my hon. and learned Friend was in France just nine days ago. Were there any lessons to be learned from the French authorities about more co-operation that can go on to stop the boats even further?
Michael Tomlinson
My hon. Friend is right: I was in France nine days ago. Even while I was there, a boat was seized, but he is right to say that more needs to be done. Personnel, equipment and technology are key to breaking the business model of the criminal gangs. Having met the new Préfet du Nord, I am in no doubt that this is a joint mission.
Draft Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023 (Consequential Amendment) Regulations 2023
Debate between Michael Tomlinson and Michael Fabricant(5 months, 1 week ago)
General CommitteesRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
The Solicitor General (Michael Tomlinson)
I beg to move,
That the Committee has considered the draft Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023 (Consequential Amendment) Regulations 2023.
What an absolute pleasure it is to see you in the Chair, riding to our rescue, Ms Vaz; it is a real pleasure to serve under your chairmanship. It may disappoint you, Ms Vaz, but I have not prepared a long speech, because this statutory instrument is short and technical. It has two paragraphs and a schedule that, although it is of some length—107 paragraphs—merely amends, in a rather technical way, each mention of “retained EU” law and inserts “assimilated law” in its place.
Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con)
I note that the explanatory memorandum states that the instrument has no
“significant…impact on business, charities or voluntary bodies”
or
“the public sector.”
As my hon. Friend has just said, all the SI does is substitute “assimilated law” for “retained EU law”. My question simply is this: what is the point?
The Solicitor General
It is an existential question: why are we here? As ever, my hon. Friend is diligent in the way that he considers such matters. He is right. The reason we are here is because the SI amends primary legislation, and whenever an SI amends primary legislation, we have to do it by way of the affirmative procedure. That is why we are here. It is still technical, so I will not delay him or the Committee any further.
The Committee will be pleased to know that the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023 emphasises the supremacy of our laws as an independent, sovereign nation. The draft regulations are part of the journey, not the complete journey. I commend them to the Committee.
Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Michael Tomlinson and Michael Fabricant(10 months ago)
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Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con)
The Solicitor General (Michael Tomlinson)
On our recent law tour, the Attorney General and I saw at first-hand the work of the Crown Prosecution Service west midlands serious violence unit. As my hon. Friend would expect, the CPS prosecutes violent crime robustly.
Michael Fabricant
As the Attorney General will know from intimate knowledge, serious violent crime is thankfully not something that Lichfield suffers very much from at all, but that is not the case in the broader west midlands. What can the CPS do to demonstrate to people in the west midlands that it will have a zero tolerance attitude and take action against serious violent crime?
The Solicitor General
The sale and use of drugs is driving serious and violent crime. Last year, for drugs offences the CPS in the west midlands had a conviction rate of over 90%. I agree with my hon. Friend’s zero tolerance approach.
Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Michael Tomlinson and Michael Fabricant(8 years, 10 months ago)
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Michael Tomlinson (Mid Dorset and North Poole) (Con)
2. What his plans are for the future of rehabilitation services for prisoners; and if he will make a statement.
Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con)
10. What his plans are for the future of rehabilitation services for prisoners; and if he will make a statement.