Health and Social Care

Debate between Nadine Dorries and Kevin Barron

Monday 13th May 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Barron]

It was not a Government report but a Select Committee report, and I do not remember it, quite frankly.

Community cohesion is important and has been important in this country for centuries—not just since we joined the European economic area or the EU expanded to 27 countries, with people having the right to come and work here, as indeed we have the right to go out and work in other EEA countries. A lot of this debate is distasteful and is not the truth. In a recent by-election, a political party that is not represented here and I hope will not be was saying that, as of January next year, probably nearly half the population of Bulgaria will come and work in this country. That is nonsense, and neither Back Benchers nor Front Benchers should have a knee-jerk reaction to that type of debate. We should have sensible debates about what immigration does or does not do in this country.

[Nadine Dorries]

Can the right hon. Gentleman provide evidence for his numbers? Can he tell us how he knows what the numbers will be? Can he quote from some extensive research that proves this?

[Mr Barron]

I was quoting from the rhetoric put into the daily press during the Eastleigh by-election. I think the figure given was that about 3 million Bulgarians will be coming to this country—

[Nadine Dorries]

How does the right hon. Gentleman know that that is not the figure?

[Mr Barron]

If the hon. Lady will keep quiet, I can tell her that that was what was said, but there are fewer than 8 million Bulgarians living out there. Many Bulgarians have been living and working in this country for many years, because they met criteria outwith the criteria laid down when Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU. The whole debate is disgraceful, and we should get it into some perspective.