Results 1-20 of 1,009 for (in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates') speaker:Neil Gerrard

Probation Service (4 Nov 2009)

Neil Gerrard: This is a useful debate, given the concerns that have been expressed about probation over the past few weeks. No doubt the Minister will refer to the big increases in the probation budget in the past 10 years, and rightly so. There was a 70 per cent. increase in the budget from 1997 to 2007. That is not something that happens by chance. Budget increases of that size happen because Governments...

Sri Lanka (IDP Camps) — [Dr. William McCrea in the Chair] (28 Oct 2009)

Neil Gerrard: The debate is coming towards its end and it is difficult not to repeat some of what has been said, but, like my hon. Friend the Member for Islington, North (Jeremy Corbyn), I have been involved in issues to do with Sri Lanka since I was first elected in 1992 and I cannot remember in all that time a worse year than this for what has happened there: the fighting at the beginning of the year,...

Sri Lanka (IDP Camps) — [Dr. William McCrea in the Chair] (28 Oct 2009)

Neil Gerrard: The hon. Gentleman will have his opportunity to speak in a moment; I want to conclude. If we do not use what pressures we can with the Government of Sri Lanka—not allowing preferential trade, stopping arms sales and all the sorts of thing that we have used with other regimes—we will not see the political progress that every one of us wants. Only with that political progress will...

Oral Answers to Questions — Justice: Probation Service (21 Jul 2009) has video

Neil Gerrard: My right hon. Friend may know that over the past couple of months, probation officers from across the country have been coming to meetings in the House to discuss what is happening in their areas with hon. Members. The consistent picture has been of jobs going, including compulsory redundancies in some places, and trainee probation officers not getting jobs. Will my right hon. Friend agree to...

Bill Presented: New Clause 1 — Entitlement to British citizenship by certain citizens of the Republic of Ireland (14 Jul 2009)

Neil Gerrard: Can my hon. Friend respond to the question that I asked about what could be in the commencement order?

Bill Presented: New Clause 1 — Entitlement to British citizenship by certain citizens of the Republic of Ireland (14 Jul 2009)

Neil Gerrard: I shall address my remarks mainly to new clause 5 and amendment 8, which stand in my name, and then say a brief word about amendment 17. Let me start with new clause 5 and what happens if someone fails to fulfil the requirements for naturalisation. What happens to somebody who is in the probationary stage of citizenship but then, for whatever reason, does not fulfil the criteria for...

Bill Presented: New Clause 8 — Transfer of certain immigration judicial review applications (14 Jul 2009)

Neil Gerrard: That is very helpful, but may we also have an assurance about what information would come to the House before we were asked to make that order?

Bill Presented: New Clause 8 — Transfer of certain immigration judicial review applications (14 Jul 2009)

Neil Gerrard: I speak mainly to new clause 6 and to Government amendment 41, which will remove clause 54. Some of the Minister's opening comments were very welcome, as were his reassurances about the safeguards that will be put in place. If he did as he suggested and put into writing something that everyone could see, with examples of how he expected the safeguards to operate, that would be helpful. He...

Care Homes (Domestic Pets): Clause 17 — Rates of air passenger duty (8 Jul 2009)

Neil Gerrard: I understand that point. If a system were based on distance travelled, there would be alternative ways of charging; we could take the precise distance into account or have a banding system, for example. As I was saying, I do not believe that there will be serious administrative problems; it should not be that complicated. I am also told that there is the problem that the measure might be seen...

Care Homes (Domestic Pets): Clause 17 — Rates of air passenger duty (8 Jul 2009)

Neil Gerrard: I thank the hon. Gentleman and agree that that is the direction we should be looking towards, irrespective of whether we have a banding system.

Care Homes (Domestic Pets): Clause 17 — Rates of air passenger duty (8 Jul 2009)

Neil Gerrard: I thank my hon. Friend and agree that we should pursue this line for the future; it is ultimately where we need to be. Such an approach could also deal with the points raised about commercial flights, planes flying empty and so forth. I shall not say much more, because I do not want to keep repeating things that others have already said. There is time for the Government to think again. I am...

Care Homes (Domestic Pets): Clause 17 — Rates of air passenger duty (8 Jul 2009)

Neil Gerrard: I shall be brief as I do not want to repeat what has already been said. Like many hon. Members, I met the Prime Minister of Jamaica when he came here to raise the issue of air passenger duty, so I heard the case that he, his Tourism Minister and the Caribbean Council have made about the effects of the proposed system on the Caribbean. My hon. Friend the Member for Hackney, North and Stoke...

Care Homes (Domestic Pets): Clause 17 — Rates of air passenger duty (8 Jul 2009)

Neil Gerrard: Almost inevitably, the information is there already.

Olympics: Sonnex Case (8 Jun 2009) has video

Neil Gerrard: This was obviously an absolutely horrific crime and there were some inexcusable failings in how it was dealt with, such as failures to share information. The Secretary of State has repeatedly said that it was not a matter of resources, but he has also said that staffing levels were inadequate in that part of the probation service. How many cases was this inexperienced officer being asked to...

Bailiffs (Repeals and Amendment): Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill [ Lords] (2 Jun 2009) has video

Neil Gerrard: Will the Minister acknowledge that some people are perfectly happy to remain with the status of indefinite leave to remain? They want to live here, but they do not necessarily wish to become citizens. Some countries allow dual nationality and others do not, so some people who might face having to give up their original nationality in order to become British citizens might actually prefer to...

Bailiffs (Repeals and Amendment): Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill [ Lords] (2 Jun 2009) has video

Neil Gerrard: I am listening to what my hon. Friend is saying and I agree with all of it. Is she clear about whether the duty in the Bill, which will apply to UKBA staff, will also apply to the staff of any contractors that are performing services for the agency? I am sure that she knows that private contractors now get involved in important parts of the immigration system, including removals.

Bailiffs (Repeals and Amendment): Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill [ Lords] (2 Jun 2009) has video

Neil Gerrard: I wish to begin by saying something about part 2 and its proposals on citizenship and naturalisation. Becoming a British citizen is an important step. If someone becomes a British citizen, they gain unrestricted access to work, the ability freely to go in and out of the country, to stay away for as long as they wish, the right to vote and so on. People regard citizenship as significant. When...

Bailiffs (Repeals and Amendment): Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill [ Lords] (2 Jun 2009) has video

Neil Gerrard: I absolutely appreciate that point, but a different mechanism will apply in future when the indefinite leave status will not be granted to people. Instead, they will get citizenship, and with that they will gain permanent permission to stay. May I just say a word about something that the Home Secretary said, which I do not think any of us had heard about before—the suggestion that there...

Bailiffs (Repeals and Amendment): Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill [ Lords] (2 Jun 2009) has video

Neil Gerrard: That is a valid point. We are in danger of setting up some quite bureaucratic structures in order to try and monitor the voluntary work, if that is to be done in a meaningful way. There has been some discussion in the debate about students coming to fake colleges. I can promise my hon. Friend the Minister for Borders and Immigration that if the systems in the Bill are put in place, fake...

Bailiffs (Repeals and Amendment): Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill [ Lords] (2 Jun 2009) has video

Neil Gerrard: I hope the Government will think again about the requirement. I suspect that it will be very difficult to implement it in any meaningful way that is free from abuse and does not lead to some people, through no fault of their own, being disadvantaged because they find it difficult, as a result of their circumstances, to take part in any meaningful voluntary activity. Somebody who is working...