Byron Davies: We must try to provide refugees with a more direct and safe route to the UK, avoiding the clutches of people traffickers. This point brings into sharp focus the current crisis in Europe. Tragically, the hazardous journey has cost many lives. When the Home Secretary winds up the debate, perhaps she will say whether she agrees that resettling refugees directly from the camps in the middle east,...
Byron Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether it is his policy that the science ring-fence will remain in place.
Byron Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress he has made on Action 36 of the UK Anti-Corruption Plan; and when he expects corporate criminal liability to be introduced.
Byron Davies: I am pleased to speak about this important Bill, and I look forward to taking a full and active part in scrutinising it as it continues its passage through Parliament. It is fair to say that the Bill has created much debate in all corners of British public life. From non-governmental organisations to the media, we have seen some excellent and incisive analysis of it, albeit some rather less...
Byron Davies: Good morning. I have heard what you have said in answer to the questions about what is proposed in the Bill. You have given your objections to what is in the Bill, so can I ask you what you think is the way forward to effect behavioural change? What is your answer to it?
Byron Davies: Anyone else have a view on that?
Byron Davies: Caroline, you mentioned the extent of harbouring. You talked about the Romanian case on Channel 4. What is the extent of this, and what is the evidence?
Byron Davies: Yes.
Byron Davies: What would your definition of harbouring be, out of interest?
Byron Davies: Lord Green, in response to an earlier question, you talked about an effective removal system. Could you expand on that and tell us what you think would be an effective removal system?
Byron Davies: Mr Snelling, leading on from the Minister’s questions—it is perhaps a little out of context now—on this fear about the stop and search issues, do the immigration authorities have access to the police national computer? Can they flag up on the PNC whether somebody is an illegal immigrant?
Byron Davies: I would like to ask the panel a more general question concerning a group of people who have not been mentioned yet: the great British public. Over a period of several years of knocking on doors speaking to many thousands of people, the issue of immigration has not failed to raise its head, hence the Bill before us. This issue comes up all the time. What assessment would you as a panel make of...
Byron Davies: I have sat here for two days listening to people say that so many things are wrong with the system as it is at the moment, some of them picking faults with the Bill. I understand that UNHCR, for example, thinks that discontinuing support is unlikely to encourage people to go home. I do not know whether the panel shares that view. If you can justify that, I would like to hear your comments....
Byron Davies: What is the answer to this? What is the solution?
Byron Davies: Where was this?
Byron Davies: Or to disappear.
Byron Davies: Does the hon. Lady accept that when I worked as a police officer in Romania, young ladies who wanted to come to the UK through Spain would look for a trafficker to facilitate that journey to Spain and the UK? That is trafficking, contrary to what the hon. Lady is suggesting.
Byron Davies: Lord Carlile, the former terrorism laws watchdog, has said that there has been a lot of demonisation of the police and security services over their intentions regarding this information. He also said: “I think it’s absurd to suggest that the police and the security services have a kind of casual desire to intrude on the privacy of the innocent.” Does my right hon. Friend support that view?
Byron Davies: If everybody is doing such a good job, why is the chief constable leaving after such a short time?
Byron Davies: I am delighted to be able to speak on this subject of such great importance, and to declare an interest in it. I had 32 very happy years in the Metropolitan police service as a detective serving in the counter-terrorist command and the national crime squad. Not surprisingly, this motion has some fundamental flaws in the way that Labour frames its arguments about policing. It is far too...