:00:00. > :00:00.do see a good future for UK steel and the Department of International
:00:00. > :00:00.Trade looks forward to taking part in a hollow government approach to
:00:07. > :00:11.make sure that UK steel is sold the board. Order. Urgent question.
:00:12. > :00:17.Yvette Cooper. To of the Home Secretary to make a statement on the
:00:18. > :00:27.government 's decision to close the scheme for child refugees. Secretary
:00:28. > :00:43.of State. We have pledged over ?2.3 billion in
:00:44. > :00:47.aid to the simmering conflict. It is our largest ever humanitarian
:00:48. > :00:51.response to a single crisis. The UK has contributed significantly to
:00:52. > :00:56.hosting, supporting and protecting the most vulnerable children
:00:57. > :01:00.affected by the migration crisis. In the year ending September 2016, we
:01:01. > :01:07.granted asylum or another form of leave to over 8000 children. Of the
:01:08. > :01:11.4400 individuals resettled through the Syrian vulnerable persons
:01:12. > :01:17.resettlement scheme so far, around half our children. Within Europe in
:01:18. > :01:21.2016 we transferred over 900 unaccompanied asylum seeking
:01:22. > :01:28.children to the UK. This included more than 750 from France as part of
:01:29. > :01:34.the UK's support for the Calais camp clearance and I am proud that as
:01:35. > :01:43.Home Secretary the UK tape such a key role in the closing of the camp.
:01:44. > :01:47.Yesterday the government announced that in accordance with section 67
:01:48. > :01:52.of the immigration act we will transfer the specified number of 350
:01:53. > :01:56.children pursuant to that section who reasonably meet the intention
:01:57. > :02:01.and spirit behind the provision. This number includes over 200
:02:02. > :02:04.children already transferred under section 67 from France, and I want
:02:05. > :02:10.to be absolutely clear. The scheme is not closed. As required by the
:02:11. > :02:17.legislation we have consulted with local authorities on the capacity to
:02:18. > :02:20.care for unaccompanied asylum seeking children before arriving at
:02:21. > :02:23.the number and we are grateful for the way that local authorities have
:02:24. > :02:27.stepped up to provide places for those arriving and we will continue
:02:28. > :02:32.to work closely to address capacity needs. The government has always
:02:33. > :02:36.been clear that we do not want to incentivise perilous journeys to
:02:37. > :02:39.Europe, particularly by the most vulnerable children. That is why
:02:40. > :02:45.children must have arrived in Europe before the 20th of March 2016 to be
:02:46. > :02:55.eligible under section 67 of the immigration act. The obligation was
:02:56. > :02:59.accepted on the fact that it would be based on local authority
:03:00. > :03:03.capacity. The government has a clear strategy and we believe it is the
:03:04. > :03:05.right approach. We have launched the National transfer scheme and we have
:03:06. > :03:12.increased funding for local authorities caring for unaccompanied
:03:13. > :03:17.asylum seeking children by between 20 and 20%. The government has taken
:03:18. > :03:21.steps to improve an already comprehensive approach and we are
:03:22. > :03:24.providing protection to thousands of children and I am proud of this
:03:25. > :03:28.government's active approach to helping and sheltering the most
:03:29. > :03:37.vulnerable and that is a position that will continue. Yvette Cooper.
:03:38. > :03:40.Last week the Prime Minister said, on refugees this government has a
:03:41. > :03:46.proud record of support and long may it continue. This week the
:03:47. > :03:50.government cancelled the scheme after it had been running for less
:03:51. > :03:54.than six months. She says it has a close, but will she confirm what it
:03:55. > :03:59.said in the statement yesterday that one so 350 children are here, that
:04:00. > :04:04.is it, it is close. Where does it say in the hands of debate that I
:04:05. > :04:08.have here from our debates on the amendment that we will only help
:04:09. > :04:13.lone child referees to six months? Where does it say that instead of
:04:14. > :04:17.the 3000 that Parliament debated, we will only help the tenth of that
:04:18. > :04:23.number? Where does it say that when we get the chance we will turn our
:04:24. > :04:28.backs? It doesn't because we didn't say that. The Home Secretary knows
:04:29. > :04:33.what she is doing is shameful. Not only has she shocked the programme,
:04:34. > :04:37.but she has cancelled the fast track Dublin scheme to help those with
:04:38. > :04:40.families who are here. The Home Secretary did good work in the
:04:41. > :04:44.autumn of last year and I commended her for it, to help those in Calais
:04:45. > :04:48.and make sure we could take as many children as possible, but she also
:04:49. > :04:57.knows most of those have family here already and they were entitled to be
:04:58. > :05:01.here. She said local councils can't do more. They can, but it takes
:05:02. > :05:06.time. The scheme should not be closed down and there are still many
:05:07. > :05:09.children in need of help. She knows there are thousands in Greece in
:05:10. > :05:14.overcrowded accommodation or homeless. Or in Italy, still at risk
:05:15. > :05:18.of human trafficking. On teenagers in French centres that are being
:05:19. > :05:27.closed down and have nowhere to go now. In Calais, they are heading
:05:28. > :05:34.back to the dirt and danger and back into the arms of the abuse,
:05:35. > :05:42.prostitution rings, traffickers and modern slavery, that this government
:05:43. > :05:46.has pledged to end. We note that France and this government can do
:05:47. > :05:50.better. There are a rich array teenagers here now with a better
:05:51. > :05:59.future. We can do this. Britain can do better than this. Will she do
:06:00. > :06:09.better -- will she accept that and reinstate the scheme? I repeat that
:06:10. > :06:14.the amendment in place is not close. We have done what we were meant to
:06:15. > :06:19.do and we have put a number on it. She implies it is a business of
:06:20. > :06:23.accepting children and it is about numbers. What I will respectfully
:06:24. > :06:27.say to her is that these are children who need looking after over
:06:28. > :06:33.a period. When we accept them here it is not job done. It is making
:06:34. > :06:37.sure we work with local authorities, that we have the right safeguarding
:06:38. > :06:41.in place, and that is why we engage with local authorities, why we make
:06:42. > :06:45.sure they have sufficient funds, which we have increased, to look
:06:46. > :06:53.after those young people. I completely reject her attack. The UK
:06:54. > :06:56.has strong reputation in Europe and internationally for looking after
:06:57. > :06:59.the most vulnerable. That will continue. We have a different
:07:00. > :07:03.approach to wear those most vulnerable are. We believe that they
:07:04. > :07:08.are in the region. That is why we have made a pledge to accept 3000
:07:09. > :07:12.children from the region and we are committed to delivering on that.
:07:13. > :07:17.They are the most vulnerable. I am clear that when working with my
:07:18. > :07:22.French counterparts they do not want us to indefinitely continue to
:07:23. > :07:26.accept children under the amendment because they specify, and I agree
:07:27. > :07:31.with them, that it acts as a draw, it acts as a Paul, it encourages
:07:32. > :07:35.people traffickers. I know she doesn't want that, but I would ask
:07:36. > :07:39.her to think very carefully about the approaching prefers.
:07:40. > :07:47.I am very much aware of the great shortage of resources there are. I
:07:48. > :07:51.commend the Home Secretary for the resilience she's showing. Can she
:07:52. > :07:56.assure me the Government will remain committed, not only to bringing
:07:57. > :07:59.referee children here, where appropriate, but she'll have due
:08:00. > :08:07.regard to the children we already have? We are always grateful for the
:08:08. > :08:10.work that local authorities do. We must not underestimate the
:08:11. > :08:13.difficulty there is sometimes, particularly taking children who
:08:14. > :08:16.have been through war zones, the extra work and care that they need,
:08:17. > :08:21.which we work with them to ensure they deliver. Of course, he is
:08:22. > :08:31.absolutely right. We need to make sure that children within the UK are
:08:32. > :08:38.always looked after. Last year I visited a number of referee camps in
:08:39. > :08:44.Europe. I meted with the Red Cross volunteers who were saving refugees
:08:45. > :08:50.from the sea. And they said to me that the worst thing was the
:08:51. > :08:54.children. And I think the worst thing about this Government's
:08:55. > :08:58.failure to step up to the totality of the refugee crisis is the
:08:59. > :09:01.children. In the written statement yesterday, the minister for state
:09:02. > :09:06.for immigration said, all children, not transferred to the UK are in the
:09:07. > :09:09.care of the French authorities. They may be technically the
:09:10. > :09:12.responsibility of the French authorities, but many of these
:09:13. > :09:17.children are not being cared for at all. They are sleeping on the sleep.
:09:18. > :09:24.They are sleeping in formal encampmentens and they are making
:09:25. > :09:29.their way back to Calais, Dunkirk - can the Secretary of State tell me
:09:30. > :09:35.how does a UK plan to screen and process this extra 150 children, for
:09:36. > :09:42.which country will the remaining 150 children be transferred from? What
:09:43. > :09:46.conversations has been had with the Italian and French Governments
:09:47. > :09:50.regarding taking such a small number of children? How does she live with
:09:51. > :09:54.herself, leaving thousands of people, and members opposite can
:09:55. > :10:06.jeer - how does she live with herself? Leaving thousands of
:10:07. > :10:10.children subject to disease, people trafficking, squalor and
:10:11. > :10:14.hopelessness? Mr Speaker, I share one thing with The Right Honourable
:10:15. > :10:20.lady, that it is the children that matter most and it is an absolutely
:10:21. > :10:26.disgraceful situation we have on the borders of Europe where there are so
:10:27. > :10:32.many people being trafficked over through to Italy and in the past
:10:33. > :10:35.through to Greece in order to meet their desire to come to Europe and
:10:36. > :10:41.so often find themselves in the hands of the people traffickers. It
:10:42. > :10:50.is because we care in this way that we have put together our plan to
:10:51. > :10:55.take refugees from the most vulnerable places. She doubts how
:10:56. > :10:56.the children are looked after. The many children who are most
:10:57. > :11:00.vulnerable are the ones out in the vulnerable are the ones out in the
:11:01. > :11:04.camps out in Jordan, in Lebanon, these are the runs who are really
:11:05. > :11:07.vulnerable. These are the ones that we are determined to bring over
:11:08. > :11:11.here, to give them the benefit of the safety in the UK. I would also
:11:12. > :11:15.say to The Right Honourable lady that I do speak to my European
:11:16. > :11:19.counterparts about the best way to address helping these children and
:11:20. > :11:23.helping the refugees that are now coming in such numbers to Europe and
:11:24. > :11:27.the French are very clear that they are now processing the children who
:11:28. > :11:32.have come out of the Calais camp. They want to continue to do. That
:11:33. > :11:36.but one of the things that stops the children operating with the French
:11:37. > :11:39.authorities is the hope of being taken into the amendment and coming
:11:40. > :11:42.to the UK. They are clear with us that if they are to manage those
:11:43. > :11:46.children for the best for those children, which I think is what she
:11:47. > :11:49.wants, as I want, then making it clear that that is not going to be
:11:50. > :11:55.indefinitely open is the best outcome for them.
:11:56. > :12:02.I don't doubt the sincerity of the members opposite, but when I was
:12:03. > :12:07.chairing the all party group on human trafficking this is a classic
:12:08. > :12:13.dilemma we have. And if you continue to take unaccompanied children into
:12:14. > :12:19.this country you will have more and more taken from Syria, taken across
:12:20. > :12:23.sea routes, many will die and you are feeding and encouraging human
:12:24. > :12:28.trafficking. The honourable lady is very sincere but she's is wrong. I
:12:29. > :12:33.would urge the Home Secretary to continue to take people from Syria
:12:34. > :12:39.but abandon encouraging human trafficking by taking them from
:12:40. > :12:42.Europe. I thank my honourable friend for his intervention I know he has
:12:43. > :12:47.substantial experience in this area having worked so hard on human
:12:48. > :12:51.trafficking. I recognise the point he makes that it is a dilemma. It is
:12:52. > :12:58.not always clear what the right strategy is. I would ask honourable
:12:59. > :13:01.members opposite to recognise we have an approach, sitcom passionate,
:13:02. > :13:05.they do not have a monopoly on that and we can deliver the best and we
:13:06. > :13:09.would urge them to support us on that.
:13:10. > :13:11.Mr Speaker, Mr Speaker, I am struggling to understand exactly
:13:12. > :13:17.what the Home Secretary is telling us. She says the scheme is not
:13:18. > :13:21.closed. But she seems to have specified a number of 350 and said
:13:22. > :13:26.that once the 350 are here, that will be an end of any scheme under
:13:27. > :13:30.the section. That must mean that the scheme is closed after 350 children
:13:31. > :13:34.get here. Will she clarify that? Will she appreciate if that is the
:13:35. > :13:39.case it is completely against the spirit of what was discussed in this
:13:40. > :13:43.House. I understand the pool argument, but there are thousands of
:13:44. > :13:51.children already in Europe and many of these children are unaccompanied
:13:52. > :13:56.and vulnerable. The Lord has described what was done
:13:57. > :14:02.yesterday as shabby and deceitful. It seems that the Government tried
:14:03. > :14:07.to sneak out what they knew would be an unpopular announcement when they
:14:08. > :14:17.were busy looking at the detail of the Brexit deal S this what comes of
:14:18. > :14:21.cosying up to President Trump? Well Well, I pecks ected better from the
:14:22. > :14:25.honourable and learned lady. She has not listened to the point I have
:14:26. > :14:29.made. We believe knit the interests of the children to take this view.
:14:30. > :14:33.Instead she casts assertions around. There's no attempt to hide anything.
:14:34. > :14:37.I must say, if there had, today might have been the day to put down
:14:38. > :14:42.the WMS rather than yesterday. Here I am to answer the urgent question
:14:43. > :14:46.and delighted to so to put any clarity on any misunderstanding. In
:14:47. > :14:50.terms of the right, the honourable and learned lady's first comment
:14:51. > :14:56.about the number, the scheme is still open because we still expect a
:14:57. > :14:58.transfer another 150 children. And we have Home Office representatives
:14:59. > :15:02.in Greece and in Italy making sure we can do that. But in accordance
:15:03. > :15:06.with the regulations as set out we had to put a number on it, having
:15:07. > :15:14.consulted with local authorities. That is what we've done.
:15:15. > :15:18.Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I note the Secretary of State says the
:15:19. > :15:20.scheme is not closed. I would urge the Secretary of State to respect
:15:21. > :15:25.the House when the amendment was voted that it was never expected to
:15:26. > :15:29.be closed at any point. Does she agree with me that Britain, does the
:15:30. > :15:31.Secretary of State agree that Britain should be leading the way,
:15:32. > :15:37.there should be more resources for local authorities? Will the
:15:38. > :15:41.Government please reintroduce a minister for refugees, not just
:15:42. > :15:47.Syrian refugees to show the importance we give to this 21st
:15:48. > :15:54.century problem? I know she cares as I do, as the Government does very
:15:55. > :15:58.much about this issue, which is why we have substantial combhiments to
:15:59. > :16:03.help children interest the regions to help 20,000 from Syria to come
:16:04. > :16:08.over here. We are transferring 100 people. We will continue to step up
:16:09. > :16:11.to show the world that the UK is doing the right thing by helping
:16:12. > :16:16.these families, helping these children. And I disagree with her on
:16:17. > :16:20.one thing and with some honourable ladies and gentlemen opposite, which
:16:21. > :16:23.is that I believe that at the time of the amendment it was made
:16:24. > :16:27.perfectly clear that the number needed to be set. A number would be
:16:28. > :16:31.set and we have stuck absolutely both to the letter and the sprirt of
:16:32. > :16:34.that amendment. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The Home
:16:35. > :16:40.Secretary says she's talked to the French authorities and they want to
:16:41. > :16:44.stop the scheme. Well, now there are an average 50 children every single
:16:45. > :16:50.day going back to Calais and the camps. What responsibility does the
:16:51. > :16:55.Home Secretary recognise that the policy clearly isn't working? What
:16:56. > :16:59.does she think will happen to those kids now she's closed the door to
:17:00. > :17:04.them? I would ask the honourable lady to consider why they are going
:17:05. > :17:07.back to the camps rather than staying in the centres the French
:17:08. > :17:11.have taken them to in order to process them. Perhaps it is because
:17:12. > :17:15.they think they will continue to be able to move to the UK? Does that
:17:16. > :17:20.help them? It does not. What will help those children is if they are,
:17:21. > :17:23.if they are processed in France, and can have their claims processed
:17:24. > :17:27.there. Rather than going back to Calais, back to the mud. I am sure
:17:28. > :17:37.she wouldn't want that, just as I don't.
:17:38. > :17:42.I share Jewish ancestry. May I say how distasteful I find it when I
:17:43. > :17:47.hear some commentators compare the situation today with that in the
:17:48. > :17:53.1930s and the kinner transport. In those days, there was no opportunity
:17:54. > :17:57.to go into Germany or the access countries and assist those children
:17:58. > :18:04.who faced death in concentration camps. In this situation it is very
:18:05. > :18:07.different. And I simply ask my Right Honourable friend condemn those
:18:08. > :18:11.commentators, thankfully no-one so far in this House, who do compare
:18:12. > :18:15.the situation in the '30s with today.
:18:16. > :18:21.Well, my honourable friend makes a very good point. It is not the same.
:18:22. > :18:26.Perhaps the one comparison one might make is the cop decisions stiemss of
:18:27. > :18:30.the camps -- conditions sometimes of the camps in the region, and there
:18:31. > :18:33.where there is a terrible situation, in some of the camps, is where we
:18:34. > :18:37.should put all our effort to make sure that we take the children that
:18:38. > :18:43.we can from that most vulnerable area.
:18:44. > :18:46.Thank you. Tens of thousands of refugees stranded in Greece,
:18:47. > :18:50.including hundreds of unaccompanied children are living in appalling
:18:51. > :18:56.conditions and face immense suffering. Last year the Government
:18:57. > :19:02.only took five children from there and none under D dubs. What will the
:19:03. > :19:07.Government do to seek out those who could benefit from the transfers? I
:19:08. > :19:11.can tell the honourable gentlemen we do have staff in the region to see
:19:12. > :19:16.which children might qualify under the amendment but also to see which
:19:17. > :19:20.children might been able to qualify under the Dublin regulations. We are
:19:21. > :19:23.looking to make sure we assist the children in Greece and Italy that we
:19:24. > :19:29.can. Thank you Mr Speaker. Whilst the
:19:30. > :19:33.amendment is one part of the overall strategy on refugees, would my Right
:19:34. > :19:39.Honourable friend agree with me that the UK's record on the full strategy
:19:40. > :19:43.has been exemplary and our biggest humanitarian contribution in our
:19:44. > :19:49.history? My honourable friend is absolutely right. The UK has stepped
:19:50. > :19:53.upfy Annan Shali and with sup-- financially and with support for
:19:54. > :19:58.refugees. Half of which will be children. He and the rest of the
:19:59. > :20:02.country can be proud of the UK's commitment to helping refugees and
:20:03. > :20:05.the most vunable. Thank you -- Vulnerable. The Prime Minister never
:20:06. > :20:11.misses an opportunity to tell us that she wants to see Britain as an
:20:12. > :20:15.out-ward looking player with a global vision. This is an issue
:20:16. > :20:20.where she would have the opportunity to demonstrate that this country's
:20:21. > :20:25.global vision is about more than just trade deals. Limiting our
:20:26. > :20:29.ambition to less than 1% of the desperate children who need to be
:20:30. > :20:33.helped is not worthy of that vision. Will the Home Secretary look at the
:20:34. > :20:38.way in which she uses the Dublin regulations? There are discretionary
:20:39. > :20:48.clauses that could be used more effectively to identify children
:20:49. > :20:54.with family links already in the UK. The fact is that until we had an
:20:55. > :20:58.accelerated process and really lent in to identify children that
:20:59. > :21:02.qualified under the Dublin arrangements into Calais, it was not
:21:03. > :21:06.really working. The number of children being transferred under
:21:07. > :21:11.Dublin pre--ously were very small. We managed to transfer nearly 600
:21:12. > :21:17.under Dublin, the end last year and we will now, I now feel that the
:21:18. > :21:20.Home Office and other associations, associated organisations with help
:21:21. > :21:24.us deliver, have learnt how to make sure it operates better in the
:21:25. > :21:29.future. I am confident that those numbers will improve going forward.
:21:30. > :21:33.Thank you, Mr Speaker. A two-tire, in fact a multi-tire system in
:21:34. > :21:39.response to refugees and asylum seeker is emerging with
:21:40. > :21:42.incomprehensible contradictions. In order to live up to the well
:21:43. > :21:46.deserved representation that we should be proud for, for those
:21:47. > :21:52.fleeing war and persecution who see us as a place of safe haven and do
:21:53. > :21:56.our best for the thousands arriving in Europe, desperate but with huge
:21:57. > :22:00.potential to offer this country, will she appoint a minister for
:22:01. > :22:11.refugees and integration? I have a substantial ministerial
:22:12. > :22:16.team and an excellent Immigration Minister. I don't see the need at
:22:17. > :22:20.the moment for extra ministers, but I will keep it under review. The UK
:22:21. > :22:26.is helping the most vulnerable children in the region and it must
:22:27. > :22:32.be the principal focus for us, but we should revise our approach only
:22:33. > :22:36.after very careful thought. Can my right honourable friend confirmed
:22:37. > :22:40.this announcement follows the career advice of our French friends and
:22:41. > :22:44.allies? I can reassure my honourable friend that I work closely with my
:22:45. > :22:48.European counterparts and particularly France because it is in
:22:49. > :22:55.the camps in northern France that a lot of the young people arrive and
:22:56. > :22:58.create this environment that is so difficult for them and difficult for
:22:59. > :23:02.the local authorities as well. I will always work closely,
:23:03. > :23:09.particularly with the French, to ensure our plans work with them.
:23:10. > :23:18.Does the Minister agree that the secret to reform the system in this
:23:19. > :23:22.country is a fair dispersal of refugees and asylum seekers? And
:23:23. > :23:27.what she looked at the situation where my city is happy, with some
:23:28. > :23:32.strains, to take hundreds of asylum seekers every year. There has never
:23:33. > :23:38.been any asylum seekers welcome in the constituency of the present
:23:39. > :23:43.Prime Minister, the past Prime Minister or the present Chancellor
:23:44. > :23:47.of the Exchequer. I am proud that my constituency in Hastings and ride
:23:48. > :23:54.does welcome asylum seekers. He is right, we need more constituencies
:23:55. > :23:57.welcoming asylum seekers. Under the National transfer scheme which
:23:58. > :24:01.allows councils to help other councils where a lot of these
:24:02. > :24:04.children arrived, we are encouraging local authorities to step forward on
:24:05. > :24:11.a voluntary basis so they can spread the support around. The fact is,
:24:12. > :24:15.Kent had over 1000 children who arrived unaccompanied at one point.
:24:16. > :24:20.We must do more to spread that out and I would urge members to speak to
:24:21. > :24:23.the local authorities to take advantage of that. Those who traffic
:24:24. > :24:29.and abuse young children across Europe really do need the modern
:24:30. > :24:33.definition of evil people committing evil acts. What are the British
:24:34. > :24:39.security services and police, together with our European
:24:40. > :24:44.counterparts, doing to track down, arrest and prosecute these
:24:45. > :24:49.perpetrators of evil? My honourable friend raises an important point. He
:24:50. > :24:53.is absolutely right. The human trafficking and misery and abuse
:24:54. > :24:58.that goes with it is something we will always make sure we combat and
:24:59. > :25:02.I do work closely with my European counterparts to make sure that we
:25:03. > :25:07.share information. Our own National Crime Agency work so that we have
:25:08. > :25:11.serious organised crime groups carefully tracked and we have
:25:12. > :25:15.Europol which works with ours with other European partners to make sure
:25:16. > :25:22.we work across Europe to guard against the terrible damage that is
:25:23. > :25:26.done by these people. I think the Home Secretary is a good person, so
:25:27. > :25:30.I am not here today to make any personal attack on her, but I want
:25:31. > :25:34.to ask her what signal she thinks this sense to the world in the wake
:25:35. > :25:40.of the announcement last week from President Trump in a different
:25:41. > :25:45.context? There are always those who will say, look after our own.
:25:46. > :25:51.Charity begins at home. Britain first. America first. French first,
:25:52. > :25:57.and so on. Does she really want us to be aligned with that sentiment,
:25:58. > :26:00.or a different one? I would say to the honourable gentleman that we are
:26:01. > :26:05.not saying we are closing the door, we are pulling up the drawbridge. We
:26:06. > :26:09.are not saying that and I would urge him an honourable members across the
:26:10. > :26:14.whole House not to fall into the trap of suggesting that we are not a
:26:15. > :26:19.country that is welcoming of refugees, we are stepping up to our
:26:20. > :26:23.obligations and supporting the money and with refugee programme is the
:26:24. > :26:26.most vulnerable. I do not recognise the comparison he is making and I
:26:27. > :26:35.hope that other members will share in that position. Like several other
:26:36. > :26:37.members in this house I saw for myself the conditions in Calais and
:26:38. > :26:41.can I thank my right honourable friend for the work she did to
:26:42. > :26:49.transfer children with family in the UK from France to the UK. As she has
:26:50. > :26:52.also said, in Kent we look after 1000 unaccompanied asylum seeking
:26:53. > :26:56.children. Does she agree with me that when we welcome front of all
:26:57. > :27:00.children to the UK we must make sure we can give them a genuine welcome,
:27:01. > :27:04.that councils have the resources and capacity to look after them as well
:27:05. > :27:09.as the British children in need of care? It is a good point and we are
:27:10. > :27:13.fortunate that Kent dustup out because they so often take the brunt
:27:14. > :27:18.and how to take the largest number of unaccompanied children. We do
:27:19. > :27:22.need other councils to engage. We need to spread the responsibility
:27:23. > :27:26.around, but she makes a good point about the need not to feel that this
:27:27. > :27:31.is job done when we take the children in here. We need to have
:27:32. > :27:35.care, time, money, professional support to look after these refugees
:27:36. > :27:40.because they are children, they are here and we will make sure they are
:27:41. > :27:45.looked after. I think the unfortunate remarks of the
:27:46. > :27:53.honourable member for Lichfield, is it not the case that it was an act
:27:54. > :28:01.of humanity that he referred to and it is no less now the same as far as
:28:02. > :28:05.children are concerned? I think that people will use their own language,
:28:06. > :28:10.Mr Speaker, but it seems clear to me that the most vulnerable place that
:28:11. > :28:15.children are that we can help are from the region. We have agreed to
:28:16. > :28:20.take 3000 of those children by 2020. We will be absolutely sticking to
:28:21. > :28:26.that. We are also taking about half of the 20,000 coming from Syria by
:28:27. > :28:33.2020 and that will be children. We will take as many children as we can
:28:34. > :28:37.under the Dublin arrangement. British charities are working hard
:28:38. > :28:40.on the ground in the Symbian region is helping people. All my right
:28:41. > :28:44.honourable friend continued to support the work and continue to
:28:45. > :28:50.tackle the people trafficking networks who are exploiting the
:28:51. > :28:56.situation? He is right. British charities and British government is
:28:57. > :29:00.the second-largest bilateral donor in the region. We work hard to make
:29:01. > :29:04.sure part of the support we give does go to help children, help to
:29:05. > :29:07.educate children, so we don't have a children that grows up without any
:29:08. > :29:11.schooling. We are very focused on making sure we support the people
:29:12. > :29:17.and children in the region as well as our obligations under refugee
:29:18. > :29:23.arrangements. I'm genuinely struggling to understand how it
:29:24. > :29:27.could possibly be in vulnerable loan children's 's interest for us not to
:29:28. > :29:31.take more of them in. I don't understand what kind of leadership
:29:32. > :29:38.this is. If we have compassion and humanity and the capacity to take in
:29:39. > :29:40.more, why are we not doing so? Can I please ask the secretary of State to
:29:41. > :29:46.take the feeling from the house today and think about changing the
:29:47. > :29:49.decision she has made. I respect the honourable lady's views, but they
:29:50. > :29:52.are different to the one we take and it's not because of a lack of
:29:53. > :29:57.compassion, it's about trying to work out what is better those
:29:58. > :30:00.children. She has vowed to acknowledge the point that several
:30:01. > :30:04.members here have made and I have as well, that if we continue to take
:30:05. > :30:08.numbers of children from European countries, particularly from France,
:30:09. > :30:14.it will act as a magnet for the traffic that is. I wonder if she has
:30:15. > :30:17.come across traffickers or children that have been trafficked? The
:30:18. > :30:22.terrible crime, the danger done to lives. It is imperative that we take
:30:23. > :30:26.action here to protect those children stop that crime and part of
:30:27. > :30:34.our process is focusing on the most vulnerable from the region. We
:30:35. > :30:39.should applaud all councils individuals and families who have
:30:40. > :30:42.stepped up to the plate in assisting these honourable children. Camber
:30:43. > :30:48.secretary of State clarify whether the capacity of councils across the
:30:49. > :30:53.country to host these children has met, exceeded or disappointed the
:30:54. > :30:57.government's expectations? My honourable friend is right. The part
:30:58. > :31:00.of the proposal was to make sure the local authorities can support these
:31:01. > :31:08.children. We need to make sure that when the children arrive there is
:31:09. > :31:12.not a feeling of job done, rather they are supported to make sure they
:31:13. > :31:16.have a good life here as well. We consulted with them, they come up
:31:17. > :31:20.with a number of 400, but I'd like to remind the house that that is not
:31:21. > :31:29.the total number that councils take in. We have an average of 3000
:31:30. > :31:32.unaccompanied minors arriving in addition to that, councils
:31:33. > :31:38.generously stepped forward to support them and we should thank
:31:39. > :31:41.them for that. I am surprised the Home Secretary didn't understand the
:31:42. > :31:45.depth of feeling in the house make a statement to the house on base
:31:46. > :31:47.rather than putting it into a written ministerial statement
:31:48. > :31:52.yesterday, but I wanted to say to her I am struggling to understand
:31:53. > :31:58.how it is if you put a cap on the scheme of 350, that is not closing
:31:59. > :32:04.the scheme? Perhaps the Home Secretary can explain that one more
:32:05. > :32:09.time? In the act we were required by a date which is fast approaching to
:32:10. > :32:17.name a number, having consulted with the local councils. We have now done
:32:18. > :32:22.that. It remains at 150 transferred. At some point it will close, but it
:32:23. > :32:27.is not closed yet because we still need to transfer 150 under the
:32:28. > :32:30.amendment. My right honourable friend has already pointed out that
:32:31. > :32:36.disparity there is in terms of dispersal of these honourable long
:32:37. > :32:40.-- young children. What more can she do to ensure the children are
:32:41. > :32:43.received across the country in a variety of local authorities said
:32:44. > :32:49.they can have the opportunity of a life that we all want them to have?
:32:50. > :32:54.A good question and I can say we have worked closely with local
:32:55. > :32:58.authorities. People in my department have gone out, made presentations
:32:59. > :33:02.across the country. We have had over 400 people attend them. We are
:33:03. > :33:05.making sure local authorities are able to step up by making sure they
:33:06. > :33:11.have sufficient support each if the young people, but can also see it as
:33:12. > :33:15.something that represents the right thing to do when we are experiencing
:33:16. > :33:20.so many problems from the region and refugees arriving here. So we are
:33:21. > :33:23.working closely with local authorities on persuasion bases and
:33:24. > :33:30.urging them to participate and the sign is more of them are stepping
:33:31. > :33:34.up. When I spend time with my young niece and nephew I wonder what will
:33:35. > :33:38.happen to them if they were in similar circumstances and I hope and
:33:39. > :33:41.pray they will find a country of compassion and safety and that's
:33:42. > :33:47.what we want for all young children across the world. However, can be
:33:48. > :33:51.Home Secretary tell us what discussions she and her department
:33:52. > :33:59.had with Lord Dubs and charities before making the decision? My
:34:00. > :34:02.department meets regularly with children's charities and Lord Dubs.
:34:03. > :34:10.When the former Prime Minister announced that Britain would take
:34:11. > :34:27.20,000 Syrian refugees, West Yorkshire led the way in laying out
:34:28. > :34:32.the scheme. -- West Oxfordshire. Whilst it is necessary that we take
:34:33. > :34:36.in as many children that we can, it is important to ensure councils have
:34:37. > :34:40.the capacity to help these families because we are constrained, not by
:34:41. > :34:46.money, but by things like the availability of translators. It is a
:34:47. > :34:51.helpful point from my honourable friend. The fact is we want to make
:34:52. > :34:56.sure that the refugees who arrived here, children, families, adults,
:34:57. > :35:00.are looked after in the best tradition of the UK. I'm delighted
:35:01. > :35:04.to hear of his personal involvement and I have heard some fantastic
:35:05. > :35:08.stories about local churches, local charities stepping up and making
:35:09. > :35:13.sure that sometimes these frightened families are really well looked
:35:14. > :35:22.after. I think we see sometimes, Mr Speaker, the really -- the best of
:35:23. > :35:27.British families. We have been told that the scheme won't be close, just
:35:28. > :35:35.capped. It seems that hearts are close. Is it not the case that what
:35:36. > :35:39.we are being treated to is calculated in different just up as a
:35:40. > :35:47.measure commitment. Will the government do more in both respect
:35:48. > :35:51.of Dubs and Dublin? It's disappointing that the honourable
:35:52. > :35:56.gentleman has clearly not heard a word I have said. The efforts of the
:35:57. > :36:05.UK has gone through, the generosity from local authorities, the
:36:06. > :36:09.International aid budget. This country is stepping up to its
:36:10. > :36:13.responsibilities. Having been to a refugee camp on the Iraq border, I
:36:14. > :36:24.am proud of Britain's because of response to a humanitarian crisis.
:36:25. > :36:28.If communities and councils want to continue and take more vulnerable
:36:29. > :36:34.young refugees in the future, will they be welcome to do so? We always
:36:35. > :36:37.welcome initiatives from local councils to make sure we do look
:36:38. > :36:41.after the refugees and the children who come over here and I would urge
:36:42. > :36:45.any local authorities who think they can do more to get in touch with the
:36:46. > :36:49.national transfer scheme to make sure they can support the councils
:36:50. > :36:56.who sometimes having to have too many children in the area and long
:36:57. > :37:00.for additional support. All French centres are closing and today in
:37:01. > :37:04.this freezing weather there are children in Dunkirk with families in
:37:05. > :37:10.this country who were hoping to be considered. Will then needs be
:37:11. > :37:15.assessed if the Dubs scheme is not closed and if not, what she expect
:37:16. > :37:18.what happened to them? The French have transferred the young people
:37:19. > :37:24.and indeed all the people from the Calais camp to centres where they
:37:25. > :37:28.were given beds and food so the applications for asylum could be
:37:29. > :37:32.considered. She is right that there are some camps now beginning to form
:37:33. > :37:35.in northern France and I am in constant touch with my French
:37:36. > :37:44.counterparts. We are helping them with money, support to make sure
:37:45. > :37:48.another camp does not emerge. The French have a responsibility for the
:37:49. > :37:52.people the to allow them to apply for asylum in France where they
:37:53. > :37:56.should do that. We will continue to monitor where we can help and we
:37:57. > :38:04.will continue to act on Dublin arrangements.
:38:05. > :38:08.There will always be some who say charity begins at home. He is right.
:38:09. > :38:13.The important thing is that charity does not stop at home. It never has
:38:14. > :38:17.in this country and never will be. Which is why I applaud the comments
:38:18. > :38:22.made which the Home Secretary, recognising the work being done and
:38:23. > :38:30.will go on being done to help children and refugees from Syria in
:38:31. > :38:34.general. I thank Gloucestershire County Council and today there have
:38:35. > :38:38.been some very personal comments made, which I regret from the
:38:39. > :38:42.honourable member about the Home Secretary. Surely it is time all
:38:43. > :38:45.members of this House realise whatever our differences of opinion
:38:46. > :38:48.about the right way forward, everybody and particularly ministers
:38:49. > :38:53.in the department responsible start from the same position of wanting to
:38:54. > :38:58.do the best thing. Well, I thank my honourable friend
:38:59. > :39:03.for his comments and of course it is disappointing when people don't
:39:04. > :39:07.recognise that we are both sharing an ambition of compassion but we
:39:08. > :39:11.have a different strategy for delivering on that.
:39:12. > :39:15.Thank you Mr Speaker. I have to say to the Home Secretary, I think many
:39:16. > :39:21.in this House have listened to what she said with total disbelief. We
:39:22. > :39:27.cannot understand, given the intensity of the decision kugs and
:39:28. > :39:31.debate -- discussion and debate around an amendment made by this
:39:32. > :39:35.House that the Home Secretary has come forward with a closure of that
:39:36. > :39:40.scheme. A number well below what any of us would have expected. Does she
:39:41. > :39:45.not agree where me that the reality will be that many children across
:39:46. > :39:52.Europe, in desperate need l be left with no hope? No. I do not agree
:39:53. > :39:57.with him. We have communicated to the French, to other Europe pine
:39:58. > :40:01.countries what our plan is. And we have discussed with them what is the
:40:02. > :40:05.best for these children as well I think he fails to understand, he
:40:06. > :40:10.fails to listen, as so many members have, to the points I am making
:40:11. > :40:15.about how these children are made vulnerable and what is in their best
:40:16. > :40:19.interest. I respectfully ask him to reconsider that very high moral tone
:40:20. > :40:25.that he is taking. We are doing what we believe is best for those
:40:26. > :40:29.children. He may not agree with it. The honourable lady may say you are
:40:30. > :40:33.not, you are not. But we are doing what we believe is best. I recognise
:40:34. > :40:41.he has a different position. I ask him to reconsider his language. The
:40:42. > :40:46.THE SPEAKER: The capacity of the honourable laider to chunter is not
:40:47. > :40:51.in doubt. But she should desist. I politely say to her as she's a
:40:52. > :40:56.supporter of West Ham and, well, anyway, she represents, well, I'm
:40:57. > :41:03.glad she's an Arsenal supporter, but she represents... She still
:41:04. > :41:12.shouldn't Chunter. What she could do is blow some bubbles and find it is
:41:13. > :41:16.therapeutic! We have consulted local authorities on capacity. It is clear
:41:17. > :41:19.there is the capacity to support the children we intend to take from
:41:20. > :41:23.Calais as well as continuing to meet our other commitments. I find it
:41:24. > :41:28.unbelievable that councils would only be willing to take an average
:41:29. > :41:33.of two children each. Can I ask the Home Secretary, as I asked all local
:41:34. > :41:38.authorities individually, how many children they could take? Did the
:41:39. > :41:43.Home Office suggest numbers to each of them? No, Mr Speaker. We did not
:41:44. > :41:47.suggest numbers to the councils. We set out for them what the challenges
:41:48. > :41:53.were. What our payments were, which had been increased by 20% on one
:41:54. > :42:00.scale and 28% on another. So, under 16s were to get ?41,000 of support a
:42:01. > :42:03.year. Over 16s, ?33,000. We urge councils and we work with them and
:42:04. > :42:08.we did presentations around the country and they came back to us
:42:09. > :42:12.with this proposed number. I repeat, accepting the children is one thing,
:42:13. > :42:15.having the capacity and indeed the confidence to look after them is
:42:16. > :42:19.what we urge local authorities to think about. And can I say I would
:42:20. > :42:25.like to share particular thanks to the Scottish authorities, who did so
:42:26. > :42:29.much to accept particularly the vunlable young women who were moved
:42:30. > :42:34.from Calais. And they are now making their life in Scotland and we are
:42:35. > :42:38.very grateful for that. Contrary to what the Secretary of
:42:39. > :42:42.State seems to believe civil society in my constituency and I am sure
:42:43. > :42:49.many others are to help the children. I visited St Christopher's
:42:50. > :42:52.fellowship which took in 30 of the children last year and refugees
:42:53. > :42:58.welcome which sources accommodation for refugees. They want to do their
:42:59. > :43:02.bit. Why want her Government? Well, we are very grateful for the work
:43:03. > :43:07.that Hammersmith has done. I would urge them to consider taking
:43:08. > :43:13.children who are just as vulnerable from the national transfer scheme.
:43:14. > :43:16.It is not just from Calais but from the national transfer who need help.
:43:17. > :43:22.I would urge him to that that conversation as well.
:43:23. > :43:29.The closure of the scheme will affect the most vulnerable refugees
:43:30. > :43:36.who have been per cent suited -- persecuted, 90% of who are. Many who
:43:37. > :43:41.have been in the United Kingdom. Given the UK's role in Iraq over the
:43:42. > :43:47.last decade, is this where our legacy of aiding and assisting Iraqi
:43:48. > :43:50.citizens ends? Well, the UK position on aiding refugees from the region,
:43:51. > :43:54.which is what I think he's asking about, is very strong and it is
:43:55. > :44:00.added to by the fact that we have one of the largest aid donation
:44:01. > :44:06.plans in the world, that our point seven commitment and the ?2.3
:44:07. > :44:11.billion that goes into the region. I think he should join me in being
:44:12. > :44:15.proud of the commitment, the financial support we give to the
:44:16. > :44:22.region to make sure we do look after the vulnerable people. I think seen
:44:23. > :44:25.at first-hand the work my local community has done to assist
:44:26. > :44:32.refugees. But what sort of moral and political lead does she think the
:44:33. > :44:38.Government is giving by only doing the bear minimum under the scheme I
:44:39. > :44:44.identify what the Government and -- I wouldn't identify it as the bare
:44:45. > :44:48.minimum. We are taking 20,000 vulnerable citizens by 2020. And we
:44:49. > :44:54.are making sure that we give them thefy than shall support that they
:44:55. > :44:57.need. I don't recognise the honourable gentleman's
:44:58. > :45:02.characterisation. Thank you, Mr Speaker. As others have already
:45:03. > :45:07.said, the Home Secretary says the scheme is not closed, but the UK
:45:08. > :45:10.needs to send out a strong message against the pool factor. Both these
:45:11. > :45:14.statements can not be correct. She says she's working with the
:45:15. > :45:20.intention of the dubs scheme. If that is the case, can she confirm
:45:21. > :45:24.what she's doing to confirm council authorities to take in more
:45:25. > :45:28.children, rather than hide behind the excuse that ka passty is already
:45:29. > :45:33.reached -- capacity is already reached? There is no hiding. We have
:45:34. > :45:37.another 150 children who will be transferred over the next period
:45:38. > :45:40.under the Dubs agreement. We are working closely with local
:45:41. > :45:43.authorities to ensure they have the support for the children that they
:45:44. > :45:48.have said they will take. I would add that we already have
:45:49. > :45:52.approximately 3,000 children unaccompanied who arrive a year,
:45:53. > :45:56.which in addition to the Dubs commitment, local authorities work
:45:57. > :46:00.with us, through the national transfer scheme, to ensure they look
:46:01. > :46:04.after. What assessment has been made of the
:46:05. > :46:08.numbers of children in Greece and Italy, many of whom were working
:46:09. > :46:11.with charities that belief they would be eligible for the Dubs
:46:12. > :46:17.commitment? How many of these children will now not be eligible? I
:46:18. > :46:22.cannot answer how many children will or won't belible until those
:46:23. > :46:26.assessments have been made. I can say that having accepted 200
:46:27. > :46:28.children under the Dubs amendment, there'll be another 150. And in
:46:29. > :46:37.addition to that, we will continue to assess the children to see if
:46:38. > :46:41.they arelible for the -- are eligible for the Dubs arrangements.
:46:42. > :46:48.Talk of numbers, was surely the message is whether a children is
:46:49. > :46:55.vulnerable. On the bigger picture I have visited seven refugee camps. I
:46:56. > :46:59.want to ask this, there a east a disparity between poor standards and
:47:00. > :47:04.high standards and the Government seem to do inning to help these
:47:05. > :47:07.people. One camp is of a very high standard and provides good
:47:08. > :47:11.education. Some of the other camps are exceedingly poor. What is she
:47:12. > :47:17.doing and her Government to sort out the people living in these camps and
:47:18. > :47:20.to help this problem? Well, we do work closely with the organisations
:47:21. > :47:25.that run some of these camps. I absolutely recognise that they are
:47:26. > :47:29.of a different standard, but the UK is stepping up with financial
:47:30. > :47:34.commitment of ?2.3 billion to make sure that we do help make those
:47:35. > :47:38.camps somewhere where families can exist, where children the be taught.
:47:39. > :47:45.So I want the honourable gentleman to be in no doubt, we do lean in to
:47:46. > :47:49.make sure we acyst in the vast movement of people taking place --
:47:50. > :47:56.we do assist in the vast movement of people taking place in the region.
:47:57. > :48:00.My understanding as chair of the all party group for disability is the
:48:01. > :48:05.most vulnerable children, including those with dacts are to be
:48:06. > :48:09.prioritised. What number of children can disabilities have arrived? What
:48:10. > :48:15.are the arrangements for vulnerable children who are left behind? I do
:48:16. > :48:20.say to the honourable lady, that particularly in the clearance of the
:48:21. > :48:24.Calais camp we were determined to prioritise the most vulnerable,
:48:25. > :48:29.which is why we moved to remove a lot of the girls and young women who
:48:30. > :48:34.we believed and the evidence suggested were most vulnerable to
:48:35. > :48:38.being trafficked. We do prioritise the young people who are more likely
:48:39. > :48:41.to be vulnerable. In terms of the numbers on the actual amount of
:48:42. > :48:45.disabled people transferred, I don't have that information. I will
:48:46. > :48:52.endeavour to have it and come back to her. I know of just one Christian
:48:53. > :48:56.charity in London housing over 30 children, which appears to be 10% of
:48:57. > :48:59.the entire national effort. Many faith communities are willing to
:49:00. > :49:02.step up to what we would like the Government to do themselves. If they
:49:03. > :49:08.want to do more, will the Home Secretary let them? There is still
:49:09. > :49:11.plenty of need for support from community organisations like
:49:12. > :49:14.churches. I have met with several as well that are doing their bit to
:49:15. > :49:19.welcome families to look after children. I would urge the
:49:20. > :49:22.honourable gentleman to get in touch through the national transfer scheme
:49:23. > :49:26.or through my office and we will work loosely to ensure any community
:49:27. > :49:32.groups which think they can support families or children are able to do
:49:33. > :49:38.so. I am glad to hear there's going to
:49:39. > :49:42.be another 150 children coming to the UK under this scheme before it
:49:43. > :49:49.closes. But can the Secretary of State tell the House, is she able to
:49:50. > :49:54.look the 150 first child in the -- 150th child in the eye and say, no?
:49:55. > :49:58.I wonder how the lady would feel about the children from the region?
:49:59. > :50:03.The children in the camps - they are not in France, not in Italy, they
:50:04. > :50:06.are the ones in the camps, where the conditions are much, much worse. How
:50:07. > :50:11.would she feel about looking them in the eye?
:50:12. > :50:18.Is this not a shameful betrayal, not just of the thousands of children
:50:19. > :50:23.being secured a future but the tens of thousands of constituents who
:50:24. > :50:27.signed letters in support of the Dubs amendment. No-one is suggesting
:50:28. > :50:30.this country is not welcoming of refugees, but it increasingly
:50:31. > :50:33.appears the Government isn't. I would urge the honourable gentleman
:50:34. > :50:37.perhaps to correct any misunderstandings that anybody has
:50:38. > :50:42.got. The fact is, we have stuck to the agreement in the Dubs agreement.
:50:43. > :50:44.We were obliged to put out a number, having consulted with local
:50:45. > :50:48.authorities. Perhaps he would consider putting out a message to
:50:49. > :50:55.constituents so they are clear that the Government is stepping up to
:50:56. > :51:00.commitments. Is taking 2000 by 20 -- 20,000 by 2020. We are proud of our
:51:01. > :51:06.response. Mr Speaker, last week I met with a tech company, whose staff
:51:07. > :51:10.volunteered to create a digital classroom project for 150 children
:51:11. > :51:15.at a camp in Dunkirk. These children are stuck there. Why is it that
:51:16. > :51:20.everybody in this country seems to be willing to do something to help,
:51:21. > :51:24.organisations, companies, individuals, what signal does it
:51:25. > :51:28.send out that the Government is not meeting its commitments The
:51:29. > :51:30.honourable lady should be clear the Government is meeting its
:51:31. > :51:36.commitments. And it is exceeding them. In terms of the aid that we
:51:37. > :51:39.give to the region of ?2.3 billion. In terms of making sure we bring
:51:40. > :51:44.over from the region the most vulnerable. 20,000 by 2020. Most of
:51:45. > :51:48.all, most of all, making sure that the children who arrive here are
:51:49. > :51:52.looked after. They are given the support, they are often from
:51:53. > :51:59.vulnerable areas and we ensure that the local authorities have that. We
:52:00. > :52:05.should be proud of our response. Before we proceed to business
:52:06. > :52:10.question, I would like to congreat late the member from new port West
:52:11. > :52:13.on his 82nd birthday and on reaching the mid-point of his parliamentary
:52:14. > :52:14.career. Business