.. Blog – Page 22

Sir Desmond Swayne TD MP

Sir Desmond Swayne TD MP

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Grasslands email campaign

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Species-rich grasslands are vital for biodiversity, and it is disappointing that so much of our country’s meadows and grasslands have been lost. I am reassured, therefore, that my ministerial colleagues are committed to protecting 30 per cent of our land for biodiversity.

I welcome the early roll-out of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) from spring 2022. The scheme, which will eventually be open to every farmer in England, will support approaches to farming that deliver for the environment, such as actions to improve soil health, hedgerows and integrated pest management. I understand that the SFI will begin by offering two soils standards – an arable and horticultural soils standard and an improved grassland soils standard. Through signing up to these standards, farmers will be rewarded for management practices that improve soil health by improving soil structure, soil organic matter, and soil biology.

Further, I am encouraged that the Government’s landmark plans for a renewed agriculture sector will transform the way farmers are supported. The new system will be centred around incentivising sustainable farming practices alongside profitable food production. I welcome that at COP26, countries committed to transform agriculture and food systems. In addition, the UK led 45 governments in new pledges to protect nature and shift to more sustainable ways of farming. I am glad that the UK launched a £65m fund to help developing countries move towards more sustainable methods of agriculture and food production.

Finally, I welcome that the Government’s new Environment Act includes measures to protect biodiversity, with a new, historic legally binding target to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030.

DS.

Channel Crossings -3

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It is a cliché to say that the loss of 26 lives in the channel on a single day was an ‘accident waiting to happen’ but it was exactly that. There is no question that it was entirely foreseeable and a consequence of the relatively light touch of the French approach to the policing of their beaches.
It also puts into perspective the many emails that I have received from constituents demanding that our own Border Force abandon the ‘taxi service’ shepherding the dinghies to our shores when they reach our  territorial waters.
Our officers have received training on how to turn back the dinghies but the circumstances in which this is permissible are very limited and it is fraught with danger – they are the flimsiest of craft.
Just consider what the state of public opinion and overseas commentary would now be, had the loss of life occurred on a boat that we had turned back: we would be an international pariah.

Critics on the opposition benches in the Commons argue that the cross channel route would be rendered obsolete if only we would open up more lawful routes by which applicants for asylum can reach the UK.
 I do not believe it is fair to fault us on that score: The UK initiated a scheme for 20,000 vulnerable Syrians. We are about to initiate a similar scheme for 20,000 vulnerable Afghans, which is in addition to the 15,000 that we evacuated from Afghanistan in August – most of whom are still living in hotels and short-term accommodation as we try and find permanent dwellings for them across the UK.
In addition, we have set up a scheme in response to China’s repression in Hong Kong, which is projected to receive around 422,000 applications in its first four years. The scheme requires that applicants hold a British National Overseas passports which were issued to citizens following the handover of Hong Kong from the UK to China in 1997. Whilst the scheme allows applicants to bring adult children with them to the UK, nevertheless, many young people have had to flee alone, having been involved in the protests against the loss of liberty. They do not qualify themselves because they were not born when Hong Kong was handed over to China and they have left their qualifying parents behind, who wish to remain in Hong Kong. So, now there is an amendment before the Immigration and Borders bill to extend the scheme to these young people as well.


I share the desire of the constituents that we be compassionate to those whose circumstances are so much less fortunate than our own, but the political reality is that the desire to come to the UK for a better life is pretty well unlimited and inevitably has to be rationed.
As I have so often argued in this column, our most effective contribution is the one we make as the world’s second largest donor, in the form of our international development aid to alleviate the conditions in the places from which the occupants of the dinghies are fleeing.

Refugee Protection and the Nationality and Borders Bill email campaign

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The United Kingdom has a proud record of helping those fleeing persecution, oppression or tyranny from around the world. Alongside providing £10 billion a year to support people through our overseas aid, the UK is a global leader in refugee resettlement. As a country, between 2016 and 2019 we resettled more refugees from outside Europe than any member state of the EU. In 2015, the Government committed to resettle 20,000 of the most vulnerable refugees who fled the conflict in Syria through the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) – the Government has now met that commitment.  

In total across all of our resettlement schemes, the UK has now resettled more than 25,000 vulnerable refugees in need of protection over the past 6 years, with around half being children. These refugees are resettled directly from regions of conflict and instability rather than from safe European countries. I believe that it is most important to prioritise those refugees in dangerous situations, not those already in Europe. 

The Government already provides safe and legal routes for people needing protection or seeking to reunite with their families. In the year ending December 2020, over 5,400 refugee family reunion visas were issued to partners and children of those previously granted asylum or humanitarian protection in the UK. Over 29,000 family reunion visas have been issued in the last 5 years. 

Let me assure you that the new Nationality and Borders Bill will allow the UK continue to resettle genuine refugees directly from places of danger and offer refugee family reunions. It will improve support for refugees to help them build their life in the UK, integrate and become self-sufficient members of society. The Bill also seeks to introduce a new temporary protection status for those who do not come directly to the UK or claim asylum without delay once here but who have, in any event, been recognised as requiring protection. 

It is also the case that refugees in the UK need to have the freedom to succeed as they settle. This means ensuring refugees have access to the tools required to become fully independent and provide for themselves and their families. This will allow refugees to be in a position to contribute and integrate into the economic and cultural life of the UK.

In order to achieve this, the Home Secretary has announced £14 million of funding to help newly granted refugees to integrate in the UK. This fund will pilot new approaches across the country to support newly granted refugees to learn English, move into work, access housing and build links in their local communities. Lessons learned from these pilots will inform future support available to all refugees.

British Citizenship and the Nationality and Borders Bill email campaign

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In order to protect this country, the Home Secretary has the power to deprive someone of their British citizenship where it would not render them stateless. This power has been in place for more than a hundred years and has been used by successive Home Secretaries. I would like to assure you that any decision to deprive an individual of their citizenship is only used in exceptional circumstances where there is a significant threat to the public, such as from a terrorist, and based on all available evidence, including secret intelligence, with a right to appeal – I fully support the ability for the Home Secretary to deprive citizenship on these grounds. Therefore, if you have not partaken in any of the above activities then you have no need to worry about your citizenship being revoked.

The Nationality and Borders Bill will amend the law in order to allow the deprivation of citizenship where it is not practicable to provide notice. This could be in a case where there is no way of communicating with the individual, for example if they are in a war zone. The Bill does not give the government power to unilaterally remove British citizenship – all current procedures must be followed and there is still recourse to appeal, it simply changes whether written notice is given or not.

It is vital for national security that the powers of the Home Secretary are effective and I support the Government in ensuring that this is the case.

DS.

Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill email campaign

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I understand you have concerns regarding my support for the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill. As you will be aware, the Bill contains a large number of measures with the central aim of cutting crime and building safe communities. 

At the last election, I was elected on a manifesto to restore confidence in the criminal justice system and this Bill delivers that pledge made to my constituents. 

This Bill seeks to equip the police with the powers and tools they need to protect themselves and the public, while overhauling sentencing laws to keep serious sexual and violent offenders behind bars for longer, and placing greater emphasis on rehabilitation to better help offenders to turn their lives around and prevent further crimes.

I welcome the fact that this legislation builds on the work already underway across Government to deliver a smarter, fairer justice system as the UK builds back safer from the Coronavirus pandemic. I am particularly encouraged by the hundreds of millions being invested in our court system to deliver speedier justice and reduce delays. It is also vital that victims receive the support they need and deserve, and ministers are investing unprecedented funding for victims support services. The funding package for the police and the recruitment of 20,000 police officers alongside the £4 billion investment in extra prison places will ensure these reforms are successful. 

I am confident that the measures in this Bill are necessary and proportionate. It is important to remember that the Bill is about tougher sentences for the most serious offenders, better protection for the police and a greater focus on ensuring offenders can turn their lives around and rehabilitate back into society. 

I appreciate you may not agree with my views on this; however, I hope this response has outlined why I believe this is a fair and balanced approach to the criminal justice system.

DS.

Down Syndrome Bill Campaign

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I know that with appropriate help and support, most people with Down’s syndrome are able to lead healthy, active and more independent lives, achieving more than ever before. I do recognise, however, that people with Down’s syndrome face significant challenges across all stages of life and it is right that the Government considers how to help make sure their specific needs are recognised and considered. That is why I fully support Dr Liam Fox’s Down Syndrome Private Members’ Bill, and I am delighted the Government does too.

The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the need to improve access to services for people with Down’s syndrome. The Down Syndrome Bill will require the Secretary of State to publish guidance to public bodies to ensure they are clear on how they should meet the needs of people with Down’s syndrome. It will set out best practice across health, education social care and housing, giving practical advice on how the appropriate steps can be taken to meet the needs of those with Down’s syndrome when planning, designing and delivering services.

It is especially welcome that the Government will consult widely on the proposed guidance, ensuring the voices of those with Down syndrome, their families and carers are heard, and that the guidance is fit for purpose. This, I believe, is essential.

I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the work of my colleague Dr Liam Fox in bringing forward this important Bill. I look forward to seeing its passage through Parliament and can assure you that the Bill has my full support.

Channel Crossings 2

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I last wrote about channel crossing in this column on 27 July Channel Crossings (desmondswaynemp.com) since when, despite the lateness in the year the numbers just keep rising. Constituents write to me in frustration demanding action without specifying what action they have in mind. I sometimes ask what it is that they can suggest.

I never had much faith in the prospect of the French stopping the flow even though we are paying them to do so. They could if they had the will, but they have other priorities. I suppose we should be grateful for the 30% of crossing that we estimate that they are preventing.

Neither had I any faith in training provided to Border Force to enable them to turn boats back. Despite that training, they have proved most reluctant to do it. I can understand their reluctance, as would the public when the bodies of children start being washed ashore.

The crossings, which are uncomfortable, dangerous and very expensive, will only be deterred when the probability of swift deportation makes the endeavour uneconomic. Currently the barriers to deportation make it a near certainty that those who are successful in making the crossing will get to stay.

The Immigration and Borders Bill, currently going through Parliament, is designed to address the barriers to deportation and remove the possibility of endless appeals -so recently exploited by our latest suicide bomber.
It does still leave however, the problem of to where we can deport our failed asylum cases to. I spent some time as a minister trying to persuade foreign governments to adopt a more helpful attitude to taking back their own citizens, but without much success.

The bill will make it an imprisonable offence to enter the UK unlawfully, which will include crossing the channel in a dingy, but I am sceptical that we will fill our prisons with migrants. Even were we to, we would still face the difficulties of deportation once sentences have been served.

The real hope that I see in the Bill is its enabling provisions that will empower the Government to set up off-shore processing centres. The prospect of being swiftly removed to an overseas processing facility for an indefinite period will be a powerful disincentive to undertaking the expensive and dangerous crossing.
This is the solution that has worked effectively for Australia. We must not imagine however, that implementation will be swift or straightforward. It will certainly be controversial and there will be plenty of voices that will denounce the policy as inhumane.  It will also prove expensive: Any country that is prepared to host our off-shore processing will want to be richly rewarded.

Despite these difficulties, I see no alternative than to persevere. Our current problem is bound to get worse. Potential migrants watching from so many less eligible countries have seen the social media output from those that have successfully made the crossing, which will encourage them to follow.
The relative ease with which it turns it turns out that the Channel can be crossed has opened a new migration route. It is vital that we close it off before climate change and instability generates a so much greater flow of migrants.

Fuel poverty email campaign

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Let me be clear, no-one should be struggling to afford to keep their home at a reasonable temperature in a modern society, and although we have seen progress toward this goal, there is still so much my colleagues and I can do to make this a reality.

Elderly people are some of the most at-risk individuals when it comes to fuel poverty. Winter Fuel Payments are the largest benefit paid to pensioners, and will continue to be available to all pensioners. In addition to Winter Fuel Payments, Cold Weather Payments are available and the Warm Home Discount provides over one million vulnerable pensioners with a £140 rebate on their energy bills.

The Warm Home Discount is a key policy in the Government’s programme to tackle fuel poverty and the effects of rising energy prices on low-income households. Launched in April 2011, it has helped over 2.2 million low-income and vulnerable households, including individuals with a disability, each year with their energy costs. I am pleased that the Energy White Paper committed to extending the scheme to at least 2025/26 and the Government is committed to expanding the spending envelope from the current £351 million to £475 million (in 2020 prices) per year, to reach over 750,000 more households in, or at risk of, fuel poverty. Furthermore, later this year the Government will consult on reforms to the scheme from 2022 to better target fuel poverty. 

Animal Testing and EDM 175

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Animal research still plays a role in providing vital safety information for potential new medicines. It is worth remembering that, as a result of findings from animal studies, a large number of potential new drugs never get as far as being tested in humans. Some aspects of the toxicological assessment of new medicines cannot be adequately assessed in humans, and animal data will be the only kind available. 

Without animal testing it is highly likely that a large number of potentially dangerous new medicines would be tested in healthy volunteers and patients in clinical trials, and I know Ministers believe that this would be quite unacceptable. However, animals are only used when there are no suitable alternatives, and by encouraging new cutting-edge approaches to science we will ensure that standards of animal welfare are improved. I am opposed to animal tests where alternative approaches could be used.

I am proud that the UK has consistently led the way on animal welfare, recognising in law that animals can feel pain and suffering through the Animal Welfare Act. The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill, which is making its way through Parliament, enshrines the recognition that animals are sentient in domestic law. I am encouraged that this Bill will create an Animal Sentience Committee with experts which will produce reports on how well policy decisions have paid all due regard to the welfare of animals.]

It is important to remember that, existing scientific research methods ensure that, by the time medicines reach clinical trial, risks are significantly reduced.

DS.

NHS Privatisation and the Health and Care Bill

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I welcome the intention, through the Health and Care Bill, to develop more integrated care between the NHS, local government, social care providers and other partners to deliver better integration of health and care services on the ground. The reforms proposed in the Bill will continue to improve the quality and sustainability of NHS services and outcomes for patients.

Service provision by the independent and voluntary sectors has been, and continues to be, an important and valuable feature of our healthcare system, which I fully support. Safeguards are already in place to ensure that the interests of the public and the NHS are always put first. The ICB chair would have the power to veto members of the board and there are robust requirements on ICBs to manage conflicts of interests.

That said, I do appreciate that there are concerns about private sector involvement in ICBs. It is important that people are assured that the work of ICBs will be driven by health outcomes, not by profits.

I know that the Bill does not allow private sector providers to influence, or to make, decisions on spending, but it is welcome that the Government has committed to putting that beyond doubt. They have tabled an amendment for the next stage of the Bill’s passage through Parliament. This would prevent the appointment of a member of an ICB if they could reasonably be regarded as undermining the independence of the NHS because of their involvement in the private healthcare sector or otherwise.

DS.