Question
Gift Oladele successfully appealed his deportation, after sexually assaulting a woman in Manchester. He then went on to rape a 19-year-old young woman in Wrexham. Can the Minister explain exactly what changes her Government have made to article 8 of the European convention on human rights to make sure that this does not happen again, and when they will take effect?
Answer
I appreciate the hon. Lady raising this case, and look forward to her supporting our Immigration and Asylum Bill, which is going through Parliament. We are determined to build on the progress we have made, and which I have just outlined. Our asylum Bill will fix the broken appeals system and close the human rights loopholes, so that they cannot be exploited. From early next year, we will be able to remove offenders immediately after sentencing, allowing us to scale up deportations even further. We will be relentless in ensuring that all who break our laws are removed.33% vibes
Verdict: RED (15/100)
The reply only partly addresses the first part of the question. It points to the asylum Bill and says it will 'close the human rights loopholes', but it does not say what the article 8 changes would actually be, so the answer stays vague. The second part, when the changes would take effect, is not answered: the date given relates to removing offenders after sentencing, which is a different matter, and the reply only says the Bill is going through Parliament. The asker would most likely need to ask again for specifics on both points.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| What changes the Government has made to article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights so that foreign national offenders cannot successfully appeal deportation on that basis. | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply names a mechanism, the asylum Bill, and says it will 'close the human rights loopholes', which gestures at the article 8 question. It never says what the article 8 changes are, so the 'what changes' element stays largely unanswered. |
| When those changes to article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights will take effect. | Not Addressed | Generic MISREADS QUESTION | The only date given ('from early next year') concerns removing offenders immediately after sentencing, not the article 8 changes. The statement that the Bill is 'going through Parliament' gives status but no commencement date for the article 8 changes. |