Question
Illegal immigration is by definition a cross-border phenomenon, which is why we are required to work with our friends and partners across borders. The Home Secretary has already talked about the 50,000-person reduction from France; we increasingly hear reports that for those in the camps in northern Calais, smugglers are hard to find. That is a far cry from the situation under the previous Government, who could not even decide if France was a friend or a foe. Does the Home Secretary agree that it is by working with our allies on international challenges that we can address the problems of illegal immigration, which is what the public are asking for?
Answer
My hon. Friend is right. That is why this Government have been working to reset our relationship with the European Union. Of course, our co-operation with France is central to our being able to deal with the challenge of the small boats, and I was pleased to make the recent deal with the French—the successor to the Sandhurst agreement. We have set aside money that we will spend only on measures that we know have an impact on small boat numbers, which are down by 43%.
Verdict: GREEN (88/100)
The minister directly agrees with the point raised and backs it up with concrete examples of working with allies, including the reset with the EU, co-operation with France, a recent deal with France, and a successor to the Sandhurst agreement. The question's single component is fully covered in a specific, committed way, so the asker would likely have what they need to move on. The score is not 100 only because the verdict rests on one question component and the examples are not further quantified.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether the Home Secretary agrees that working with allies on international challenges is how the problems of illegal immigration can be addressed. | Addressed | Direct | The reply explicitly agrees with the premise ('My hon. Friend is right') and then gives concrete examples of working with allies, including the reset with the EU, co-operation with France, the recent deal with the French, and the successor to the Sandhurst agreement. |