Speeches by Mahmood.

“To the extent that we have shortages in any sector. The Migration Advisory Committee advises on what those should be and we will always take that advice on board. You will know that the Health Secretary has said we will have a fair pay agreement for the care sector by, I believe, 2028. There is a need for us as a socie…”

“Exactly. There is no version of this in which you do not have to take some action here now, just because even if you take those assessments at the highest level, which is about 40,000, from 40,000 to 616,000 is a lot.”

“We used to have people coming across in vans and so on—”

“You are only bringing in workers to benefit your economy, right? Of course you would want to look at earnings in that context; I do not think there is anything wrong with that. Successive Governments have made the argument for wanting this country to be able to attract the brightest and the best. It would be odd if we …”

“The changes we have announced, which we are working on to finalise the policy design to meet the aims set out in the “Restoring Order and Control” document, recognise that the pattern of who is a refugee today is very different from when the refugee convention was written, signed and ratified. We have seen a shift. It …”

“There has already been lots of digital transformation at the Home Office, with all the attendant traumas and difficulties that that usually entails, but I do not envisage that these changes are going to break the system, as it were. It will be my job to make sure that that is not what is happening. There are some chang…”

“It is a genuine piece of work, and I recognise that big changes are potentially happening. I would say that despite the fact that we are consulting, it is inconceivable that literally nobody who is currently here would be affected by any of these changes, and I think we should be up front about that. Beyond that, we wi…”

“We are very committed to opening up new safe and legal routes. We have obviously set out proposals for specific routes for workers and students, and the third part of that is a new community sponsorship model to be able to bring refugees into the country. We are designing and consulting with people as we speak, and we …”

“The question is about not just the contracts themselves but what the alternatives are, because we are, on any measure, dealing with a large housing need. I think we will have to progress very carefully, but I can assure you that I have ensured that the Department is sweating the contracts, as it were. The actual accomm…”

“One subcontractor has been removed. I am not able to give too many details, because of commercial and legal sensitivities, but one subcontractor has been removed. I do think that contract management has improved. There is a much tighter grip at the Department on the day-to-day management of those contracts, and the fac…”

“Yes, it is when you apply.”

“And we shouldn’t have been in hotels either. Those are policy choices that have been made previously. The difficult factor in what you are saying is more about, as I say, the alternatives and how you transition to a better model for—”

“The two are related.”

“I am confident that we will have made progress on changing the law and clamping down on some of the ways in which the asylum system, as currently constructed, frustrates the removal of people from the country, and can deal with things like appeals more quickly. I am confident we will have made some progress, but I full…”

“I have been over twice myself to meet my French counterpart—I should say counterparts, because they changed in between. I have met both the Interior Ministers that have served since I have been in the Home Office. We are in regular discussion with colleagues in France. We are obviously renegotiating the so-called Sandh…”

“We managed to do a deal, and we have got flights off—flights have been coming in and going out. That takes big political will and effort, and we do appreciate it.”

“I am afraid that Mr Hobbs doesn’t cover this area of policy, so you are asking him to answer on a thing that he is not responsible for.”

“Look, I think we are just going to have to have a point of disagreement between us, but as I say, I have asked for an independent review of those contracts. It will report to me with findings. We do not need a break clause to get out of hotels, which I know is the thing that has caused the outcry about people profiteer…”

“Let me come back to you specifically on abstractions; I am happy to write to you and also refer to your previous discussions with my predecessor. I want to reassure you that this is about making sure that, in every community, you get the same standard of service. I think we would all agree that there is very much a pos…”

“I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend, who makes a powerful point: in the end, policing is a public service. It is essential that we maintain public confidence in our policing and that we are also sure that the standard of service we get from our police is the same no matter where we are in the country.”