Second asylum seeker inadvertently released from jail, MPs told – after Lammy repeatedly dodges questions on this at PMQs
PMQs is over.
James Cartlidge raises a point of order.
He says the Telegraph is reporting that a manhunt is underway for a second asylum seeker inadvertently released from jail. Was Lammy aware of this when he refused to answer Cartlidge’s question on this.
Lindsay Hoylethe Speaker, says Cartlidge has put his point on the record.
Cartlidge was referring to this story, which Charles Hymasthe Telegraph’s home affairs editor, is tweeting.
A manhunt is under way for a second asylum seeker wrongly freed from prison
An Algerian man, 24, was accidentally released from HMP Wandsworth in south London on Wednesday last week. However, the Metropolitan Police was only informed at lunchtime on Tuesday.
Key events
Rishi Sunakthe former Tory PM, asks Lammy to back a national screening program for prostate cancer.
Lammy says he has family members with prostate cancer. He says he is personally “biased” on this. But it’s a matter for the health secretary, who is considering the case for a screening program.
Tom Rutland (Lab) asks if the government will ensure that the recommendations from the review of maternity services being carried out by Lady Amos are carried out in full.
Lammy says Amos is a friend of his, and her recommendations will be considered.
Adam Thompson (Lab) asks what Lammy thinks about the Reform UK and Tory politicians saying the minimum wage is too high for young workers.
(Nigel Farage said it was this week.)
Thompson asks if Lammy thinks Farage is earning less than £10 an hour from any of his many jobs.
Lammy says Farage makes money from helping to sell gold bullion. He says there are people on the minimum wage earning less than 1% of what Farage is on.
Pete Wishart (SNP) asks why the defense secretary described the Scottish government as a threat to national security in the Commons earlier this week. The government won’t say that about China, he says.
Lammy says the people of Scotland are not a threat to national security.
He says he has done a DNA test, and he is 5% Scottish.
Lammy was not wearing a poppy at the start of PMQs, but he has been given one, and is wearing it now.
But Bob Blackman (Con) makes a reference to this with a question about Remembrance Day. He says he is proud to wear both the poppy and the marigold, which commemorates Indian soldiers.
Lammy says ‘racist’ comments from Reform UK Sarah Pochin last week belong in ‘dark ages’
Tristan Osborne (Lab) asks if Lammy agrees that Kent deserves far better than what it is getting from its Reform UK-led county council.
Lammy says it is good to see Nigel Farage here for PMQs. And he goes on to attack the comments from the Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin last week. He says:
The disgraceful, racist language that we heard from a Reform MP last week belongs to the dark ages.
Daisy Cooperthe deputy Lib Dem leader, says the government has not responded to the Lib Dems’ call for an inquiry into Elon Musk’s interference in British democracy. She asks what the government is doing to protect the democratic process.
Lammy says the government is addressing these threats.
Cooper asks if the government will use the budget to impose an extra tax on banks.
Lammy says the government will announce its budget plans on budget days.
The Speaker, Lindsay Hoylecalls a different MP. There are claims that Cartlidge has one more question. Hoyle at first thinks he has made a mistake, but then realizes, or is told, he hasn’t.
Lammy says Cartlidge cannot even count.
Cartlidge asks his question again.
Lammy says prisons were a mess under the Tories.
Cartlidge asks the question again – have there been any more inadvertent releases.
Lammy claims he has answered the question. He says, when he was in opposition, he did a lot better than this.
David Lammy tells James Cartlidge to ‘get a grip’ during PMQs clash
Cartlidge asks the question again.
Lammy says: “Get a grip man.” He says he is the justice secretary, and he says the Kebatu release is being investigated. He says there were accidental releases when Cartlidge was a justice minister. But Cartlidge did not apologize, he says.
Cartlidge asks if any other asylum seekers have been accidentally released since Kebatu was released.
Lammy says he has put in place the toughest checks for prisons they have ever had in prisons.
Cartlidge says he is surprised Lammy did not apologize.
Lammy says he has just explained that he did.
UPDATE: Cartlidge said:
Watching the interview last night, I have to say, was absolutely heartbreaking.
And I have to say, I do think (Lammy) owes it to offer an apology here on the floor of the house, but he should have done that at the beginning of his remarks.
These are very serious matters, which is why I want to ask him a further very important question – can he reassure the house that since Kebatu was released, no other asylum seeking offender has been accidentally let out of prison?
And Lammy replied:
The house is thankfully quiet, so I’m surprised (Cartlidge) didn’t hear me when I said that of course I apologize and I’m sorry for the anxiety caused.
But look, let me just remind him that he was a justice minister that allowed our prisons to get to this state in the first place and it’s now for us to fix the mess that we’ve gotten into.
It’s important that Dame Lynne Owens can now continue her work and understand what is happening. He knows that early releases began under their watch in 2021.
James Cartlidge says overnight the father of the girl attacked in Epping by an asylum seeker, Hadush Kebatu, has said he did not receive an apology after the attacker was inadvertently released. He refers to the father’s interview on ITV.
(Kemi Badenoch may not be here, but she is still writing the script.)
Lammy says he apologized when he was making a statement to MPs on this.
Connor Rand (Lab) says Lammy is the first black person to answer PMQs.
He asks about an eight-year-old constituent who is fighting cancer.
Lammy thanks Rand for his comment, but he says Diane Abbott and Kemi Badenoch have both been trailblazers in the Commons.
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