From 3h agoKey events37m agoRwanda deal costs so far only amount to 30 days of spending on hotels for asylum seekers in UK, peers told43m agoMinister answers urgent question in Lords on payments to Rwanda51m agoDowden says government is ‘four-square’ behind Israel as it tackles threat from Hamas1h agoArchbishop of Canterbury calls for abolition of two-child cap on benefit payments2h agoScottish court rules UK government veto of gender recognition bill lawful2h agoNo 10 confirms it will publish ‘pack of evidence’ next week to support its case Rwanda is safe3h agoNo 10 says Suella Braverman, not Rishi Sunak, signed off on extra £100m payment to Rwanda3h agoMinister to respond to private notice question in Lords on payments to Rwanda4h agoPursglove says new Rwanda bill ‘robust’, playing down reports lawyers have warned it contains signficant loophole5h agoPursglove suggests government could accept changes to Rwanda bill5h agoPublic accounts committee chair accuses Home Office of using ’cloak and dagger’ tactics over Rwanda costs5h agoLegal migration minister Tom Pursglove defends extra payment to Rwanda, taking total cost of plan to £290mFilters BETAKey events (12)Rishi Sunak (7)Tom Pursglove (6)Matthew Rycroft (3)25m ago09.15 EST
Lord Davies (Lab) suggests the government does not want the asylum claim backlog cleared quickly – because so many would be approved.
Sharpe says that is an interesting theory – but the government is clearing the backlog, he says.
31m ago09.09 EST
Hilary Armstrong (Lab) says that, although Sharpe is saying the deterrent effect of the Rwanda policy is already working, because small boat crossings are down by a third, the PM has said that is due to the deal with Albania.
Sharpe says the Albania deal is part of government policy on this.
35m ago09.05 EST
Sharpe says none of the money provided to Rwanda so far has come from the aid budget.
37m ago09.03 ESTRwanda deal costs so far only amount to 30 days of spending on hotels for asylum seekers in UK, peers told
Sharpe says payments made to Rwanda so far represent about 30 days of the amount being spent putting up asylum seekers in hotels in the UK.
He says if the plan succeeds, as he thinks it will, it will be good value for the taxpayers.
Lord Sharpe speaking in the Lords today Photograph: House of LordsUpdated at 09.06 EST40m ago09.01 EST
Lady Hayter (Lab) asks if the deal allows for money to be clawed back.
Sharpe says he does not know.
41m ago09.00 EST
Lord Collins, the shadow deputy leader of the Lords, says the new Rwanda treaty has changed the nature of the scheme. He says ministers should disclose costs.
Sharpe says the permanent secretary at the Home Office has disclosed extra payments in his letter to the two select committee chairs.
The total spend so far is £240m, he says.
Updated at 09.13 EST43m ago08.58 ESTMinister answers urgent question in Lords on payments to Rwanda
In the House of Lords Lord Sharpe, a Home Office minister, is answering a private notice…
2023-12-08 09:25:18
Article from www.theguardian.com
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