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Windrush Lessons Learned Review
21 July 2020
Lead MP
Priti Patel
Debate Type
General Debate
Tags
No tags
Other Contributors: 40
At a Glance
Priti Patel raised concerns about windrush lessons learned review in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
The Home Secretary apologised unreservedly for the injustice, hardship and suffering of members of the Windrush generation at the hands of successive Governments. She announced that she accepted the review’s findings and promised to come back to the House to update all Members on the progress in implementing the recommendations. More than £1.5 million has been offered by the Windrush compensation scheme and a new cross-Government Windrush working group has been established to address inequalities affecting the Windrush generation and their families.
Priti Patel
Con
Witham
The Home Secretary detailed efforts to right wrongs by apologising for injustices, offering compensation, training staff on migration history, changing departmental culture, enhancing inclusivity in the workforce, improving openness to scrutiny and policy making, and ensuring a more compassionate approach. She emphasised that the reforms are aimed at preventing future injustices against any community.
Torfaen
The Windrush scandal has devastated lives; examples include Gloria who lost her job and Pauline who was detained abroad. The compensation scheme's criteria must be proactive in identifying affected individuals, especially from Commonwealth countries. Home Secretary must confirm the number of eligible people and applicants, explain why numbers are low despite injustice scale, expedite claim turnaround time.
Priti Patel
Con
Witham
I restate my commitment to delivering compensation for Windrush victims. £1.5 million has been offered and the scheme will be expanded until April 2023, with more generous criteria. Outreach with communities is crucial but limited by covid-19 restrictions; I am willing to work across parties to ensure more people come forward.
Jerome Mayhew
Con
Broadland and Fakenham
Cross-Government working group has a key role in supporting the Windrush generation and addressing challenges faced by black and ethnic minority people. I ask how my right hon. Friend sees this group developing, particularly whether quarterly meetings are sufficient to make good progress.
Joanna Cherry
unknown constituency
Welcomes the statement but seeks reassurance that the Home Secretary will avoid past pitfalls of superficial and ineffective remedial actions. Questions the scope of engagement with devolved Governments in Scotland. Asks if measures like right to rent scheme will be paused pending review of hostile environment policy.
Ben Spencer
Con
Runnymede and Weybridge
Welcomes the Home Secretary's statement on compensation but raises concerns about rebuilding trust in the system. He asks what is being done to ensure people feel confident enough to claim available funds.
Yvette Cooper
Lab
Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley
Welcomes the Home Secretary's commitment to reform but expresses concern about delays in compensation processes. She urges for an urgent review of the operation to expedite initial payments.
Compliments the Home Secretary on her personal ownership of identifying and implementing solutions. He asks if the Home Office will simplify and streamline the immigration system as part of people-friendly reforms.
Welcomes the statement but urges for urgent processing of cases related to looked-after children and care leavers under the EU settlement scheme to avoid repeating Windrush's mistakes.
Asks if the £1.5 million offered as legal compensation will be the start of a thorough process, emphasising that justice delayed is justice denied.
Helen Hayes
Lab
Dulwich and West Norwood
Proposes an educational programme for all new and existing Home Office staff regarding Britain's history, migration, and black Britons. She suggests this content should be taught in British schools as well.
Neil O'Brien
Con
Harborough, Oadby and Wigston
Welcomes the statement and asks what steps are being taken to ensure Wendy Williams' recommendations are implemented quickly.
Asks about measures for monitoring progress between now and September 2021, when Wendy Williams will reassess things.
Patricia Gibson
Party Unspecified
Constituency Unspecified
Expressed concerns about the UK Government's plans to extend hostile environment policies to EU citizens and asked for a guarantee that they would not face similar issues as Windrush victims.
Luke Evans
Con
Hinckley and Bosworth
Raised the case of Major Lines, a constituent who is facing difficulties changing his British subject passport to a British citizen one, highlighting similarities with the Windrush scandal. Asked what steps were being taken to protect veterans from such issues.
Zarah Sultana
Your Party
Coventry South
Asked the Home Secretary to condemn the Prime Minister's comments on British colonialism and to acknowledge the brutal crimes committed during that period, suggesting it undermines trust in the Government's commitment to implement education programmes recommended by the Windrush Lessons Learned Review.
Steven Baker
Party Unspecified
Constituency Unspecified
Congratulated the Home Office for establishing a culture of honour and treating people better, but asked how 'people, not cases' would be more than just a slogan in practice.
Sarah Jones
Lab
Croydon West
Asked about the lack of senior black civil servants in the Home Office and whether the Home Secretary had enough staff to deal with cases properly, especially given the heavy caseload at Lunar House.
Rosie Winterton
Party Unspecified
Constituency Unspecified
Called for order during the debate to ensure all MPs could ask questions and receive answers.
Scott Benton
Party Unspecified
Constituency Unspecified
Welcomed the Home Secretary's statement and asked her to reassure the House that she would do everything possible to make sure those who qualify received compensation as quickly as possible.
Chi Onwurah
Lab
Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West
Asserted that racism was allowed to infect Home Office immigration policies, leaving constituents in visa limbo for years. Asked the Secretary of State to commit to improving access to resources to give just and speedy decisions.
Caroline Nokes
Con
Romsey and Southampton North
Asked if the Department would publish equality impact assessments it is committed to carrying out, and whether it would be transparent about any ethnicity pay gap within the Home Office.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Thanked the Secretary of State for her commitment to Windrush issues and asked how she believed 30 recommendations in the Wendy Williams report could be implemented to ensure applications adhere to both the letter and spirit of policy.
Christine Jardine
Lib Dem
Edinburgh West
Asked if the Home Secretary would consider pausing immigration policies until she had fully implemented Windrush recommendations, given concerns about EU citizens being vulnerable to similar failures post-Brexit.
Priti Patel
Con
Witham
Emphasised the government's commitment to implementing Windrush recommendations and securing EU citizens' status through a separate programme. Also mentioned the points-based system aimed at welcoming talent, hard work, and skill without discrimination between non-EU and EU countries.
Asked if the new points-based immigration system will allow for welcoming similar talent and skills as shown by the Windrush generation.
Acknowledged contributions of members of the Windrush generation to the armed forces, seeking confirmation on this from the Home Secretary.
Stephen Timms
Lab
East Ham
Highlighted concerns over overseas students falsely accused of cheating in English language tests and the 'no recourse to public funds' restriction impacting hard-working families during the pandemic.
Urged Opposition Members to work with the Government to right wrongs concerning the Windrush generation, noting that playing party politics over it is shameful.
Questioned why caseworkers are setting high standards for claimants in evaluating cases and demanded a review of the hostile environment policy.
Asked about the Government's plans to look at the case of Chagos islanders' descendants facing citizenship problems during the nationality law review.
Joy Morrissey
Con
Beaconsfield
Suggested further reforms to how the Home Office processes immigration applications, noting her personal experience with Lunar House's bureaucracy.
Meg Hillier
Lab Co-op
Hackney South and Shoreditch
Committed the work of Chrisann Jarrett and We Belong, young people facing long citizenship processes and high fees, to the Home Secretary for engagement.
Bob Blackman
Con
Harrow East
Urged the government not to remove resources from dealing with backlogged immigration cases while implementing reforms on Windrush.
Asked for speedy compensation for constituents affected by the Windrush scandal.
Called for immediate scrapping of the no recourse to public funds policy, which she argued affects migrants and the BAME community disproportionately.
Naseem Shah
Lab
Bradford West
Acknowledged the Home Secretary's tone and ownership on Windrush issues but asked for changes in the Home Office so that issues like racism can be raised and highlighted without denialism or prejudice.
Priti Patel
Con
Witham
Emphasises the importance of Wendy’s review and its measures that have evolved over decades under different governments. She stresses the need for self-reflection, responsibility-taking for past failings, and treating communities with respect.
Questions how the Home Office will ensure a deeper understanding of the data it holds and its impact on affected populations as part of increased openness to scrutiny.
Priti Patel
Con
Witham
Responds by highlighting the importance of analysing various types of data, including immigration trends and policy impacts. She mentions a shift towards better data analytics across government departments for more responsive and compassionate policymaking.
Government Response
Government Response
We are expanding the compensation scheme and making criteria more generous; £1.5 million in compensation has been offered to individuals so far, with over 1,000 cases involving other Departments. Outreach and engagement with communities is vital but limited by covid-19 restrictions; I am willing to work across parties to ensure more people come forward.
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