David Lammy in fiery PMQs exchange over wrongly-released migrant sex offender

Evening Standard

'Get a grip, man!' David Lammy in fiery PMQs exchange over wrongly-released migrant sex offender

Transcript

00:00Get a grip, man! I know I'm the Justice Secretary, that's why I'm at the Dispatch Box, also as Deputy Prime Minister. We know that.

00:07James Carflage.

00:08Thank you, Mr Speaker. Watching the interview last night, I have to say, it was absolutely heartbreaking.

00:15And I have to say, Mr Speaker, I do think he owes it to offer an apology here on the floor of the House.

00:21But he should have done that at the start of his remarks, Mr Speaker.

00:26These are very serious matters, Mr Speaker, which is why I want to ask him a further, very important question.

00:33Can he reassure the House that since Kabartu was released, no other asylum-seeking offender has been accidentally let out of prison?

00:43Deputy Prime Minister.

00:46Well, the House is thankfully quiet, so I'm surprised the hon. Gentleman didn't hear me when I said that of course I apologise,

00:53and I'm sorry for the anxiety caused.

00:57But 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.

01:08And it's now for us to fix the mess that we've got into.

01:12It's important that Dame Lynne Anna Owens can now continue her work and understand what is happening.

01:17He knows that early release has begun under their watch in 2021.

01:24Mr Speaker, these are extremely serious crimes that we are talking about.

01:32I'm going to ask him the question again.

01:35Can he reassure the House that since Kabartu was released,

01:40no other asylum-seeking offender has been accidentally let out of prison?

01:44And it's a very specific question for him to answer.

01:48Deputy Prime Minister.

01:50After his release, I put in place the toughest checks we've ever had in the prison system.

01:59It is important that Lynne Owens is able to get to the bottom of her work.

02:05I suspect there will be more checks and balances we need to do.

02:08What we inherited was a complicated system that they set up, letting people out on the sly.

02:15That's part of the problem, and we're trying to fix it.

02:18James Cartridge.

02:20Mr Speaker, he's the Justice Secretary.

02:22He's responsible for the justice system.

02:25He needs to take responsibility.

02:28And I'm asking him a straight question.

02:31And I'm going to repeat it once more for the avoidance of doubts, because he didn't answer it twice.

02:38He's here to answer questions.

02:40Can he reassure the House that since Kabartu was released,

02:45no other asylum-seeking offender has been accidentally let out of prison?

02:50It's a clear question.

02:51Can he give an answer?

02:52Deputy Prime Minister.

02:53Get a grip, man!

02:54I know I'm the Justice Secretary.

02:56That's why I'm at the dispatch box, also as Deputy Prime Minister.

02:58We know that I'm not going to pray in aid.

03:03Dame Anne Owens is a former Deputy Commissioner in London, head of the NCA.

03:11It is for her to get to the bottom of that work.

03:14Of course we know that there have been spikes since 2021 under his watch.

03:19When did he come to this House and apologise?

03:21Yes!

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