Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill

I would simply like to add my own concern about the late tabling of such lengthy and complex provisions. I accept what the Minister says about the need to bring this country into line with its international obligations, and the Government are obviously taking the opportunity to do so, but I echo the concern of the hon. Member for Islington, North (Jeremy Corbyn) about the relationship between this Bill and other international obligations. I should like the Minister to put it on the record that it is not the Government's intention to supersede any other international obligations. The provisions should be implemented subject to those other obligations. I shall mention only two other matters. First, I would like to respond to the point made by the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink) and remind the House that we are dealing with international obligations where reciprocity is the order of the day. It is impossible for this country to give itself rights and powers in such a field that it is unwilling to allow other countries to have. When the hon. Gentleman talks about the treatment of British citizens abroad and their being brought back to this country and raises the question of connection, he has to admit that other countries will apply the same rule about citizenship and connection. Such an arrangement has to have the best rules for all countries. It is unreasonable to expect this country to be given special privilege in international law, which is a theme that I might have expanded upon at great length were there an opportunity to do so. My other point concerns why it is necessary for there to be a provision in proposed new section 4C(6) in new clause 122 that specifically says that there is no"““right of appeal on the relevant person against provisions contained””" in previous subsections. I have two things to say about that. First, if there is no right of appeal, there will presumably still be a right to judicial review. The other, rather more obvious point is that, if it is necessary to say that there is no right of appeal every time someone is mentioned in legislation and no mechanism is set up to provide for appeals, the implication is that there is a right of appeal when such wording does not appear. It is not entirely obvious why a right of appeal has been withdrawn in this Bill. Subject to a response to those queries, and to the protest about the amount of time allowed for proper scrutiny of the provisions, I see no great objection to them.