On Monday after more than 10 years of effort by successive British Governments Abu Qatada was deported from the United Kingdom to face justice in his home country following an agreement reached between the British and Jordanian Governments earlier this year.
The deportation of Abu Qatada demonstrates the Government’s commitment to deport foreign nationals who threaten our security. British Governments have been trying to deport Abu Qatada since 2001. He had no right to reside in the UK and was a threat to our country. However, it was a hugely difficult process to deport him and took far too long. The lengthy delays and large costs this case has incurred have highlighted problems with our Human Right laws.
During her Statement made in the House of Commons on Monday, the Home Secretary spoke about the lessons we need to learn from this case. The deportation of Abu Qatada has taken 12 years and cost more than £1.7 million in legal fees for both sides. This is quite simply unacceptable. As a result the Government is taking immediate action to address concerns relating to legal fees access to benefits and appeal rights. The Prime Minister and Home Secretary have also confirmed that in the next Conservative Manifesto we will set out measures to deal with the implications of the Human Rights Act and our interaction with the European Court.
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As we celebrate the 65th Birthday of the NHS I thought that it would be fitting to set out what the Coalition Government is doing to make sure that the NHS is available for future generations and will remain respected throughout the world.
We have demonstrated our commitment to the NHS by increasing spending on it every year since 2010. In Sutton Coldfield this means families will see a rise in the budget available for the health service from approximately 833 million in 2012-13 to 842 million in 2013-14.
Due to the commitment of this Government and the dedicated people who work locally in our NHS we have:
· More Midwives and Doctors and fewer Managers;
· Faster access to treatment;
· Almost eliminated mixed sex Wards;
· Introduced a new £650 million Cancer Drugs Fund;
· Increased investment in the NHS.
Please visit my website to find out more about my work in Sutton Coldfield