Lords to question immigration minister on UK's approach to the EU's agenda on migration

Mr Brokenshire will be questioned by the Committee on a number of aspects of the Government's stance on the EU's Agenda on Migration, including search and rescue missions in the Mediterranean, and a scheme for migrants to be relocated within the EU while their claims for asylum status are being processed.

The session will be particularly helpful in the light of the forthcoming short opt-in report the Committee will be publishing before the summer recess, on the mandatory relocation of migrants arriving in Italy and Greece, to other parts of Europe, including the UK.

Questions the Committee are likely to put to the Immigration Minister include:

• Does the Government believe that the European Agenda on Migration strikes the correct balance between intermediate action and longer-term solutions to the global migration crisis?
• What resources have been made available to address the specific crisis in the Mediterranean, and at what cost?
• Upon what evidence does the Government base its assertion that both search and rescue missions and the relocation of migrants serve as a pull factor, and encourage irregular migration to the EU?
• How do the Government's assertions that it “shares the Commission's desire to prevent further loss of life at sea”, and that it “will continue to make an important contribution” to search and rescue missions reconcile with the withdrawal of HMS Bulwark from Operation Triton?

The evidence session will take place at 10.15am, on Wednesday 8 July in Committee Room 3 of the House of Lords.

The session will be webcast at http://parliamentlive.tv/Lords and is also open to the public. Journalists wishing to attend should go to Parliament's Cromwell Green Entrance and should allow time for security screening.