I have had several constituents contact me about Shamima Begum.
I would like to be very clear that anyone who has left the UK to support terrorist organisations - which seek to cause harm to our citizens and sow hate in our country - is not welcome back in Britain.
There are a range of measures available to stop people who pose a serious threat from returning to the UK. Anyone returning from the conflict can expect to be questioned, investigated and potentially prosecuted. All of those who have returned have been investigated; the majority have been assessed to pose no or a low security risk.
In order to protect this country, the Home Secretary has the power to deprive someone of their British citizenship where it would not render them stateless. I would like to assure you that any decision to deprive an individual of their citizenship is based on all available evidence, including secret intelligence. This power has been in place for more than a hundred years and has been used by successive Home Secretaries.
The case of Shamima Begum is a very difficult one, and I know that Ministers are very disappointed with the decision of the Court of Appeal – as am I. I welcome the fact that the Home Office is applying for permission to appeal the judgement. I firmly believe our first priority must be keeping the public safe, as I have stated several times in the House of Commons recently, during the passage of the Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill. I wholeheartedly support the Government in their commitment to protecting the people of our country.