James Cartlidge has used a point of order to point out reports that a second foreign national offender is on the run after being wrongly released from prison. 

It follows the shadow defence secretary asking the deputy PM six times during PMQs whether this was the case - and David Lammy refused to answer the question.

Although DPMQs has now ended, Cartlidge uses a parliamentary procedure to ask Lammy in the Commons about it.

He asks about "reporting that a police manhunt has been launched for a second asylum seeker mistakenly freed from prison".

"The question is Mr Speaker, how can you advise me on how I can ask justice secretary whether he was aware of this when I asked him about it repeatedly in prime minister's questions?"

But Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the speaker, declines to let Lammy respond as PMQs is now over. 

"You put it on the record," Hoyle says. "Let's just move on. Benches change over."

By Tom Parmenter, national correspondent

Another foreign prisoner is on the run after being mistakenly released from prison, Paste BN can reveal.

The error at HMP Wandsworth in south London happened on the 29th October - just five days after the high profile release of convicted paedophile Hadush Kebatu from HMP Chelmsford.

The Met Police confirmed to Paste BN: "Shortly after 13:00hrs on Tuesday, 4 November, the Met was informed by the Prison Service that a prisoner had been released in error from HMP Wandsworth on Wednesday, 29 October.

"The prisoner is a 24-year-old Algerian man.

"Officers are carrying out urgent enquiries in an effort to locate him and return him to custody."

Paste BN understands the Algerian prisoner was serving time for trespass with an intent to steal but has previously committed sexual offences.

It is not yet clear why it was nearly a week between the latest release at Wandsworth and the police being informed that an offender was at large.

The numbers of these types of errors has risen recently, with 262 instances between March 2024 and March 2025. 

In the aftermath of the Hadush Kebatu manhunt, the Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary, David Lammy MP, promised "the strongest release checks that have ever been in place."

He also ordered an independent investigation into the Kebatu release, which is being led by former Deputy Commissioner of the Met Police Dame Lynne Owens.

The Conservatives described the Kebatu episode as a "national embarrassment."

The Ministry of Justice has been contacted for comment about the latest incident at HMP Wandsworth.

One of the stories dominating proceedings today is the recent knife attack on a train in Huntingdon.

The train driver, Andrew Johnson, spoke to ITV News earlier this week, telling them, "I was only doing my job," when asked about saving lives on board.

Charlotte Nichols, MP for Warrington North, asks David Lammy about recognising the importance of rail crews in all the work in light of Johnson's actions.

The deputy PM pays tribute to the actions of Johnson.

He says:

"The actions of the driver, Andrew Johnson, and the train staff members, this is nothing less than heroic, and I'm sure that the whole House would agree that some form of recognition is absolutely deserved."

Lammy adds that the government is fighting for such frontline workers.

 David Lammy has said comments by Reform UK's only female MP were "disgraceful, racist language... which belongs in the Dark Ages".

The deputy PM is asked about Reform UK's performance at Kent County Council by Tristan Osborne, who asks Lammy if he agrees that the county "deserves so much better".

He responds: "Reform said that Kent County Council would be the best advocate for what a Reform government would look like. 

"They're delivering on the chaos that they promised and on standards in public life."

He then turns to comments made by Sarah Pochin last week, where she said "adverts full of black people, Asian people" drive her mad. 

She has since apologised for her comments, while party leader Nigel Farage called them "ugly".

But Lammy goes much further.

He says: "The disgraceful, racist language that we heard from a report reform MP last week belongs in the Dark ages and she should be ashamed."

Pochin shakes her head in disapproval as Lammy lambasts her.

Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper, in her second question, asks David Lammy which he thinks is fairer: "Taxing struggling families, or taxing big banks?"

The deputy PM, as a fair few government voices have said recently, says he can't pre-empt the chancellor ahead of her budget.

Instead, Lammy says that it was "under her government, in which they were in coalition with the Conservatives, that we saw austerity right across our country."

The Labour deputy PM says other major parties were proposing austerity again.

"I know that the chancellor will do everything she can to continue as she set out... to invest in our NHS and our public services," Lammy tells the house.

Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge, for his fifth question, sticks to his guns asking again about Kebatu, the now deported sexual offener.

Cartlidge asks again:

"Can he reassure the House that since Kebatu was released no other asylum-seeking offender has been accidentally let out of prison? Can you answer the question, deputy Prime Minister?"

In response, the deputy PM again goes on the offensive, calling into question the Conservatives' own time in government.

Lammy tells the House: "I've got to tell you, I spent 14 years in opposite and I did a hell of a lot better than he's just done. I have answered the question. Under their watch, prisons were in a mess."

Cartlidge repeats the question again for his sixth question and Lammy again uses the opportunity to talk up what he claims Labour has done for law and order in the UK.

The deputy PM accuses the Tories of leaving the prison system "on the brink of collapse, threatening to allow offenders to run wild on our streets".

James Cartlidge now asks David Lammy whether "no other asylum seeker offender has been accidentally let out of prison" since convicted sex offender Hadush Kebatu was accidentally released from prison.

The Ethiopian national was released by accident last month, leading to a three-day manhunt.

Kebatu has since been deported.

The deputy PM hits back at the Conservative MP, saying that since this embarrassing incident, he has "put in place the toughest checks we've ever had in the prison system". 

Lammy then says it is "important that Lynne Owens is able to get to the bottom of her work", citing the former police officer leading an independent investigation into the wrongful release. 

He adds: "I suspect there will be more checks and balances we need to do.

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

"That's part of the problem. We're trying to fix it."

Lammy tells Cartlidge to 'get a grip, man'

But the shadow defence secretary uses his fourth question to ask the same question.

Cartlidge says: "He's the justice secretary. He's responsible for the justice system. He needs to take responsibility. And I'm asking him a straight question.

"Can he reassure the House that since Kebatu was released, no other asylum seeking offender has been accidentally let out of prison? It's a clear question. 

"Can he give an answer?"

An agitated Lammy responds: "Get a grip, man! I know I'm the justice secretary. That's why I'm at the despatch box. Also as deputy prime minister."

He then insists he won't prejudice Dame Lynne Owens's investigation.

Lammy continues: "It is for her to get to the box with that work. 

"Of course, we know that there have been spikes since 2021 under his watch. When did he come to this house and apologise?"

Cartlidge does not apologise in his next question.

David Lammy starts his remarks at deputy PMQs by touching on the recent train attack in Peterborough and the upcoming Remembrance Sunday.

Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge asks the first question, giving Lammy the chance to apologise to the father of a young girl sexually assault in Epping after they said the government had failed them.

In response, Lammy says:

"He must have missed the debate because in the debate, of course, I said sorry for the anxiety calls whilst Shebatu was at large. And I repeat that, and it's hugely important that [we]... now gets to the bottom of what has happened with her further investigation."

Cartlidge sticks with topic for his sceond question, asking if Lammy can "reassure the House that since Kebatu was released, no other asylum-seeking offender has been accidentally let out of prison?"

In response, Lammy repeats his apology and accuses Cartlidge and the Conservatives of being responsible for "the state" the country's prisons are in.

"It's now for us to fix the mess that we've got into," Lammy says.

He adds: "He knows that early release has begun under their watch in 2021."

Deputy prime minister's questions is about to begin, and today's battle in the Chamber could prove interesting. 

David Lammy will face off against Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge, with the PM on his way to COP30 in Brazil and Kemi Badenoch also away from the Commons.

There's plenty for the pair to go at, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves refusing to rule out introducing manifesto-breaking tax rises at the budget later this month. 

Meanwhile, Lammy will want to talk about the breaking news that a man who came to the UK illegally twice has now been deported for a second time, under the government's 'one in, one out' migrant returns agreement.

You can watch it live in the stream above.

An Iranian national who returned to UK after being deported to France has been removed for a second time, Paste BN understands.

The man first came to the UK illegally via a small boat before being detained and deported to France on 19 September, under the terms of the government's 'one in, one out' returns deal.

But in an embarrassment for the government, he then returned to the UK for a second time on 18 October, again via small boat.

He was detained once again, and the government insisted he would be removed back to France as soon as possible.

It is understood this has now happened.

In total, 94 people have been returned to France under the terms of the UK-France migrant returns deal, which was signed in the summer.

57 individuals have been brought to the UK from France, under the terms of the deal.