article_snippet: Lord Bates, who was previously MP for Langbaurgh in the north east, was responding to a House of Lords question from Migrationwatch chairman Lord Green of Deddington.
article_snippet: In separate exchanges with the Labour benches, Lord Bates defended the Prime Minister's failure to hit Lord Bates 'tens of thousands' target.
article_snippet: Lord Bates said: 'It could well be that when the Prime Minister was making those remarks we were in the depths of despair as a country in 2010. '
article_snippet: Lord Bates, an Oxford graduate, was made a Deputy Speaker of the Lords in 2013.
article_snippet: the Prime Minister served as a Government whip before being appointed to the Home Office last year.
article_snippet: the Prime Minister speaks for the Government in the Upper Chamber on all matters dealt with by Theresa May's department.