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1456516

registered interest
date	31/03/2022
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Home Office: Written Questions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to Question 138024 tabled by the hon. Member for Sefton Central on 10 March 2022.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	151081
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2022 answer text <p>Question 138024 was answered on 1 April 2022.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 19/04/2022 09:55:16 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1439728

registered interest
date	10/03/2022
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Visas: Russia
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many child student visa applications has her department received from Russian nationals since 1st February 2022.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	138024
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/04/2022 answer text <p>The information requested is routinely published as part of UKVI Transparency data.</p><p>The most recent published data for child student visa applications can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/managed-migration-datasets#entry-clearance-visas-granted-outside-the-uk" target="_blank">Managed migration datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p>Information on how to use the tables in <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/managed-migration-datasets" target="_blank">Managed migration datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a> can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 01/04/2022 10:22:16 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1362985

registered interest
date	25/10/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Migrant Workers: Care Workers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of adding entry level social care staff to the shortage occupation list.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	62710
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2021 answer text <p>Senior care workers were added to the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) in April 2021, joining other key health and care occupations such as nurses, occupational therapists and social workers. Yet we do not believe it would be appropriate to create an immigration route which gives social care employers an opportunity to recruit at or near the minimum wage, with no work based training requirements, as an alternative to offering the type of rewarding packages which will attract UK based workers.</p><p>In July, I commissioned the MAC to review the impact of ending free movement on the social care sector. The MAC have issued a call for evidence with stakeholders and we look forward to receiving their report in April 2022.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 28/10/2021 15:24:17 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1360005

registered interest
date	15/10/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Migrant Workers: Care Workers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) correspondence and (b) representations she has received from representatives of the social care sector on adding carers to the shortage occupation list.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	57003
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2021 answer text <p>The Home Office regularly receives correspondence and representations from a broad range of stakeholders from all sectors, including social care.</p><p>Senior care workers were added to the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) in April 2021, joining other key health and care occupations such as nurses, occupational therapists and social workers., It is worth noting a role at RQF 3 level or above does not need to be on the SOL to qualify for recruitment via the Skilled Worker Visa.</p><p>In July, I commissioned the MAC to review the impact of ending free movement on the social care sector. The MAC have issued a call for evidence with stakeholders and we look forward to receiving their report in April 2022.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 20/10/2021 15:08:58 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1343303

registered interest
date	02/07/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Forced Labour: Malaysia
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the Newcastle University study on forced labour in the Malaysian medical glove industry, published on 1 July 2021.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	26106
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2021 answer text <p>The Government is committed to working with public and private sector organisations to address the risks of modern slavery in supply chains. It welcomes research on these issues and is carefully considering the findings from the Newcastle University study. The research itself was supported by the Modern Slavery Policy and Evidence Centre, a centre funded by the Government specifically to transform the evidence base underpinning our policy and operational response to modern slavery.</p><p>Government is harnessing its spending power to ensure exploitative businesses do not take a share of the £81 billion that central government spends on goods and services each year. On 26 March 2020, we became the first country to publish a Government Modern Slavery Statement setting out the steps we have taken to prevent modern slavery and incentivise responsible business conduct in our supply chains. We have launched the Modern Slavery Assessment Tool and directly worked with over 500 suppliers on implementing effective modern slavery due diligence. More than 1,800 organisations have completed the assessment since March 2019.</p><p>The Home Office also works across Government to develop best-practice to prevent modern slavery in public sector procurement. With support from DHSC and NHS Supply Chain, the Home Office commissioned the ethical trade consultancy, Impactt, to develop tailored guidance for buyers and suppliers of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) on best practice to prevent modern slavery in supply chains. As part of this project, Impactt delivered training workshops with PPE manufacturers and resellers to support them in implementing the guidance. In addition, the Government has recently launched e-learning to support public sector commercial staff to better identify and mitigate modern slavery risks in contracts.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 08/07/2021 13:51:40 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1327656

registered interest
date	24/05/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Coronavirus: Protective Clothing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many allegations of modern slavery in supply chains she has received in respect of the supply of personal protective equipment during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	6535
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/05/2021 answer text <p>We do not hold data on the number of allegations made about modern slavery in the supply of personal protective equipment (PPE), but the prevalence of modern slavery and complexity of global supply chains means that it is highly unlikely that any sector or company is immune from these risks, including PPE suppliers.</p><p>Through the landmark ‘Transparency in Supply Chains’ provision in the Modern Slavery Act 2015, the UK became the first country in the world to require businesses to report on the steps they have taken to tackle modern slavery in their operations and global supply chains.</p><p>The Home Office works across Government to develop best-practice to prevent modern slavery in public procurement. We supported the Cabinet Office to produce internal guidance reminding departments of the key steps they should be taking to mitigate modern slavery risks in COVID-related procurements.</p><p>The Home Office, with support from DHSC and NHS Supply Chain, commissioned the ethical trade consultancy, Impactt, to develop tailored guidance for buyers and suppliers of PPE on best practice approaches to preventing modern slavery in supply chains. As part of this project, Impactt delivered training workshops with PPE manufacturers and resellers to support them implement the guidance.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 27/05/2021 16:13:01 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1315588

registered interest
date	18/05/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum: Iraq
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of Iraqi translators who worked for the British Army in Iraq that are seeking asylum in the UK; and what steps she is taking to support their asylum claims.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	2953
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/05/2021 answer text <p>We successfully resettled interpreters and their families from Iraq in recognition of the huge debt of gratitude we owed them for risking their lives alongside UK armed forces. This scheme included relocation to the UK or a financial payment for eligible members of staff.</p><p>Although this scheme has now closed, we still have a proud record of supporting those in danger of persecution and all asylum claims lodged in the UK are carefully considered on their individual merits including those claims made by Iraqi translators who worked for the British Army.</p><p>Additionally, Migrant Help provide independent advice and guidance to assist those considering seeking asylum and those who have claimed asylum to move through and understand the asylum process.</p><p>The Home Office is unable to state how many asylum applications have been made by Iraqi translators who worked for the British Army in Iraq as such data can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 25/05/2021 11:17:31 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster previous answer version 2159 answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1304596

registered interest
date	22/03/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Clothing: Manufacturing Industries
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential effect of the UK having left the EU on increasing the prevalence of modern slavery in UK garment factories.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	172992
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2021 answer text <p>The UK was the first country in the world to require businesses to report on the steps they have taken to tackle modern slavery.</p><p>The landmark provision in section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 requires businesses, in all sectors, including the garment industry, with a turnover of £36m or more to report annually on the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains. This obligation on businesses will be unaffected by our exit from the EU.</p><p>The prevalence of modern slavery and complexity of global supply chains means that it is highly unlikely that any sector or company is immune from the risks of modern slavery. The Government encourages companies to report transparently about how they are mitigating modern slavery risks and to use their modern slavery statements to demonstrate year on year progress.</p><p>The transparency legislation was designed to enable consumers, investors and civil society to scrutinise business action. To improve the quality and detail of reporting and accelerate action to prevent modern slavery, the Government has committed to strengthen the reporting requirements on businesses and to introduce financial penalties for those that fail to meet their obligations under section 54.</p><p>In March 2021, the Government launched a digital registry for modern slavery statements which will enhance transparency by making statements available in one place for the first time. It will enable greater visibility and scrutiny of the step's organisations are taking to prevent modern slavery.</p><p>In addition, following allegations of labour exploitation in Leicester’s textiles industry, a multi-agency taskforce of enforcement bodies has been set up to secure robust intelligence and to carry out appropriate enforcement activity. The taskforce is engaging directly with the garment sector to understand the issues that lead to labour market non-compliance and to consider the measures needed to protect vulnerable workers and drive-up standards.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 25/03/2021 16:46:06 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1303015

registered interest
date	16/03/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Immigration: EU Nationals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending the deadline for EU citizens applying for settled status in response to difficulties in renewing passports and national identity cards during the covid-19 pandemic.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	169844
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/03/2021 answer text <p>We have continued to receive and process thousands of applications a day to the scheme throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 5.1 million applications received and more than 4.8 million applications concluded by 28 February 2021. There are no plans to extend the deadline for applications to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS).</p><p>Support for applicants who need it has remained available, including from the network of 72 organisations across the UK grant-funded by the Home Office to help vulnerable people apply to the EUSS.</p><p>Published guidance for EUSS applicants on the impact of COVID-19, including the scope for them to provide alternative evidence of identity and nationality if they do not have a valid passport or national identity card, is available at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-eu-settlement-scheme-guidance-for-applicants" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-eu-settlement-scheme-guidance-for-applicants</a>.</p><p>In line with the Withdrawal Agreement, the Government has been clear, where a person has reasonable grounds for missing the 30 June 2021 deadline for applications to the EUSS by EU citizens and their family members resident in the UK by the end of the transition period, they will be given a further opportunity to apply.</p><p>Non-exhaustive guidance will be published in the near future on what constitutes such reasonable grounds, to underpin a flexible and pragmatic approach to considering late applications under the EUSS.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 22/03/2021 16:24:49 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1278829

registered interest
date	20/01/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Retail Trade: Protective Clothing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to enforce covid-19 regulations and protect retail staff against infection from customers who refuse to wear a face covering in shops.
tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
uin	140795
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/01/2021 answer text <p>Throughout the pandemic, the Government has worked closely with retail representatives to ensure that regulations are understood and correctly implemented within their establishments. Shops have worked hard to adhere to Government guidance to ensure that their stores are as Covid secure as possible, protecting both customers and retail staff.</p><p>The Government introduced requirements to wear face coverings in relevant public settings including shops and supermarkets (24 July) in England. This requirement was later extended to include staff in all shops and supermarkets (24 September). The requirements apply unless an individual is exempt or has a reasonable excuse not to wear a face covering.</p><p>Businesses are encouraged to take reasonable steps to encourage customers to follow the law, including through signs and providing other information in store. The police have been given formal powers to address non-compliance including directing individuals to wear a face covering, directing individuals to leave the relevant place, and issuing a fixed penalty notice of £200 doubling upon repeat offences up to a maximum of £6,400.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 25/01/2021 15:37:36 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson