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1693842

	registered interest
	date	05/03/2024
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the needs of an unaccompanied minor placed in the care of a local authority; and what assessment his Department has made of the ability of local authorities to meet those needs.
	tabling member constituency	Darlington
	tabling member printed	Peter Gibson
	uin	17195
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/03/2024 answer text <p>Local authorities have a statutory duty under S20 of the Children Act 1989 to look after children in need in their area. This includes unaccompanied asylum seeking (UAS) children who either arrive in a local authority area or are transferred there under the mandated National Transfer Scheme. The National Transfer Scheme provides a mechanism for the statutory responsibility for an UAS child to be transferred from an entry local authority to another local authority in the UK for ongoing care and support.</p><p>The decision for any UAS child to be referred to the NTS for transfer lies with the local authorities as the child’s corporate parent. The NTS Protocol sets out the criteria for referring a child to the NTS which can be found here: <a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Funaccompanied-asylum-seeking-children-interim-national-transfer-scheme&amp;data=05%7C02%7CASRA-briefingcorrespondence%40homeoffice.gov.uk%7C49fe4aeb9651414d4afa08dc3de1a83c%7Cf24d93ecb2914192a08af182245945c2%7C0%7C0%7C638453286591981059%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=%2FD0M2X%2BLgQ6tXtguN%2B%2FsxR3eBL%2BPXSMAS9fs6kRW%2B1w%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Unaccompanied asylum seeking children: national transfer scheme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a>.</p><p>When a child is being looked after by a local authority, that local authority is under a duty to safeguard and promote the child’s welfare under the Children Act 1989.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 13/03/2024 17:54:22 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	4754 label Biography information for Peter Gibson

1693844

	registered interest
	date	05/03/2024
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much and what proportion of the cost of caring for an unaccompanied minor asylum seeker with special needs who has been placed in the care of a local authority is paid for by his Department.
	tabling member constituency	Darlington
	tabling member printed	Peter Gibson
	uin	17197
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/03/2024 answer text <p>In addition to money for children's social care that local authorities receive through the Local Government Finance Settlement and finance arrangements which apply to the Devolved Administrations, the Home Office provides additional funding contributions to the costs incurred by local government in looking after unaccompanied asylum seeking (UAS) children and former UAS childcare leavers.</p><p>Local authorities supporting the greatest number of UAS children relative to their child population receive the higher rate of £143 per child per night for each UAS child.  This higher rate applies to local authorities supporting UAS children totalling 0.07% or greater of their general child population.  All other local authorities receive £114 per person per night for each UAS child in their care.   In addition, any local authority who accept the responsibility for a UAS child from a higher rate receiving local authority will receive the higher rate of £143 per child per night. This funding is not ring-fenced, and local authorities are free to use this funding as they see fit to support children in their care.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 13/03/2024 17:53:57 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	4754 label Biography information for Peter Gibson

1693617

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2024
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the report entitled A re-inspection of the use of hotels for housing unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, published by his Department in February 2024, what steps he is taking to ensure the (a) safety and (b) welfare of unaccompanied child asylum seekers in the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Slough
	tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
	uin	16978
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/03/2024 answer text <p>Since the two ICIBI inspections in 2022 and 2023, the Home Office has taken positive steps with our partners which has resulted in the closure of all 7 hotels for UAS children. The Home Office has provided details of its formal response to the recommendations and had already progressed activity linked to those recommendations prior to the hotels closing.</p><p>On both occasions of inspection, the ICIBI found that the children accommodated at the interim hotels reported they felt ‘happy and safe’ and spoke well of the staff caring for them.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove grouped question UIN 16977 question first answered 12/03/2024 12:07:53 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1685564

	registered interest
	date	29/01/2024
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2024 to Questions 8423 and 8424 on Asylum: Children, for what reason his Department is unable to provide the figures requested.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	11778
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2024 answer text <p>The specific data requested cannot be provided as it comes from live operational databases that have not been quality assured. Additionally, the Home Office does not hold the requested data in a reportable format.</p><p>There are currently no unaccompanied children in hotels. Of the 7 hotels which were operational in 2022, 6 of those were closed permanently on 30 November 2023 and the last remaining hotel will close on 31 January 2024.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 01/02/2024 12:13:20 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1684779

	registered interest
	date	24/01/2024
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied children seeking asylum were in Home Office hotel accommodation as of 24 January 2024.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow Central
	tabling member printed	Alison Thewliss
	uin	11353
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2024 answer text <p>As of the 24 January 2024, there were no children accommodated in the remaining UASC hotel.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 29/01/2024 17:23:19 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	4430 label Biography information for Alison Thewliss

1684484

	registered interest
	date	23/01/2024
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many refugee children were wrongly assessed to be adults by the Home Office between January 2022 and June 2023; and if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his Department's policies of the report by the Refugee Council together with Helen Bamber Foundation and Humans for Rights Network entitled Forced Adulthood, published on 23 January 2024.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	11046
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/01/2024 answer text <p>The Home Office does not publish the data requested, as this cannot currently be collected via national reporting systems. Our published data on age assessment can be accessed <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets" target="_blank">here</a> which includes the number of age disputes raised and resolved. and whether the decision found the individual to be under or over 18.</p><p>Our age assessment policies for immigration purposes seek to protect genuine minors and identify those who are adults. Determining the age of a young person is an inherently difficult task and therefore, the age assessment process for immigration purposes contains a number of safeguards.</p><p>Where a new arrival does not have genuine documentary evidence of their age and their claimed age is doubted, an initial age decision is conducted as a first step to prevent individuals who are clearly an adult or child from being subjected unnecessarily to a more substantive age assessment and ensure that new arrivals are routed into the correct accommodation and processes for assessing their asylum or immigration claim.</p><p>The Home Office will only treat an individual claiming to be a child as an adult, without conducting further enquiries, if two Home Office members of staff independently determine that the individual's physical appearance and demeanour very strongly suggests they are significantly over 18 years of age. The lawfulness of this process was endorsed by the Supreme Court in the case of R (on the application of BF (Eritrea)) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2021] UKSC 38.</p><p>Where doubt remains and an individual cannot be assessed to be significantly over 18, they will be treated as a child for immigration purposes until further assessment of their age by a local authority.</p><p>The Home Office is currently considering the contents and recommendations of the report by the Refugee Council together with Helen Bamber Foundation and Humans for Rights Network entitled Forced Adulthood, published on 23 January 2024.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 31/01/2024 12:45:22 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1680352

	registered interest
	date	08/01/2024
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied children seeking asylum have spent at least one night in hotel accommodation provided by the Home Office in the last 3 months.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	8423
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/01/2024 answer text <p>The High Court has upheld that local authorities have a statutory duty to care for UASC. We have always maintained that the best place for unaccompanied children to be accommodated is within a local authority. The High Court recently noted that improvements, plus impressive collaboration between the Home Office and Kent County Council, has led to a significant fall in the number of lone children being accommodated in hotels.</p><p>Since 18 November 2023, the one remaining hotel in Kent has remained empty. Of the 7 hotels which were operational in 2022, 6 of those were closed permanently on 30 November 2023.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove grouped question UIN 8424 question first answered 11/01/2024 17:50:05 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1680353

	registered interest
	date	08/01/2024
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied children seeking asylum were placed in hotel accommodation by the Home Office in the last three months, broken down by number of nights spent in that accomodation.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	8424
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/01/2024 answer text <p>The High Court has upheld that local authorities have a statutory duty to care for UASC. We have always maintained that the best place for unaccompanied children to be accommodated is within a local authority. The High Court recently noted that improvements, plus impressive collaboration between the Home Office and Kent County Council, has led to a significant fall in the number of lone children being accommodated in hotels.</p><p>Since 18 November 2023, the one remaining hotel in Kent has remained empty. Of the 7 hotels which were operational in 2022, 6 of those were closed permanently on 30 November 2023.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove grouped question UIN 8423 question first answered 11/01/2024 17:50:05 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1678594

	registered interest
	date	18/12/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to paragraph 56(d) of the judgement of 28 November 2023 of Mr. Justice Chamberlain, in the case of R (on the application of Kent County Council) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2023], whether he plans to commence the provisions of the 2023 Act.
	tabling member constituency	Aberavon
	tabling member printed	Stephen Kinnock
	uin	7334
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2024 answer text <p>The Illegal Migration Act received Royal Assent on 20 July 2023. The Act seeks to ensure the only way to come to the UK for protection will be through safe and legal routes and will take power out of the hands of the criminal gangs and protect vulnerable people, including children.</p><p> </p><p>Following the High Court ECPAT judgment and Supreme Court judgment on Rwanda, the Government is carefully reflecting on commencement of the powers in the Act, including those relating to the accommodation and transfer of unaccompanied children.</p><p> </p><p>These powers have not yet been commenced and a decision will be made in due course. The Act does not change a local authority’s statutory obligations to children from the date of arrival and that the best place for an unaccompanied child is in the care of a local authority. This is something the Government was consistently clear about during the Illegal Migration Act’s passage through Parliament.</p><p> </p><p>We are working at pace with Kent County Council, other government departments and local authorities across the UK to ensure suitable local authority placements are provided for unaccompanied asylum seeking children urgently and sustainably.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 16/01/2024 16:14:54 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	4359 label Biography information for Stephen Kinnock

1677689

	registered interest
	date	13/12/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied children in temporary accommodation have been provided with healthcare support in the last 12 months.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
	tabling member printed	Tahir Ali
	uin	6910
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2023 answer text <p>We maintain that the best place for these children to be accommodated is within local authority care. As part of the national transfer scheme, the receiving local authority must provide suitable support for all children being moved into their care, including health care, irrespective of the child’s immigration status. <br> <br> Asylum seekers have access to health and social care services from the point of arrival in the UK. The Home Office and its contractors work closely with the NHS, local authorities and non-governmental organisations to ensure that people can access the healthcare and support they need. <br> <br> The Home Office also operates a Safeguarding Hub to support vulnerable individuals in accessing these services. In addition, the Home Office contracts Migrant Help to provide advice and guidance to asylum seekers should they have an issue with their accommodation or support, and for signposting to health and welfare services. Asylum seekers can access Migrant Help 24/7, every day of the year by a freephone telephone number, via an online chat, or completing an email enquiry form, both of which can be accessed free of charge on the Migrant Help website. Interpreting and translation services are available through Migrant Help when the need arises for asylum seekers to raise any queries or concerns.</p><p> </p><p>The information you have requested of the Home Office is not held in a reportable format.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove grouped question UIN 6911 question first answered 20/12/2023 12:59:11 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	4747 label Biography information for Tahir Ali

1677690

	registered interest
	date	13/12/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the potential trauma for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children of being housed in hotels.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Hall Green
	tabling member printed	Tahir Ali
	uin	6911
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/12/2023 answer text <p>We maintain that the best place for these children to be accommodated is within local authority care. As part of the national transfer scheme, the receiving local authority must provide suitable support for all children being moved into their care, including health care, irrespective of the child’s immigration status. <br> <br> Asylum seekers have access to health and social care services from the point of arrival in the UK. The Home Office and its contractors work closely with the NHS, local authorities and non-governmental organisations to ensure that people can access the healthcare and support they need. <br> <br> The Home Office also operates a Safeguarding Hub to support vulnerable individuals in accessing these services. In addition, the Home Office contracts Migrant Help to provide advice and guidance to asylum seekers should they have an issue with their accommodation or support, and for signposting to health and welfare services. Asylum seekers can access Migrant Help 24/7, every day of the year by a freephone telephone number, via an online chat, or completing an email enquiry form, both of which can be accessed free of charge on the Migrant Help website. Interpreting and translation services are available through Migrant Help when the need arises for asylum seekers to raise any queries or concerns.</p><p> </p><p>The information you have requested of the Home Office is not held in a reportable format.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove grouped question UIN 6910 question first answered 20/12/2023 12:59:11 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	4747 label Biography information for Tahir Ali

1676631

	registered interest
	date	08/12/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what safeguarding information his Department collects on unaccompanied children who are seeking asylum.
	tabling member constituency	Hampstead and Kilburn
	tabling member printed	Tulip Siddiq
	uin	6027
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2023 answer text <p>The Home Office collects information from individuals seeking asylum for the purpose of progressing asylum claims. When that information affects the type of accommodation an individual may require, that information is also recorded for the purposes of meeting our statutory obligation.</p><p>In respect of Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children, responsibility to accommodate them sits with the local authority and they are required to collate appropriate safeguarding information for each child in their care.</p><p>All unaccompanied asylum-seeking children receive a welfare interview on arrival in the UK.</p><p> </p><p>Young people who were placed in emergency interim hotels which were operated by the Home Office had additional standard information collected from them to ensure that referrals or actions required due to any identified safeguarding concerns or issues could be made, including notifying the relevant local authority.</p><p>Young people in the hotels are supported by team leaders and support workers who are on site 24 hours a day. Further care is provided in hotels by teams of social workers and nurses.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 18/12/2023 12:23:47 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	4518 label Biography information for Tulip Siddiq

1676632

	registered interest
	date	08/12/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that unaccompanied child asylum seekers are provided healthcare.
	tabling member constituency	Hampstead and Kilburn
	tabling member printed	Tulip Siddiq
	uin	6028
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2023 answer text <p>We maintain that the best place for these children to be accommodated is within local authority care. As part of the national transfer scheme, the receiving local authority must provide suitable support for all children being moved into their care, including health care, irrespective of the child’s immigration status.</p><p> </p><p>Asylum seekers have access to health and social care services from the point of arrival in the UK. The Home Office and its contractors work closely with the NHS, local authorities and non-governmental organisations to ensure that people can access the healthcare and support they need.</p><p> </p><p>All accommodation providers, including those who were responsible for the unaccompanied asylum seeking children hotels that were previously set up and run by the Home Office, have a contractual duty to assist people in accessing the health care they need.</p><p> </p><p>The Home Office also operates a Safeguarding Hub to support vulnerable individuals in accessing these services. In addition, the Home Office contracts Migrant Help to provide advice and guidance to asylum seekers should they have an issue with their accommodation or support, and for signposting to health and welfare services. Asylum seekers can access Migrant Help 24/7, every day of the year by a freephone telephone number, via an online chat or completing an email enquiry form both of which can be accessed free of charge on the Migrant Help website. Interpreting and translation services are available through Migrant Help when the need arises for asylum seekers to raise any queries or concerns.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 18/12/2023 11:25:41 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	4518 label Biography information for Tulip Siddiq

1676634

	registered interest
	date	08/12/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that local authorities have adequate resources to support unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in their care.
	tabling member constituency	Hampstead and Kilburn
	tabling member printed	Tulip Siddiq
	uin	6030
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2023 answer text <p>The safety and welfare of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children is our utmost priority. We recognise that providing care placements for them is a national issue that requires participation from local authorities across the UK. We continue to work alongside other government departments, devolved administrations, and local authority representatives, to ensure this vulnerable group of children have timely access to the statutory placements that local authorities must provide.</p><p>Local authorities receive funding to support Children’s Social Care through the Local Government Finance Settlement, and finance arrangements which apply to the devolved administrations. In addition, the Home Office also provides funding contributions to the costs incurred by local government in looking after unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and former UASC care leavers.</p><p> </p><p>The Home Office has also introduced our new Incentivised Funding Programme for 2023-24 which provides £6,000 for every unaccompanied child moved within 5 working days either from a UASC hotel, or from Kent County Council.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 18/12/2023 12:26:22 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	4518 label Biography information for Tulip Siddiq

1676636

	registered interest
	date	08/12/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what processes his Department has in place to help protect unaccompanied children seeking asylum who have been victims of (a) rape, (b) sexual assault and (c) sexual exploitation.
	tabling member constituency	Hampstead and Kilburn
	tabling member printed	Tulip Siddiq
	uin	6032
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2023 answer text <p>We maintain that the best place for these children to be accommodated is within local authority care where they can receive the most appropriate support based on their individual needs.</p><p> </p><p>We had robust safeguarding procedures in place to ensure all young people who were temporarily accommodated in Home Office run hotels were safe and supported as we sought urgent placements with a local authority.</p><p> </p><p>Young people were supported by team leaders and support workers who were on site 24 hours a day. Further care was provided in hotels by teams of social workers and nurses. All contingency sites had security staff on site 24/7 and providers liaised closely with local police to ensure the welfare and safety of vulnerable residents.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 18/12/2023 11:49:06 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	4518 label Biography information for Tulip Siddiq

1676638

	registered interest
	date	08/12/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to locate the unaccompanied children seeking asylum who have gone missing from their accommodation.
	tabling member constituency	Hampstead and Kilburn
	tabling member printed	Tulip Siddiq
	uin	6034
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2023 answer text <p>The wellbeing of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children is our priority. We maintain that the best place for these children to be accommodated is within local authority care.</p><p> </p><p>There are currently no unaccompanied children in hotels and unaccompanied children’s hotel accommodation has been empty since 18 November 2023. Of the 7 hotels which were operational in 2022, 6 of those were closed permanently on 30 November 2023.</p><p><br> We take the safety of those in our care seriously.  We have robust safeguarding procedures in place to ensure all young people in emergency interim hotels were safe and supported as we sought urgent placements with a local authority.</p><p> </p><p>Police forces are responsible for locating missing children, in their region, in line with standard processes for any missing child in the UK.</p><p> </p><p>When children who were provided with emergency Home Office accommodation went missing the MARS (Missing After Reasonable Steps) protocol was followed. The local authority works with multiple agencies to establish the young person's whereabouts and to ensure that they are safe.</p><p> </p><p>Children staying in the Home Office hotels were supported by team leaders and support workers who were on site 24 hours a day. Further care was provided in hotels by teams of social workers and nurses. All contingency sites had security staff on site 24/7 and providers liaised closely with local police to ensure the welfare and safety of vulnerable residents.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 18/12/2023 12:27:55 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	4518 label Biography information for Tulip Siddiq

1675395

	registered interest
	date	05/12/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the correspondence of 5 April 2023 from the Children’s Commissioner to the Secretary of State entitled Statutory information request on Home Office accommodation of children seeking asylum, on how many of the variables listed in the data summary his Department holds data for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
	tabling member constituency	East Ham
	tabling member printed	Sir Stephen Timms
	uin	5146
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2023 answer text <p>In relation to the Children’s Commissioners correspondence, for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) who have been accommodated in hotels, the Home Office holds data on all variables outlined in the ‘data request summary’ excluding variable 8 and 23.</p><p>There were elements of the data requested which were not held in an electronically retrievable form and would have required the manual check of over 5,000 records. The Home Office were unable to provide all of the data as it would have required a high level of manual resource to obtain at a time of high operation demands. The Home Office did reach out to the Children’s Commissioners office in May 2023 to offer an alternative option to enable the commissioner to review children’s records, although this offer was turned down.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 11/12/2023 11:16:58 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1674111

	registered interest
	date	29/11/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Children’s Commissioner's report entitled Unaccompanied children in need of care published November 2023, for what reasons his Department did not return the information requested by the Commissioner on whether (a) safeguarding referrals were made and (b) healthcare support was received; and if he will provide this information for the 5,298 children housed in hotels between July 2021 and May 2023.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	4384
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2023 answer text <p>For those young people determined to be under 18 who have entered the UK without a parent or guardian, we will endeavour to place them with a local authority as soon as possible after their entry into the country. For young people placed in emergency interim hotels, safeguarding procedures are in place to ensure they are safe and supported whilst we seek urgent placements with a local authority. Young people are supported by team leaders and support workers who are on site 24 hours a day. Further care is provided in hotels by teams of social workers and nurses.</p><p> </p><p>The Home Office have confirmed the completion of the required Data Protection Impact Assessment for the Children’s Commissioner’s report. However there has been some delay in agreeing the final version. Further more, there are elements of the data which have been requested that are not in electronically retrievable form. The Home Office will not be able to provide the data as it would require a high level of manual resource to obtain.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 08/12/2023 12:49:49 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1674112

	registered interest
	date	29/11/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will take legislative steps to remove the power for his Department to accommodate children in the Illegal Migration Act 2023.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	4385
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2023 answer text <p>The Illegal Migration Act received Royal Assent on 20 July 2023. The Act seeks to ensure the only way to come to the UK for protection will be through safe and legal routes and will take power out of the hands of the criminal gangs and protect vulnerable people, including children.</p><p> </p><p>Following the High Court ECPAT judgment and Supreme Court judgment on Rwanda, the Government is carefully reflecting on commencement of the powers in the Act, including those relating to the accommodation and transfer of unaccompanied children.</p><p> </p><p>These powers have not yet been commenced and a decision will be made in due course. The Act does not change a local authority’s statutory obligations to children from the date of arrival and that the best place for an unaccompanied child is in the care of a local authority. This is something the Government was consistently clear about during the Illegal Migration Act’s passage through Parliament.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 08/12/2023 12:51:03 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1674155

	registered interest
	date	29/11/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seeker children have been (a) wrongly assessed to be above eighteen and (b) housed in accommodation with adults in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle
	tabling member printed	Emma Hardy
	uin	4512
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/12/2023 answer text <p>These figures are not available in a reportable format and to provide the information could only be done at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 08/12/2023 12:58:10 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	4645 label Biography information for Emma Hardy

1667938

	registered interest
	date	07/11/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied asylum seeking children that have gone missing from hotels are unaccounted for as of 7 November 2023.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow Central
	tabling member printed	Alison Thewliss
	uin	272
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/11/2023 answer text <p>UASC hotels are temporary accommodation that provide safeguarding for a child until they are ready to be transferred through the National Transfer Scheme (NTS) from an entry local authority to another local authority in the UK for ongoing care and support.</p><p>The Home Office has put in place further funding throughout 2023-24 of £6,000 for every unaccompanied child moved from a UASC hotel to a local authority within five working days to encourage quicker transfers into local authority care.</p><p>We take the safety of those in our care seriously. We have robust safeguarding procedures in place to ensure all young people in emergency interim hotels are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with a local authority.</p><p>The data requested cannot be provided as it comes from live operational databases that have not been quality assured.</p><p>The most recent published data can be found at Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (<a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2F&amp;data=05%7C01%7CClaire.Hartley%40homeoffice.gov.uk%7C917633f0fc5f45dc98e508dbe038d387%7Cf24d93ecb2914192a08af182245945c2%7C0%7C0%7C638350306886195730%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=6ZFH4e9RMP4wRKUp%2FVg7D1%2BVXyH5BYIe3Qcgh3iM730%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">www.gov.uk</a>).</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 13/11/2023 17:08:38 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	4430 label Biography information for Alison Thewliss

1663093

	registered interest
	date	13/10/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the (a) safety of asylum seekers aged under 18 and (b) adequacy of detention facilities for asylum seekers aged under 18.
	tabling member constituency	Ealing Central and Acton
	tabling member printed	Dr Rupa Huq
	uin	200947
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/10/2023 answer text <p>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 26/10/2023 11:08:21 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	4511 label Biography information for Dr Rupa Huq

1661267

	registered interest
	date	18/09/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied children are being housed in arranged hotel accommodation as of September 2023; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	199910
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2023 answer text <p>Under Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, the Home Office has a legal obligation to support asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute.</p><p>The high number of UASC arrivals, particularly as a result of small boat crossings, has placed unprecedented pressure on the National Transfer Scheme. Out of necessity we accommodated UASC on an emergency and temporary basis in hotels while placements with local authorities have been vigorously pursued. The Home Office have put in place further funding throughout 2023-24 of £6,000 for every unaccompanied child moved from a UASC hotel to a local authority within five working days to encourage quicker transfers into local authority care.</p><p>We take the safety of those in our care seriously. We have robust safeguarding procedures in place to ensure all young people in emergency interim hotels are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with a local authority.</p><p>All local authorities are under a mandatory duty to comply with the National Transfer Scheme and significant work is underway to support them in fulfilling their statutory duty to accommodate unaccompanied children nationwide.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 20/10/2023 13:15:36 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1661126

	registered interest
	date	12/09/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on resourcing Kent County Council to look after unaccompanied asylum seeking children.
	tabling member constituency	Sittingbourne and Sheppey
	tabling member printed	Gordon Henderson
	uin	906434
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/09/2023 answer text <p>The Home Office and the Department for Education are working closely with HMT to resolve funding arrangements as soon as possible. This is subject to litigation so I am afraid I cannot say much more at this stage.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 18/09/2023 15:03:32 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	4050 label Biography information for Gordon Henderson

1656345

	registered interest
	date	01/09/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seeker children have been (a) sent to adult prisons and (b) sent to adult prisons where paedophiles are serving sentences in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Aberavon
	tabling member printed	Stephen Kinnock
	uin	196281
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/09/2023 answer text <p>The Home Office does not collect data on the number of age dispute cases that have arisen in adult prisons. Our published data on age assessment can be accessed <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 06/09/2023 16:49:31 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	4359 label Biography information for Stephen Kinnock

1654424

	registered interest
	date	19/07/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied asylum seeking children who went missing from hotel accommodation remain unaccounted for.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow Central
	tabling member printed	Alison Thewliss
	uin	195165
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2023 answer text <p>The data requested cannot be provided as it comes from live operational databases that have not been quality assured.</p><p>Published data can be found online at: <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets</a></p><p>Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) hotels are temporary accommodation that provide safeguarding for a child until they are ready to be transferred through the National Transfer Scheme (NTS) from an entry local authority to another local authority in the UK for ongoing care and support.</p><p>There are no UASC hotels in Scotland.</p><p>We take the safety of those in our care seriously. We have robust safeguarding procedures in place to ensure all young people in emergency interim hotels are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with a local authority.</p><p>Young people are supported by team leaders and support workers who are on site 24 hours a day. Further care is provided in hotels by teams of social workers and nurses. All contingency sites have security staff on site 24/7 and providers liaise closely with local police to ensure the welfare and safety of vulnerable residents.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick grouped question UIN 195166 question first answered 05/09/2023 13:01:32 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	4430 label Biography information for Alison Thewliss

1654427

	registered interest
	date	19/07/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	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 take steps to publish weekly data on the number of unaccompanied asylum seeking children who are missing from hotel accommodation and unaccounted for.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow Central
	tabling member printed	Alison Thewliss
	uin	195166
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2023 answer text <p>The data requested cannot be provided as it comes from live operational databases that have not been quality assured.</p><p>Published data can be found online at: <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets</a></p><p>Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) hotels are temporary accommodation that provide safeguarding for a child until they are ready to be transferred through the National Transfer Scheme (NTS) from an entry local authority to another local authority in the UK for ongoing care and support.</p><p>There are no UASC hotels in Scotland.</p><p>We take the safety of those in our care seriously. We have robust safeguarding procedures in place to ensure all young people in emergency interim hotels are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with a local authority.</p><p>Young people are supported by team leaders and support workers who are on site 24 hours a day. Further care is provided in hotels by teams of social workers and nurses. All contingency sites have security staff on site 24/7 and providers liaise closely with local police to ensure the welfare and safety of vulnerable residents.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick grouped question UIN 195165 question first answered 05/09/2023 13:01:32 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	4430 label Biography information for Alison Thewliss

1652731

	registered interest
	date	13/07/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children from Leicester East constituency were being held in an asylum processing centre on 1 July 2023.
	tabling member constituency	Leicester East
	tabling member printed	Claudia Webbe
	uin	194085
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2023 answer text <p>There are no asylum processing centres in the United Kingdom.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick grouped question UIN 194086 question first answered 21/07/2023 12:22:52 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	4848 label Biography information for Claudia Webbe

1650813

	registered interest
	date	06/07/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 4 July 2023 to Question 191108 on Asylum: Children, whether she made an assessment before November 2021 of the potential merits of introducing legislation to give Ministers power to direct a local authority in England to provide accommodation to an unaccompanied child; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	192817
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2023 answer text <p>The rise in the number of small boat crossings in recent years has placed significant pressures on local authority care placements for young people. Out of necessity, and with the best interests of the child in mind, we have had no alternative but to maintain the temporarily use of hotels to give some unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) a roof over their heads whilst local authority accommodation is found.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Since 15 February 2022, all local authorities with children’s services in the UK have been directed to participate in the National Transfer Scheme (NTS) to ensure UASC receive the critical care they need. We have also offered incentivised funding to local authorities to move these young people in the care system.</p><p> </p><p>Between 1 July 2021 and 31 March 2023, the NTS transferred 4,875 children to local authorities with children’s services which is over six times the number of transfers in the same time frame in previous years (between October 2019 – June 2021 there were 793 transfers).</p><p> </p><p>We are taking a new power in the Illegal Migration Bill to provide or arrange for the provision of accommodation for unaccompanied children. We are also taking a power to direct a local authority in England to provide accommodation to an unaccompanied child, reflecting our position that any time spent in Home Office accommodation should be temporary.</p><p> </p><p>Responsibilities under the Children Act 1989 which apply to local authorities in England with respect to unaccompanied children in their area applied before November 2021 and continue to apply.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 14/07/2023 13:35:31 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1649691

	registered interest
	date	03/07/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children under (a) 18, (b) 16, (c) 14 and (d) 11 years old have been placed in Home Office arranged hotel accommodation for unaccompanied asylum seeking children (i) in Brighton and Hove (ii) in the UK since July 2021.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	192061
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/07/2023 answer text <p>There has been a significant increase in the numbers of young people making unnecessary and dangerous journeys to the UK and the Home Office has had no alternative but to temporarily use hotels in order to give some unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) emergency accommodation and support while permanent accommodation with a local authority is identified. We are determined to end the use of hotels for these young people and Home Office officials are working tirelessly with local authorities to move children into care placements through the National Transfer Scheme (NTS).</p><p>We take the safety of those in our care seriously. We have robust safeguarding procedures in place to ensure all young people in emergency interim hotels are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with a local authority.</p><p>Young people are supported by team leaders and support workers who are on site 24 hours a day. Further care is provided in hotels by teams of social workers and nurses. All contingency sites have security staff on site 24/7 and providers liaise closely with local police to ensure the welfare and safety of vulnerable residents.</p><p>The NTS has seen 4,875 children transferred to local authorities with children’s services between 1 July 2021 and 31 March 2023, which is over six times the number of transfers in the same time frame in previous years, (October 2019 – June 2021 there were 793 transfers).</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 11/07/2023 15:36:01 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1648074

	registered interest
	date	27/06/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 20 June to Question 189803 on Asylum: Children and with reference to oral evidence given by ECPAT UK and Barnardos to the Home Affairs Select Committee on 21 June 2023, how many unaccompanied asylum seeking children (a) were being accommodated in Home Office hotels and (b) remained missing from Home Office hotels on 26 June.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow Central
	tabling member printed	Alison Thewliss
	uin	191311
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2023 answer text <p>We take the safety of those in our care seriously. We have robust safeguarding procedures in place to ensure all young people in hotels are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with a local authority.</p><p>Young people are supported by team leaders and support workers who are on site 24 hours a day. Further care is provided in hotels by teams of social workers and nurses. All contingency sites have security staff on site 24/7 and providers liaise closely with local police to ensure the welfare and safety of vulnerable residents.</p><p>There were 154 Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) missing as of 8 June 2023. The further data requested cannot be provided as it is from live operational databases, not published data.</p><p>If any child goes missing, including an accompanied asylum seeking child, the MARS (Missing After Reasonable Steps) protocol is followed. A multi-agency, missing persons meeting is chaired by the local authority to establish the young person's whereabouts and to ensure that they are safe. Similar protocols within police forces have safely reduced the number of missing episodes from placements by 36%.</p><p>The Home Office continue to work with the police and local authorities to ensure the children in our care are safe. The police are responsible for locating any missing children.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 03/07/2023 16:46:41 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	4430 label Biography information for Alison Thewliss

1648079

	registered interest
	date	27/06/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	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 adequacy of the (a) capacity to inspect hotels housing unaccompanied children and (b) child safeguarding expertise of (i) Ofsted and (ii) the independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	191275
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/07/2023 answer text <p>Ofsted assisted the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration (ICIBI) in the inspection on the use of hotels for housing unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) due to their expertise in child safeguarding. The inspection found that ‘unanimously’ the young people accommodated at the interim hotels reported feeling ‘happy and safe’.</p><p> </p><p>We are taking a new power in the Illegal Migration Bill to provide or arrange for the provision of accommodation for unaccompanied children. Our policy intention is to ensure that whilst time in this accommodation is expected to be short, we will be seeking to meet standards which are appropriate for the accommodation so that children are sufficiently supported and safeguarded.</p><p> </p><p>We are working closely with the Department for Education and relevant stakeholders on the appropriate standards which should apply. With regards to inspection, we expect to be transparent in allowing scrutiny of our accommodation linked to any agreed appropriate standards.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 05/07/2023 16:42:51 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1648109

	registered interest
	date	27/06/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	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 publish weekly statistics on the number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children accommodated in hotels.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow Central
	tabling member printed	Alison Thewliss
	uin	191330
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/07/2023 answer text <p>We take the safety of those in our care seriously. We have robust safeguarding procedures in place to ensure all young people in hotels are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with a local authority.</p><p>Young people are supported by team leaders and support workers who are on site 24 hours a day. Further care is provided in hotels by teams of social workers and nurses. All contingency sites have security staff on site 24/7 and providers liaise closely with local police to ensure the welfare and safety of vulnerable residents.</p><p>We do not plan to publish weekly statistics on the number of children accommodated in hotels.</p><p>The National Transfer Scheme has seen 4,875 children transferred to local authorities with children’s services between 1 July 2021 and 31 March 2023, which is over six times the number of transfers in the same time frame in previous years, (October 2019 – June 2021 there were 793 transfers).</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 11/07/2023 15:52:04 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	4430 label Biography information for Alison Thewliss

1647854

	registered interest
	date	26/06/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8 March 2023 to Question 149437 on Asylum: Children, for what reason she has not provided the specific information requested with reference to page 10 of the National Transfer Scheme Protocol for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children, Version 4.0, asking what proportion of transfers under the National Transfer Scheme for unaccompanied asylum seeking children not in the care of a local authority are taking place within five working days of a referral; if she will provide a response to that question; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	191104
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2023 answer text <p>The rise in the number of small boat crossings has placed significant pressures on local authority care placements for young people. Out of necessity, and with the best interests of the child in mind, we have had no alternative but to temporarily use hotels to give unaccompanied children a roof over their heads whilst local authority accommodation is found.</p><p>As set out in the National Transfer Scheme (NTS) protocol on 24 August 2022 the transfer timeframe was reduced to five working days for all unaccompanied asylum-seeking children transferring from interim hotels not currently in the care of a local authority. Based on local management information, approximately half of all children transfer within 5 days.</p><p>The NTS has seen 4,875 children transferred to local authorities with children’s services between 1 July 2021 and 31 March 2023, which is over six times the number of transfers in the same time frame in previous years. (October 2019 – June 2021 there were 793 transfers). The time it takes for a local authority to identify a placement varies and has meant some children experience delays in transferring. Where there are significant delays we will look to move the child to Kent County Council’s Reception and Safe Care Service or reallocate the child to a different local authority. Delays may also occur where a child refuses to transfer to the placement. Social workers from the emergency hotels and local authorities work close with the children to encourage them to take the offered placement.</p><p>The safety and wellbeing of those in our care is our primary concern. Robust safeguarding and welfare procedures are in place to ensure all children are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with a local authority. This includes support workers being onsite in the hotels 24 hours a day, supported by nurses and social workers. UASC are not detained and are free to leave the accommodation. All contingency sites have security staff and providers liaise closely with local police to ensure the welfare and safety of vulnerable residents.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 04/07/2023 16:36:16 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1647857

	registered interest
	date	26/06/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2023 to Question 132332 on Asylum: Children, whether each unaccompanied asylum seeking child on arrival at their accommodation will be explicitly informed (a) that they will not be sent to Rwanda, (b) of their rights as a child seeking asylum in the UK, (c) of the risks to them of people seeking to exploit children staying in asylum hotels, (d) of advice to stay safe and (e) about how to seek help if in difficulty; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	191105
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2023 answer text <p>Hotel accommodation is only ever a temporary means to accommodate the increased number of arriving unaccompanied children, in advance of them entering local authority care. Unaccompanied children are accommodated in hotels for the shortest time possible. No decisions on their immigration status or asylum claims are taken until they are in local authority care.</p><p>We take the welfare of those in our care extremely seriously. We have robust safeguarding procedures in place to ensure all unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) temporarily accommodated in hotels are safe and supported whilst we seek urgent placements with a local authority. The young people are given briefings on a range of issues around how to stay safe including (but not limited to), knife crime, drugs and alcohol and water safety.</p><p>All contingency sites have security staff on site 24/7 and providers liaise closely with local police to ensure the welfare and safety of vulnerable residents.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 04/07/2023 16:37:51 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1647860

	registered interest
	date	26/06/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Education and (b) the Chief Inspector of Ofsted about implementing an inspection framework for hotels used by the Home Office to house unaccompanied asylum seeking children; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	191106
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2023 answer text <p>The role of the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration (ICIBI) (until 2012, the Chief Inspector of the UK Border Agency) was established by the UK Borders Act 2007. Sections 48–56 of the UK Borders Act 2007 (as amended) provide the legislative framework for the inspection of the efficiency and effectiveness of the performance of functions relating to immigration, asylum, nationality and customs by the Home Secretary and by any person exercising such functions on her behalf.</p><p> </p><p>In October 2022, the ICIBI published a report into his inspection between March – May 2022 on the use of hotels for housing unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC). The report can be found on gov.uk: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/an-inspection-of-the-use-of-hotels-for-housing-unaccompanied-asylum-seeking-children-uasc-march-may-2022" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/an-inspection-of-the-use-of-hotels-for-housing-unaccompanied-asylum-seeking-children-uasc-march-may-2022</a></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The ICIBI was assisted in the inspection by Ofsted, acting in an advisory capacity. The ICIBI’s inspection found that ‘unanimously’ the young people accommodated at the interim hotels reported feeling ‘happy and safe’.</p><p> </p><p>We are taking a new power in the Illegal Migration Bill to provide or arrange for the provision of accommodation for unaccompanied children. Our policy intention is to ensure that whilst time in this accommodation is expected to be short, we will be seeking to meet standards which are appropriate for the accommodation so that children are sufficiently supported and safeguarded. We are working closely with the Department for Education and relevant stakeholders on the appropriate standards which should apply. With regards to inspection, we expect to be transparent in allowing appropriate scrutiny of our accommodation linked to any agreed appropriate standards.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 04/07/2023 16:39:15 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1647864

	registered interest
	date	26/06/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons the decision to make the National Transfer Scheme for unaccompanied asylum seeking children mandatory for all local authorities has not resulted in the elimination of the use of hotel accommodation for unaccompanied asylum seeking children; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	191107
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2023 answer text <p>The rise in the number of small boat crossings in recent years has placed significant pressures on local authority care placements for young people. Out of necessity, and with the best interests of the child in mind, we have had no alternative but to maintain the temporarily use of hotels to give some unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) a roof over their heads whilst local authority accommodation is found.</p><p> </p><p>Since 15 February 2022, all local authorities with children’s services in the UK have been directed to participate in the National Transfer Scheme (NTS) to ensure UASC receive the critical care they need.</p><p> </p><p>Between 1 July 2021 and 31 March 2023, the NTS transferred 4,875 children to local authorities with children’s services which is over six times the number of transfers in the same time frame in previous years (between October 2019 – June 2021 there were 793 transfers).</p><p> </p><p>It remains our intention to end the use of hotels for UASC and we have offered incentivised funding to local authorities to move these young people in the care system. However, the continuing numbers of unaccompanied children arriving in the UK by small boat means we have had no choice but to maintain the use of hotels to temporarily accommodate UASC.</p><p> </p><p>We are taking a new power in the Illegal Migration Bill to provide or arrange for the provision of accommodation for unaccompanied children. We are also taking a power to direct a local authority in England to provide accommodation to an unaccompanied child, reflecting our position that any time spent in Home Office accommodation should be temporary.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick grouped question UIN 191108 question first answered 04/07/2023 16:29:33 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1647866

	registered interest
	date	26/06/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	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 it her policy to end the practice of placing unaccompanied asylum seeking children in hotels.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	191108
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2023 answer text <p>The rise in the number of small boat crossings in recent years has placed significant pressures on local authority care placements for young people. Out of necessity, and with the best interests of the child in mind, we have had no alternative but to maintain the temporarily use of hotels to give some unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) a roof over their heads whilst local authority accommodation is found.</p><p> </p><p>Since 15 February 2022, all local authorities with children’s services in the UK have been directed to participate in the National Transfer Scheme (NTS) to ensure UASC receive the critical care they need.</p><p> </p><p>Between 1 July 2021 and 31 March 2023, the NTS transferred 4,875 children to local authorities with children’s services which is over six times the number of transfers in the same time frame in previous years (between October 2019 – June 2021 there were 793 transfers).</p><p> </p><p>It remains our intention to end the use of hotels for UASC and we have offered incentivised funding to local authorities to move these young people in the care system. However, the continuing numbers of unaccompanied children arriving in the UK by small boat means we have had no choice but to maintain the use of hotels to temporarily accommodate UASC.</p><p> </p><p>We are taking a new power in the Illegal Migration Bill to provide or arrange for the provision of accommodation for unaccompanied children. We are also taking a power to direct a local authority in England to provide accommodation to an unaccompanied child, reflecting our position that any time spent in Home Office accommodation should be temporary.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick grouped question UIN 191107 question first answered 04/07/2023 16:29:33 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1647867

	registered interest
	date	26/06/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what date she took the decision to reopen the hotel in Hove to house unaccompanied asylum-seeking children; how many people previously housed at that hotel as children who went missing from that hotel remain missing; of those who remain missing, how many are still under the age of 18; whether her Department's risk assessment of the safeguarding risks to unaccompanied children of being housed in hotels has considered information obtained from the cases of children who have previously gone missing from such hotels and who have been (a) found and (b) not found; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	191109
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2023 answer text <p>This matter is sub judice so the Home Office cannot comment at this time. Once the matter is resolved they may re-table the question to obtain a more substantive response.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 04/07/2023 16:28:30 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1646520

	registered interest
	date	21/06/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum applicants who made applications while under the age of 18 have had their substantive interviews cancelled due to turning 18 years of age and being classified as an adult in each of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
	tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
	uin	190617
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2023 answer text <p><em>The Home Office takes our duty of care towards children and young people extremely seriously and we prioritise applications from children and young people.</em></p><p><em>If the child’s 18th birthday passes before a substantive asylum interview has been conducted, they are legally an adult. However, staff must follow best practice on children’s cases. The child is interviewed by a decision maker who has completed the appropriate training for handling children’s asylum claims and be given an opportunity to discuss the statement of evidence form (SEF) as it may refer to issues that are child specific.</em></p><p><em>The decision maker is trained in handling children’s cases. The Home Office would not therefore cancel interviews based on a child turning 18. </em></p><p><em>Where the applicant has since admitted to being an adult, or evidence confirms the applicant as an adult, at the point of claiming asylum, the application is assessed as an adult claim. </em></p><p><a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/947900/sect-67-of-the-immigration-act-2016-leave-v3.0ext.pdf" target="_blank">Section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 asylum casework guidance (publishing.service.gov.uk)</a></p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 29/06/2023 11:02:07 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1645633

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2023 to Question 186685 on Asylum: Children, if her Department will monitor the number of (a) families and (b) individuals in housed in House in Multiple Occupancy properties.
	tabling member constituency	Feltham and Heston
	tabling member printed	Seema Malhotra
	uin	190102
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2023 answer text <p>The Home Office will not be placing unaccompanied minors in HMO properties and will continue to monitor the numbers of families and individuals placed in HMO properties in accordance with contractual requirements set out in the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts (AASC).</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 26/06/2023 11:34:41 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	4253 label Biography information for Seema Malhotra

1645051

	registered interest
	date	15/06/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of unaccompanied asylum seeking children who went missing from hotel accommodation remain unaccounted for.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow Central
	tabling member printed	Alison Thewliss
	uin	189803
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/06/2023 answer text <p>We take the safety of those in our care seriously. We have robust safeguarding procedures in place to ensure all young people in hotels are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with a local authority.</p><p>Young people are supported by team leaders and support workers who are on site 24 hours a day. Further care is provided in hotels by teams of social workers and nurses. All contingency sites have security staff on site 24/7 and providers liaise closely with local police to ensure the welfare and safety of vulnerable residents.</p><p>As of 05 June, there were 154 young people missing.</p><p>If any child goes missing, including an accompanied asylum seeking child, the MARS (Missing After Reasonable Steps) protocol is followed. A multi-agency, missing persons meeting is chaired by the local authority to establish the young person's whereabouts and to ensure that they are safe. Similar protocols within police forces have safely reduced the number of missing episodes from placements by 36%.</p><p>The Home Office continue to work with the police and local authorities to ensure the children in our care are safe. The police are responsible for locating any missing children.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 20/06/2023 14:20:52 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	4430 label Biography information for Alison Thewliss

1642765

	registered interest
	date	07/06/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are accommodated in hotels.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow Central
	tabling member printed	Alison Thewliss
	uin	188320
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/06/2023 answer text <p>We take the safety of those in our care seriously. We have robust safeguarding procedures in place to ensure all young people in hotels are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with a local authority.</p><p>Young people are supported by team leaders and support workers who are on site 24 hours a day. Further care is provided in hotels by teams of social workers and nurses. All contingency sites have security staff on site 24/7 and providers liaise closely with local police to ensure the welfare and safety of vulnerable residents.</p><p>There are currently no unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) in hotels and there are 154 UASC still missing.</p><p> </p><p>If any child goes missing the MARS (Missing After Reasonable Steps) protocol is followed. A multi-agency, missing persons meeting is chaired by the local authority to establish the young person's whereabouts and to ensure that they are safe. Similar protocols within police forces have safely reduced the number of missing episodes from placements by 36%.</p><p>The Home Office continue to work with the police and local authorities to ensure the children in our care are safe and the Police are responsible for locating any missing children.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick grouped question UIN 188321 question first answered 12/06/2023 16:54:58 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	4430 label Biography information for Alison Thewliss

1642766

	registered interest
	date	07/06/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied asylum seeking children who have gone missing from hotel accommodation remain unaccounted for as of 7 June 2023.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow Central
	tabling member printed	Alison Thewliss
	uin	188321
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/06/2023 answer text <p>We take the safety of those in our care seriously. We have robust safeguarding procedures in place to ensure all young people in hotels are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with a local authority.</p><p>Young people are supported by team leaders and support workers who are on site 24 hours a day. Further care is provided in hotels by teams of social workers and nurses. All contingency sites have security staff on site 24/7 and providers liaise closely with local police to ensure the welfare and safety of vulnerable residents.</p><p>There are currently no unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) in hotels and there are 154 UASC still missing.</p><p> </p><p>If any child goes missing the MARS (Missing After Reasonable Steps) protocol is followed. A multi-agency, missing persons meeting is chaired by the local authority to establish the young person's whereabouts and to ensure that they are safe. Similar protocols within police forces have safely reduced the number of missing episodes from placements by 36%.</p><p>The Home Office continue to work with the police and local authorities to ensure the children in our care are safe and the Police are responsible for locating any missing children.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick grouped question UIN 188320 question first answered 12/06/2023 16:54:58 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	4430 label Biography information for Alison Thewliss

1642331

	registered interest
	date	06/06/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied asylum-seeking children have been transferred to each local authority in Wales in each month since the National Transfer Scheme became mandatory.
	tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
	tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
	uin	188076
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/06/2023 answer text <p>Ministers made the decision to mandate participation in the National Transfer Scheme (NTS) and directed local authorities in Wales to participate on 14 December 2021.</p><p>Mandatory NTS transfers began 14 December 2021, with any transfers since 23 November 2021 counting towards local authorities' allocations under the mandated scheme.</p><p>NTS data is published at <a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Frasi-resettlement-asylum-support-and-integration-data-q1-2023&amp;data=05%7C01%7CASRA-briefingcorrespondence%40homeoffice.gov.uk%7Ce216ed24481e4097c14b08db6749f4ce%7Cf24d93ecb2914192a08af182245945c2%7C0%7C0%7C638217339548697414%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=h%2Fmow4KvbTkBaT6fAIWrjMj2MxpTDXMdYI4Xsv3MWLU%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">RASI (Resettlement, Asylum Support and Integration) data: Q1 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p>The National Transfer Scheme has seen 4,388 children transferred to local authorities between 1 October 2021 and 31 March 2023. Of the 4,388 children transferred in this period, 223 were transferred to local authorities in Wales. It is not possible to split the data into different local authority areas within Wales.</p><p>As the data is published quarterly, it is also not possible to split out the number of transfers from a specific date mid quarter. Therefore, some of the 223 children quoted may have been transferred under the voluntary scheme in the weeks prior to when the NTS was mandated (between 1 October 2021 and 23 November 2021).</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 12/06/2023 14:52:31 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1642333

	registered interest
	date	06/06/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children who went missing from hotels in England have subsequently been found in Wales since 1 January 2022.
	tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
	tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
	uin	188077
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/06/2023 answer text <p>Since 1 Janaury 2022, 283 young persons missing from UASC Hotels have been located.</p><p>Two young people have been found in Wales after 1 January 2022 and that proportion would be 0.71%.</p><p>These hotels exist to provide temporary accommodation whilst placement within local authority is sought. Young people are supported by team leaders, support workers and security who are all on site 24/7. Further care is provided in hotels by teams of social workers and nurses.</p><p>Any missing child case or British child in care and are treated the same way including missing UASC.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 20/06/2023 11:14:33 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1640149

	registered interest
	date	24/05/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the safeguarding implications of children asylum seekers being housed in homes of multiple occupancy.
	tabling member constituency	Feltham and Heston
	tabling member printed	Seema Malhotra
	uin	186685
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2023 answer text <p>House in Multiple Occupancy (HMO) properties will be used mainly for single adults but in some cases for families. Families will not, however, share properties with single male adults. No unaccompanied minors will be placed in an HMO property by the Home Office. The Home Office accommodation contracts set out clear minimum standards for all asylum accommodation. This is to ensure compliance with standards similar to those used in local authority licensing.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 09/06/2023 13:56:38 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	4253 label Biography information for Seema Malhotra

1640150

	registered interest
	date	24/05/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether unaccompanied asylum-seeking children will be housed in homes of multiple occupancy.
	tabling member constituency	Feltham and Heston
	tabling member printed	Seema Malhotra
	uin	186686
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2023 answer text <p>The Home Office will not accommodate Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) in an Asylum Accommodation and Support Contract (AASC) Houses in Multiple Occupancy (HMO) properties.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 09/06/2023 09:57:53 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	4253 label Biography information for Seema Malhotra

1626326

	registered interest
	date	09/05/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	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 take steps to ensure that children who are asylum seekers remain in areas local to their schools.
	tabling member constituency	York Central
	tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
	uin	184133
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/05/2023 answer text <p>Guidance can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-accommodation-requests-policy" target="_blank">Asylum accommodation requests: caseworker guidanc https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-accommodation-requests-policye - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a>. The pressures on the asylum estate means accommodation must be on a ‘no choice basis’. However, children who are asylum seekers and in their final school or college year leading up to their GCSE, Scottish Highers, AS or A-level exams may remain accommodated in that particular area to allow them to complete exams, provided that they have been enrolled at that school for a significant part of the previous school year.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 17/05/2023 12:33:35 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1623979

	registered interest
	date	26/04/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the impact of the new regulations for age assessments for asylum seekers on the level of safeguarding risk arising from adults pretending to be children.
	tabling member constituency	Solihull
	tabling member printed	Julian Knight
	uin	182881
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2023 answer text <p>The National Age Assessment Board (NAAB) launched on 31 March 2023. The NAAB aims to make age assessments more consistent and robust from the outset, reducing the safeguarding risks of individuals being incorrectly assessed. The service is currently limited to working with a small number of local authorities in London and West Midland regions with a view to expanding out nationally as we build up capacity. We will continue to monitor the impact of the National Age Assessment Board on customer behaviour.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 09/05/2023 15:29:40 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	4410 label Biography information for Julian Knight