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1337965

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2021
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Alcoholic Drinks: Minimum Unit Prices
	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 introduce a minimum unit price for alcohol in England.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	17863
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2021 answer text <p>The Government has no plans to introduce minimum unit pricing at this time.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 23/06/2021 10:25:21 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1204725

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2020
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum
	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 during the covid-19 outbreak to improve the (a) provision and (b) accessibility of Government guidance and information on asylum to people seeking asylum.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	60876
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2020 answer text <p>In March, we set up a dedicated engagement channel with key stakeholders to cover the impact of Covid-19 on asylum and resettlement, and to ensure that the necessary guidance and information was reaching asylum seekers across the UK. The British Red Cross were nominated by the sector as the single point of contact; officials speak to them on a regular basis and calls are often accompanied by written updates, which the British Red Cross share with the wider sector, and onto asylum seekers. We have also set up a similar engagement channel with the Strategic Migration Partnership, which also includes a weekly call and regular written updates.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Our liaison with British Red Cross as a single point of contact has successfully ensured that asylum seekers have the information they require in recent months. We are now in the process of drafting additional guidance, which will be published on GOV.UK, on asylum interviewing and decision-making during the period in which our operations are still affected by the Covid-19 outbreak in the UK. This will provide greater provision of information to asylum seekers.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 22/06/2020 15:51:24 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1204726

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2020
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been waiting more than six months for an asylum decision; and if she will grant those people the right to work and access education.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	60877
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2020 answer text <p>The Home Office publishes data on asylum applications in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’ (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release). Data on the number of asylum applications awaiting an initial decision or further review are published in table Asy_D03 of the asylum and resettlement detailed datasets (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets). Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to the year ending September 2019. Additionally, the Home Office publishes a high-level overview of the data in the ‘summary tables’ (attached). The ‘contents’ sheet contains an overview of all available data on asylum and resettlement.</p><p>Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’ (https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-statistics?content_store_document_type=upcoming_statistics&amp;organisations%5B%5D=home-office&amp;order=release-date-oldest).</p><p>Asylum seekers can work in the UK if their claim has been outstanding for 12 months, through no fault of their own. Those allowed to work are restricted to jobs on the Shortage Occupation List, which is published by the Home Office and based on expert advice from the Migration Advisory Committee.</p><p> </p><p>Asylum seeker right to work is a complex issue. A review of the policy is ongoing, and we are considering the evidence put forward on the issue.</p><p> </p><p>There is nothing in the Immigration Rules to prevent asylum seekers studying. However, asylum-seekers who wish to access higher education courses can expect to be charged the full cost of their course by the university concerned.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 22/06/2020 15:54:38 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp attachment 1 file name Copy of asylum-summary-sep-2019-tables.xlsx title Asylum summary tables
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1204727

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2020
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been waiting more than 12 months for an asylum decision; and if she will grant those people Discretionary Leave to Remain.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	60878
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2020 answer text <p>The Home Office does not publish data on the number of people waiting for more than 12 months for an asylum decision.</p><p> </p><p>The latest Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release, on data to the year ending March 2020, can be accessed at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release</p><p> </p><p>Table Asy D03 of the ‘asylum and resettlement detailed datasets’ contains information on the number of asylum applications awaiting an initial decision or further review and are published in. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>All asylum claims are carefully considered on their individual merits on the evidence available to the decision maker. We are committed to ensuring that asylum claims are considered without unnecessary delay, so that those who need protection are granted as soon as possible.</p><p> </p><p>Discretionary Leave (DL) is granted outside the Immigration Rules in accordance with published Home Office policy. DL covers those few individuals who do not qualify for any leave under the Rules, but where there are exceptional or compassionate reasons for allowing them to remain in the UK; as such, it is intended to be used sparingly and decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. Delays in decision making occur for a number of reasons, some of which are outside of the Home Office’s control, and it would generally not be appropriate to grant DL under these circumstances.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 22/06/2020 15:55:54 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1204728

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2020
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what feedback mechanism her Department has put in place for asylum seekers to communicate how well the Department has met their needs throughout their application process; and what recent assessment her Department has made of the quality of the support it provides to asylum seekers.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	60879
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2020 answer text <p>UKVI uses feedback from complaints, reports and audits, surveys and customer focus groups to make sure that we are continually improving the service we provide to those who seek asylum in the UK.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>UKVI work closely with our key partners and stakeholders to seek and share this feedback to identify ways in which we can improve the quality of experience of people seeking asylum in the UK.</p><p> </p><p>We have recently set up a Customer Experience Management Team, based across the UK, who will work closely on a local level with stakeholders, to identify key areas to improve the overall experience for people seeking asylum in the UK.</p><p> </p><p>Asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute are provided with free accommodation and a weekly cash allowance to cover their other essential living needs. With effect from 15 June, the allowance was raised from £37.75 to £39.60, an increase of around 5%. The increase is significantly higher than general inflation, which Office of National Statistics data shows was only 0.8% in the 12 months period to April 2020. Food inflation over the same period was only 1.4%. Asylum seekers also receive free NHS healthcare and free education for their children.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 22/06/2020 15:56:54 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1467222

	registered interest
	date	01/06/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) adjustments, (b) translation services and (c) other support her Department (i) has in place and (ii) plans to put in place for people seeking asylum who may initially provide incorrect personal details as a result of either translation issues or fear of political persecution in their country of origin.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	11880
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/06/2022 answer text <p>All asylum claimants undergo a screening interview with the option of having an interpreter present.</p><p>If inaccuracies are identified with the information they have previously provided Home Office systems are amended and relevant checks are re-run.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 13/06/2022 09:19:42 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1352225

	registered interest
	date	03/09/2021
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Afghanistan
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government is taking to offer asylum to civilians fleeing from Afghanistan following the Taliban's recent ascent to power in that country.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	42181
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2021 answer text <p>The UK has a proud record of providing protection for people who need it, in accordance with our obligations under the Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights.  However, there is no provision within our Immigration Rules for someone to be allowed to travel to the UK to seek asylum or temporary refuge.  Whilst we acknowledge the increasingly complex situation in Afghanistan, we are not bound to consider asylum claims from the very large numbers of people overseas who might like to come here.  Those who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety.</p><p> </p><p>While we do not allow asylum claims from abroad, all asylum claims that are lodged from within the UK, including those from Afghan nationals, will be carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations. Those who need protection will normally be granted five years’ limited leave, have full access to the labour market and mainstream benefits, and can apply for settlement after five years.</p><p> </p><p>No one who is found to be at risk of persecution or serious harm in Afghanistan will be expected to return there, and enforced returns of those who have been refused asylum and have exhausted all rights of appeal are currently paused.</p><p> </p><p>The UK’s new resettlement scheme will, however, offer a route welcoming Afghans most at risk who have been forced to flee the country, prioritising resettling women, girls and children to the UK. Further details on the Scheme will be published in due course.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 10/09/2021 16:36:04 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1654090

	registered interest
	date	18/07/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Boats
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department undertook a consultation before deciding (a) to use barges and other floating vessels to accommodate people seeking asylum and (b) locating the Bibby Stockholm in Portland Port.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	194952
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/07/2023 answer text <p>An Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) has been completed and routinely monitored to ensure that the accommodation is safe, habitable, fit for purpose and meets all regulatory requirements, for single adult male asylum seekers.</p><p>We will assess individual’s suitability to reside at each location and will only accommodate individuals who are considered suitable to reside there. Each person’s suitability will be assessed at regular intervals.</p><p>The sites are be designed to be as self-sufficient as possible, helping to minimise the impact on local communities and services. This includes 24/7 security to reduce the need for police patrols, on-site catering and healthcare and transport provisions for asylum seekers.</p><p>We also conducted relevant assessments in line with the Home Office’s role as competent authority under the Conservation and Habitats Regulations 2017. An environmental impact assessment (EIA) screening was not required as planning permission was not required.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick grouped question UIN 194953 194954 194955 194956 question first answered 25/07/2023 14:27:23 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1654091

	registered interest
	date	18/07/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Boats
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department made an (a) equality impact assessment and (b) policy equality statement on the use of the (i) Bibby Stockholm to accommodate people seeking asylum and (ii) barges and other floating vessels to accommodate people seeking asylum.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	194953
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/07/2023 answer text <p>An Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) has been completed and routinely monitored to ensure that the accommodation is safe, habitable, fit for purpose and meets all regulatory requirements, for single adult male asylum seekers.</p><p>We will assess individual’s suitability to reside at each location and will only accommodate individuals who are considered suitable to reside there. Each person’s suitability will be assessed at regular intervals.</p><p>The sites are be designed to be as self-sufficient as possible, helping to minimise the impact on local communities and services. This includes 24/7 security to reduce the need for police patrols, on-site catering and healthcare and transport provisions for asylum seekers.</p><p>We also conducted relevant assessments in line with the Home Office’s role as competent authority under the Conservation and Habitats Regulations 2017. An environmental impact assessment (EIA) screening was not required as planning permission was not required.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick grouped question UIN 194952 194954 194955 194956 question first answered 25/07/2023 14:27:23 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1654092

	registered interest
	date	18/07/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Boats
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department conducted an impact assessment on the use of (a) the Bibby Stockholm and (b) other barges to accommodate people seeking asylum.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
	uin	194954
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/07/2023 answer text <p>An Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) has been completed and routinely monitored to ensure that the accommodation is safe, habitable, fit for purpose and meets all regulatory requirements, for single adult male asylum seekers.</p><p>We will assess individual’s suitability to reside at each location and will only accommodate individuals who are considered suitable to reside there. Each person’s suitability will be assessed at regular intervals.</p><p>The sites are be designed to be as self-sufficient as possible, helping to minimise the impact on local communities and services. This includes 24/7 security to reduce the need for police patrols, on-site catering and healthcare and transport provisions for asylum seekers.</p><p>We also conducted relevant assessments in line with the Home Office’s role as competent authority under the Conservation and Habitats Regulations 2017. An environmental impact assessment (EIA) screening was not required as planning permission was not required.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick grouped question UIN 194952 194953 194955 194956 question first answered 25/07/2023 14:27:23 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana