Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed question first answered question first ministerially corrected answering member label previous answer version answering member constituency answering member printed answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1192557

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Migrants
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for the lifting of the No Recourse to Public Funds condition have been (a) submitted and (b) granted in each of the last 12 months.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
uin	42868
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2020 answer text <p>Migrants with limited leave to remain under the Family and Human Rights routes can apply to have the no recourse to public funds restriction lifted by making a ‘change of conditions’ application if there has been a change in their financial circumstances.</p><p>The information you have requested is not assured to the standard required by ONS for publication and as it would be too costly to do so, we are unable to provide it. However, my department has recently digitised the application form, to make sure it is accessible for those who need to remain at home, and I can assure you that the applications are being prioritised and dealt with compassionately.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 12/05/2020 08:59:31 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1192575

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Migrants: Detainees
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce the number of people who are (a) held in immigration detention and (b) unlawfully detained.
tabling member constituency	Lanark and Hamilton East
tabling member printed	Angela Crawley
uin	43061
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>We are making good progress with an ambitious and systematic programme of immigration detention reform, at the heart of which is a Government commitment, over time, to secure a material reduction in the number of people detained and the length of time they spend in detention, coupled with improved welfare for detainees and a culture that maintains the highest standards of professionalism.</p><p> </p><p>As part of this reform, we are maximising the use of existing alternatives to detention and exploring new approaches including a current pilot to support vulnerable women in the community who would otherwise be detained at Yarl’s Wood.</p><p> </p><p>We are progressing these priorities all while continuing to tackle abuse of the immigration system. The immigration estate is safer, more secure, and almost 40 per cent smaller than in 2015, with only four per cent of individuals detained for more than four months, and only two per cent of individuals detained for more than six months in year ending December 2019. Detention only exceeds these timescales in the most complex cases, almost always where serious and/or persistent criminality is involved.</p><p> </p><p>Reducing instances of when the Courts find that we have unlawfully detained an individual is a priority. Often, an initial decision to detain will be appropriate, before a change in the individual’s circumstances undermines this decision. As part of our response to the Home Affairs Committee immigration detention report, the Home Office has begun a programme of work focused on litigation outcomes to ensure that best practice is shared, that lessons are learned, and that we reduce instances of unlawful detention.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 11/05/2020 14:02:25 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4469 label Biography information for Angela Crawley

1192640

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Social Distancing: Enforcement
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 effectiveness of the powers afforded to police forces on enforcing social distancing guidelines.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	43015
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>The Home Office is continuing to work with forces to address and correct any errors, to continue to maintain public trust. As per the recommendations, we will work with the NPCC and College of Policing to monitor enforcement across the country.</p><p>New enforcement powers have reaffirmed that policing by consent is at the heart of British policing. We are confident that police enforcement continues to be proportionate and effective.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 11/05/2020 16:10:13 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1192641

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Social Distancing: Enforcement
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance has been issued to police forces on enforcing social distancing guidelines.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	43016
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>We worked quickly and closely with our policing partners to issue operational guidance to all forces on the new regulations and the powers available to them, to ensure they are used proportionately and consistently. This guidance was issued to forces on the 26th March, and can be found through the link below: <a href="https://www.college.police.uk/What-we-do/COVID-19/Documents/What-constitutes-a-reasonable-excuse.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.college.police.uk/What-we-do/COVID-19/Documents/What-constitutes-a-reasonable-excuse.pdf</a></p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 11/05/2020 16:11:17 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1192642

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Migrants: Coronavirus
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 effect of covid-19 on people with no recourse to public funds.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	43017
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/06/2020 answer text <p>The Home Office is working closely with other government departments, including the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care to support people, including migrants with no recourse to public funds (NRPF), through this crisis. Departments are sharing what they are learning from other bodies and charities with each other to ensure we continue to take a compassionate and pragmatic approach to an unprecedented situation.</p><p>Migrants with leave under the Family and Human Rights routes can apply to have the NRPF restriction lifted by making a ‘change of conditions’ application if there has been a change in their financial circumstances. The Home Office has recently digitised the application form to make sure it is accessible for those who need to remain at home, and applications are being dealt with swiftly and compassionately.</p><p>Many of the wide-ranging Covid-19 measures the government has put in place are not public funds and therefore are available to migrants with NRPF. The Government has published advice and information about the support available to migrants living here, including where they are subject to NRPF. This information covers statutory sick pay, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-get-support-if-youre-a-migrant-living-in-the-uk" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-get-support-if-youre-a-migrant-living-in-the-uk</a></p><p>Local authorities may also provide basic safety net support if it is established that there is a genuine care need that does not arise solely from destitution, for example, where there are community care needs, migrants with serious health problems or family cases where the wellbeing of a child is in question. The Government has provided more than £3.2 billion of funding to local authorities in England, and additional funding under the Barnett formula to the devolved administrations to enable them to respond to Covid-19 pressures across all the services they deliver, including services helping the most vulnerable.</p><p>In addition, on the 8th April the Chancellor announced an additional £750m package of support for charities across the UK to ensure they can continue their vital work during the Covid-19 pandemic.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 01/06/2020 11:44:25 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1192643

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Migrants: Deportation
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 ability of her Department to operate flights to remove people held in immigration detention during the covid-19 outbreak over the next (a) 28 days, (b) three months and (c) six months.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	43018
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/05/2020 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">The Home Office continues to monitor the on-going changes to international flight restrictions and entry requirements imposed by receiving countries caused by the global response to COVID-19.</del><del class="ministerial">Enforced and voluntary returns continue on a case by case basis where we are able to do so. To some destinations, commercial scheduled routes are still open albeit limited. We will continue to work in this flexible manner over the next six months, being alert to softening of international restrictions, utilising a combination of scheduled commercial flights and specially arranged chartered flights with the support of receiving states to minimise detention time through the facilitation of returns</del><ins class="ministerial">The Home Office continues to monitor the on-going changes to international flight restrictions and entry requirements imposed by receiving countries caused by the global response to COVID-19. Enforced and voluntary returns continue on a case by case basis where we are able to do so. To some destinations, commercial scheduled routes are still open albeit limited. We will continue to work in this flexible manner over the coming weeks and months”being alert to softening of international restrictions, utilising a combination of scheduled commercial flights and specially arranged chartered flights with the support of receiving states to minimise detention time through the facilitation of returns.</ins></p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 18/05/2020 14:59:40 question first ministerially corrected 18/05/2020 16:35:40 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp previous answer version 22012 answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1192654

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Refugees: 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 trafficked, separated and unaccompanied migrant children were (a) recorded in the UK and (b) appointed an independent guardian in each calendar year from 2015 to 2019.
tabling member constituency	St Albans
tabling member printed	Daisy Cooper
uin	43171
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2020 answer text <p><strong> </strong>The Government views the slavery, including trafficking, of children as a very serious offence and recognises the particular vulnerabilities of child victims.</p><p>The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) is the framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery. Between 2015 and 2019, 12,054 children were referred to the NRM. The breakdown of referrals for potential child victims is as follows:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Number of NRM referrals (minors)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015</p></td><td><p>977</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016</p></td><td><p>1279</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017</p></td><td><p>2118</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018</p></td><td><p>3130</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019</p></td><td><p>4550</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The NRM referral data is not broken down into the sub-categories outlined in the question. However the Home Office publishes the number of asylum claims lodged by unaccompanied children as part of its quarterly statistics release which can be found</p><p><a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/819723/evaluation-independent-child-trafficking-guardians-final-horr111.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/819723/evaluation-independent-child-trafficking-guardians-final-horr111.pdf</a></p><p>Where children are found to be victims of modern slavery, their safety and welfare are addressed as the priority, irrespective of nationality or immigration status. Local authorities are responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children in their area. Unaccompanied children looked after by local authorities are entitled to the same services as any other looked-after child, including access to education, healthcare, legal support and accommodation. They will be allocated a social worker who will assess their individual needs and draw up a care plan which sets out how the local authority intends to respond to the full range of these needs. Additionally, they must be allocated an independent reviewing officer, who will be responsible for chairing reviews of care plans and arranging for the child’s input; and have access to an independent advocate responsible for accurately representing the child’s wishes and feelings.</p><p>In addition to this statutory support, the Government has expanded Independent Child Trafficking Guardians (ICTGs) to one third of local authorities in England and Wales. ICTGs are an additional source of advice and support for all potentially trafficked children, irrespective of nationality, and somebody who can advocate on their behalf.</p><p>An evaluation of the ICTG service within the early adopter sites was published in July 2019 and can be found <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/819723/evaluation-independent-child-trafficking-guardians-final-horr111.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>. This evaluation was conducted on the service provided in the three initial sites of Greater Manchester, Hampshire and Wales between February 2017 and January 2019. Over this time period, 445 children were referred to the ICTG service.</p><p>Later this year the Home Office will publish its next evaluation of the ICTG service, which will provide further updates on outcomes of the service including the number of children it supports.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 19/05/2020 14:55:25 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
tabling member	4769 label Biography information for Daisy Cooper

1192675

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Immigration Controls: Travel Restrictions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether Border Force officers have been instructed to make an assessment of whether travel to the UK is essential and whether those officers have the power to refuse entry to the UK on grounds of non-essential travel.
tabling member constituency	Stretford and Urmston
tabling member printed	Kate Green
uin	43004
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>Border Force officers continue to process arriving passengers in accordance with the Immigration Rules at ports across the UK, assessing each passenger on a case by case basis. We will continue to ensure our staff have clear guidance in place as to the correct interpretation of the Immigration Rules when assessing visitors seeking entry to the UK.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Any decision to implement additional restrictions on international travel to the UK or on arrival at ports/airports will be made by Ministers.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 11/05/2020 13:51:02 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4120 label Biography information for Kate Green

1192677

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Immigration: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to reinstate the Settlement Scheme online application for non-EEA nationals that do not have a Biometric Residence Permit during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Stretford and Urmston
tabling member printed	Kate Green
uin	43006
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>As part of the application process, non-EEA citizens need to provide their Biometrics if they are not already in possession of a Biometric Residence Card. In line with the latest advice from Public Health England the UK Visa and Citizenship Application Centres (UKVCAS) where non-EEA citizens need to attend to have their biometrics taken are temporarily closed in accordance with advice on limiting the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).</p><p>The government will look again at these measures at regular intervals and relax them if the evidence shows this is possible.</p><p>Those applicants who already hold a Biometric Residence Card do not need to provide biometrics and so are still able to apply to the scheme while the current restrictions are in place.</p><p>UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has set up a dedicated team for customers with immigration queries related to coronavirus, including questions about urgent, compelling, compassionate cases. More information can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-uk-visa-applicants-and-temporary-uk-residents" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-uk-visa-applicants-and-temporary-uk-residents</a></p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 11/05/2020 16:00:21 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4120 label Biography information for Kate Green

1192712

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) asylum seekers and (b) refugees with no recourse to public funds have been provided with (i) accommodation and (ii) other support by the Government during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	43012
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>Asylum seekers continue to be provided with accommodation and other support by the Home Office if they would otherwise be destitute. Data on the numbers receiving this assistance is published at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets#asylum-support" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets#asylum-support</a></p><p> </p><p>People granted refugee status in the United Kingdom are able to access the mainstream benefits in the same way as a British Citizen. No data is available on the number receiving that assistance.</p><p> </p><p>As a temporary measure in light of Covid-19, any asylum seeker in Home Office accommodation who is granted refugee status is being allowed to remain where they are until the end of June. The arrangement will be reviewed at that point.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 11/05/2020 13:52:36 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham