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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

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