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1205607

registered interest
date	19/06/2020
answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Domestic Abuse: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department will allocate funding to the provision of empty hotel rooms to house people fleeing domestic abuse during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
uin	61811
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2020 answer text <p>On 5 June my Department announced the allocation of £8.15 million funding to 147 refuge charities through 103 successful bids as part of the £10 million MHCLG Domestic Abuse Emergency Support Fund. This funding will re-open bedspaces which are currently closed due to COVID-19, as well as creating 1210 more bedspaces to support more victims of domestic abuse. The remaining £1.85 million of the Fund has been reopened for applications. This will enable refuge charities to continue to respond during the crisis.</p><p>My Department have also put in place a system to enable local authorities who need additional accommodation to meet demand during the pandemic to book rooms for domestic abuse victims through Crown Commercial Services.</p><p>An additional £3.2 billion has been provided to support councils in responding to the coronavirus pandemic, including supporting vulnerable people.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Luke Hall question first answered 24/06/2020 09:22:20 answering member 4450 label Biography information for Luke Hall
tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1205610

registered interest
date	19/06/2020
answering body	Department for International Trade
answering dept id	202
answering dept short name	International Trade
answering dept sort name	International Trade
hansard heading	Uk Export Finance: Arms Trade
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what processes her Department has put in place to monitor UK Export Finance's distribution of the £1 billion fund allocated to support overseas buyers of UK defence and security goods and services.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
uin	61812
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2020 answer text <p>In the March 2020 budget, UK Export Finance (UKEF) was allocated £1 billion of direct lending capacity for defence and security projects, within its £8 billion overall direct lending capacity. This £1 billion of direct lending is subject to the same monitoring processes as UKEF’s overall direct lending facility.</p> answering member constituency Beverley and Holderness answering member printed Graham Stuart question first answered 24/06/2020 16:55:54 answering member 1482 label Biography information for Graham Stuart
tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1205725

registered interest
date	19/06/2020
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Coronavirus: Health and Safety
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking with the Health & Safety Executive to ensure that (a) workplaces are safe as people return to work and (b) employers are being supported in adhering to new safety guidelines.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
uin	61813
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/07/2020 answer text <p>The Government strategy to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic spans many Departments and agencies, including the Health and Safety Executive. The Government has provided a range of support and guidance for employers on working safely, including specific guidance for industries and sectors, which can be accessed at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bury St Edmunds answering member printed Jo Churchill question first answered 07/07/2020 14:17:52 answering member 4380 label Biography information for Jo Churchill previous answer version 31805 answering member constituency Bury St Edmunds answering member printed Jo Churchill answering member 4380 label Biography information for Jo Churchill
tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1205726

registered interest
date	19/06/2020
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Health and Safety Executive: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether additional funding has been allocated to the Health & Safety Executive to increase the Executive's level of staffing during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
uin	61814
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2020 answer text <p>I refer the hon. member to my response to question <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-questions-answers/?page=1&amp;max=20&amp;questiontype=AllQuestions&amp;house=commons,lords&amp;uin=41525" target="_blank">41525</a>.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 24/06/2020 14:35:35 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
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

1204730

registered interest
date	17/06/2020
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Coronavirus: Disease Control
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what methodology his Department is using to collate data on sex, race/ethnicity and socio-economic background with regard to people (a) testing positive for covid-19 and (b) dying from covid-19.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
uin	60880
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/11/2020 answer text <p>Demographic data is collected for age, gender and ethnicity, but currently only age and gender is available weekly. For pillar 1, data is collected by the hospital, and is then enriched using patient records. For pillar 2, this data is collected when people register for a test and is voluntary, which means that people have the option not to provide their information. We do not currently report on socio-economic background.</p><p>Weekly age, sex and ethnicity data for both cases and deaths in England are available weekly in the national flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports, which are available at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports</a></p><p>Breakdown of cases by index of multiple deprivations, as a recognised surrogate for socioeconomic class, is also available in the same report.</p> answering member constituency Faversham and Mid Kent answering member printed Helen Whately question first answered 30/11/2020 16:20:29 answering member 4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately previous answer version 31066 answering member constituency Mid Bedfordshire answering member printed Ms Nadine Dorries answering member 1481
tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1204430

registered interest
date	16/06/2020
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	NHS: Mental Health
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the need for the provision of increased mental health support to (a) nurses, (b) doctors and (c) other NHS staff (i) during and (ii) after the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
uin	59894
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2020 answer text <p>At the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, we recognised there would be a need for additional mental health support for all National Health Service staff. We commissioned NHS England to develop a comprehensive emotional, psychological and practical support package for all NHS staff in addition to existing support that is already available.</p><p>NHS England and NHS Improvement launched the support package on 8 April 2020 and it includes a helpline and text service for counselling and support, a dedicated bereavement helpline, and a range of well-being apps. All the support available can be accessed via the following link:</p><p><a href="https://people.nhs.uk/help/" target="_blank">people.nhs.uk/help/</a></p><p>The NHS is continuing to update the support available in this package, in line with the feedback they receive.</p> answering member constituency Faversham and Mid Kent answering member printed Helen Whately question first answered 24/06/2020 10:17:44 answering member 4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately previous answer version 31046 answering member constituency Faversham and Mid Kent answering member printed Helen Whately answering member 4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately
tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana