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1384676

	registered interest
	date	03/12/2021
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Islamic State: British Nationals Abroad
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many British citizens who travelled to (1) Iraq, or (2) Syria, to join Islamic State have since returned to the UK; how many such individuals are being monitored by the security services; how often are their social media posts monitored; and how many have been prosecuted.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL4668
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/12/2021 answer text <p>Since 2013 over 900 UK-linked individuals of national security concern have travelled to engage with the Syrian conflict, against the advice of the Foreign Office. Of these, approximately 25% have been killed in the conflict and just under half have returned to the UK.</p><p> </p><p>All of those who have returned have been investigated and the majority have been assessed to pose no, or a low, security risk. As of 2018 there had been around 40 convictions of individuals prosecuted following their return from Syria, for a range of offences either connected to their activities overseas or as a result of subsequent Counter-Terrorism investigations.</p><p> </p><p>It would not be appropriate to comment on ongoing operational activity by the Security Service.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 16/12/2021 15:32:46 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1226213

	registered interest
	date	20/07/2020
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Islamic State: British Nationals Abroad
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Daesh fighters are known to have returned to the UK; how many such fighters and individuals assisting Daesh in different capacities have been prosecuted in the UK courts, including anyone who has (1) financed, or (2) recruited for, Daesh; on what charges any such individuals have been prosecuted; and what progress they have made on the proposal to establish an international ad-hoc tribunal for Daesh.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL7040
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/08/2020 answer text <p>Around 900 people have travelled from the UK to engage with the conflict in Syria and Iraq, against the advice of the Foreign Office.  Of these, approximately 20% have been killed in the conflict and around 40% have returned to the UK.</p><p> </p><p>The Governments priority is the safety and security of the people who live here. All of those who have returned, have been investigated and the majority have been assessed to pose no, or a low security risk. Around 40 individuals have been convicted on their return from Syria/Iraq, either because of offences committed overseas or for other activity linked to their involvement in terrorism. Individuals can be convicted in UK courts of offences committed overseas (including preparation of terrorism, encouragement of terrorism and membership of a proscribed organisation). Furthermore, through the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019, we have extended this to new offences including: inviting or recklessly expressing support for a proscribed organisation and for sharing their propaganda.</p><p> </p><p>The UK continues to work with international partners, as well as partners in the region in seeking to secure the prosecution of individuals who have committed crimes in the name of Daesh. Any such justice mechanism must respect human rights and the rule of law.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 03/08/2020 12:30:15 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1236776

	registered interest
	date	22/09/2020
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	British Nationality: Ceremonies
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many UK citizenship ceremonies have been cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; what assessment they have made of the impact such cancellations have had on the ability of applicants to (1) work, and (2) study; and what plans they have to introduce a mechanism to (a) grant citizenships, and (b) hold citizenship ceremonies, online.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL8351
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/10/2020 answer text <p>Each Local Authority is responsible for administering citizenship ceremonies within their area of responsibility and figures are not recorded centrally by the Home Office. Although ceremonies were suspended in March in line with Government advice relating to COVID-19, they have now resumed and are being strictly conducted in line with Government advice relating to social distancing and public safety. The Home Office has worked with Local Authorities to enable them to deliver online ceremonies. The first online ‘virtual’ ceremony took place on 20 July 2020.</p><p>The majority of individuals waiting to attend a citizenship ceremony already enjoy settled status in the UK and as such are allowed to work and study here. In a small number of instances where it has been necessary to expedite ceremonies, special arrangements have been made.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 06/10/2020 16:20:52 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1179823

	registered interest
	date	24/02/2020
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	British National (Overseas): Passports
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many applications have been received for British National (Overseas) passports in each of the last three years, broken down by month.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL1704
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/03/2020 answer text <p>The figures provided for 2019 can only be reported up to the end of June 2019 as these figures are reported within the Home Office transparency figures and cannot be published separately at this time<strong><em>.</em></strong><br></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Month</p></td><td><p>BN (O) applications received in 2018</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>January</p></td><td><p>1,779</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>February</p></td><td><p>1,464</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March</p></td><td><p>1,677</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>April</p></td><td><p>1,642</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>May</p></td><td><p>1,765</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>June</p></td><td><p>1,681</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>July</p></td><td><p>1,866</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>August</p></td><td><p>1,726</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>September</p></td><td><p>1,337</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>October</p></td><td><p>1,911</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>November</p></td><td><p>1,780</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>December</p></td><td><p>1,821</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Month</p></td><td><p>BN (O) applications received in 2017</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>January</p></td><td><p>1,734</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>February</p></td><td><p>1,573</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March</p></td><td><p>1,798</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>April</p></td><td><p>1,558</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>May</p></td><td><p>1,820</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>June</p></td><td><p>1,742</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>July</p></td><td><p>1,906</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>August</p></td><td><p>1,797</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>September</p></td><td><p>1,669</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>October</p></td><td><p>1,871</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>November</p></td><td><p>1,526</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>December</p></td><td><p>1,413</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Month</p></td><td><p>BN (O) applications received in 2019</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>January</p></td><td><p>2,139</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>February</p></td><td><p>1,753</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March</p></td><td><p>2,581</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>April</p></td><td><p>2,957</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>May</p></td><td><p>3,492</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>June</p></td><td><p>5,532</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong> </strong> <strong> </strong> <strong> </strong> <strong> </strong> <strong> </strong> <strong> </strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 04/03/2020 16:36:45 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1279475

	registered interest
	date	21/01/2021
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Hong Kong
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many asylum applications made by Hong Kong residents were (1) accepted, and (2) rejected, in (a) 2019, (b) 2020, and (c) 2021 to date.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL12398
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/02/2021 answer text <p>The Home Office publishes data on asylum applications in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. Immigration statistics quarterly release - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Data on the number of asylum applications and initial decisions on applications are published in table Asy_D01 and Asy_D02 of the asylum and resettlement detailed datasets, Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)which include a breakdown for year and nationality.</p><p>Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data include up to September 2020.</p><p>Table showing the initial decisions on Hong Kong asylum applications for 2019 and 2020 (Jan-Sep).</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>2019</p></td><td><p>2020 (Jan-Sep)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Granted Asylum</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Refused</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br>Notes:</p><ol><li>Includes main applicants only</li><li>Initial decisions are based on date of decision and do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same period. For example, a decision in 2019 may relate to an application made in 2018.</li><li>The published data relate to nationality, rather than country of residence<p><br> Additionally, the Home Office publishes a high-level overview of the data in the ‘summary tables’. The ‘contents’ sheet contains an overview of all available data on asylum and resettlement.</p></li></ol><p>Immigration Statistics will be updated on February 25th which will include data for 2020 Q4; further future releases will include data for quarters of 2021.</p><p>Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’. immigration - Research and statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 03/02/2021 15:33:36 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford attachment 1 file name Copy of asylum-summary-sep-2020-tables.xlsx title Asylum and Resettlement Datasets
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1490817

	registered interest
	date	19/07/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Visas
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many emergency visas have been issued by the Home Office, in accordance with the discretionary powers of the Secretary of State, in the last five years.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL1887
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2022 answer text <p>The UK does not have an emergency visa system. The Home Secretary has discretion to grant Leave Outside The Rules (LOTR) on compelling compassionate grounds; however, we do not maintain a record of those granted LOTR.</p> answering member printed Lord Sharpe of Epsom question first answered 21/09/2022 09:18:17 answering member 4888 label Biography information for Lord Sharpe of Epsom
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1129488

	registered interest
	date	04/06/2019
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Slavery
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many reports of slavery-related offences have been made to competent authorities since the Modern Slavery Act 2015 came into force, broken down by (1) month, and (2) the identity of first responder.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL15973
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>The National Crime Agency publishes statistics on referrals into the National Referral Mechanism on a quarterly basis. This report presents a summary of the number of potential victims of modern slavery and human trafficking referred into the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) in 2018 and is the final annual report in this format, prior to the transfer of the NRM to the new Home Office Single Competent Authority in April 2019 as part of a wide-reaching NRM Reform Programme.</p><p>Further analysis is contained within the 2018 UK Annual Report on Modern Slavery. These reports are available via the following links:</p><p><a href="https://nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/who-we-are/publications/282-national-referral-mechanism-statistics-end-of-year-summary-2018" target="_blank">https://nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/who-we-are/publications/282-national-referral-mechanism-statistics-end-of-year-summary-2018 </a></p><p><a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/749346/2018_UK_Annual_Report_on_Modern_Slavery.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/749346/2018_UK_Annual_Report_on_Modern_Slavery.pdf</a></p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford attachment 1 file name NCA - Stats End of Year Summary 2018.pdf title NCA - National Ref Mechanism Stats - 2018 2 file name 2018_UK_Annual_Report_on_Modern_Slavery.pdf title UK Annual Report on Modern Slavery - 2018 question first answered 18/06/2019 14:42:32 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1383158

	registered interest
	date	29/11/2021
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Slavery
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many statements have been made under section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 in each of the last three years; and what percentage of all companies falling within the purview of that section have been identified.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL4448
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/12/2021 answer text <p>Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 established the UK as the first country in the world to require businesses to report annually on steps taken to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains.</p><p>In March 2021, the Government launched the modern slavery statement registry to radically enhance transparency by bringing together modern slavery statements on a single platform. So far, over 6,740 modern slavery statements covering over 22,400 organisations have been submitted to the registry on a voluntary basis.</p><p>In 2019, the Home Office contracted the Business &amp; Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) to undertake an audit of compliance with Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The high-level findings of this audit were published on 17 September 2020 in the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner’s annual report (available on gov.uk)</p><p>To improve the quality of reporting and compliance even further, the Government has committed to introduce a package of measures to strengthen section 54. This includes the introduction of financial penalties for non-compliance and a requirement for organisations to publish their statements on the Government’s modern slavery statement registry which will enable Government to monitor and drive compliance with the legislation.</p><p>Businesses’ response so far is demonstrating the registry’s positive impact by providing greater visibility of the steps organisations are taking to prevent modern slavery in their global supply chains and empowering investors, consumers and civil society to scrutinise the action organisations are taking to prevent modern slavery.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 13/12/2021 15:46:04 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1233554

	registered interest
	date	10/09/2020
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many unaccompanied children have been transferred since June to the care of councils since arriving in England from crossing the English Channel; to list the countries of origin of such children, including the number of children for each such country;  what their policy is in regard to the long term needs and care of these children; and what plans they have to make the National Transfer Scheme compulsory.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL8010
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/09/2020 answer text <p>The Government remains committed to helping and supporting children in need of international protection. Since 2010, the UK has received over 23,700 asylum claims from unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC).</p><p>The National Transfer Scheme (NTS) supports local authorities to transfer responsibility for these children to another participating local authority and seeks to achieve a fairer allocation of caring responsibilities across the country so that all children get the care and support they need.</p><p>We publish data on the number of transfers completed under the scheme each quarter as part of the Home Office Migration Transparency Data (NTS_01), which is available on GOV.UK. As at June 2020, over 1,050 children had been transferred under the scheme since it began. We do not currently publish a nationality breakdown of those children transferred under the scheme, however these children would be a subset of the UASC data published as part of the ‘asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement’ volume of the quarterly Immigration Statistics (Asy_D01), which is also available on GOV.UK.</p><p>UASC have often suffered deep trauma and they should receive the same level of care and support we would expect for any looked after child. In 2017, we published our Safeguarding Strategy for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking and Refugee Children which sets out the Government’s commitments to safeguard and promote their welfare.</p><p>Whilst there are statutory powers to mandate a transfer scheme, our preference is to continue to operate the NTS on a voluntary basis. We recognise a need to achieve a more equitable distribution of UASC and have therefore worked with local government partners to develop proposals to further improve the scheme. On 28 August we launched an informal consultation with local authorities on these proposals. The consultation also seeks views on a potential mandatory approach should participation in the voluntary scheme not achieve a more proportionate distribution of UASC.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 24/09/2020 16:00:30 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1131439

	registered interest
	date	11/06/2019
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Coalition for Religious Equality and Inclusive Development: Conferences
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many visa applications were (1) made by, and (2) refused for, participants and speakers in the Coalition for Religious Equality and Inclusive Development conference, held in Westminster on 11 June; and on what grounds they made each such refusal.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL16233
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/06/2019 answer text <p>Information on the stated purpose of visit or reasons for refusal is not held in a reportable field on the Home Office visa case-working system.</p><p>The available statistics on grants and refusals by entry clearance visa category, including work and visitor visa routes, are published in the quarterly Immigration Statistics Visas volume 1 table vi_01_q, latest edition at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-march-2019/list-of-tables#visas" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-march-2019/list-of-tables#visas</a>.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 25/06/2019 16:29:29 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1222725

	registered interest
	date	09/07/2020
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Migrant Workers: Care Workers
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how they intend to respond to the concerns raised by the Cavendish Coalition, on behalf of UK health and social care groups, that their current immigration proposals would not allow enough overseas workers to be recruited for the care sector; and how they intend to address any shortfall of such workers in the Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL6655
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/07/2020 answer text <p>The Government recognises the fantastic contribution made by those working in the social care sector and the need for roles in it to offer rewarding career opportunities. The independent Migration Advisory Committee has been very clear immigration is not the answer to the challenges faced in this sector, a view the Government shares.</p><p>The Minister for Future Borders and Immigration has met with the Cavendish Coalition to hear their thoughts about future immigration policy. In response he confirmed the Government would not be creating a migration route to allow some employers in the sector to permanently recruit at the legal minimum wage as an alternative to paying more competitive\rewarding salaries to their staff who undertake such valuable work supporting the most vulnerable.</p><p>He also outlined how the groups represented by the Cavendish Coalition should in the first instance seek to engage with the Department for Work &amp; Pensions about how they can work together to encourage more UK based jobseekers into rewarding careers in the Social Care Sector, rather than view immigration as the preferred option for addressing any shortfall in recruitment and as a way to ensure continued recruitment at the legal minimum wage. This is especially relevant when many UK based workers with the ability to make excellent social carer workers are looking for new employment due to the economic impact of Covid-19.</p><p>As we implement the new immigration system, we want employers to focus on investing in our domestic work force and offering rewarding packages to Social Care Workers, rather than view immigration as an alternative to doing this. In relation to roles within the sector where specific training is required the new skilled worker route will provide for a broader range of roles, including senior care workers to come to the UK.</p><p>The EU Settlement Scheme means all EU and EAA citizens, and their family members, currently working in social care can stay in the UK and we are encouraging them to do so.</p><p>The Government is supporting the Social Care sector in several ways, including through launching a national recruitment campaign and providing councils with access to an additional £1.5 billion for adults and children’s social care in 2020-21.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 30/07/2020 12:15:28 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1224156

	registered interest
	date	13/07/2020
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Slavery: Victims
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) reports that up to 10,000 people could be victims of modern slavery in textile factories in Leicester, (2) claims by Andrew Bridgen MP that “a conspiracy of silence” has prevented action from being taken on such victims' behalf, (3) the report by the Centre for Social Justice It Still Happens Here: Fighting UK Slavery in the 2020s, published on 12 July, that estimates there are at least 100,000 victims of modern slavery in the UK each year; and what plans they have (a) to undertake an analysis of those statistics, and (b) publish a summary of the factors to be considered to review the effectiveness of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL6753
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/07/2020 answer text <p>We are deeply concerned by the appalling reports of illegal and unsafe working conditions for garment workers in Leicester. The Government will not tolerate the exploitation of vulnerable workers for commercial gain and is committed to taking action against those who seek to do so.</p><p> </p><p>While we cannot comment on any ongoing investigations, we can confirm that since 2017 a number of operations have been undertaken in the Leicester area linked to potential exploitation of workers, including by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, HMRC and Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate. On each occasion, where breaches were found, enforcement action was taken, including warning letters, recovery of unpaid wages and director disqualifications.</p><p> </p><p>In March 2020, the Office for National Statistics noted that there is no definitive source of data or suitable method available to accurately quantify the number of potential victims of modern slavery in the UK. While the hidden nature of modern slavery makes providing an accurate measure of its scale difficult, we are committed to improving our understanding of this often complex crime. In July 2019, the Government announced a £10 million investment to create a new Policy and Evidence Centre for Modern Slavery and Human Rights. We will continue working with the Centre and other partners to strengthen the evidence base underpinning our policy and operational response to modern slavery.</p><p> </p><p>In July 2018, the Government commissioned an Independent Review of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The aim of the Review was to identify what can be improved in the implementation of the Act and whether specific areas of the legislation need to be strengthened. The Government response (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/803406/Independent_review_of_the_Modern_Slavery_Act_-_final_report.pdf) to the Independent Review, which was published on 9 July 2019, accepted or partially accepted the majority of the Review’s recommendations.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 27/07/2020 15:22:06 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1419734

	registered interest
	date	03/02/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Military Attachés: Myanmar
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any risk to the Myanmar community in the UK presented by any Myanmar military attaché in the UK.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL5914
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/02/2022 answer text <p>As a matter or long-standing policy, the Government does not comment on the detail of security or intelligence matters.</p><p>The Government takes potential risks to communities in the UK, including those from Myanmar, very seriously. I would encourage anyone who feels that they are under threat to contact the police in the first instance.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 17/02/2022 16:13:54 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1337555

	registered interest
	date	16/06/2021
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Refugees: Resettlement
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the UK Resettlement Scheme since March; how many people have been resettled to the UK since March; from which countries those people originated; and, further to their announcement on 17 June 2019, what progress they have made in introducing the mechanism for emergency resettlement.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL1145
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2021 answer text <p>The UK Resettlement Scheme commenced in February 2021, immediately following the successful completion of the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme through which 20,000 refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria were given sanctuary in the UK. The UK Resettlement Scheme continues to successfully resettle refugees, as local authority and community sponsor capacity allows, and as we recover from the pandemic.</p><p>Statistics under the scheme are published through official statistics at quarterly intervals. The next set of statistics will be published in July and will include the number of people resettled since March. These are available from:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release</a></p><p>The Emergency Resettlement Mechanism is currently in development. It will ensure the resettlement scheme allows refugees at exceptional and immediate risk to be resettled more quickly.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 28/06/2021 10:47:07 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1181769

	registered interest
	date	02/03/2020
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Right of Abode: British National (Overseas)
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the letter from Lord Goldsmith to the Home Secretary on 14 February which stated that the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration does not prevent the extension of full right of abode in the UK to those in Hong Kong who own a British National (Overseas) passport; and what response they intend to make to the reported request in that letter that "false statements" about the nature of his advice in relation to the rights of British National (Overseas) passports should be "retracted and not repeated".
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL2031
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2020 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">We have received Lord Goldsmith’s letter and we are considering our response. The UK takes seriously its support for BN(O)s and the rights that status confers upon them. We continue to believe that the best outcome for BN(O)s is for the high degree of autonomy and rights and freedoms set out in the Joint Declaration and provided for in the Basic Law to be upheld.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">We have received Lord Goldsmith’s letter and we are considering our response. The UK takes seriously its support for BN(O)s and the rights that status confers upon them. We continue to believe that the best outcome for BN(O)s is for the high degree of autonomy and rights and freedoms set out in the Joint Declaration and provided for in the Basic Law to be upheld.</ins></p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 16/03/2020 17:44:44 question first ministerially corrected 16/03/2020 17:58:42 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford previous answer version 12691 answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1347009

	registered interest
	date	14/07/2021
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Iraq and Syria
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the possibility of enabling people from endangered (1) ethnic, and (2) religious, communities in (a) Iraq, and (b) Syria, to be considered for resettlement in the UK; and how many people in each of these categories have been resettled to the UK in each year since 2014.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL1988
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/07/2021 answer text <p>Refugee resettlement to the UK is based on need, as assessed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) who adhere to humanitarian principles including impartiality, rather than any specific ethnicity or religion.</p><p>Refugee resettlement statistics are published through official statistics at quarterly intervals. These statistics can be broken down by nationality. We do not publish data on ethnicity or religious affiliation. The next set of statistics will be published in August and will include the number of people resettled up to end of June 2021. These are available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release</p><p>As set out in the New Plan for Immigration, the UK will continue to work with the UNHCR to ensure our resettlement schemes are accessible and fair, resettling refugees from countries where the need is greatest, and ensuring those in need of resettlement can access it.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 28/07/2021 14:04:01 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1246877

	registered interest
	date	28/10/2020
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Immigration: Hong Kong
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proposal for a new charter city in the north of England for persons with Hong Kong British Nationals (Overseas) status arriving in the UK; and if they have not made such an assessment, what plans they have to do so.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL9700
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/11/2020 answer text <p>There are currently no plans with regards to a new charter city in North of England for Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) citizens arriving in the UK.</p><p>We are working across Government to ensure appropriate plans are in place for when the route opens.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 10/11/2020 13:53:18 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1170132

	registered interest
	date	13/01/2020
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Amnesty International, The Refugee Council and Save the Children Without my Family, published on 10 January, which calls for changes to Government policy on family separation of child refugees in the UK.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL279
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/01/2020 answer text <p>The Government provides safe and legal routes to bring families together through its family reunion policy. This allows a partner and children under 18 of those granted protection in the UK to join them here, if they formed part of the family unit before the sponsor fled their country.</p><p>Our current policy does not allow child refugees to sponsor their parents. The Government’s view is that if children could sponsor parents, it would risk creating incentives for more children to be encouraged, or even forced, to leave their family and risk hazardous journeys to the UK. This plays into the hands of criminal gangs who exploit vulnerable people and goes against our safeguarding responsibilities.</p><p>Our policy is not designed to keep child refugees apart from their parents, but in considering any policy we must think carefully about the wider impact to avoid putting more people unnecessarily into harm’s way.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 27/01/2020 17:10:33 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1144871

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2019
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Refugee and the No Accommodation Network Missing the Safety Net, published on 4 September, in particular the finding that the Home Office is frequently failing to provide vulnerable people, including pregnant women, with the asylum support to which they are entitled.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL17705
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/10/2019 answer text <p>We will discuss the report with the authors and respond in due course.</p><p>The report is about support arrangements for failed asylum seekers, who can apply to receive accommodation and other assistance if they would otherwise be destitute and can show that there is a temporary obstacle preventing their departure from the UK . Most of these applications are decided upon within 5 working days, or 2 days if the person is vulnerable, but some take longer because of the need to make further enquiries to establish that the person is eligible to receive the support. There is a right of appeal to the independent Tribunal if the application is refused.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 08/10/2019 11:13:37 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1168544

	registered interest
	date	19/12/2019
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	British Nationality: Children
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the ruling of the High Court on 19 December in the case brought by the Project for the Registration of Children as British Citizens that there is a “mass of evidence” that the fee charged to children registering for British citizenship prevents many such children from registering British citizenship, leaving them feeling “alienated, excluded, ‘second-best’, insecure and not fully assimilated into the culture and social fabric of the UK.”
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL2
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/01/2020 answer text <p>The judgment was handed down on 19 December, and we are carefully considering its implications, and next steps.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford grouped question UIN HL1 question first answered 07/01/2020 13:53:48 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1421079

	registered interest
	date	08/02/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	CCTV
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use by police forces in England and Wales of Chinese-made surveillance cameras made by companies currently subject to US sanctions and investment bans.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL6066
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/02/2022 answer text <p>The use of surveillance cameras is an operational matter for the police and the Government has therefore not assessed it.</p><p>The FCDO and Cabinet Office will issue guidance to enable buyers to more effectively exercise their discretion to exclude suppliers linked with modern slavery and human rights violations. The Public Procurement Bill will further strengthen the ability of public sector bodies to disqualify suppliers from bidding for contracts where they have a history of misconduct, including forced labour or modern slavery.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 22/02/2022 17:19:39 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1235905

	registered interest
	date	21/09/2020
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Immigration Controls: USA
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the decision by the government of the United States to impose visa restrictions on Nigerians they claim have undermined the democratic process in Nigeria; and what plans they have to impose similar such restrictions.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL8298
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/10/2020 answer text <p>The Government notes the decision of the United States to impose visa restrictions on certain Nigerian citizens.</p><p>The Home Secretary can exclude a non-European Economic Area national where it is conducive to the public good. The UK Immigration Rules also provide for the refusal of a visa application if a person’s character, conduct or associations make it undesirable to permit them entry to the UK.</p><p>In addition, the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 allows the UK to impose autonomous sanctions, including travel bans, for a number of reasons, including to promote respect for democracy, the rule of law and good governance.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 05/10/2020 14:35:18 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1305825

	registered interest
	date	24/03/2021
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Foreign Nationals: Myanmar
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they are providing to citizens of Myanmar currently in the UK who cannot safely return to their country; and what plans they have to (1) offer visa extensions to, and (2) adapt the Leave outside the Immigration Rules for, those people.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL14554
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/04/2021 answer text <p>Under the Points-Based-System, there are a comprehensive range of work and study routes, and most visa holders can apply to extend their stay or switch from one immigration route to another without having to leave the UK.</p><p>For individuals who are unable to return to their home country due to the impact of the COVID pandemic, they can apply under the Exceptional Assurance which can be found at the following link;</p><p>Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for UK visa applicants and temporary UK residents - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</p><p>As there are currently no flights to Myanmar, individuals will fall within the scope of this policy. Where no other route is applicable, individuals can also apply for Leave Outside the Rules.</p><p>Given the wide number of options already available there are no plans to offer a blanket extension.</p> answering member printed Lord Greenhalgh question first answered 08/04/2021 15:40:48 answering member 4877 label Biography information for Lord Greenhalgh
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1217762

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2020
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Forced Labour: Uyghurs
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to ensure that companies found to have lied on their public declarations, made under the provisions of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, about the use of Uyghur slave labour in the manufacture of products or within supply chains, are (1) identified, and (2) held to account.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL6105
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2020 answer text <p>Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 requires certain businesses with a turnover of £36m or more, equating to approximately 16,000 businesses, to report annually on the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains.</p><p> </p><p>The prevalence of modern slavery and complexity of global supply chains means that it is highly unlikely that any company is immune from the risks of modern slavery. Section 54 therefore does not require organisations to certify that their supply chains are ‘slavery free’ or that the Government verifies the content of modern slavery statements. The Government encourages companies to report transparently about how they are mitigating modern slavery risks and to use their modern slavery statements to demonstrate year on year progress.</p><p> </p><p>The transparency legislation was designed to enable consumers, investors and civil society to scrutinise business action. To improve reporting quality, accountability and accessibility of statements, we are developing a government-run registry which will host modern slavery statements. We have also consulted on proposals to strengthen the Modern Slavery Act, increase transparency and improve compliance.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 09/07/2020 11:22:57 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1401646

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Refugees: Afghanistan
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage discount was negotiated by the Home Office with hotels in London that accommodated Afghan refugees; and what consideration was given during negotiations to the relatively low occupancy rate hotels have experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL5212
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/01/2022 answer text <p>Accommodation costs are considered to be commercially confidential so we do not provide this information.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 31/01/2022 11:42:13 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool