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455959

	registered interest
	date	29/02/2016
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Refugees
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of the 20,000 refugees promised to be accepted in the UK will have arrived by May.
	tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
	uin	HL6539
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/03/2016 answer text <p>The Government is working closely with local authorities, international delivery partners and the voluntary sector, putting in place the plans and structures to deliver this and ensuring the system is scaled up in a way that protects the interests of all concerned. The number resettled in a particular period will depend on a range of factors. This includes the number of referrals we have received from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the number of confirmed places we have received from local authorities that are suitable for the specific needs of those who have been accepted for resettlement. Progress on resettlement will be indicated in quarterly immigration statistics - the last set were published in February 2016 and showed 1,085 people resettled between October and December 2015.</p><p>The Government remains on track to resettle 20,000 refugees by the end of the Parliament.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates grouped question UIN HL6540 question first answered 07/03/2016 17:49:04 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

455960

	registered interest
	date	29/02/2016
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Refugees
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what timetable is proposed to ensure that their promise to welcome 20,000 refugees by 2020 is fulfilled.
	tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
	uin	HL6540
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/03/2016 answer text <p>The Government is working closely with local authorities, international delivery partners and the voluntary sector, putting in place the plans and structures to deliver this and ensuring the system is scaled up in a way that protects the interests of all concerned. The number resettled in a particular period will depend on a range of factors. This includes the number of referrals we have received from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the number of confirmed places we have received from local authorities that are suitable for the specific needs of those who have been accepted for resettlement. Progress on resettlement will be indicated in quarterly immigration statistics - the last set were published in February 2016 and showed 1,085 people resettled between October and December 2015.</p><p>The Government remains on track to resettle 20,000 refugees by the end of the Parliament.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates grouped question UIN HL6539 question first answered 07/03/2016 17:49:04 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

346825

	registered interest
	date	27/05/2015
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 19 March 2015 (HL5545), why those listed as receiving support under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 cannot be returned to their countries of origin.
	tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
	uin	HL63
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2015 answer text <p>Failed asylum seekers are provided with support under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 if they are destitute and can show that there is a temporary legal or practical obstacle that prevents them from leaving the United Kingdom voluntarily. The precise reasons why they are temporarily unable to leave vary from case to case, but examples include where they are too sick to travel and because they have been granted permission to apply for a judicial review of a decision relating to their asylum claim.</p><p>All retail outlets that accept the Azure card receive information about the rules relating to card purchases. The Home Office is aware that there are some instances where card purchases are refused, but in the great majority of cases this is simply because the person had insufficient credit on the card to purchase the items they were seeking to obtain. Reports of where the card purchase has been refused for other reasons are investigated and the matter taken up with the particular retail outlet.</p><p>Card users can apply for travel tickets to attend essential medical appointments. The cost of travel to essential appointments with legal advisers is covered through legal aid. Accommodation is provided within walking distance of shops and other services.</p><p>Information and guidance about how to apply for travel assistance is published on the GOV.UK website and it is also provided by the voluntary sector organisations that assist Azure card users, including Migrant Help, which is funded by the Home Office to provide an advice service.</p><p>Any retail outlet that provides food and other essential living items and accepts visa transactions can apply to join the Azure card scheme and talks periodically take place with new outlets that have expressed an interest in joining the scheme.</p><p>However, the card is currently accepted by Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrison’s, the Co-operative, Iceland, Boots, Mothercare, The British Red Cross, The Salvation Army and a few small independent retailers. The Home Office is therefore satisfied that the card is an effective way of ensuing that the persons are able to purchase food and other necessary items to cover their essential living needs.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates grouped question UIN HL65 HL66 HL67 question first answered 04/06/2015 15:28:00 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

346827

	registered interest
	date	27/05/2015
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to ensure that shops and outlets that are part of the Azure card scheme do not refuse to serve customers using the card.
	tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
	uin	HL65
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2015 answer text <p>Failed asylum seekers are provided with support under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 if they are destitute and can show that there is a temporary legal or practical obstacle that prevents them from leaving the United Kingdom voluntarily. The precise reasons why they are temporarily unable to leave vary from case to case, but examples include where they are too sick to travel and because they have been granted permission to apply for a judicial review of a decision relating to their asylum claim.</p><p>All retail outlets that accept the Azure card receive information about the rules relating to card purchases. The Home Office is aware that there are some instances where card purchases are refused, but in the great majority of cases this is simply because the person had insufficient credit on the card to purchase the items they were seeking to obtain. Reports of where the card purchase has been refused for other reasons are investigated and the matter taken up with the particular retail outlet.</p><p>Card users can apply for travel tickets to attend essential medical appointments. The cost of travel to essential appointments with legal advisers is covered through legal aid. Accommodation is provided within walking distance of shops and other services.</p><p>Information and guidance about how to apply for travel assistance is published on the GOV.UK website and it is also provided by the voluntary sector organisations that assist Azure card users, including Migrant Help, which is funded by the Home Office to provide an advice service.</p><p>Any retail outlet that provides food and other essential living items and accepts visa transactions can apply to join the Azure card scheme and talks periodically take place with new outlets that have expressed an interest in joining the scheme.</p><p>However, the card is currently accepted by Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrison’s, the Co-operative, Iceland, Boots, Mothercare, The British Red Cross, The Salvation Army and a few small independent retailers. The Home Office is therefore satisfied that the card is an effective way of ensuing that the persons are able to purchase food and other necessary items to cover their essential living needs.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates grouped question UIN HL63 HL66 HL67 question first answered 04/06/2015 15:28:00 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

346828

	registered interest
	date	27/05/2015
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to encourage more outlets, including local shops, to sign up to the Azure card scheme.
	tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
	uin	HL66
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2015 answer text <p>Failed asylum seekers are provided with support under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 if they are destitute and can show that there is a temporary legal or practical obstacle that prevents them from leaving the United Kingdom voluntarily. The precise reasons why they are temporarily unable to leave vary from case to case, but examples include where they are too sick to travel and because they have been granted permission to apply for a judicial review of a decision relating to their asylum claim.</p><p>All retail outlets that accept the Azure card receive information about the rules relating to card purchases. The Home Office is aware that there are some instances where card purchases are refused, but in the great majority of cases this is simply because the person had insufficient credit on the card to purchase the items they were seeking to obtain. Reports of where the card purchase has been refused for other reasons are investigated and the matter taken up with the particular retail outlet.</p><p>Card users can apply for travel tickets to attend essential medical appointments. The cost of travel to essential appointments with legal advisers is covered through legal aid. Accommodation is provided within walking distance of shops and other services.</p><p>Information and guidance about how to apply for travel assistance is published on the GOV.UK website and it is also provided by the voluntary sector organisations that assist Azure card users, including Migrant Help, which is funded by the Home Office to provide an advice service.</p><p>Any retail outlet that provides food and other essential living items and accepts visa transactions can apply to join the Azure card scheme and talks periodically take place with new outlets that have expressed an interest in joining the scheme.</p><p>However, the card is currently accepted by Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrison’s, the Co-operative, Iceland, Boots, Mothercare, The British Red Cross, The Salvation Army and a few small independent retailers. The Home Office is therefore satisfied that the card is an effective way of ensuing that the persons are able to purchase food and other necessary items to cover their essential living needs.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates grouped question UIN HL63 HL65 HL67 question first answered 04/06/2015 15:28:01 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

346829

	registered interest
	date	27/05/2015
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Azure card users can apply for travel assistance (1) for medical appointments, (2) for legal appointments, and (3) to reach the closest outlet that will accept the Azure card; and, if so, how such information is provided to users.
	tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
	uin	HL67
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2015 answer text <p>Failed asylum seekers are provided with support under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 if they are destitute and can show that there is a temporary legal or practical obstacle that prevents them from leaving the United Kingdom voluntarily. The precise reasons why they are temporarily unable to leave vary from case to case, but examples include where they are too sick to travel and because they have been granted permission to apply for a judicial review of a decision relating to their asylum claim.</p><p>All retail outlets that accept the Azure card receive information about the rules relating to card purchases. The Home Office is aware that there are some instances where card purchases are refused, but in the great majority of cases this is simply because the person had insufficient credit on the card to purchase the items they were seeking to obtain. Reports of where the card purchase has been refused for other reasons are investigated and the matter taken up with the particular retail outlet.</p><p>Card users can apply for travel tickets to attend essential medical appointments. The cost of travel to essential appointments with legal advisers is covered through legal aid. Accommodation is provided within walking distance of shops and other services.</p><p>Information and guidance about how to apply for travel assistance is published on the GOV.UK website and it is also provided by the voluntary sector organisations that assist Azure card users, including Migrant Help, which is funded by the Home Office to provide an advice service.</p><p>Any retail outlet that provides food and other essential living items and accepts visa transactions can apply to join the Azure card scheme and talks periodically take place with new outlets that have expressed an interest in joining the scheme.</p><p>However, the card is currently accepted by Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrison’s, the Co-operative, Iceland, Boots, Mothercare, The British Red Cross, The Salvation Army and a few small independent retailers. The Home Office is therefore satisfied that the card is an effective way of ensuing that the persons are able to purchase food and other necessary items to cover their essential living needs.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates grouped question UIN HL63 HL65 HL66 question first answered 04/06/2015 15:28:01 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

450647

	registered interest
	date	04/02/2016
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Migration
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have initiated any discussions in the past decade on global migration issues.
	tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
	uin	HL5948
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2016 answer text <p>The Government undertakes extensive engagement on global migration issues with international partners through multilateral and bilateral discussions. The frequency of engagement has increased since the migration crisis in summer 2015 and focuses on the root causes of the crisis and its consequences. UK participation in the Valletta Summit and the Khartoum Process are key parts of this engagement.</p><p>In order to tackle the unprecedented levels of illegal migration to the EU, we are prioritising interventions upstream in countries of origin and transit to reduce the need for migrants to leave their country of origin or move on from a safe third country. Action is being taking through regional initiatives, including Regional Development and Protection Programmes and overseas aid, including £1.12 billion of support to Syria. We are supporting work to strengthen the EU’s external border and joint action on human trafficking to crack down on those who profit from this vile trade. The Government recently announced that it will work with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to lead a new initiative to resettle unaccompanied children from conflict regions. We have asked the UNHCR to make an assessment of the numbers and needs of unaccompanied children in conflict regions and advise on when it is in the best interests of the child to be resettled in the UK and how that process should be managed. This new initiative builds on the Government’s existing commitment to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees during this Parliament. More than 1,000 vulnerable Syrians refugees - around half of them children - have already been resettled through the scheme.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates grouped question UIN HL5949 question first answered 12/02/2016 09:56:41 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

450648

	registered interest
	date	04/02/2016
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Migration
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to meet the demands of increasing world-wide migration.
	tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
	uin	HL5949
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/02/2016 answer text <p>The Government undertakes extensive engagement on global migration issues with international partners through multilateral and bilateral discussions. The frequency of engagement has increased since the migration crisis in summer 2015 and focuses on the root causes of the crisis and its consequences. UK participation in the Valletta Summit and the Khartoum Process are key parts of this engagement.</p><p>In order to tackle the unprecedented levels of illegal migration to the EU, we are prioritising interventions upstream in countries of origin and transit to reduce the need for migrants to leave their country of origin or move on from a safe third country. Action is being taking through regional initiatives, including Regional Development and Protection Programmes and overseas aid, including £1.12 billion of support to Syria. We are supporting work to strengthen the EU’s external border and joint action on human trafficking to crack down on those who profit from this vile trade. The Government recently announced that it will work with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to lead a new initiative to resettle unaccompanied children from conflict regions. We have asked the UNHCR to make an assessment of the numbers and needs of unaccompanied children in conflict regions and advise on when it is in the best interests of the child to be resettled in the UK and how that process should be managed. This new initiative builds on the Government’s existing commitment to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees during this Parliament. More than 1,000 vulnerable Syrians refugees - around half of them children - have already been resettled through the scheme.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates grouped question UIN HL5948 question first answered 12/02/2016 09:56:41 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

448820

	registered interest
	date	28/01/2016
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Migrants: Detainees
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their latest assessment of safety and welfare in immigrant detention centres in the UK.
	tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
	uin	HL5600
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2016 answer text <p>The regulation of safety arrangements in Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs) is through the Detention Centre Rules 2001, the Operating Standards for IRCs, Detention Services Orders relating to security arrangements and the relevant sections of the contracts and service level agreements relating to security. Each IRC has a Home Office Immigration Enforcement Manager to monitor ongoing service provision.</p><p>Independent scrutiny is an important part of assurance that our removal centres are safe, secure and humane. Assessments of IRCs and holding rooms are published by Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons (HMCIP) and in the annual reports of Independent Monitoring Boards (IMB).</p><p>Home Office service improvement plans contribute to delivering continuing improvement of services in response to independent recommendations. Service improvement plans in response to HMCIP inspection reports have been publicly available on the HMCIP website for all reports published after 1 April 2015.</p><p>On 9 February 2015 my Right Honourable Friend, the Home Secretary, announced an independent review of the welfare in detention of vulnerable persons by Stephen Shaw, which included consideration of the conditions at IRCs and airport holding rooms. The Government’s position on the review was set out in the Written Ministerial Statement laid on 14 January 2016.</p><p>Current policy is clear that a number of groups of individuals, including pregnant women, the elderly, victims of torture and the mentally ill, should be detained only in very exceptional circumstances. The Government accepts Stephen Shaw’s recommendations that there should be a wider definition of those at risk, and will introduce a new “adult at risk” concept into decision-making on immigration detention, with a clear presumption that people who are at risk should not be detained, building on the existing legal framework.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates grouped question UIN HL5601 question first answered 08/02/2016 15:32:06 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno

448821

	registered interest
	date	28/01/2016
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Migrants: Detainees
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the suitability of conditions at immigration detention units at airports in the UK.
	tabling member printed	Lord Roberts of Llandudno
	uin	HL5601
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2016 answer text <p>The regulation of safety arrangements in Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs) is through the Detention Centre Rules 2001, the Operating Standards for IRCs, Detention Services Orders relating to security arrangements and the relevant sections of the contracts and service level agreements relating to security. Each IRC has a Home Office Immigration Enforcement Manager to monitor ongoing service provision.</p><p>Independent scrutiny is an important part of assurance that our removal centres are safe, secure and humane. Assessments of IRCs and holding rooms are published by Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons (HMCIP) and in the annual reports of Independent Monitoring Boards (IMB).</p><p>Home Office service improvement plans contribute to delivering continuing improvement of services in response to independent recommendations. Service improvement plans in response to HMCIP inspection reports have been publicly available on the HMCIP website for all reports published after 1 April 2015.</p><p>On 9 February 2015 my Right Honourable Friend, the Home Secretary, announced an independent review of the welfare in detention of vulnerable persons by Stephen Shaw, which included consideration of the conditions at IRCs and airport holding rooms. The Government’s position on the review was set out in the Written Ministerial Statement laid on 14 January 2016.</p><p>Current policy is clear that a number of groups of individuals, including pregnant women, the elderly, victims of torture and the mentally ill, should be detained only in very exceptional circumstances. The Government accepts Stephen Shaw’s recommendations that there should be a wider definition of those at risk, and will introduce a new “adult at risk” concept into decision-making on immigration detention, with a clear presumption that people who are at risk should not be detained, building on the existing legal framework.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates grouped question UIN HL5600 question first answered 08/02/2016 15:32:06 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
	tabling member	3691 label Biography information for Lord Roberts of Llandudno