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1690557

registered interest
date	20/02/2024
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Criminal Justice Bill: Homelessness
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Criminal Justice Bill on people experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Wavertree
tabling member printed	Paula Barker
uin	14983
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/02/2024 answer text <p>The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities lead on homelessness and rough sleeping and as such have regular meetings with stakeholders. They reviewed the Vagrancy Act and determined replacement legislation was needed. They published the response to their public consultation on replacement in 2023.</p><p>The Home Office has additionally engaged with police, local authorities, PCCs and other organisations including the homelessness sector on this topic. This has highlighted that more direct tools were needed to respond to begging and rough sleeping where it causes nuisance to others.</p><p>These provisions will be supported by guidance highlighting that local authority outreach and engagement remain at the heart of our approach here and that these civil tools support a staggered approach to enforcement where that is necessary.</p><p>I and my Rt Hon friend the Home Secretary have ongoing discussions with Ministerial colleagues, including in the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, about the provisions in the Criminal Justice Bill, including those relating to tackling nuisance rough sleeping.</p><p>Equality and Economic impact assessments for the Bill have been published and are available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-justice-bill-2023-impact-assessments" target="_blank">Criminal Justice Bill 2023: impact assessments - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp grouped question UIN 14984 14985 question first answered 27/02/2024 14:59:42 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4828 label Biography information for Paula Barker

1689382

registered interest
date	16/02/2024
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum: Employment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the economic benefits of allowing asylum seekers to work if they have been waiting six months or more for an initial decision.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Wavertree
tabling member printed	Paula Barker
uin	14281
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/02/2024 answer text <p>Asylum seekers who have had their claim outstanding for 12 months or more, through no fault of their own, are allowed to work. Those permitted to work are restricted to jobs on the Shortage Occupation List. This is based on expert advice from the independent Migration Advisory Committee. It is the Home Office’s assessment that any analysis in this area is dependent on making assumptions from limited evidence and will therefore produce uncertain results.</p><p>Whilst we keep all policies under review, there are no immediate plans to change the existing policy, other than aligning it with the upcoming Immigration Salary List, which replaces the SOL. It is important that we distinguish between individuals who need protection and those seeking to work here who can apply for a work visa under the Immigration Rules. The Government has always been clear that asylum seekers do not need to make perilous journeys in order to seek employment in the UK. Those in need of protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety.</p><p>Whilst there is mixed evidence that access to work in itself is a pull factor, it is reasonable to assume that this is one element in a range of factors that may drive illegal migration rather than use of legal routes to work in the UK. These routes include Skilled Worker, Global Talent, and Health and Care routes, which are supporting UK businesses to recruit workers with the skills and talent they need from around the world.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 21/02/2024 16:36:41 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4828 label Biography information for Paula Barker

1677345

registered interest
date	12/12/2023
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum: Temporary Accommodation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers had their accommodation support withdrawn after a rejected asylum application in (a) the UK and (b) Liverpool City council local authority area in (i) 2017-18, (ii) 2018-19, (iii) 2019-20 and (iv) 2022-23.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Wavertree
tabling member printed	Paula Barker
uin	6635
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2023 answer text <p>Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation is published in table Asy_D11 here: <a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fstatistical-data-sets%2Fasylum-and-resettlement-datasets&amp;data=05%7C02%7CSophie.Rooney%40homeoffice.gov.uk%7C3610bb671d74454015ec08dbfbbb3623%7Cf24d93ecb2914192a08af182245945c2%7C0%7C0%7C638380553718660748%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=2FaH%2FwKeQzgDEkc1KoMTCCoCuWHRE95WFeNYXQAqJUg%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab)</a>. Data is published on a quarterly basis. The Home Office does not publish a breakdown of statistics which disaggregates the number of asylum seekers in Home Office accommodation by local authority, and figures on the number of discontinuations of asylum support are not available in a readily reportable format.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 18/12/2023 14:02:35 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4828 label Biography information for Paula Barker

1648469

registered interest
date	28/06/2023
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Cannabis: Decriminalisation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the potential effect of decriminalising cannabis (a) possession, (b) supply and (c) manufacture on the prison population.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Wavertree
tabling member printed	Paula Barker
uin	191686
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2023 answer text <p>No assessment has been made. The Government has no plans to decriminalise cannabis.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 06/07/2023 11:09:33 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4828 label Biography information for Paula Barker

1623479

registered interest
date	24/04/2023
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Sleeping Rough: Arrests
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has issued to police forces in England on the use of the Vagrancy Act 1824 to arrest rough sleepers.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Wavertree
tabling member printed	Paula Barker
uin	182469
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2023 answer text <p>The Government is committed to ending rough sleeping, and published their cross Government strategy, Ending Rough Sleeping for good, on 3 September 2022 <a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Fending-rough-sleeping-for-good&amp;data=05%7C01%7CMichelle.Archer5%40homeoffice.gov.uk%7C008975a120714e7b543808db4572101f%7Cf24d93ecb2914192a08af182245945c2%7C0%7C0%7C638180128412475395%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=beNIvtJwmrw9roZgXCivgl9akp%2BIH1Wkn4Au28l%2Fxkg%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ending-rough-sleeping-for-good</a> .</p><p>This strategy sets out the work that is underway, including the joint commitment of both the Home Office and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to ensure “everyone experiencing rough sleeping to have an appropriate and timely offer of support, tailored to their needs and the services they are eligible for, and that all agencies have the tools they need to unlock this support.”</p><p>The Strategy is backed by vital funding of £2 billion over three years.</p><p>Police officers can reference the ASB toolkit, with specific pages on Rough Sleeping which is produced by the National Police Chiefs Council. The Government are considering what further guidance is required alongside work on the repeal and replacement of the Vagrancy Act.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 02/05/2023 11:40:57 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4828 label Biography information for Paula Barker

1623480

registered interest
date	24/04/2023
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Sleeping Rough: Arrests
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for his Department's policies of reports that 1,173 people have been arrested in England and Wales since 2021 under the Vagrancy Act 1824.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Wavertree
tabling member printed	Paula Barker
uin	182470
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2023 answer text <p>The Home Office does not collect data on the number of people arrested under the Vagrancy Act.</p><p>The Government is fully committed to repealing and replacing the antiquated Vagrancy Act which makes begging and some forms of rough sleeping a criminal offence.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 02/05/2023 14:15:44 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4828 label Biography information for Paula Barker

1623481

registered interest
date	24/04/2023
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Sleeping Rough
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential implications of his Department's Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan, published on 27 March 2023, on police treatment of rough sleepers.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Wavertree
tabling member printed	Paula Barker
uin	182471
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2023 answer text <p>The Government has been clear that it does not want to criminalise rough sleeping and is working with across Departments to repeal and replace the Vagrancy Act 1824 as outlined within the Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan. The implications of the replacement Vagrancy Act measures are being taken into account through consideration of the responses to the public consultation run by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities last year, and our wider stakeholder engagement.</p><p>Monitoring and evaluation of the Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan will be important in understanding whether we are delivering the action plan effectively and that it is achieving the intended outcomes and impacts in tackling ASB across a range of funded measures.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 02/05/2023 14:11:40 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4828 label Biography information for Paula Barker

1623482

registered interest
date	24/04/2023
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Sleeping Rough
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with refence to her Department's Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan, published on 27 March 2023, whether the Government plans to issue guidance to police forces on the treatment of rough sleepers.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Wavertree
tabling member printed	Paula Barker
uin	182472
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2023 answer text <p>The Government is committed to ending rough sleeping, and published their cross Government strategy, Ending Rough Sleeping for good, on 3 September 2022 <a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fgovernment%2Fpublications%2Fending-rough-sleeping-for-good&amp;data=05%7C01%7CMichelle.Archer5%40homeoffice.gov.uk%7C008975a120714e7b543808db4572101f%7Cf24d93ecb2914192a08af182245945c2%7C0%7C0%7C638180128412475395%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=beNIvtJwmrw9roZgXCivgl9akp%2BIH1Wkn4Au28l%2Fxkg%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ending-rough-sleeping-for-good</a> .</p><p>This strategy sets out the work that is underway, including the joint commitment of both the Home Office and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to ensure “everyone experiencing rough sleeping to have an appropriate and timely offer of support, tailored to their needs and the services they are eligible for, and that all agencies have the tools they need to unlock this support.”</p><p>The Strategy is backed by vital funding of £2 billion over three years.</p><p>Police officers can reference the ASB toolkit, with specific pages on Rough Sleeping which is produced by the National Police Chiefs Council. The Government are considering what further guidance is required alongside work on the repeal and replacement of the Vagrancy Act.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 02/05/2023 11:47:55 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4828 label Biography information for Paula Barker

1608523

registered interest
date	29/03/2023
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Homelessness
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan, published on 27 March 2023, what guidance her Department plans to publish on the definition of (a) nuisance and (b) blight caused by homeless people.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Wavertree
tabling member printed	Paula Barker
uin	176710
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/04/2023 answer text <p>We are carefully considering a statutory definition and will be using existing definitions where possible and appropriate.</p><p>Further details will be set out in legislation and accompanying guidance at the earliest opportunity, following further engagement with stakeholders.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 18/04/2023 13:48:56 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4828 label Biography information for Paula Barker

1608177

registered interest
date	28/03/2023
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Self-harm and Violence: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the sale of razors and pencil sharpeners in shops to minors on their subsequent use for self-harm or violent purposes.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Wavertree
tabling member printed	Paula Barker
uin	175698
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/04/2023 answer text <p>Section 141A of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, created the offence of selling any knife, knife blade, razor blade, axe or any other article which has a blade or which is sharply pointed and which is made or adapted for use for causing injury to the person, to a person under the age of 18. Pencil sharpeners would not usually fall under the definition of the age restricted items.</p><p>When the legislation was debated in parliament, it was considered whether any exemptions should apply. The Government’s approach was to balance the need for young people to have access to certain small, bladed items, for example disposable razor blade cartridges, against the intended aim of reducing knife crime. The legislation reflects this approach and disposable razor cartridges are exempt from the age restriction by way of s2 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) (Exemption) Order 1996.</p><p>The Home Office does not hold figures on the use of pencil sharpener blades or razor blades for use in self-harm or for violent purposes.</p> answering member constituency Derbyshire Dales answering member printed Miss Sarah Dines question first answered 05/04/2023 12:29:24 answering member 4816 label Biography information for Miss Sarah Dines
tabling member	4828 label Biography information for Paula Barker