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540437

registered interest
date	19/07/2016
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Jobcentre Plus: Training
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they plan to ensure that Jobcentre staff and Jobcentre Plus advisers understand fully, and respond effectively to, mental health problems.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL1317
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/07/2016 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions supports its staff in developing the skills required to identify and effectively support claimants with mental health conditions. A number of learning products such as ‘Introduction to Working with People with a Mental Health Condition’ and ‘Supporting Customers with a Vulnerability’ have been specifically developed to build capability for Jobcentre staff. Jobcentre staff also promote “Disability Confident” which is an initiative that includes working with employers to show that employing disabled people, including those with mental health conditions, is good for the individual, business and society.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 28/07/2016 14:02:10 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

540439

registered interest
date	19/07/2016
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Social Security Benefits: Disqualification
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they are making in reforming benefit sanctions and in preventing hardship to children and other dependent family members.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL1319
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/07/2016 answer text <p>We keep the operation of the sanctions processes under constant review to ensure they continue to function effectively and fairly, to promote positive behaviours. Where we identify an issue, we act to put it right.</p><p>Following the recommendations from the Oakley Review and the subsequent report ‘Benefit sanctions policy beyond the Oakley Review’ by the Work and Pensions Select Committee, we have made a number of improvements to the Jobseekers’ Allowance (JSA) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) sanction systems, particularly around communications to claimants and safeguarding measures for those who maybe vulnerable.</p><p>We are now focussing our efforts on continuing with the current improvements in JSA and ESA, to ensure that all the agreed recommendations and improvements can continue to be delivered in Universal Credit.</p><p>We also have a well-established system of hardship payments, available as a safeguard if a claimant demonstrates that they cannot meet their immediate and most essential needs, including accommodation, heating, food and hygiene, as a result of their sanction.</p> answering member printed Lord Freud question first answered 28/07/2016 14:09:59 answering member 3893 label Biography information for Lord Freud
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

535894

registered interest
date	13/07/2016
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Commonwealth
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they propose to take to strengthen the capacity of the Commonwealth to prevent and resolve conflicts between or within its members; and whether they will seek to provide the Secretary-General with greater resources for that purpose.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL1173
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/07/2016 answer text <p>We are committed to strengthening the capacity of the Commonwealth towards preventing and resolving conflicts between member states, including through the Secretariat and the Good Offices of the Secretary-General. We welcome the work already done by the Secretary-General in this area, most recently her appointment of a Special Envoy to strengthen multi-party democracy towards inclusive presidential elections in the Maldives in 2018.</p><p>We will work closely with Patricia Scotland and partners as we build towards the UK hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Spring 2018. We believe she is the right person to drive through reform, strengthen the Commonwealth’s voice and unite members behind the values enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter.</p><p>A key strand of strengthening the Commonwealth’s focus on democracy, the promotion of the rule of law and preventing conflict is the Commonwealth Secretariat’s work in promoting democratic values, including through election observation missions. We welcome these missions and will work with the Secretary-General to take forward this important programme.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 28/07/2016 14:24:23 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

535599

registered interest
date	12/07/2016
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 action they are taking to improve the quality of initial interviews and decisions in asylum cases in order to reduce the need for appeals.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL1146
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/07/2016 answer text <p>The Home Office carefully considers all asylum claims on their individual merits and grants protection for those who genuinely need it, in accordance with our international obligations under the Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights. In every asylum case the particular circumstances of the individual is considered in light of published country information.</p><p>All asylum decision-makers receive extensive training on how to consider asylum claims and are expected to follow published Home Office policy guidance. The 5-week Foundation Training Programme (FTP) for new decision makers trains staff on all aspects of the asylum decision making process. All decision makers are currently receiving credibility training. This course trains decision makers on how to assess the evidential value of their interview questions, the various reasons why someone may not come across as credible in an asylum interview and discusses issues such as speculation and implausibility. Asylum decision-makers carefully assess the protection needs of each asylum claimant following an interview by assessing all available evidence provided by the claimant in light of published country information and policy guidance. The Home Office systematically assesses the quality of asylum decisions against a detailed quality audit framework drawn up and agreed with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.</p><p>We expect asylum claimants to disclose all relevant evidence to support their claim at the earliest opportunity so that we can properly consider their claim. We aim to reduce the appeal rate by analysing the reasons why appeals are allowed and using this to further improve guidance and training. We are committed to continuous improvement.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 26/07/2016 15:45:52 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

535600

registered interest
date	12/07/2016
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum: Children
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to enable child refugees and migrants who are now in France but who have close relatives in the UK to make take-charge requests.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL1147
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/07/2016 answer text <p>As stated in Written Answer HL649 on 27 June under the UK-France Joint Declaration of 20 August 2015 the UK and France have committed to ensur-ing that provisions of the Dublin III Regulation are used efficiently and effectively. To assist the handling of such cases, the two Governments have established a permanent official contact group, agreed single points of contact within respective Dublin Units and a UK asylum expert was seconded to the French administration earlier this year to facilitate the improvement of all stages of the process.</p><p>We continue to work closely so that both the UK and France can fulfil our re-spective obligations under the Dublin Regulation to family members, including unaccompanied children, who qualify for transfer to the UK under the Regula-tion’s family unity provisions.</p><p>The UK and France are running regular joint communication campaigns in northern France which inform unaccompanied children and others of their right to claim asylum in France and the family reunion process. Whilst the management of migrants in Calais is the responsibility of the French Govern-ment, the UK recognises that vulnerable people in the camps are at risk from exploitation and trafficking. This is why the UK Government funds a project, run by a French NGO, to identify and direct vulnerable people to protection, support and advice within France.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford grouped question UIN HL1150 question first answered 26/07/2016 15:43:37 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

535601

registered interest
date	12/07/2016
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Asylum: Children
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to provide legal support to children already in the UK who wish to sponsor their parents to join them, and for other complex reunion cases.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL1148
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/07/2016 answer text <p>UK Visas and Immigration issues guidance to help applicants, and the types of evidence requested to accompany an application - such as marriage and birth certificates - will usually be straightforward to collate. For these reasons, there are currently no plans to make changes to the legal aid provision in such cases.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 26/07/2016 13:06:46 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

535602

registered interest
date	12/07/2016
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Horn of Africa: Refugees
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they and the UNHCR plan to take to protect Eritrean and Somali families now in Ethiopia, the Sudan, or South Sudan without legal status.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL1149
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/07/2016 answer text <p>Irregular migrants in Africa are extremely vulnerable. We are working through the Khartoum Process, of which the UK is currently chair, and bilaterally to improve conditions for all migrants in the Horn of Africa. The Khartoum Process is a regional initiative bringing together the Governments of Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan and Libya and the EU, the UK, Italy, France, Germany and Malta to better manage migration in the region, including the protection of irregular migrants. The Khartoum Process is part of a plan of action agreed between African nations and the EU and its member states in Valletta in November 2015. The protection of migrant rights is a critical element of that plan.</p><p> </p><p>In Sudan, we are advocating through the Khartoum Process for increased rights for refugees in national legislation, including work permits for Eritreans in Sudan. Alongside this, DFID contributes through the European Development Fund to the €100 million EU Trust Fund (EUTF) package of Special Measures for Sudan, which aims to protect and address the development needs of refugees in Eastern Sudan. The EUTF has been supporting UNHCR and local law enforcement efforts over the past 18 months to make camps in the East of Sudan more secure. With this EU support, UNHCR also hosts a unit for unaccompanied minors (UM) in Shagarab Camp, which works to return them to their families in Eritrea wherever possible, houses them separately from other migrants in purpose built dormitories, and provides free meals for all the children.</p><p> </p><p>In April 2016, the UK together with World Bank and UNHCR signed up to a set of principles on programming to support long term refugees. These principles recommend increased support to a shift from relief provision for refugees towards a more sustainable approach. In line with this, DFID in Ethiopia is providing £125 million over the next five years for basic service and economic opportunities alongside protection programming, working with both refugees and host communities. Research into push and pull factors around migration also forms a part of DFID’s package of support.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 26/07/2016 15:42:12 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

535603

registered interest
date	12/07/2016
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum: France
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan (1) urgently to meet with the government of France and the UNHCR to set up systems for providing reliable information for refugees and migrants in Calais and Dunkirk; and (2) to take steps to ensure that the Dublin III Regulations work for family reunion.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL1150
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/07/2016 answer text <p>As stated in Written Answer HL649 on 27 June under the UK-France Joint Declaration of 20 August 2015 the UK and France have committed to ensur-ing that provisions of the Dublin III Regulation are used efficiently and effectively. To assist the handling of such cases, the two Governments have established a permanent official contact group, agreed single points of contact within respective Dublin Units and a UK asylum expert was seconded to the French administration earlier this year to facilitate the improvement of all stages of the process.</p><p>We continue to work closely so that both the UK and France can fulfil our re-spective obligations under the Dublin Regulation to family members, including unaccompanied children, who qualify for transfer to the UK under the Regula-tion’s family unity provisions.</p><p>The UK and France are running regular joint communication campaigns in northern France which inform unaccompanied children and others of their right to claim asylum in France and the family reunion process. Whilst the management of migrants in Calais is the responsibility of the French Govern-ment, the UK recognises that vulnerable people in the camps are at risk from exploitation and trafficking. This is why the UK Government funds a project, run by a French NGO, to identify and direct vulnerable people to protection, support and advice within France.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford grouped question UIN HL1147 question first answered 26/07/2016 15:43:37 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

535106

registered interest
date	11/07/2016
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 child refugees have so far been officially identified in Europe, aside from the UK, and how many of those have reached the UK.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL1102
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2016 answer text <p>The Government is firmly committed to bringing vulnerable unaccompanied refugee children from Europe to the UK, as underpinned by the Immigration Act 2016. Over 20 children who meet the criteria in the Immigration Act have been accepted for transfer from Europe since Royal Assent, the majority of whom have already arrived in the UK.</p><p>We are in active discussions with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNICEF and Non-Governmental Organisations in addition to the Italian, Greek and French governments to strengthen and speed up mechanisms to identify, assess and transfer children who meet the criteria to the UK where this in their best interests.</p><p>As is required by the Immigration Act 2016, we are consulting with local authorities to confirm available capacity and to ensure appropriate support systems are in place.</p><p>We cannot put a fixed number on arrivals at this point. The legislation is clear that consultation with local authorities is needed before any figure is set. It is vital that their capacity and ability to help is taken into account. We must also ensure that we are able to continue to fulfil our obligations to children who are already in the UK.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 14/07/2016 13:08:27 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

533900

registered interest
date	08/07/2016
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Philippines: Offences against Children
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of the Philippines regarding the enforcement of the Anti-Child Pornography Act 2009, in particular the provisions requiring internet service providers to filter and block images of child abuse.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL1081
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/07/2016 answer text <p>The Philippines is a committed partner in the WePROTECT Global Alliance and is serious about tackling child sexual exploitation online and offline. We have ongoing and regular dialogue with the Philippine Government on child sexual exploitation, including the implementation of the Anti-Child Pornography Act 2009. The Philippine Government is working to ensure the Act is fit for purpose. The Philippine Interagency Council against Child Pornography has requested that the Department of Justice order internet service providers to comply with the Act.</p><p>In April 2016, the British Embassy participated in an Online Child Sexual Exploitation technical working group, hosted by the Philippine Committee for the Special Protection of Children. Experts from the Philippine Department of Justice, prosecutors, representatives from UNICEF, other diplomatic missions and foreign law enforcement also participated. The Act and other legislation formed part of the discussion. In June 2016, the National Crime Agency participated in further discussions on the Philippine Government’s strategy and the WePROTECT national model.</p><p>We have supported the Philippine Government’s participation at the WePROTECT Summits in London and most recently in Abu Dhabi. The National Crime Agency also works closely with Filipino partners in the fight against child sexual exploitation and provides training on the forensic analysis of digital media.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 26/07/2016 15:31:15 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton