Asked by: Lord Bishop of St Albans (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 23 May (HL4639), when the findings of the feasibility study on the possibility of developing prevalence estimates for female genital mutilation and forced marriage will be published.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government has committed to halving violence against women and girls over the next decade. Combatting so-called ‘honour’-based abuse (HBA) is very much a part of this work. The Home Office commissioned the University of Birmingham in 2023 to conduct a feasibility study on the possibility of developing prevalence estimates for female genital mutilation and forced marriage.
We are currently considering the findings of the feasibility study and we will confirm our next steps shortly.
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are considering alternatives to the current forms of asylum seeker accommodation and, if so, what they are.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not publish a breakdown of statistics which disaggregates asylum accommodation costs by type. The total expenditure on asylum is published in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts, available at HO annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
The government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly and fairly. This includes our accommodation sites, as we continue to identify a range of options to reduce the use of hotels. Additionally, the Government will be reviewing current Home Office arrangements to ensure efficiency and delivering value for money.
The number of asylum seekers in receipt of Section 95 support is published quarterly. At the end of quarter four 2003 published statistics indicate that there were 47,148 people housed in Dispersal Accommodation and a further 30,362 in receipt of subsistence only support. The geographical location of these supported asylum seekers was not published at that time. Since 2019 data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation has been published at Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Lord Empey (Ulster Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cost of housing asylum seekers in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not publish a breakdown of statistics which disaggregates asylum accommodation costs by type. The total expenditure on asylum is published in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts, available at HO annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
The government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly and fairly. This includes our accommodation sites, as we continue to identify a range of options to reduce the use of hotels. Additionally, the Government will be reviewing current Home Office arrangements to ensure efficiency and delivering value for money.
The number of asylum seekers in receipt of Section 95 support is published quarterly. At the end of quarter four 2003 published statistics indicate that there were 47,148 people housed in Dispersal Accommodation and a further 30,362 in receipt of subsistence only support. The geographical location of these supported asylum seekers was not published at that time. Since 2019 data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation has been published at Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Southwark (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have received about (1) the delay in introducing eVisas, and (2) the requirement that, notwithstanding this delay, those with biometric residence cards must apply for a replacement eVisa by 31 December.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office continues to engage with a wide range of stakeholders, including ILPA and the 3million, as we roll out eVisas and are grateful for their feedback.
eVisas are a key part of delivering a border and immigration system which will be ‘digital by default’ by 2025, a change that will enhance the customer experience, deliver excellent value, and increase the immigration system’s security and efficiency.
We have been inviting people to come forward at scale since March to register for an account so that they can access their eVisa. We will continue to deliver an extensive communications campaign to explain how people can register for a UKVI account and access their eVisa.
The transition to eVisas does not impact a customer’s underlying immigration status. For many, the end 2024 deadline will have no impact; most people don’t need to prove their immigration status on a day-to-day basis, and many of the checks performed will be unaffected by the expiry of Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs).
BRP holders will also still be able to use the online right to work and rent services to prove their rights once their BRP expires – provided they still have valid status – although we will encourage them to register for an account and to use that to access those services.
Customers will be able to create an account quickly and easily post-2024, using their expired BRP if needed, at www.gov.uk/evisa. There are also services in place, via our contact centre, to support vulnerable users and enable status to be verified in alternative ways on an emergency basis if a customer is not able to create their account immediately.
Notwithstanding these safeguards, we are keen to ensure that all customers take action to create an account and access their eVisa before the end of the year, to ensure they have the smoothest possible experience.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to respond to the report on an unannounced inspection of Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, published on 9 July.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office takes the health, welfare and safety of people in our care very seriously and it is vital that detention and removals are carried out with dignity and respect.
We are concerned by some of the findings in His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons’ (HMIP’s) report and recognise that standards need to improve across immigration detention facilities. We are committed to taking robust steps informed by these inspection findings.
A detailed service improvement plan setting out the Government’s response to the report has been published on HMIP’s website and implementation of those actions, and overall conditions at Harmondsworth, will be monitored closely to ensure that standards improve.
Further details can be found here: Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre – HM Inspectorate of Prisons (justiceinspectorates.gov.uk).
Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to assist women in Afghanistan who are at risk because of their activities promoting or supporting women's rights, democracy or human rights to come to the UK as refugees.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) currently provide routes for eligible people in Afghanistan to come to the United Kingdom.
The ACRS was designed to support those who have assisted UK efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for UK values, as well as vulnerable people. We have welcomed individuals under all three referral pathways on the ACRS, providing a route for resettlement to the UK for at-risk women and girls in Afghanistan and the region.
Flights are continuing to bring those eligible to the UK at pace.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the policing of safe access zones around abortion clinics will be consistent with the College of Policing’s wider guidance on managing protests.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The College of Policing has published an authorised professional practice (APP) to ensure police forces in England and Wales take a consistent and effective approach to planning and policing public order and public safety, including the management of protests. Any guidance on how the wider legislative framework should be applied specifically in the context of abortion safe access zones would be a matter for the College.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to continue the use of large-scale asylum accommodation centres, including (1) RAF Scampton, and (2) MDP Wethersfield.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly, and fairly; and ensures that the rules are properly enforced.
The Home Secretary will decide on the future of current Home Office policies in due course.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the police, the Local Government Association and other stakeholders on the impact of their plans for fast-tracking, and granting, multiple asylum applications, in respect of (1) public safety, (2) national security, (3) community cohesion, (4) the probation service, and (5) local government finance.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
On 23 July 2024, the Home Secretary laid a Statutory Instrument in Parliament which removed the retrospective application of the Illegal Migration Act 2023. This has enabled decision-makers to resume their work in processing asylum claims from those who arrived in the UK from 7 March 2023 onwards. This is an important step to restore order to the asylum system and ease the burden on the taxpayer.
Each asylum claim will be considered on its individual merits and all claimants are subject to mandatory security checks. Those who qualify are normally granted five years’ limited leave and have access to the labour market. Those found not to need protection are refused.
The Home Office does and will continue to engage with other Government Departments and a number of external stakeholders regarding the impact that the asylum system has on other areas.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government following Canada's decision to proscribe the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, whether they also plan to proscribe it; and if so, when.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government will keep the list of proscribed organisations under close review, as we seek to protect the UK from the threats that we face. However, we will not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not being considered for proscription.
The Government is clear that Iran’s malign activity, including the activities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), are unacceptable and will not be tolerated in the UK. The UK already maintains sanctions on over 400 Iranian individuals and entities covering human rights abuses and nuclear proliferation, including sanctioning the IRGC in its entirety. The Government will continue to consider what further steps may be taken to deter Iran’s malign activity.