Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that Windrush survivors have access to targeted mental health support and holistic public services to address harms suffered.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Windrush Vulnerable Persons Team (VPT), established in May 2018, provides specialist assistance to those facing urgent and complex challenges, including financial hardship, homelessness or risk of eviction, difficulty accessing public services, and mental or physical health concerns. The team also supports individuals returning to the UK who require help to resettle.

The VPT operates a multidisciplinary model, working closely with partners across central and local government, as well as employers, landlords, banks and other organisations. This collaborative approach helps remove barriers and stabilise circumstances for those experiencing vulnerability.

Where individuals face immediate hardship, the VPT can administer Urgent and Exceptional Payments to provide rapid financial support. Individuals supported by the VPT are assigned a dedicated contact trained to respond sensitively to vulnerability and trauma.

In addition, the Home Office’s Mobile Biometrics Team travels nationwide to assist people who may struggle to attend fixed sites, enabling them to provide the biometrics required to secure documentation under the Windrush Status Scheme.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to replace the Windrush Compensation Scheme's mechanism for escalating complaints with a direct and independent right of appeal for Windrush claimants.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Windrush Compensation Scheme already includes provision for the independent review of claims. If an individual is dissatisfied with the outcome of their claim, they can ask the Home Office to review its decision. This will be an internal independent Tier 1 review by someone who has not been involved in the individual’s case.

If an individual remains dissatisfied, they can request an external independent Tier 2 review by the Adjudicator’s Office (AO). The AO is a separate organisation, independent of the Home Office who can look at, among other things, whether the department has followed its policies, and the use of discretion by the Windrush Compensation Team.

If, after completing both review stages, claimants remain dissatisfied, they can ask their MP to submit their complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO).

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will provide free and independent legal representation to claimants of the Windrush Compensation Scheme.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Scheme was designed to be accessible without legal representation. Whilst we recognise the application process can be emotionally challenging, it does not require the arguing of complex points of law or determinations of liability. For these reasons, legal representation is not considered necessary to access the Scheme.

Instead, we are focused on providing practical, community based support. The £1.5 million Windrush Compensation Advocacy Support Fund, launched in 2025, enables trusted local organisations to help claimants gather evidence, complete forms, and confidently tell their stories. The Year 2 funding competition launched on 12 January and closed on 6 February. Successful bids are expected to be announced shortly.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government to what extent they have implemented the recommendations made by the independent review by Wendy Williams, Windrush Lessons Learned Review, published in March 2020; and whether they plan to provide an update on implementation.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government is committed to righting the wrongs of the Home Office Windrush Scandal. Our focus is very much on delivering real change for those impacted by Windrush. We have delivered on our manifesto commitment by appointing Rev Clive Foster as the independent Windrush Commissioner, who has undertaken significant engagement with the Windrush generation and key stakeholders, and is acting as a trusted voice for the Windrush community.

The Windrush Unit has been reestablished and is in the final stages of reviewing all 30 recommendations of the Windrush Lessons Learned Review. We have also worked with the Windrush Commissioner to make improvements to the Compensation Scheme.

The causes of the Home Office Windrush Scandal and the Home Office’s response thereafter have been the subject to several investigations and inquiries by a range of public bodies including extensive parliamentary scrutiny.

Alongside the independent Windrush Lessons Learned Review and the Historical Roots of the Windrush Scandal research report, both commissioned by the Home Office and published, parliamentary committees including the Home Affairs Select Committee and the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights have conducted their own investigations. Further public bodies such as the National Audit Office and the Equality and Human Rights Commission have published their findings and recommendations into the scandal. These reports have approached the issues from different perspectives, reflecting the specialisms of the different bodies.

Given that there have been numerous reviews we do not believe a public inquiry would add to the scrutiny and understanding of the Home Office Windrush Scandal, rather it would divert critical resources away from ensuring meaningful change is achieved.

We will continue to work to rebuild trust with the Windrush generation, and ensure that justice is delivered.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to implement the recommendations made by the independent review by Wendy Williams, Windrush Lessons Learned Review, in full.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government is committed to righting the wrongs of the Home Office Windrush Scandal. Our focus is very much on delivering real change for those impacted by Windrush. We have delivered on our manifesto commitment by appointing Rev Clive Foster as the independent Windrush Commissioner, who has undertaken significant engagement with the Windrush generation and key stakeholders, and is acting as a trusted voice for the Windrush community.

The Windrush Unit has been reestablished and is in the final stages of reviewing all 30 recommendations of the Windrush Lessons Learned Review. We have also worked with the Windrush Commissioner to make improvements to the Compensation Scheme.

The causes of the Home Office Windrush Scandal and the Home Office’s response thereafter have been the subject to several investigations and inquiries by a range of public bodies including extensive parliamentary scrutiny.

Alongside the independent Windrush Lessons Learned Review and the Historical Roots of the Windrush Scandal research report, both commissioned by the Home Office and published, parliamentary committees including the Home Affairs Select Committee and the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights have conducted their own investigations. Further public bodies such as the National Audit Office and the Equality and Human Rights Commission have published their findings and recommendations into the scandal. These reports have approached the issues from different perspectives, reflecting the specialisms of the different bodies.

Given that there have been numerous reviews we do not believe a public inquiry would add to the scrutiny and understanding of the Home Office Windrush Scandal, rather it would divert critical resources away from ensuring meaningful change is achieved.

We will continue to work to rebuild trust with the Windrush generation, and ensure that justice is delivered.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the report by Birthmark of Africa, The Windrush Justice Inquiry Report, Towards Justice: Truth, Accountability, and Repair, published in June 2025, which found that the current readdress scheme fails to meet international standards of justice and restitution, what assessment have they made of launching a public inquiry into the Windrush scandal.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government is committed to righting the wrongs of the Home Office Windrush Scandal. Our focus is very much on delivering real change for those impacted by Windrush. We have delivered on our manifesto commitment by appointing Rev Clive Foster as the independent Windrush Commissioner, who has undertaken significant engagement with the Windrush generation and key stakeholders, and is acting as a trusted voice for the Windrush community.

The Windrush Unit has been reestablished and is in the final stages of reviewing all 30 recommendations of the Windrush Lessons Learned Review. We have also worked with the Windrush Commissioner to make improvements to the Compensation Scheme.

The causes of the Home Office Windrush Scandal and the Home Office’s response thereafter have been the subject to several investigations and inquiries by a range of public bodies including extensive parliamentary scrutiny.

Alongside the independent Windrush Lessons Learned Review and the Historical Roots of the Windrush Scandal research report, both commissioned by the Home Office and published, parliamentary committees including the Home Affairs Select Committee and the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights have conducted their own investigations. Further public bodies such as the National Audit Office and the Equality and Human Rights Commission have published their findings and recommendations into the scandal. These reports have approached the issues from different perspectives, reflecting the specialisms of the different bodies.

Given that there have been numerous reviews we do not believe a public inquiry would add to the scrutiny and understanding of the Home Office Windrush Scandal, rather it would divert critical resources away from ensuring meaningful change is achieved.

We will continue to work to rebuild trust with the Windrush generation, and ensure that justice is delivered.