Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many child trafficking cases in the National Referral Mechanism have been suspended before a conclusive decision was made in the past three years.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
When the Single Competent Authority becomes aware that an individual is missing, their National Referral Mechanism (NRM) case can be suspended unless there is already sufficient information available on which to make a decision. Suspended cases can be reopened at any time.
Sections 14.194 - 14.204 of the Modern Slavery: Statutory Guidance for England and Wales (under s49 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015) and Non-Statutory Guidance for Scotland and Northern Ireland Version 2.0 sets out the actions the SCA takes when suspending a case.
The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics regarding the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) the latest published NRM statistics can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-referral-mechanism-statistics. However, the statistics do not currently contain data on the number of cases suspended prior to a Conclusive Grounds decision.
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they regularly (1) collect, and (2) assess, data from all relevant local authorities relating to the placement of children and young people in unregulated accommodation.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
Information on children who are looked after by local authorities (including information on placement setting) is submitted to the department by local authorities on an annual basis. The latest collection, which closed in August 2020, related to children who were looked after during the year 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020.
The latest information on children looked after in England, including the number of looked after children placed in independent and semi-independent placements on 31 March 2020, is contained in the ‘Children looked after in England’ statistics release, which is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoptions. Information on numbers of looked after children by type of placement can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/fast-track/9fb76a8e-ab86-4746-871a-925810cfb302.
Children in care and care leavers are some of the most vulnerable children and young people in society. We must do all that we can to ensure that they have access to suitable, safe and secure accommodation that meets their needs and keeps them safe. Our consultation on unregulated provision for children in care and care leavers asked for views on a set of ambitious proposals to reform unregulated provision for children in care and care leavers, including banning the placement of children under the age of 16 in these settings and introducing national standards for providers to drive up quality, keeping young people safer and delivering better outcomes.
The consultation received a strong response from the sector, and care-experienced young people. We will publish the government’s response to the consultation in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of (1) pubs, (2) cafes, and (3) restaurants, which fail to record customer contact details for NHS Test and Trace.
Answered by Lord Bethell
Designated venues, including hospitality businesses, must collect contact details of staff, customers and visitors and provide a National Health Service QR code for individuals to check in to the venue using the COVID-19 app. Local health protection teams can ask the venue for these records where it is necessary, for example if the premises has been identified as the location of a potential outbreak. Venues must share the requested information as soon as possible to help identify people who may have been in contact with the virus and help minimise the onward spread. NHS Test and Trace does not collect this data unless it is necessary for contact tracing following an identified outbreak.
In a recent poll 76% of visitors to restaurants, cafes and pubs stated they were asked to provide their details or scan an NHS QR code on entry. We continue to engage with business and enforcement officials to work towards 100% compliance.
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many unaccompanied Albanian children have been granted discretionary leave to remain in each of the last three years.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Home Office publishes data on asylum applications and grants of extensions in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’ (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release).
Data on the number of asylum applications from unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC), and the initial decision on such applications are published in tables Asy_D01 and Asy_D02 of the asylum and resettlement detailed datasets (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets), which include nationality breakdowns. Asy_D02 can be broken down to show grants of discretionary leave (DL) following an asylum application but does not show any grants of DL from non-asylum routes.
Data on the number of non-asylum related grants of discretionary leave granted in-country are published in tables Exe_D01 of the extensions detailed datasets (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/managed-migration-datasets), which include nationality breakdowns. Exe_D01 can be broken down to show grants of DL but does not show the reason for the grant, or whether the grant was to an unaccompanied child
Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relate up to September 2020. Additionally, the Home Office publishes a high-level overview of the data in both the asylum and resettlement and extensions ‘summary tables’. The ‘contents’ sheet contains an overview of all available data on asylum and resettlement and extensions.
Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’ (https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-statistics?keywords=immigration&content_store_document_type=upcoming_statistics&organisations%5B%5D=home-office&order=relevance).
The data from the tables mentioned above are outlined below.
Table 1 – The number of asylum applications the UK has received from Albanian Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) in the last three years and 2020 to date.
Year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 (Jan to Sep) |
Albanian UASC Applications | 265 | 293 | 238 | 67 |
Source: Home Office, Immigration Statistics year ending September 2020 Asylum and Resettlement Table Asy_D01
Table 2 – The number of Albanian UASC granted discretionary leave (DL) at initial decision following an application for asylum in the last three years and 2020 to date.
Year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 (Jan to Sep) |
Albanian UASC granted DL | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Source: Home Office, Immigration Statistics year ending September 2020 Asylum and Resettlement Table Asy_D02
Table 3 – The number of Albanians granted non-asylum related discretionary leave (DL) in the last three years and 2020 to date.
Year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 (Jan to Sep) |
Albanians granted DL | 55 | 56 | 18 | 12 |
Source: Home Office, Immigration Statistics year ending September 2020 Extensions Table Exe_D01
Notes:
The data on Discretionary Leave (DL) in the extensions dataset include all grants of discretionary leave to remain to non-EEA nationals except those granted DL following an asylum claim.
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many unaccompanied Albanian children have claimed asylum in the UK in each of the last three years.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Table 1 – The number of asylum applications the UK has received from Albanian Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) in the last three years and 2020 to date.
Year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 (Jan to Sep) |
Albanian UASC Applications | 265 | 293 | 238 | 67 |
Note:
Data for UASC provide a count of asylum applications received from main applicants who are treated as an unaccompanied child for at least one day from the date of application, up until the initial decision (where applicable), even if they are later persons found to be an adult following an age dispute. As a result, some UASC cases relate to over 18.
The Home Office publishes data on asylum applications in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’ (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release). Data on the number of asylum applications from unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC), and the initial decision on such applications are published in tables Asy_D01 and Asy_D02 of the asylum and resettlement detailed datasets (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets), which include nationality breakdowns. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relate up to September 2020. Additionally, the Home Office publishes a high-level overview of the data in the ‘summary tables’ (see attached). The ‘contents’ sheet contains an overview of all available data on asylum and resettlement.
Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’ (https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-statistics?keywords=immigration&content_store_document_type=upcoming_statistics&organisations%5B%5D=home-office&order=relevance).
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there is a specific team within the Single Competent Authority established under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 responsible for making trafficking decisions in relation to children.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The creation of the Single Competent Authority (SCA) was announced in Autumn 2017 as part of the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) Reform Programme. The SCA was launched in April 2019, replacing the previous competent authorities for the NRM.
Decision makers within the SCA are fully trained to make both Reasonable Grounds decisions and Conclusive Grounds decisions on children who may be potential victims of modern slavery and human trafficking.
The figures below include all staff involved in the Single Competent Authority’s decision-making work (including all decision points such as Reasonable Grounds, Conclusive Grounds, Reconsiderations, Modern Slavery Discretionary Leave, and Recovery Needs Assessments) and includes all functions across the unit necessary for that activity (including management, case preparation, technical specialists, business support etc). The numbers provided are taken as of 30 November from a live operational database and may change as information on the system is updated.
Home Office Staff: 225 (181 full time and 44 part time)
Agency Staff: 3 (all full time)
Between now and March 2021, over 350 new staff will join the Home Office to work in the SCA. The vast majority of these staff will be decision-makers, with the remainder of the posts going to case preparation, workflow management, technical specialist and management roles essential for the operation of the Unit.
Recruiting in these numbers will give us the capacity to make significantly more Conclusive Grounds decisions than we are currently able to do with existing resource, and therefore will bring down decision-making timescales for victims.
The current Head of the SCA took up post on 4 April 2019.
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Home Office (1) staff, and (2) agency staff, are employed (a) full time, and (b) part time, to make decisions on trafficking and modern slavery within the Single Competent Authority established under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The creation of the Single Competent Authority (SCA) was announced in Autumn 2017 as part of the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) Reform Programme. The SCA was launched in April 2019, replacing the previous competent authorities for the NRM.
Decision makers within the SCA are fully trained to make both Reasonable Grounds decisions and Conclusive Grounds decisions on children who may be potential victims of modern slavery and human trafficking.
The figures below include all staff involved in the Single Competent Authority’s decision-making work (including all decision points such as Reasonable Grounds, Conclusive Grounds, Reconsiderations, Modern Slavery Discretionary Leave, and Recovery Needs Assessments) and includes all functions across the unit necessary for that activity (including management, case preparation, technical specialists, business support etc). The numbers provided are taken as of 30 November from a live operational database and may change as information on the system is updated.
Home Office Staff: 225 (181 full time and 44 part time)
Agency Staff: 3 (all full time)
Between now and March 2021, over 350 new staff will join the Home Office to work in the SCA. The vast majority of these staff will be decision-makers, with the remainder of the posts going to case preparation, workflow management, technical specialist and management roles essential for the operation of the Unit.
Recruiting in these numbers will give us the capacity to make significantly more Conclusive Grounds decisions than we are currently able to do with existing resource, and therefore will bring down decision-making timescales for victims.
The current Head of the SCA took up post on 4 April 2019.
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when the head of the Single Competent Authority established under the Modern Slavery Act 2015 took up their post.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The creation of the Single Competent Authority (SCA) was announced in Autumn 2017 as part of the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) Reform Programme. The SCA was launched in April 2019, replacing the previous competent authorities for the NRM.
Decision makers within the SCA are fully trained to make both Reasonable Grounds decisions and Conclusive Grounds decisions on children who may be potential victims of modern slavery and human trafficking.
The figures below include all staff involved in the Single Competent Authority’s decision-making work (including all decision points such as Reasonable Grounds, Conclusive Grounds, Reconsiderations, Modern Slavery Discretionary Leave, and Recovery Needs Assessments) and includes all functions across the unit necessary for that activity (including management, case preparation, technical specialists, business support etc). The numbers provided are taken as of 30 November from a live operational database and may change as information on the system is updated.
Home Office Staff: 225 (181 full time and 44 part time)
Agency Staff: 3 (all full time)
Between now and March 2021, over 350 new staff will join the Home Office to work in the SCA. The vast majority of these staff will be decision-makers, with the remainder of the posts going to case preparation, workflow management, technical specialist and management roles essential for the operation of the Unit.
Recruiting in these numbers will give us the capacity to make significantly more Conclusive Grounds decisions than we are currently able to do with existing resource, and therefore will bring down decision-making timescales for victims.
The current Head of the SCA took up post on 4 April 2019.
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of jobs that could be lost in the nighttime economy where employees may not qualify for the Job Support Scheme.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The Job Support Scheme will assist businesses facing reduced demand over the winter due to COVID-19 to retain their employees and keep them attached to workforce.
The Job Support Scheme is just one part of a wider package of support that will minimise strains on companies’ cash flow and help them meet fixed costs.
Alongside the Job Support Scheme, the Government’s support package includes Bounce Back Loans, business support grants, an extension to the VAT cut for the hospitality and tourism sectors, and the introduction of the Job Retention Bonus to encourage employers to keep their previously furloughed staff employed.
Asked by: Baroness Doocey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the economic impact on employers in the hospitality sector of the process of making payments through the Job Support Scheme in arrears.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
My Department is in regular contact with Her Majesty’s Treasury to closely assess the impact of COVID-related support measures on the hospitality industry.
When it launches in November, the Jobs Support Scheme will help protect jobs within businesses facing lower demand due to COVID-19.
Alongside this, hospitality businesses can continue to make use of the Government’s comprehensive support package. This includes the various loan schemes, a significant cut to VAT until the end of March, plus business rates relief for eligible hospitality, retail and leisure businesses.
We continue to engage with stakeholders through the Visitor Economy Working Group to assess how we can most effectively support employers and employees within the hospitality sector.