Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 8 November (HL Deb, col 1441), which two new countries will be added to the Youth Mobility Scheme Visa next year; and on what date.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Youth Mobility Scheme visa route will be open to 18-30 year olds from Iceland from 1 January 2021. In line with the Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement signed on 4 May 2021 between the UK and the Government of India, the scheme will be opening to Indian Young Professionals aged 18-30. Further details of implementation arrangements will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the ruling by Belgium's Court of Cassation that the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) is not a terrorist organisation; and what plans they have, if any, to remove the PKK from their register of terrorist organisations.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
It is Government policy not to comment on whether a group is under consideration for proscription or deproscription.
Partiya Karkeren Kurdistani (PKK) has been proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK since 2001. It is listed internationally, including by the European Union, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The Terrorism Act 2000 allows the Home Secretary to proscribe a group, if she has a reasonable belief that the group is currently concerned in terrorism, and it must be a proportionate action to take. It is this statutory test which the Government applies when considering whether to proscribe an organisation or maintain an extant listing.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Afghan refugees who have recently arrived in the UK will be given mental health support.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The safety and wellbeing of Afghan refugees is of the utmost importance and we will work closely with accommodation providers and other partners to prioritise their safety and wellbeing. We are providing £3 million to ensure Afghan refugees receive the healthcare they need. This includes access to prescriptions, wound care and dressings, maternity care, mental health support, and screening for infectious diseases. We will also offer the protection of a COVID-19 vaccination as they settle and rebuild.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to work with (1) charities, and (2) local communities, to support refugees from Afghanistan; and what steps they are taking to (a) encourage, and (b) coordinate, charitable donations in support of this cause.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Under Operation Warm Welcome, we are taking a cross-government approach to ensuring Afghans arriving in the UK are able to rebuild their lives, find work, pursue education and integrate with their local communities.
The challenge of integrating such a large number of people at pace and supporting them to rebuild their lives in safety cannot be met by central and local government alone. We will be actively working with the private, voluntary and community sectors to harness a whole of society effort to address this challenge.
As part of this, we are creating a portal where people, organisations and businesses can register offers of support. This could include volunteering, offers of employment or to provide professional skills pro bono, including helping those arriving deal with trauma, or offering donations of mobile phones, mobile credit or data, laptops, access to training, clothes and toys. This will complement the Afghanistan housing portal which has been set up to collect offers of additional housing support.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to help recently arrived Afghan refugees culturally acclimatise and assimilate into the British population.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
All those brought to the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) will have the right to work, access to education and healthcare and be able to apply for public funds. They will also receive comprehensive integration support as they start their new lives in the UK. The support provided for them will be similar to the commitments in the Syrian Resettlement Programme, with a complete package covering health, education and English Language support costs, and including cultural orientation to the UK.
We will be actively working with the private, voluntary and community sectors to harness a whole-of-society effort to address this challenge.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will announce details of the Afghan Citizen’s Resettlement Scheme; and whether there will be any special provisions for women.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Government has worked at pace to develop and launch the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), which will provide a safe and legal route for up to 20,000 Afghans in the region over the coming years, with 5,000 in the first year –one of the most generous schemes in British history.
On Monday 13 September the Government published a policy statement which set out further details on the policy and operation of the ACRS, and the package of integration support that will be offered to those arriving through the Scheme.
This statement confirmed that the ACRS will provide those put at risk by recent events in Afghanistan with a route to safety. This will include prioritising vulnerable people such women and girls, and members of minority groups at risk (including ethnic and religious minorities and LGBT+).
Further details on the scheme are published on the ACRS webpage: Afghan citizens’ resettlement scheme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the UK's departure from the EU on au pairs; and whether au pairs who are EU citizens will still be able to work in the UK for one year.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
As has been the case since 2008, the UK’s points-based immigration system will not offer a dedicated route for au pairs.
Those who wish to employ an au pair can either look to offer a package which makes it attractive to those arriving in the UK with general rights to work, such as our Youth Mobility Schemes, or use the wide range of childcare options in the UK relied upon by most families.
EU citizens who arrived prior to 31 December 2020, including au pairs, are eligible to apply for status under this government’s EU Settlement Scheme which grants a general right to work in the UK.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of au pair schemes (1) in creating ties with young people from EU countries, (2) in promoting UK values to au pairs arriving in the UK, and (3) in providing affordable childcare.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
As has been the case since 2008, the UK’s points-based immigration system will not offer a dedicated route for au pairs.
There are other immigration routes which will exist for people who may wish to take up these roles, such as those on the Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS). The YMS results in around 20,000 young people from around the world, with capacity for more, to experience life in the UK. Each YMS is based on a reciprocal agreement giving benefits to UK Citizens as well.
Immigration cannot be seen as the sole solution to providing cheaper childcare, there are a wide-range of childcare options available in the UK which are relied upon by most families.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to issue guidance to local councils regarding the recommencement of birth registrations; and whether all registry offices in England will reopen at the same time.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The local registration service in England has been advised that birth registrations can recommence where these can be safely delivered in line with Public Health and local authority guidelines. It will be for individual local authorities to determine when it is safe for them to open.
Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the rule that a baby’s birth must be registered within 42 days has been relaxed due to the closure of registry offices to register births caused by COVID-19.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The requirement for births to be registered within 42-days of the date of birth is not currently being enforced.