Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay on 11 December 2023 (HL763), whether they will now answer the question put; namely, when they first discussed the inclusion of Casement Park in the UEFA Euro 2028 bid.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Work started on the UK and Ireland EURO 2028 bid in January 2022, building on a feasibility study into a bid for the FIFA World Cup. Discussions about potential venues – including in Northern Ireland – were part of this process from the outset.
Casement Park was confirmed as a proposed stadium in the final joint bid in April 2023, as it is the stadium site in Northern Ireland which could most closely meet UEFA’s technical requirements, including size, capacity, and facilities.
As with all stadia, those included are subject to UEFA’s final venue selection and match-scheduling process.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they take to ascertain whether illegal migrants arriving and being registered in the Republic of Ireland are improperly entering the UK via Northern Ireland; and if so, what estimate they have made of the numbers reaching the UK by this route; and what arrangements, if any, are in place to effect their return.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
There is a high level of cooperation on border security between the UK and Irish Government to ensure we are taking all the necessary measures to protect and secure Common Travel Area (CTA) routes, including between Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The UK carries out intelligence led operations to target potential abuse of CTA routes including between Ireland and Northern Ireland. Anyone identified attempting to circumvent UK border controls is liable to be removed if they are not lawfully present in the UK.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they are giving to launching an independent review into the investigation, expenditure and private prosecution of Mr Jamie Bryson in the light of the ruling by District Judge Amanda Brady to terminate the case.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
As the regulator of the private security industry, the Security Industry Authority (‘the Authority’) can bring private prosecutions for criminal offences contained within the Private Security Industry Act 2001 (‘the Act’). Section 22 of the Act makes it an offence for anyone knowingly or recklessly to make a false statement to the Authority, in connection with the exercise of its functions.
Concerning the prosecution of Mr Jamie Bryson, the invoices received for the proceedings from 2019 to date (encompassing both the prosecution, and also responding to judicial review proceedings) total £106,992.00.
The final costs incurred cannot be updated at this time, as not all legal invoices have yet been received by the SIA for payment. The costs will be incorporated within the SIA’s existing budget. This is funded from licence fees, and not from funding allocated by the Treasury.
As legal proceedings continue, the Government cannot provide further comment, or the additional information sought within question HL1692.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the total cost to the taxpayer of the failed prosecution against Mr Jamie Bryson on charges of making a false statement to the Security Industry Authority in 2018, including Magistrates court proceedings and all Judicial Review proceedings.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
As the regulator of the private security industry, the Security Industry Authority (‘the Authority’) can bring private prosecutions for criminal offences contained within the Private Security Industry Act 2001 (‘the Act’). Section 22 of the Act makes it an offence for anyone knowingly or recklessly to make a false statement to the Authority, in connection with the exercise of its functions.
Concerning the prosecution of Mr Jamie Bryson, the invoices received for the proceedings from 2019 to date (encompassing both the prosecution, and also responding to judicial review proceedings) total £106,992.00.
The final costs incurred cannot be updated at this time, as not all legal invoices have yet been received by the SIA for payment. The costs will be incorporated within the SIA’s existing budget. This is funded from licence fees, and not from funding allocated by the Treasury.
As legal proceedings continue, the Government cannot provide further comment, or the additional information sought within question HL1692.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many migrants arrived improperly in the UK from otherwise safe countries in each of the past five years; and why they keep no electronically accessible records of which countries those migrants previously resided in or were registered in.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes statistics on detected irregular arrivals to the UK in the ‘Irregular migration to the UK’ statistics release, available on gov.uk. Data on irregular arrivals by method of entry is published in table Irr_D01 of the ‘Irregular migration to the UK detailed datasets’, with the latest data up to the end of September 2023.
Information on the country asylum seekers were previously residing in before coming to the UK can be collected in case notes at different stages of the asylum process, so is not collected in a reportable manner.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many Ukrainians have been hosted with families in Northern Ireland since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
Answered by Baroness Penn - Minister on Leave (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State)
As on 16th January 2024, 1,456 Homes for Ukraine guests have arrived in Northern Ireland. The most up to date data on arrivals through the Homes for Ukraine Scheme can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ukraine-sponsorship-scheme-visa-data-by-country-upper-and-lower-tier-local-authority.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether there are any plans for an independent review of the College of Policing.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
An independent review of the College of Policing will take place in 2024/25 as part of the Public Bodies Review programme.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill on the continuing application of the provisions in Article 2 of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland (Rights of individuals).
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Bill will apply in full in Northern Ireland in the same way it does in the rest of the UK. This is also set out on the face of the Bill reflecting that immigration policy is a UK-wide matter.
There is nothing in the Windsor Framework that affects that. The rights chapter of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement does not affect any clause within the Bill in any way.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the case Angesom v the Secretary of State for the Home Department [2023] NIKB 102, what assessment they have made of the finding in paragraphs 86 to 103 concerning the impact of Article 2 of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights on immigration in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Caine - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is aware of the judgement in relation to this case. Article 2 of the Windsor Framework applies in respect of a diminution of a right, safeguard or equality of opportunity provision or protection covered by the relevant chapter of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, as a result of the UK's withdrawal from the EU.
The Charter of Fundamental Rights does not form part of domestic law anywhere in the UK, including Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Baroness Hoey (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill on the operation of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights as given effect by Article 2 of the Protocol and the Windsor Framework.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Government takes its legal obligations seriously, the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill complies with those obligations.
The Bill will apply in full in Northern Ireland in the same way as it does in the rest of the United Kingdom. This is explicit on the face of the Bill and will always be the case, reflecting that immigration policy is a UK-wide matter.