Asked by: Baroness Humphreys (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many charities they fund to run polio vaccination programmes.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is a strong supporter of the global effort to eradicate polio and is proud to be a longstanding supporter of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). Since 1995 we have contributed £1.4 billion in funding. Our funding to GPEI has helped to reduce case numbers by over 99% and limit the number of countries where the wild polio virus remains endemic to just two - Pakistan and Afghanistan. To date, thanks to GPEI's efforts, more than 20 million people are walking who may otherwise have been paralysed due to polio. The UK also continues to support routine immunisation against polio through Gavi, the vaccines alliance. The UK is one of the largest donors to Gavi committing £1.65 billion over the 5-year 2021-2025 period.
Asked by: Baroness Humphreys (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which countries and multilateral organisations have received UK aid for vaccination programmes at any time in the previous two years; and what the total funding allocated to these vaccination programmes was in the financial years (1) 2023–24, and (2) 2024–25.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is one of the largest donors to Gavi and has committed £1.65 billion to the current "5.0" strategic period covering 2021-2025, supporting Gavi to immunise 300 million children and save up to 8 million lives from vaccine preventable diseases. Of this amount, £300 million is through proceeds from UK investment in Gavi's unique financing instrument, IFFIm. In the last two years, Gavi has supported vaccinations in 54 Gavi eligible countries. In addition to IFFIm proceeds, the UK has made direct investments in Gavi in the financial years (1) 2023-24 of £327 million, and (2) 2024-25 of £463 million. The UK is also a strong supporter of the global effort to eradicate polio and is proud to be a longstanding supporter of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). GPEI works in the 48 countries with endemic and outbreak polio. The UK invested in 2023-24 £15 million, and (2) 2024-25 £15 million.
Asked by: Baroness Humphreys (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reimburse the Welsh government and local authorities for the costs associated with temporarily housing asylum seekers.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
The Home Office has a statutory obligation to provide accommodation and other support to asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute while their application for asylum is being considered.
The Home Office accommodates and provides support to supported asylum seekers in contingency accommodation whilst we consider their asylum claim and we do not provide funding to either the Welsh government or local authorities with regard to this cohort of asylum seekers. Our accommodation providers have a robust delivery model in place to ensure hotel accommodation is managed well to minimise impact on the local community.
The Full Dispersal model, announced on 13 April 2022 is supported by £21million of un-ringfenced grant funding to make sure eligible local authorities can provide wraparound support locally. Local authorities will also receive £3,500 for each new dispersal accommodation bed space in the 22/23 financial year.
Asked by: Baroness Humphreys (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many asylum seekers in Dolgarrog have been diagnosed with diphtheria.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
The welfare and safety of all vulnerable asylum seekers in our care is of the utmost importance to the Home Office.
We work closely with the UK Health Security Agency to ensure we adhere to the current guidance on mitigating the risk of spread of diseases and other health conditions. Our accommodation providers are experienced in managing accommodation and implement infection prevention and control measures in line with current Government guidance. Asylum seekers accommodated in hostel-based accommodation receive translated guidance in relation to potential symptoms and hygiene requirements, assistance and guidance are provided by support staff.
It is confirmed that the site had six scabies cases, all cases have been treated, which was completed on 26/11/2022.
Regarding diphtheria, there are no cases for now, as per NHS Doctor's advice. All guests have been vaccinated with the 1st dose on 05/12/2022.
Asked by: Baroness Humphreys (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many asylum seekers in Dolgarrog have been diagnosed with scabies.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
The welfare and safety of all vulnerable asylum seekers in our care is of the utmost importance to the Home Office.
We work closely with the UK Health Security Agency to ensure we adhere to the current guidance on mitigating the risk of spread of diseases and other health conditions. Our accommodation providers are experienced in managing accommodation and implement infection prevention and control measures in line with current Government guidance. Asylum seekers accommodated in hostel-based accommodation receive translated guidance in relation to potential symptoms and hygiene requirements, assistance and guidance are provided by support staff.
It is confirmed that the site had six scabies cases, all cases have been treated, which was completed on 26/11/2022.
Regarding diphtheria, there are no cases for now, as per NHS Doctor's advice. All guests have been vaccinated with the 1st dose on 05/12/2022.
Asked by: Baroness Humphreys (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to provide access to medical professions for those infected by infections disease after staying in the Manston processing centre.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
No diseases are known to have originated from Manston. To date, there is no evidence of community transmission of either Diphtheria or Scabies at Manston. Individuals receive an initial high level medical screening on arrival at Western Jet Foil – as of 10 December, this has now been supplemented by a doctor being onsite at Western Jetfoil between 0800 and 2000 each day, mirroring the Emergency Department Consultant cover at Manston.
Manston Asylum Processing Centre is equipped with all necessary medical facilities. If individuals display infectious disease symptoms after arrival at Manston then these people are examined by medical personnel. A tiny fraction of arrivals so examined have been found to be suffering communicable and/or notifiable diseases. If this happens then individuals are immediately isolated and treated with antibiotics, being accommodated in an appropriate isolation facility until medically fit. Only once individuals are deemed medically fit can they be transferred from isolation to contingency dispersal accommodation.
Asked by: Baroness Humphreys (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether any other infectious diseases, other than scabies and diphtheria, have been identified as originating from the Manston processing centre.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
No diseases are known to have originated from Manston. To date, there is no evidence of community transmission of either Diphtheria or Scabies at Manston. Individuals receive an initial high level medical screening on arrival at Western Jet Foil – as of 10 December, this has now been supplemented by a doctor being onsite at Western Jetfoil between 0800 and 2000 each day, mirroring the Emergency Department Consultant cover at Manston.
Manston Asylum Processing Centre is equipped with all necessary medical facilities. If individuals display infectious disease symptoms after arrival at Manston then these people are examined by medical personnel. A tiny fraction of arrivals so examined have been found to be suffering communicable and/or notifiable diseases. If this happens then individuals are immediately isolated and treated with antibiotics, being accommodated in an appropriate isolation facility until medically fit. Only once individuals are deemed medically fit can they be transferred from isolation to contingency dispersal accommodation.
Asked by: Baroness Humphreys (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many asylum seekers have been transferred from Manston processing centre to the Hilton Garden Hotel in Dolgarrog in the Conwy Valley, North Wales since January.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
Due to the continuing unprecedented high volume of small boats arrivals and the historical pressure from COVID-19 on the asylum system it has been necessary to use hotels to accommodate some asylum seekers. This is only a temporary solution, and we are working with our accommodation providers to find appropriate dispersed accommodation across the United Kingdom.
For safeguarding purposes, we do not publicly comment on individual hotels which may or may not be utilised, or those that may be accommodated at any sites.
Asked by: Baroness Humphreys (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to provide an inoculation programme against infectious diseases for those staying in migrant processing centres; and whether any such programmes have been carried out in the past year.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth - Shadow Minister (Home Office)
The Home Office commenced a Diphtheria vaccination programme at Manston Asylum Processing Centre on 15 November.
Asked by: Baroness Humphreys (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the current arrangements for UK citizens awaiting repatriation from New Zealand.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The second of five UK charter flights from New Zealand landed at London Heathrow on 27 April. We have so far chartered two flights back from New Zealand, one from Auckland on 28 April and one from Christchurch on 30 April, with one further flight from Auckland on 2 May. In response to demand, a second group of flights has now been opened for booking, departing Auckland on 11, 15 May and Christchurch on 13 May, also to London Heathrow via Hong Kong.
We have prioritised the most vulnerable and our NHS workers. We subsequently extended these flights to all British travellers remaining in New Zealand. We have advised those who would like to return to the UK to register with our travel partner Corporate Travel Management (CTM) through their online portal, which can be found in our 'Return to the UK' page of our New Zealand travel advice.