Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether any review has been undertaken of historic Border Force and airport records at Stansted Airport to establish whether all required passenger information was properly submitted and retained for private aircraft linked to Jeffrey Epstein.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
People responsible for unscheduled international flights to and from the UK are, and have long been, required to provide passenger information for customs and immigration purposes. However, in line with the Home Office’s Borders, Immigration and Citizenship Privacy Information Notice, this information is not retained more than 10 years. Information which is retained is available to the police for the investigation of criminal offences.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether public funds are used for security at private residences or non-official activities of members of the Royal Family, and, if so, what is the justification for using them for this purpose.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, including expenditure, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to publishing annually, alongside the Sovereign Grant accounts, the total public expenditure on security for the Royal Family.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, including expenditure, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to providing additional resources or support from UK criminal law enforcement agencies to assist Police Scotland with the ongoing investigation into neurosurgeon Muftah Salem Eljamel, given the concerns regarding the duration of the investigation.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
That it is a matter for Police Scotland. No request for assistance has been made.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by HonestReporting Help Combat Hamas Terrorism, published on 2 February; and what assessment they have made of the warning within the report by Lloyd's of London against its members doing business with Hamas.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
The UK has a robust legislative framework which criminalises the financing of terrorism in all its forms. The Government regularly meets with the banking sector, regulators and non-profit organisations to identify, assess and understand the risk of terrorist financing and collaborate to respond to the risks that are identified, including producing appropriate guidance and best practice on risk mitigation measures.
The Home Secretary extended the proscription of Hamas to cover the organisation in its entirety in November 2021. The extension makes all of Hamas’ assets ‘terrorist property’, it also makes it illegal for people to be members or supporters of Hamas, with a maximum sentence of up to 14 years in prison and/or an unlimited fine. Hamas is also subject to an asset freeze under the Counter-Terrorism (International Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.
The investigation and prosecution of offences is a matter for the police and Crown Prosecution Service. It would be inappropriate for the Government to comment further on such matters
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how EEA nationals with settled or pre-settled status will be covered by the Right to Rent scheme checks after 30 June; and what the position will be for EEA nationals who are (1) tenants, or (2) prospective tenants, but fail to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme by 30 June.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
EEA citizens with settled or pre-settled status granted through the EU Settlement Scheme will evidence their right to rent digitally using the Home Office online service on GOV.UK, ‘prove your right to rent in England’.
https://www.gov.uk/prove-right-to-rent
Where the landlord has carried out checks, in the prescribed manner, on or before 30 June, there is no requirement to carry out retrospective checks or evict a tenant, as they have a continuous statutory excuse against liability for a civil penalty.
Where an EEA citizen has reasonable grounds for missing the EUSS application deadline, they will be given an opportunity to make a late application. Any EEA citizen encountered by Immigration Enforcement after 30 June 2021, who may be eligible to apply to the EUSS, will be issued with a notice which provides a further 28 days for the individual to submit their application.
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what reasons have been identified for unsuccessful applications for the EU Settlement Scheme from people over 65 living in Scotland; under what circumstances late applications will be permitted; what exceptional circumstances will be permitted; and how mitigation for (1) illness, and (2) disability, will be taken into account.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The latest published information to the end of December 2020 shows 3,670 people over the age of 65, resident in Scotland, were granted settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) and a further 1,080 were granted pre-settled status, representing 98.5% of applications concluded for over 65s resident in Scotland. 20 applications were refused on eligibility or suitability grounds, 40 were withdrawn or void and less than 10 were invalid.
The latest figures can be found in table EUSS_04 on the Home Office’s ‘EU Settlement Scheme statistics’ web page available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/eu-settlement-scheme-quarterly-statistics-december-2020
The published figures for the EUSS refer specifically to applications made to the scheme and cannot be directly compared with Office for National Statistics estimates of the resident population of EU/EEA nationals in the UK. The published EUSS figures include non-EEA national family members, Irish nationals and eligible EEA citizens not resident in the UK, none of whom are usually included in ONS estimates of the resident EU/EEA national population.
Furthermore, the population estimates do not take account of people’s migration intentions and will include people who have come to the UK for a range of purposes, including some who have no intention to settle in the UK.
On 1 April 2021, the Home Office published non-exhaustive guidance on what constitutes reasonable grounds for missing the 30 June 2021 deadline for applications to the EUSS by those EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, and their family members, resident in the UK by the end of the transition period. This will underpin a flexible and pragmatic approach to considering late applications under the scheme, including in light of illness and disability issues.
The guidance can be found in ‘Making an application: deadline’ in ‘EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members’ at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-settlement-scheme-caseworker-guidance
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many non-Irish EU citizens over the age of 65 living in Scotland they estimate have not applied for the EU Settlement Scheme.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The latest published information to the end of December 2020 shows 3,670 people over the age of 65, resident in Scotland, were granted settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) and a further 1,080 were granted pre-settled status, representing 98.5% of applications concluded for over 65s resident in Scotland. 20 applications were refused on eligibility or suitability grounds, 40 were withdrawn or void and less than 10 were invalid.
The latest figures can be found in table EUSS_04 on the Home Office’s ‘EU Settlement Scheme statistics’ web page available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/eu-settlement-scheme-quarterly-statistics-december-2020
The published figures for the EUSS refer specifically to applications made to the scheme and cannot be directly compared with Office for National Statistics estimates of the resident population of EU/EEA nationals in the UK. The published EUSS figures include non-EEA national family members, Irish nationals and eligible EEA citizens not resident in the UK, none of whom are usually included in ONS estimates of the resident EU/EEA national population.
Furthermore, the population estimates do not take account of people’s migration intentions and will include people who have come to the UK for a range of purposes, including some who have no intention to settle in the UK.
On 1 April 2021, the Home Office published non-exhaustive guidance on what constitutes reasonable grounds for missing the 30 June 2021 deadline for applications to the EUSS by those EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, and their family members, resident in the UK by the end of the transition period. This will underpin a flexible and pragmatic approach to considering late applications under the scheme, including in light of illness and disability issues.
The guidance can be found in ‘Making an application: deadline’ in ‘EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members’ at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-settlement-scheme-caseworker-guidance
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many applications to the EU Settlement Scheme from people both over the age of 65 and living in Scotland have been successful.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The latest published information to the end of December 2020 shows 3,670 people over the age of 65, resident in Scotland, were granted settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) and a further 1,080 were granted pre-settled status, representing 98.5% of applications concluded for over 65s resident in Scotland. 20 applications were refused on eligibility or suitability grounds, 40 were withdrawn or void and less than 10 were invalid.
The latest figures can be found in table EUSS_04 on the Home Office’s ‘EU Settlement Scheme statistics’ web page available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/eu-settlement-scheme-quarterly-statistics-december-2020
The published figures for the EUSS refer specifically to applications made to the scheme and cannot be directly compared with Office for National Statistics estimates of the resident population of EU/EEA nationals in the UK. The published EUSS figures include non-EEA national family members, Irish nationals and eligible EEA citizens not resident in the UK, none of whom are usually included in ONS estimates of the resident EU/EEA national population.
Furthermore, the population estimates do not take account of people’s migration intentions and will include people who have come to the UK for a range of purposes, including some who have no intention to settle in the UK.
On 1 April 2021, the Home Office published non-exhaustive guidance on what constitutes reasonable grounds for missing the 30 June 2021 deadline for applications to the EUSS by those EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, and their family members, resident in the UK by the end of the transition period. This will underpin a flexible and pragmatic approach to considering late applications under the scheme, including in light of illness and disability issues.
The guidance can be found in ‘Making an application: deadline’ in ‘EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members’ at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-settlement-scheme-caseworker-guidance
Asked by: Lord Foulkes of Cumnock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to introduce legislation to strengthen their ability to deal with (1) espionage, and (2) illegal behaviour, in the UK by (a) the government of Russia, and (b) people associated with that government.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
In the Queen’s Speech we committed to introduce legislation to provide the security services and law enforcement agencies with the tools they need to disrupt hostile activity by foreign states. The Home Office is considering several measures for introduction via new primary legislation to make the UK a harder environment for adversaries to operate in.