Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Murray of Blidworth on 10 May (HL Deb, col 1924), whether unaccompanied children seeking asylum who are to be detained under the Illegal Migration Bill are to be placed in "age appropriate accommodation", where these age-appropriate accommodation will be; what services will be provided in them, and by whom, that make them age appropriate; who will be responsible for the children placed there in terms of the duties in section 17 and 20 of the Children Act 1989; and who will have ultimate responsibility for running these accommodation.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The welfare of those who are detained is taken seriously. Where a decision is made to remove an unaccompanied child under 18, detention will be for the shortest possible time. The detention powers within the Bill can only be exercised to detain an unaccompanied child in specific circumstances that will be set out in regulations.
We will build upon our current detention facilities to ensure they provide appropriate, safe and secure accommodation. This includes working closely with the Department of Education and local authorities to ensure there are proper support provisions in detention for unaccompanied children.
The Home Secretary is responsible for all people in detention, including the day-to-day care of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will provide an update on plans for the former Redcar Steelworks site, and (1) what recent assessment they have made of the terms of the original business case used to agree public funding, and (2) whether they have agreed any changes or amendments to that business case.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Further to the PNQ last week, the SSI steelworks in Redcar closed in September 2015, with the loss of more than 3100 jobs. The Government appointed Lord Heseltine to review how the economic fortunes of the area could be turned around, including through the redevelopment of the former SSI site. The Government accepted Lord Heseltine's recommendation in his report Tees Valley: Opportunity Unlimited that it should establish the first mayoral development corporation outside London, the South Tees Development Corporation (STDC).
In 2020, the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) submitted a full business case to Government. The business case was developed and then approved in line with Green Book principles. The funding is governed by a memorandum of understanding between Government and TVCA, including quarterly monitoring reports on spend, risks and delivery.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask His Majesty's Government which department took the decision to partner with South Tees Development Corporation for development of the former Redcar Steelworks site and, in making that decision, which procedures set out in 'The Green Book: Central Government Guidance on Appraisal and Evaluation' were not followed; and why.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Further to the PNQ last week, the SSI steelworks in Redcar closed in September 2015, with the loss of more than 3100 jobs. The Government appointed Lord Heseltine to review how the economic fortunes of the area could be turned around, including through the redevelopment of the former SSI site. The Government accepted Lord Heseltine's recommendation in his report Tees Valley: Opportunity Unlimited that it should establish the first mayoral development corporation outside London, the South Tees Development Corporation (STDC).
In 2020, the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) submitted a full business case to Government. The business case was developed and then approved in line with Green Book principles. The funding is governed by a memorandum of understanding between Government and TVCA, including quarterly monitoring reports on spend, risks and delivery.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Murray of Blidworth on 10 May (HL Deb, col 1924), what evidence they have collected since 2014 that leads them to conclude that excluding children from immigration detention would "incentivise the people smugglers" to target children to smuggle to the UK.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The purpose of the Illegal Migration Bill is to prevent and deter all unlawful migration, and in particular migration by unsafe and illegal routes. Those who arrive illegally will be liable to detention and will be swiftly removed to their home country or to a safe third country.
The organised people smuggling criminal gangs can be expected to exploit any exceptions or loopholes in the scheme provided for in the Bill, a point made by a number of noble Lords at Second Reading. An economic impact assessment will be published for the Bill in due course.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the percentage of total asylum claims for unaccompanied children seeking asylum for each of the years 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The Home Office publishes data on the proportion of total asylum applications lodged in the UK that were made by UASCs in each year in the Immigration system statistics quarterly release on gov.uk. These statistics are published in the Asy_01a table of the asylum summary tables which is attached.
Further information on these statistics can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook tab. The latest data relates to the end of December 2022.
Data for January to March 2023, is due to be published 25th May 2023.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which safe third countries they have made an agreement with for the purposes of processing asylum claims for people coming to the UK via irregular routes, as outlined in the Illegal Migration Bill; and how many individuals are logistically possible to be processed in each in each of those countries in (1) 2023, and (2) 2024.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
We have agreed a Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda, whereby those arriving in the UK through dangerous, unnecessary, and illegal methods may be relocated there to have their asylum claim considered. This arrangement is uncapped.
We are unable to comment on discussions or negotiations that may be being held with other countries.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which safe third countries they expect to make deals with in (1) 2023, and (2) 2024, for the purposes of processing asylum claims as outlined in the Illegal Migration Bill for people coming to the UK via irregular routes.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
We have agreed a Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda, whereby those arriving in the UK through dangerous, unnecessary, and illegal methods may be relocated there to have their asylum claim considered. This arrangement is uncapped.
We are unable to comment on discussions or negotiations that may be being held with other countries.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what safe and legal routes exist for a Ugandan LGBT+ individual, who is under threat of imprisonment because of anti-homosexual laws in Uganda, and wishes to come to the UK to claim asylum as they have a family member living in the UK.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
Between December 2015 and 2022, the Government’s family reunion policy has granted more than 44,659 family reunion visas, bringing many families together.
This safe and legal route allows immediate family members, as defined in the Immigration Rules, of those granted protection in the UK to join them here, if they formed part of the family unit before the sponsor fled their country. Where somebody has a link to the UK, they may be eligible for our other family routes and can find more information on how to apply on gov.uk here: Indefinite leave to remain (permission to stay as a refugee, humanitarian protection or Discretionary Leave): Family reunion - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
There is no provision within our Immigration Rules for someone to be allowed to travel to the UK to seek asylum or temporary refuge, in keeping with almost all countries around the world. Whilst we sympathise with people in many difficult situations around the world, we are not bound to consider asylum claims from the very large numbers of people overseas who might like to come here.
Those who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Markham on 27 April (HL7236), whether they assessed the chief executive role for South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw integrated care board as exceptional for a higher salary; and what differences existed in South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw which justified a different salary to the chief executive for West Yorkshire which has similar issues of complexity.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Pay levels for integrated care board (ICB) CEOs were subject to NHS England approval following applications made by each integrated care system or ICB, according to a pay framework agreed between NHS England and the Department. The pay framework determined the pay ranges available for roles, including the CEOs of West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw. Any salaries proposed above the midpoint of the agreed respective pay ranges had to obtain additional Ministerial approval.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, under the provisions of the Illegal Migration Bill, how many unaccompanied children seeking asylum they are planning to remove from the UK on their 18th birthday at the end of (1) 2024, (2) 2025, (3) 2026, and (4) 2027.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
As set out in clause 1(1), the purpose of the Bill is to prevent and deter unlawful migration, and in particular migration by unsafe and illegal routes, by requiring the Home Secretary to return illegal migrants to their home country or remove them to a safe third country.
An economic impact assessment will be published for the Bill in due course.