Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what regulatory oversight has been implemented to ensure that Clearsprings Ready Homes does not take financial advantage of asylum seekers housed in the accommodation they manage.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
It would be inappropriate to comment on commercial arrangements with suppliers. All Home Office commercial contracts are designed to ensure the best value for tax payers and the Home Office closely monitors its contractors performance, including financial results. Any profits above the agreed contractual margins comes back to the Home Office.
The safety and wellbeing of asylum seekers in our care is of paramount importance to the Home Office. Accommodation for supported asylum seekers is arranged by private sector providers through contractual arrangements with the Home Office. We expect high standards from all our providers across all of the services they are contractually obligated to provide and performance against delivery is managed robustly. The Statement of Requirements for what is to be delivered and to what standard is available for the Asylum Accommodation Support Contracts is widely available in the public domain. The Statement of Requirements provides specific details on providers obligations to adhere to legislation such as the Human Rights Act 1998, the Equality Act 2010 as well as duties imposed on them by section 55 of the Border, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009, and the children’s duty, to safeguard children from harm and promote their welfare.
The provision of healthcare for asylum-seekers is the statutory responsibility of the Department of Health and Social Care. However, there is funding available for local NHS Systems through Integrated Care Boards to assist with delivering health assessments to asylum seekers in contingency accommodation. Asylum Accommodation Providers signpost the people they accommodate to register with local GP Practices to access healthcare and work closely with local health teams to ensure that signposting is clear and those who want to register are able to do so. All supported asylum-seekers are given an induction briefing when they arrive at initial or dispersal accommodation. Performance against this is captured in Key Performance Indicators and reported on via Monthly and Quarterly reporting. In the event that people are not given appropriate induction briefings and this is reported via the AIRE service, the Home Office will take action. We expect high standards from all of our providers, and we have a robust governance framework in place to manage service delivery of the Asylum Accommodation Support Contracts (AASC). Details of the AASC can be found. Alongside this, asylum seekers have access to a 24/7 AIRE (Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility) service provided for the Home Office by Migrant Help where they can raise any concerns regarding accommodation or support services, and they can get information on how to obtain further support.
Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what regulatory oversight is in place to ensure Clearsprings Ready Homes accommodation complies with its contractual obligations for the health and safety of the asylum seekers they house.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
It would be inappropriate to comment on commercial arrangements with suppliers. All Home Office commercial contracts are designed to ensure the best value for tax payers and the Home Office closely monitors its contractors performance, including financial results. Any profits above the agreed contractual margins comes back to the Home Office.
The safety and wellbeing of asylum seekers in our care is of paramount importance to the Home Office. Accommodation for supported asylum seekers is arranged by private sector providers through contractual arrangements with the Home Office. We expect high standards from all our providers across all of the services they are contractually obligated to provide and performance against delivery is managed robustly. The Statement of Requirements for what is to be delivered and to what standard is available for the Asylum Accommodation Support Contracts is widely available in the public domain. The Statement of Requirements provides specific details on providers obligations to adhere to legislation such as the Human Rights Act 1998, the Equality Act 2010 as well as duties imposed on them by section 55 of the Border, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009, and the children’s duty, to safeguard children from harm and promote their welfare.
The provision of healthcare for asylum-seekers is the statutory responsibility of the Department of Health and Social Care. However, there is funding available for local NHS Systems through Integrated Care Boards to assist with delivering health assessments to asylum seekers in contingency accommodation. Asylum Accommodation Providers signpost the people they accommodate to register with local GP Practices to access healthcare and work closely with local health teams to ensure that signposting is clear and those who want to register are able to do so. All supported asylum-seekers are given an induction briefing when they arrive at initial or dispersal accommodation. Performance against this is captured in Key Performance Indicators and reported on via Monthly and Quarterly reporting. In the event that people are not given appropriate induction briefings and this is reported via the AIRE service, the Home Office will take action. We expect high standards from all of our providers, and we have a robust governance framework in place to manage service delivery of the Asylum Accommodation Support Contracts (AASC). Details of the AASC can be found. Alongside this, asylum seekers have access to a 24/7 AIRE (Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility) service provided for the Home Office by Migrant Help where they can raise any concerns regarding accommodation or support services, and they can get information on how to obtain further support.
Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of Clearsprings Ready Homes' provision of basic humanitarian services to the asylum seekers housed in properties they manage.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
It would be inappropriate to comment on commercial arrangements with suppliers. All Home Office commercial contracts are designed to ensure the best value for tax payers and the Home Office closely monitors its contractors performance, including financial results. Any profits above the agreed contractual margins comes back to the Home Office.
The safety and wellbeing of asylum seekers in our care is of paramount importance to the Home Office. Accommodation for supported asylum seekers is arranged by private sector providers through contractual arrangements with the Home Office. We expect high standards from all our providers across all of the services they are contractually obligated to provide and performance against delivery is managed robustly. The Statement of Requirements for what is to be delivered and to what standard is available for the Asylum Accommodation Support Contracts is widely available in the public domain. The Statement of Requirements provides specific details on providers obligations to adhere to legislation such as the Human Rights Act 1998, the Equality Act 2010 as well as duties imposed on them by section 55 of the Border, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009, and the children’s duty, to safeguard children from harm and promote their welfare.
The provision of healthcare for asylum-seekers is the statutory responsibility of the Department of Health and Social Care. However, there is funding available for local NHS Systems through Integrated Care Boards to assist with delivering health assessments to asylum seekers in contingency accommodation. Asylum Accommodation Providers signpost the people they accommodate to register with local GP Practices to access healthcare and work closely with local health teams to ensure that signposting is clear and those who want to register are able to do so. All supported asylum-seekers are given an induction briefing when they arrive at initial or dispersal accommodation. Performance against this is captured in Key Performance Indicators and reported on via Monthly and Quarterly reporting. In the event that people are not given appropriate induction briefings and this is reported via the AIRE service, the Home Office will take action. We expect high standards from all of our providers, and we have a robust governance framework in place to manage service delivery of the Asylum Accommodation Support Contracts (AASC). Details of the AASC can be found. Alongside this, asylum seekers have access to a 24/7 AIRE (Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility) service provided for the Home Office by Migrant Help where they can raise any concerns regarding accommodation or support services, and they can get information on how to obtain further support.
Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park on 6 December 2021 (HL4318), when they plan to conduct consultations on measures to control air pollution from (1) small combustion plants, and (2) non-road mobile machinery.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
(1) As set out in the Clean Air Strategy, we are considering closing the regulatory gap between the current Ecodesign and Medium Combustion Plant regulations to tackle emissions from plants in the 500kW to 1MW thermal input range. Alongside this we are considering the case for tighter emissions standards for medium combustion plants and generators. We are continuing to assess the evidence and develop policy options in these areas. A consultation will be conducted in due course.
(2) Defra recently completed a research project to improve the evidence base on emissions from non-road mobile machinery. We are addressing some remaining evidence gaps. We are considering policy options and will consult with stakeholders and the public as appropriate in due course.
Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what consultations, if any, they plan to hold on measures to control air pollution from (1) small combustion plants, and (2) non-road mobile machinery.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
(1) In the Clean Air Strategy, published in 2019, we committed to review the regulatory gap between the current Ecodesign and medium combustion plant regulations to tackle emissions from plants in the 500kW to 1MW thermal input range. We are considering the case for tighter emissions standards for medium combustion plants and generators. We are reviewing the evidence and considering policy options for these sources of emissions. A consultation will be conducted in due course.
(2) Defra recently completed a research project aimed to improve the evidence base on emissions from non-road mobile machinery. We are addressing some remaining evidence gaps. Depending on the policy options being considered, we will consult with stakeholders and the public as appropriate.
Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how the Office of Product Safety and Standards intends to address the sale on online marketplaces of unsafe electrical goods.
Answered by Lord Callanan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is committed to ensuring that only safe products can be sold in the UK. Both Local Authority Trading Standards and my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State, through the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), have powers to take action against manufacturers, importers or distributors who sell unsafe electrical goods, including the power to require third-party sellers to recall unsafe products. Trading Standards also have the power to take action against online selling platforms within the UK jurisdiction where they engage in unfair trading practices.
OPSS proactively engages with major online marketplaces to ensure that they are playing their part in protecting UK consumers from unsafe goods.
OPSS is currently conducting a review of the Product Safety framework to ensure it is fit for purpose, protects consumers, and enables businesses to innovate and grow. It will also consider the impact on product safety of new technologies and new business models, including e-commerce.
Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect the consultation on electrical safety in the social rented sector to commence.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
In the Charter for Social Housing Residents – Social Housing White Paper published on 17 November 2020, we commit to consult on measures to ensure that social housing residents are protected from harm caused by poor electrical safety. Subsequently, we committed to form an official-led stakeholder working group to inform the content of the consultation.
Work is underway to set up the working group. Working group meetings will take place prior to publishing the consultation. We will announce further details including timings in due course.
Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect the Working Group on Electrical Safety in the social rented sector to commence.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
In the Charter for Social Housing Residents – Social Housing White Paper published on 17 November 2020, we commit to consult on measures to ensure that social housing residents are protected from harm caused by poor electrical safety. Subsequently, we committed to form an official-led stakeholder working group to inform the content of the consultation.
Work is underway to set up the working group. Working group meetings will take place prior to publishing the consultation. We will announce further details including timings in due course.
Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made towards preparing the Building Safety Bill for introduction into Parliament.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Building Safety Bill was published in draft on 20 July 2020 and has recently undergone pre-legislative scrutiny by the HCLG Select Committee. We are currently considering the Committee’s report and recommendations and will introduce the Bill in due course. We recognise that these are important public safety measures; that is why the Government is committed to progressing the Bill as quickly as possible, so that reforms can be implemented in a timely manner and residents can feel safe, and be safe, in their homes.
Asked by: Lord Tope (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to bring forward legislation on online safety.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
In December we published the Full Government Response to the Online Harms White Paper consultation.
The Online Safety Bill, which will give effect to the regulatory framework outlined in the full government response, will be ready this year.