Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the asylum support rate of £37.75 per week during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are currently reviewing the level of the cash allowances, as we do each year, to ensure that they remain capable of meeting the essential living needs of asylum seekers
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of referrals to the National Referral Mechanism were made by telephone in (a) 2018 and (b) 2019.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Designated First Responders can make referrals to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) via the online referral form at https://www.modernslavery.gov.uk/start. This became available to all designated First Responders on 29 August 2019. Prior to this, referrals were made via email.
The Single Competent Authority does not accept NRM referrals made by telephone. The Home Office did not receive NRM referrals by telephone in 2018 or 2019.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether (a) subsistence rates are payable to all victims of trafficking in the national referral mechanism and (b) those subsistence rates are means tested.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Potential victims and victims of modern slavery who are referred to the National Referral Mechanism, who have received a positive Reasonable Grounds decision, and have consented to enter the Victim Care Contract, will receive financial support. These payments are not means tested.
Those who receive a positive Conclusive Grounds decision will have their ongoing needs assessed using a Recovery Needs Assessment (RNA) to ensure that support is tailored to their recovery needs. The RNA considers whether the victim has financial recovery needs arising from their modern slavery experiences, and whether other sources of financial assistance outside of the Victim Care Contract are available and able to meet those needs.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether victims receiving outreach support through the Modern Slavery Victim Care contract will continue to be supported for the next two months during the covid-19 outbreak at the same level as victims in government funded safe accommodation.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The safety and security of those supported through the modern slavery Victim Care Contract (VCC) is a top priority for government.? Contingency planning continues to consider how essential services and support for all victims of modern slavery can continue throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Victim Care Contract operates as a bridge to lift victims of modern slavery out of a situation of exploitation and help to establish longer-term stability and pathway to rebuild their lives. The Recovery Needs Assessment (RNA) informs tailored move on plans to help victims transition out of the VCC and back into the community where appropriate.?The assessment considers the availability of alternative, and often more sustainable, support services and victims only begin a move-on process if it is suitable for them to do so, in line with their recovery needs.
In addition, should someone currently receiving outreach support experience a change in their situation which leaves them destitute and without accommodation, their needs, entitlements and risk factors will be assessed, so that they can be provided with the most appropriate safe and secure accommodation during this time.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to (a) tackle a potential increased risk of online child sexual abuse and (b) protect vulnerable children due to increased home working during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
COVID-19 represents the most serious threat to public health in a generation.
We are working at pace to understand the impact of COVID-19 on child sexual abuse, gathering input from law enforcement, safeguarding leads, charities, international partners and wider colleagues. Based on early reporting from law enforcement partners and expert opinion, our initial assessment suggests the risk of online abuse is likely to increase. We will continue to strengthen this assessment through regular situational updates and measuring the threat over a longer period, to ensure we can deliver the most effective response and that it reflects the risk across the whole system.
In response, we are working across Government and with frontline partners to identify and respond to common challenges impacting vulnerable children across different crime threats, including coordinating messaging and support to frontline services.
Our law enforcement partners continue to address child sexual abuse offending, and are already driving preventative messaging to children, young people and their parents/carers through the NCA’s Thinkuknow network, and charitable partners are sending preventative messaging for offenders. We are also working with these partners to sustain and optimise their response to mitigate the risk.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the risk of an increase in online child sexual abuse during the covid-19 outbreak when people are required to stay at home.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
COVID-19 represents the most serious threat to public health in a generation.
We are working at pace to understand the impact of COVID-19 on child sexual abuse, gathering input from law enforcement, safeguarding leads, charities, international partners and wider colleagues. Based on early reporting from law enforcement partners and expert opinion, our initial assessment suggests the risk of online abuse is likely to increase. We will continue to strengthen this assessment through regular situational updates and measuring the threat over a longer period, to ensure we can deliver the most effective response and that it reflects the risk across the whole system.
In response, we are working across Government and with frontline partners to identify and respond to common challenges impacting vulnerable children across different crime threats, including coordinating messaging and support to frontline services.
Our law enforcement partners continue to address child sexual abuse offending, and are already driving preventative messaging to children, young people and their parents/carers through the NCA’s Thinkuknow network, and charitable partners are sending preventative messaging for offenders. We are also working with these partners to sustain and optimise their response to mitigate the risk.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications from Nottinghamshire the Places of Worship Protective Security Funding Scheme (a) received, (b) shortlisted and (c) allocated funding to in the latest period for which figures are available.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Data on Places of Worship is collated by geographic region.
For the 2019/2020 round of the Places of Worship Protective Security Funding Scheme, 531 application were received, of which 377 met the minimum requirements for consideration. Of those 377, 38 applications were from the East Midlands, and in total 2 were successful from the East Midlands.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations she has received from Nottinghamshire Police on the administration of the Places of Worship Protective Security Funding Scheme; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Home Office has received representations from Nottinghamshire Police, and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on organising meetings for people seeking asylum in the UK with Government officials of their home countries.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
In line with our legal and international obligations, we do not share information on people seeking asylum in the UK with the Government officials of their home country or seek information in a way that could expose them, or any family who remain in that country, to serious risk.
It is Home Office policy to conduct re-documentation interviews with officials from receiving countries where an asylum claim has failed and all rights of appeal have been exhausted. These interviews are necessary to establish nationality and identity, and to enable a travel document to be produced to facilitate return, and are a standard part of the Home Office returns process. We do not disclose that the individual has claimed asylum
Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons officials of UK Visas and Immigration attend Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority inspections of farms under the Seasonal Workers Pilot scheme.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Government is committed to tackling all forms of labour abuse and exploitation.
The responsibility to inspect locations under the Seasonal Workers Pilot scheme lies with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), not the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA).
GLAA officers accompany UKVI on such visits to provide them with information, advice and guidance including in the context of the GLAA licensing scheme and whether there is evidence of exploitative practice.