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Written Question
Visas: Graduates
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether UK Visa and Immigration is meeting the eight-week service standard for processing graduate visas.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

We are operating within the eight-week service standard for Graduate applications.

Some applications may take longer if we have requested further information, or if their personal circumstances are complex. Further details can be found at Visa processing times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).


Written Question
Home Office: Training
Tuesday 19th March 2024

Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether officials in his Department with responsibility for engaging with hon. Members are given training on the types of visas that are available.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

Officials responsible for engaging with Hon. Members are required to complete an initial 12-week training programme, which includes training on the visa routes available.

Following the initial training programme, officials are subject to assurance checks on all their work until they are assessed to meet the required quality standard.

Ongoing development ensures that officials keep their understanding of immigration routes up to date.


Written Question
Asylum: Housing
Wednesday 6th March 2024

Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason his Department has reduced the amount of support given to people living in asylum accommodation which provides all their meals to £8.86 per week.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

The level of the allowance given to those supported under section 95 and section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 is reviewed each year to ensure it covers an asylum seeker’s essential living needs.

In setting the rates, we have utilised an alternative methodology to determine the costs of essential needs, which uses a ‘disaggregated CPI’ (Consumer Prices Index). The methodology has been designed to offer a more accurate measure of changes in the price of items to cover essential living needs. As previous rate increases have been made using CPI rates, this has led to an overestimate of the cost of essential needs for an individual in catered accommodation, therefore, using the methodology set out above, the catered rates have been slightly reduced.

Individuals accommodated in hotels and other catered sites are also provided 3 meals a day, snacks, water, toiletries, and some other services, in addition to their weekly allowance. Additional support is also available to pregnant women, young children, and individuals who provide evidence of exceptional needs.


Written Question
Burglary
Tuesday 27th February 2024

Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has made an estimate of changes in the level of home burglaries using blowtorches to gain access to properties.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Crime Survey for England and Wales data shows a 56% fall in domestic burglaries when comparing the year ending September 2023 with year ending March 2010. This is clearly good news; however, we recognise the impact domestic burglary can have on individuals and communities and we are committed to tackling and preventing this crime.

The public rightly expects that the police will visit them when a home burglary has been committed, which is why we welcome the announcement made by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) on 8 June that all 43 police forces in England and Wales have been implementing this attendance policy since March 2023. We are working with police leaders to ensure forces are making their attendance data available to the public. https://news.npcc.police.uk/releases/police-now-attending-scene-of-every-home-burglary.

The police attendance commitment, along with the commitment to pursue all reasonable lines of enquiry, is supported by College of Policing guidance on conducting residential burglary investigations: https://www.college.police.uk/guidance/residential-burglary. This sets out the importance of the police accurately identifying the point and method of entry to a victim’s property. Forces will share this information with Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (PCPI), which works with manufacturers, the construction industry and standards authorities to ensure security standards keep pace with emerging crime trends. https://www.policecpi.com/about-us.

We are putting in place record funding for the police in England and Wales with up to £18.4bn in 2024/25, and funding for Police and Crime Commissioners is increasing by up to £922 million in 2024/25.

The Home Office has not made a specific assessment of the use of blowtorches to gain access to properties.


Written Question
Burglary
Tuesday 27th February 2024

Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional resources to Police and Crime Commissioners to help tackle (a) the use of blowtorches in and (b) other methods of home burglaries.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Crime Survey for England and Wales data shows a 56% fall in domestic burglaries when comparing the year ending September 2023 with year ending March 2010. This is clearly good news; however, we recognise the impact domestic burglary can have on individuals and communities and we are committed to tackling and preventing this crime.

The public rightly expects that the police will visit them when a home burglary has been committed, which is why we welcome the announcement made by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) on 8 June that all 43 police forces in England and Wales have been implementing this attendance policy since March 2023. We are working with police leaders to ensure forces are making their attendance data available to the public. https://news.npcc.police.uk/releases/police-now-attending-scene-of-every-home-burglary.

The police attendance commitment, along with the commitment to pursue all reasonable lines of enquiry, is supported by College of Policing guidance on conducting residential burglary investigations: https://www.college.police.uk/guidance/residential-burglary. This sets out the importance of the police accurately identifying the point and method of entry to a victim’s property. Forces will share this information with Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (PCPI), which works with manufacturers, the construction industry and standards authorities to ensure security standards keep pace with emerging crime trends. https://www.policecpi.com/about-us.

We are putting in place record funding for the police in England and Wales with up to £18.4bn in 2024/25, and funding for Police and Crime Commissioners is increasing by up to £922 million in 2024/25.

The Home Office has not made a specific assessment of the use of blowtorches to gain access to properties.


Written Question
Tools: Theft
Monday 26th February 2024

Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to help local police forces tackle thefts from tradesmen's vans.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The latest Crime Survey for England and Wales data shows neighbourhood crime is down 48% when comparing the year ending September 2023 with the year ending March 2010.

The Home Office is working with the police-led National Business Crime Centre (NBCC) and the Combined Industries Theft Solutions (CITS) to explore ways to prevent the theft of tools from tradespeople’s vans. The NBCC and Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (Secured By Design) have also published crime prevention guidance to help tradespeople prevent theft: Crime Prevention Guides (nbcc.police.uk) and Secured by Design - Vans & Tool Theft.

Following engagement with the Home Office and National Vehicle Crime Working Group, to help reduce the rate of theft of tools from tradespeople’s vans, Thatcham Research has agreed to add to their New Vehicle Security Assessment (NVSA), locks and alarms on the back of vans (previously NVSA only covers the cab area of vans) and a motion sensor on the load area of the van.

In addition, through the National Vehicle Crime Working Group, a network of vehicle crime specialists has been established involving every police force in England and Wales, to ensure forces can share information about emerging trends in vehicle crime and better tackle regional issues.


Written Question
Asylum: Rwanda
Wednesday 24th January 2024

Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will hold discussions with the Leader of the House on making time for a (a) debate and (b) vote on the Government’s treaty with Rwanda before 31 January 2024.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

The Government places great importance in providing opportunity for parliamentary scrutiny. We have sought to provide this opportunity during various parliamentary activity, but most notably as part of the passage of the Bill which is intrinsically linked and gives legal effect to the treaty. Most recently, we have had the two days of Commons Committee stage (Tuesday 16 and Wednesday 17 January) on the floor of House, allowing members to scrutinise this policy. We look forward to debating all aspects of the Bill as it is scrutinised by both Houses.


Written Question
Asylum: Disability
Thursday 11th January 2024

Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to support disabled asylum seekers in asylum accommodation.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

Asylum seekers have access to health and social care services from the point of arrival in the UK. The Home Office and its contractors work closely with the NHS, local authorities and non-governmental organisations to ensure that people can access the healthcare and support they need. All accommodation providers have a contractual duty to assist people in accessing the health care they need. The Home Office also operates a Safeguarding Hub to support vulnerable individuals in accessing these services. In addition, the Home Office contracts Migrant Help to provide advice and guidance to asylum seekers should they have an issue with their accommodation or support, and for signposting to health and welfare services. Asylum seekers can access Migrant Help 24/7, every day of the year by a freephone telephone number, via an online chat or completing an email enquiry form both of which can be accessed free of charge on the Migrant Help website. Interpreting and translation services are available through Migrant Help when the need arises for asylum seekers to raise any queries or concerns.

Where an individual is on asylum support and has a care need, a referral will be made to the local authority for an assessment of care needs under the Care Act 2014. Our guidance sets out the approach to be taken by the Home Office to the duties and obligations owed to asylum seekers who have disabilities, care needs or both. In doing so it sets out how the framework of the Care Act 2014 should be interpreted by the Home Office and its external partners in the context of asylum support. The guidance can be found here: Asylum-Seekers-With-Care-Needs-v2.0ext.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk).


Written Question
Religious Practice: Abuse
Tuesday 5th December 2023

Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to reduce crimes of (a) spiritual and (b) ritualistic abuse.

Answered by Laura Farris - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Ministry of Justice) (jointly with Home Office)

Spiritual and ritualistic abuse abhorrent thought it is, is not ‘honour’-based abuse or VAWG. Therefore, we do not hold the information to respond to this PQ.

The Department for Education have previously worked on the child abuse linked to faith or belief action plan which was published on GOV.UK at Child abuse linked to faith or belief: national action plan - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).


Written Question
Religious Practice: Abuse
Tuesday 5th December 2023

Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing safeguarding for people at risk of (a) spiritual and (b) ritualistic abuse.

Answered by Laura Farris - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Ministry of Justice) (jointly with Home Office)

Spiritual and ritualistic abuse abhorrent thought it is, is not ‘honour’-based abuse or VAWG. Therefore, we do not hold the information to respond to this PQ.

The Department for Education have previously worked on the child abuse linked to faith or belief action plan which was published on GOV.UK at Child abuse linked to faith or belief: national action plan - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).