Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure the adequacy of accommodation for asylum seekers.
Answered by Kevin Foster
We expect the highest standards from our providers, who are expected to conduct regular checks across the accommodation estate. The Home Office have access to providers’ systems to monitor compliance.
The Asylum Accommodation and Support Services contracts (AASC) have a robust performance management system, against which providers are expected to deliver.
This is supplemented by a formal governance process which includes quarterly Strategic Review Management Boards and monthly Contract Management Groups. Service credits and subsequent improvement plans are discussed and monitored as part of this process. Service Delivery Managers speak daily with providers about service delivery and performance.
In response to the global pandemic, officials also have formal meetings on a weekly basis to ensure individuals are housed safely, services are delivered in line with their contractual obligations and adherence to guidance from Public Health England (PHE) is followed.
Asylum seekers can also raise specific issues or concerns about their accommodation through the 24/7 Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility (AIRE) service operated by Migrant Help. The Home Office and our providers receive feedback on complaints raised through our regular dialogue with Migrant Help, which enables attention to be focussed on particular areas of concern.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on ensuring that the use of private planes during the covid-19 pandemic has not been in breach of international travel restrictions.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
We keep all of our measures, including arrivals to the UK by any mode, under constant review and we are ready to strengthen our border policy where appropriate to protect public health.
All persons arriving in the UK (with a few exemptions for certain occupations), wherever they are coming from, are required to show proof of a negative Covid test taken in the last 72 hours, complete a Passenger Locator Form, and to isolate for 10 days on arrival. This applies to those travelling to the UK on private flights (General Aviation) as well as scheduled flights, ferries and trains.
On 24 December 2020, we introduced travel bans on all arrivals from South Africa, later extending the ban to what is currently 35 countries, sometimes called “red-list” countries. No direct flights are allowed from these countries including via General Aviation. Furthermore, we look to refuse entry to non-UK residents who have been in one of these countries in the last 10 days.
Passengers who have been in or through any of the “red-list” countries and cannot be refused entry must quarantine in a managed quarantine hotel further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/transport-measures-to-protect-the-uk-from-variant-strains-of-covid-19
More information regarding travelling to the UK can be found at https://www.gov.uk/uk-border-control/before-you-leave-for-the-uk
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Home Office:
What resources she is making available to police forces nationally to help tackle violent crime.
Answered by Priti Patel
The Government is proposing a total police funding settlement of up to £15.8 billion in 2021/22, which is an increase of up to £636 million compared to 2020/21.
Additionally, over two years, in the 18 areas worst affected by serious violence, we have invested over £100m to surge police capacity and £70m into multi-agency Violence Reduction Units.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that urgent requests to expedite outstanding applications to remain in the UK are considered in a timely manner during the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Home Office has put in place a range of measures to support those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
When urgent requests to expedite applications are received, UKVI will make an assessment of the circumstances of each. If there are compelling or compassionate reasons behind the request, they will work with Commercial Partners to expedite and bring ahead of the caseworking queue.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the HMICFRS report entitled Roads Policing: Not optional - An inspection of roads policing in England and Wales, published in July 2020, whether she has concluded her review of strategic policing requirements; and what plans she has to include roads policing in the strategic policing requirements.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The department commenced a review of the Strategic Policing Requirement (SPR) in October 2020. The review is approximately three months in duration and is due to conclude in the new year, ahead of PCC elections in May. The review is ongoing and we continue to work with policing partners, seeking views on and shaping the content of a revised SPR. There is a high threshold for inclusion of new national threats in the SPR and as part of the review process we are assessing whether and how roads policing might feature.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of vehicles used by police forces in England are (a) electric and (b) other alternatively fuelled vehicles.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Home Office does not hold this information.
Each Police Force has responsibility for how they manage and deploy their operational fleet.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will allocate long-term funding to Violence Reduction Units to enable them to (a) plan strategically for the future and (b) maximise their effectiveness.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
We have invested £70m over two years into the 18 areas worse affected by serious violence in England and Wales to support them in developing a Violence Reduction Unit (VRU).
VRUs are required to work across agencies to identify the root causes of violence and develop a strategy to prevent and reduce violence. We expect them to build on this platform over time and we hope to see VRUs operating beyond the end of 2021. That is why future funding for VRUs will be a key element of our spending review bid.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to enable law enforcement to respond to the damage done to rural areas by disposable barbecues.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
Current byelaw legislation allows for local authorities to restrict and enforce the use of disposable barbecues in parks and public spaces.
Defra is working with stakeholders to promote a series of guidance videos to educate users about accessing the countryside safely. This includes an updated Countryside Code which advises not to have barbecues or fires. This guidance is available at the following links:
Green space access: www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-on-accessing-green-spaces-safely
The Countryside Code: www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-countryside-code/the-countryside-code
The Home Office Fire Kills campaign works closely with the National Fire Chiefs Council to support fire and rescue services to promote fire safety messaging about outdoor and barbecue safety.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the report by the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety entitled Roads policing and its contribution to road safety, published on 4 June 2020, if she will make roads policing a strategic policing requirement.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
There is a high threshold for inclusion of national threats in the Strategic Policing Requirement (SPR) which is subject to periodic review. Before the Secretary of State can make any changes, legislation requires her to seek advice from key policing stakeholders. The department remains committed to reviewing the SPR this year and subject to sufficient recovery from the COVID-19 response and consequent capacity in policing, the review of the SPR is scheduled to commence in the Autumn.
Asked by: Barry Sheerman (Labour (Co-op) - Huddersfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to publish its most recent evaluation of the Independent Child Trafficking Guardian (ITCG) service; and by what date the Government plans to have rolled out ICTG to all local authorities.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Last year, the Government successfully rolled out Independent Child Trafficking Guardians (ICTGs) to one third of local authorities in England and Wales.
The next ICTG evaluation, which will have a particular focus on the role and impact of the Regional Practice Co-ordinator, is due to be published later in the year.
The continued national roll-out of ICTGs will be progressed as part of the recently established NRM Transformation Programme, which is designed to make sure we have a system that effectively identifies and delivers needs-based support for child and adult victims of modern slavery, is legally robust, sustainable and resilient to misuse. We will continue to review how the needs of individual children are best met at local level through the programme.