Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of epilepsy (a) awareness and (b) first aid training for prison staff.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The HMPPS National Health and Safety Arrangements for First and Emergency Aid (publishing.service.gov.uk) require each prison to complete a first aid needs assessment, taking account of local risk and demand. All sites must have in place suitable numbers of adequately trained staff, equipment, and facilities to meet the need for first aid provision. First Aid training provided to prison staff – such as the course provided by St Johns Ambulance, which includes a wide range of topics, including how to deal with epileptic seizures – meets the standard required to comply with the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations.
Information for all HMPPS staff about epilepsy is provided on the Occupational Health employee information website https://hmpps.workplacewellbeing.com/guidance/epilepsy/. This explains how epilepsy affects safety at work, and how managers can ensure adequate first aid cover by reviewing risk assessments, implementing reasonable adjustments, and making referrals to Occupational Health.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people with epilepsy have died in prison (a) from all causes and (b) as a direct result of their epilepsy in the last ten years.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Every death in custody is a tragedy and we continue to do all we can to improve the safety of prisoners. All deaths in prison custody are subject to a coroner’s inquest.
The HMPPS National Health and Safety Arrangements for First and Emergency Aid (publishing.service.gov.uk) require each prison to complete a first aid needs assessment, taking account of local risk and demand. All sites must have in place suitable numbers of adequately trained staff, equipment, and facilities to meet the need for first aid provision. First Aid training provided to prison staff – such as the course provided by St Johns Ambulance, which includes a wide range of topics, including how to deal with epileptic seizures – meets the standard required to comply with the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will have discussions with business on the potential merits of putting information about domestic abuse on period products.
Answered by Laura Farris - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Ministry of Justice) (jointly with Home Office)
The Government engages regularly with businesses and employers to raise awareness of domestic abuse and to ensure that all survivors can access support to encourage a whole system response to improving signposting to services which are accessible to all.
We do not currently have plans for such an initiative.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has made an assessment of the clarity of the updated caseworker guidance for processing late applications for the EU Settlement Scheme from people with permanent residency cards.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) caseworker guidance was updated on 16 January in light of operational experience and stakeholder feedback regarding the assessment of reasonable grounds for applying late to the EUSS.
The updated guidance now addresses circumstances where a person may have had a reasonable belief they did not need to apply earlier to the EUSS, or a reasonable basis for being unaware they needed to apply. This may include where they had been issued with a permanent residence document under the EEA Regulations, which implemented free movement law in the UK.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made with the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the potential impact of removing VAT from factor 30+ sunscreen on the level of incidence of skin cancer.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Whilst the Department has not made a specific assessment, under the current VAT rules, sun protection products are subject to the standard rate of VAT. High-factor sunscreen is on the National Health Service prescription list for certain conditions and therefore is provided free of VAT when dispensed by a pharmacist. While HM Treasury keeps all taxes under review, there are no plans to make changes. Representations on changes to the VAT system will be considered through the normal fiscal event process.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has made an estimate of the number of new refugees who become homeless after leaving asylum accommodation.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The Home Office does not hold the information requested.
All individuals who receive a positive decision on their asylum claim are eligible to receive support and accommodation for at least 28 days from when their decision is served.
We offer move on support through Migrant Help or their partner organisation to assist all newly granted refugees to integrate into society and to mitigate the risk of homelessness. This includes providing advice on accessing the labour market, on applying for Universal Credit and signposting to local authorities for assistance with housing.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2023 to Question 6818 on Refugees: homelessness, what support his Department is providing to local authorities to reduce the risk of homelessness for new refugees.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
There are no plans to extend the move on period beyond the 28-day period set out in legislation. All individuals who are granted leave should currently be receiving a minimum of 28 days on asylum support after they have been issued a Biometric Residence Permit.
We are working with our partners, including local authorities, to provide timely notification of key events that impact them. Additionally, we are working with our Strategic Migration Partnerships to facilitate regional sessions with councils and to share data.
Our accommodation providers are directly working with local authorities to notify them when an individual is due to have their asylum support ended.
We continue to work closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to ensure the right asylum decision data is being shared with local authorities to enable effective planning and to lessen the impact on existing homelessness and rough sleeping pressures.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions he has had with the Mayor of London on the potential availability of housing for refugees who have reached the end of their move-on period.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
There are no plans to extend the move on period beyond the 28-day period set out in legislation. All individuals who are granted leave should currently be receiving a minimum of 28 days on asylum support after they have been issued a Biometric Residence Permit.
We are working with our partners, including local authorities, to provide timely notification of key events that impact them. Additionally, we are working with our Strategic Migration Partnerships to facilitate regional sessions with councils and to share data.
Our accommodation providers are directly working with local authorities to notify them when an individual is due to have their asylum support ended.
We continue to work closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to ensure the right asylum decision data is being shared with local authorities to enable effective planning and to lessen the impact on existing homelessness and rough sleeping pressures.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has had discussions with local authorities on the notice period given by accommodation providers when an individual is due to have their asylum support ended.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
There are no plans to extend the move on period beyond the 28-day period set out in legislation. All individuals who are granted leave should currently be receiving a minimum of 28 days on asylum support after they have been issued a Biometric Residence Permit.
We are working with our partners, including local authorities, to provide timely notification of key events that impact them. Additionally, we are working with our Strategic Migration Partnerships to facilitate regional sessions with councils and to share data.
Our accommodation providers are directly working with local authorities to notify them when an individual is due to have their asylum support ended.
We continue to work closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to ensure the right asylum decision data is being shared with local authorities to enable effective planning and to lessen the impact on existing homelessness and rough sleeping pressures.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of tensions between India and China over the Maldives.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
HMG has an important bilateral relationship with the Maldives, which is independent of the Maldives' relationships with other countries. We are engaging positively with the new Maldivian Government on a wide range of UK interests. The UK Government understands that all nations have to balance relationships with many countries, and that different governments will take different approaches to their foreign policy. India and China have an important relationship with one another, and any wider issues are for them to resolve bilaterally through dialogue.