Holly Lynch

There are no current plans to review or extend the prescription charge medical exemptions list to include long term conditions such as stroke. Approximately 89% of prescriptions are dispensed free of charge and arrangements are already in place to help those with the greatest need. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension. Some stroke patients may meet the eligibility criteria for prescription charge exemptions and may therefore be in receipt of free prescriptions.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question 108576.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question 112622.

People previously considered clinically extremely vulnerable are advised to follow general guidance while considering additional precautions to reduce the risk of infection. The latest guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19

On 24 December 2021 updated public health advice was issued for people whose immune system means they are at higher risk of serious outcomes from COVID-19. This guidance is available at the following link:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk

Guidance issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport recommends that employers should give additional consideration to people who may consider themselves to be at higher risk and to workers facing mental and physical health difficulties. Employers should also consider other workers who are at higher risk and for whom additional precautions, advised by their doctors, should be considered. The guidance is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-covid-19/offices-factories-and-labs#offices-2-2

Since 3 February 2022, children aged 12 years old and over can obtain a digital NHS COVID Pass for international travel. The pass is available via NHS.UK for those aged 12 years old and over and via the NHS App for those aged 13 years old and over. The digital NHS COVID Pass provides a record of COVID-19 vaccinations received and evidence of natural immunity for 180 days following a positive National Health Service polymerase chain reaction test.

There is a legal requirement for in-scope businesses, including shops, to display signage to inform the public that face coverings are mandated in their premises, unless they are exempt from wearing them or have a reasonable excuse. Staff should remind people of the requirement to wear a face covering, but this should not result in anyone having to prove that they have an exemption or reasonable excuse. If necessary, police and police community support officers can issue a fixed penalty notice to anyone who does not comply without a valid exemption or reasonable excuse.

We are looking at ways to provide fully vaccinated 12 to 15 year olds with a travel NHS COVID Pass. This will be available shortly, initially via a NHS COVID Pass travel letter. Further information will be made available in due course.

The majority of services for people with Tourette’s syndrome are commissioned locally by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), who are best placed to plan the provision of services subject to local prioritisation and funding. Decisions on how to improve referral pathways and diagnostic rates for Tourette’s syndrome will vary across individual CCGs located in the Yorkshire and Humber region, with each CCG taking into consideration attributes of its local population to assess the level of need.

At a national level, Health Education England is increasing the number of trained clinical psychologists, supporting a 60 per cent expansion in the clinical psychology training intake over the past two years. Clinical psychologists are well placed to develop new services and undertake bespoke development to respond to the needs of patients with Tourette’s syndrome.

In 2019/20, NHS England and NHS Improvement funded seven community eating disorder teams in each region in England for children and young people in a pilot programme to improve access, assessment and treatment for children presenting with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). The pilots included training to support the adaption of each service’s existing care pathways, assessments and treatment interventions for children and young people with ARFID. The training from these pilots is now available for local areas to commission community children and young people’s eating disorder services. In 2021, NHS England and NHS Improvement also commissioned ARFID training for staff delivering treatment in inpatient children and young people’s mental health services.

In 2019/20, NHS England and NHS Improvement funded seven community eating disorder teams in each region in England for children and young people in a pilot programme to improve access, assessment and treatment for children presenting with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). The pilots included training to support the adaption of each service’s existing care pathways, assessments and treatment interventions for children and young people with ARFID. The training from these pilots is now available for local areas to commission community children and young people’s eating disorder services. In 2021, NHS England and NHS Improvement also commissioned ARFID training for staff delivering treatment in inpatient children and young people’s mental health services.

The Government published its response to the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review on 21^st July 2021. In this response the Government did not accept the recommendation to establish separate redress schemes for the three interventions discussed in the report, including sodium valproate. Our primary focus is on improving future medicines and medical devices safety and it is therefore crucial that we focus Government funds on initiatives that directly improve future safety (including specialist mesh centres and support for families affected by medicines in pregnancy). For this reason, redress schemes will not be established in response to the recommendation in the report.

The European Union has recently published a list of vaccines it sees as equivalent to those authorised by the European Medicines Agency, for travel purposes which is at the following link:

https://reopen.europa.eu/en

The list includes all vaccines administered in the United Kingdom, including all batches of AstraZeneca vaccine administered in the UK known commercially as Vaxzevria. This also includes batches 4120Z001, 4120Z002 and 4120Z003. Decisions on which vaccines EU Member States will accept at their borders is for those countries to decide. We are not aware that any have decided not to accept UK vaccines.

The information is not currently held centrally held in the format requested.

Contractual arrangements for the first six months of the 2021/22 financial year have been communicated to dental practices by NHS England and NHS Improvement. National Health Service dentists have been asked to maximise safe throughput to meet as many prioritised needs as possible. A revised unit of dental activity threshold has been set at 60% for full payment of NHS contractual value, based on data that indicates practices have capacity to safely achieve more dental activity than in the final quarter of 2020/21. It is expected that this increased threshold will improve access to NHS dentistry. Arrangements will continue to be monitored and at current are expected to be in place for six months in order to provide increased stability for dental practices.

Calder Valley, received additional funding as part of the access scheme. This has been extended until the end of September 2021 and NHS England and NHS Improvement are currently considering the most effective way to support practices to improve access for patients. In circumstances where patients are unable to access an urgent dental appointment directly through a NHS dental practice, they are advised to call NHS 111 who will assist in booking an appointment at one of over 100 designated urgent care centres, which continue to stay open across Yorkshire.

The procurement process has not yet been completed.

Following initial investigations, Public Health England advised moving those who are clinically vulnerable and those who have testing negative off-site. If it was not possible to relocate all negative individuals off site, then they should be accommodated separately on-site, with numbers in groups kept as small as possible to reduce the risk of ongoing transmission. This has remained the advice since.

As at September 2020 there were 176,965 NHS staff with a non-UK nationality. Information on the proportion of staff who had indefinite leave to remain as at September 2020 is not held centrally.

The National Health Service has continued to provide urgent and emergency services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. To ensure patient safety and continuation of service, local systems and Cancer Alliances are providing diagnostic and surgical provision through cancer hubs and contracted independent sector hospitals.

Diagnostics and treatment are actively being brought back up to pre-pandemic levels and referrals into services are being encouraged through campaigns such as the ‘Open for Business’ media campaign to encourage people with potentially serious health issues, such as cancer, to continue to seek medical advice and attend essential appointments.

In March, a contract change was agreed within the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC).

This contract change specifically facilitates for the use of sensitive authority data (whilst providing better oversight of data protection risks) in research projects by sub-contractors of that contract.

The Government is committed to ensuring an efficient and effective firearms licensing system and to achieving full cost recovery for the police. We have commenced a review of firearms licensing fees for police issued certificates, which will be informed by the work of a Firearms Fees Working Group. The Working Group will carry out a detailed review of the cost to the police of administering firearms licensing and develop proposals for revised fees, in accordance with HM Treasury Guidance.

The Firearms Fees Working Group will be chaired by the Home Office, and comprise representatives of the following organisations:

• National Police Chiefs’ Council;
• Police Scotland;
• Association of Police and Crime Commissioners;
• British Shooting Sports Council;
• British Association for Shooting and Conservation;
• Gun Trade Association;
• National Gamekeepers Organisation;
• Countryside Alliance;
• Scottish Association for Country Sports;
• Scottish Government; and
• Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The proposals for new fees for police issued certificates will be subject to public consultation in due course.

The nationality guidance is not statutory guidance with a duty to consult on. We will, however, engage with relevant nationality stakeholders prior to implementation of the nationality provisions of the Bill.

The Government will always take the strongest possible action to protect our national security. Our priority remains the safety and security of our citizens. A range of measures are currently being explored to further mitigate the risk of terrorism to UK citizens, which will include fully equipping law enforcement and other emergency responders to respond effectively to terrorist incidents, no matter where they occur.

However, we are not able to comment on specific operational deployments.

We are aware from engagement with the National Police Chief’s Council that between January and September 2021, there were some delays in drug drive testing due to Covid related pressures on forensic services. Toxicology supply has now significantly increased, and all backlogs have been cleared. Some cases could not be charged during this period, but none of these involved serious injury or death.

We have given consideration to this approach but have no plans to make such a change, especially given that we have been advised by the National Police Chief’s Council that toxicology supply has now significantly increased, and all backlogs have been cleared.

No such assessment has been made. We have been advised by the National Police Chief’s Council that, despite some backlogs with blood samples last year, toxicology supply has now significantly increased, and all backlogs have been cleared.

We will continue to monitor the situation as appropriate.

Enforcement of drug driving legislation and how available resources are deployed is an operational matter for individual Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners to determine in conjunction with local crime and policing plans, taking into account the specific local problems and demands with which they are faced.

The Government will continue to support the police to ensure that they have the tools needed to enforce road traffic legislation.

The Government will always take the strongest possible action to protect our national security. Our priority remains the safety and security of our citizens. A range of measures are currently being explored to further mitigate the risk of terrorism to UK citizens, which will include fully equipping law enforcement and other emergency responders to respond effectively to terrorist incidents, no matter where they occur.

However, we are not able to comment on specific operational deployments.

The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) commenced on 6 January 2022 and will provide up to 20,000 women, children and others at risk with a safe and legal route to resettle in the UK.

Anyone resettled under the ACRS will receive Indefinite Leave to Remain. The ACRS policy statement can be found here - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme

1) We are increasing the size of the National Asylum Intake Unit in response to the exceptional challenges of large-scale clandestine arrivals. This additional resource will enable us to reduce the time asylum seekers wait between registering their asylum claim and conducting the screening interview.

2) Since 1 January 2020, the mean average number of days between asylum application raised date and asylum screening is 36.

1) We are increasing the size of the National Asylum Intake Unit in response to the exceptional challenges of large-scale clandestine arrivals. This additional resource will enable us to reduce the time asylum seekers wait between registering their asylum claim and conducting the screening interview.

2) Since 1 January 2020, the mean average number of days between asylum application raised date and asylum screening is 36.

The Home Office ensures asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute are not left unsupported.

Where there are delays in the asylum system, individuals continue to be supported under section 98 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

Any statutory guidance will be developed in line with usual process, which includes any requirements to consult. The timetable for implementing the guidance will be dependent on the passage of the Nationality and Borders Bill.

The Home Office collects and publishes data on the size of the police workforce in England and Wales on a biannual basis in the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin

Information on the number of police officers, police staff and Police Community Support Officers by function is published annually in tables F1, F2 and F3 accompanying the police workforce statistics as at 31 March. The latest data, covering the situation as at 31 March 2021 are available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1005990/police-workforce-mar21-tables.ods

The data in these tables include the number of police officers and staff working under function 9 – National Policing.

Function 9 - "National Policing" - includes officers, staff, and PCSOs working primarily in the following subfunctions:

• Counter Terrorism/Special Branch
• NPCC Projects / Initiatives
• Hosting National Services
• Other National Policing Requirements

Table F4 provides further details on the types of roles covered by these functions. For reasons of national security, we do not separately publish the number or officers in each of these roles.

Information on police dogs is not held by the Home Office. Decisions on the number, make up and deployment of police dogs are made on a force by force basis and are a matter for Chief Constables, working with their Police and Crime Commissioners.

Similarly, decisions on the retirement and re-homing of police dogs are made locally by the Chief Constable after having carefully considered the specific circumstances of each case. Each force has its own system in place to manage this, which may include charitable organisations and volunteers.

Information on police dogs is not held by the Home Office. Decisions on the number, make up and deployment of police dogs are made on a force by force basis and are a matter for Chief Constables, working with their Police and Crime Commissioners.

Similarly, decisions on the retirement and re-homing of police dogs are made locally by the Chief Constable after having carefully considered the specific circumstances of each case. Each force has its own system in place to manage this, which may include charitable organisations and volunteers.

Information on police dogs is not held by the Home Office. Decisions on the number, make up and deployment of police dogs are made on a force by force basis and are a matter for Chief Constables, working with their Police and Crime Commissioners.

Similarly, decisions on the retirement and re-homing of police dogs are made locally by the Chief Constable after having carefully considered the specific circumstances of each case. Each force has its own system in place to manage this, which may include charitable organisations and volunteers.

Information on police dogs is not held by the Home Office. Decisions on the number, make up and deployment of police dogs are made on a force by force basis and are a matter for Chief Constables, working with their Police and Crime Commissioners.

Similarly, decisions on the retirement and re-homing of police dogs are made locally by the Chief Constable after having carefully considered the specific circumstances of each case. Each force has its own system in place to manage this, which may include charitable organisations and volunteers.

Information on police dogs is not held by the Home Office. Decisions on the number, make up and deployment of police dogs are made on a force by force basis and are a matter for Chief Constables, working with their Police and Crime Commissioners.

Similarly, decisions on the retirement and re-homing of police dogs are made locally by the Chief Constable after having carefully considered the specific circumstances of each case. Each force has its own system in place to manage this, which may include charitable organisations and volunteers.

The creation of the Immigration Enforcement Competent Authority (IECA) was an internal restructure within the Home Office and no public consultation occurred. A full assessment of the Public Sector Equality Duty was undertaken and in line with our ongoing duty, will be kept under review.

The change is part of a wider approach to ensure decision making is streamlined and funding for the IECA is being built into our plans for the next fiscal year.

The creation of the Immigration Enforcement Competent Authority (IECA) was an internal restructure within the Home Office and no public consultation occurred. A full assessment of the Public Sector Equality Duty was undertaken and in line with our ongoing duty, will be kept under review.

The change is part of a wider approach to ensure decision making is streamlined and funding for the IECA is being built into our plans for the next fiscal year.

The Home Office has rolled out Independent Child Trafficking Guardians (ICTGs), an independent source of advice for trafficked children, in two thirds of local authorities across England and Wales.

ICTGs provide one-to-one support for children who have no one with parental responsibility for them in the UK via an ICTG Direct Worker. They also provide an expert ICTG Regional Practice Co-ordinator, first introduced in October 2018, for children where there is someone with parental responsibility for them in the UK.

A staggered approach has been adopted in the delivery of ICTGs, together with built-in evaluations to ensure the ICTG service meets the needs of the children it supports. ICTGs were first introduced to three initial adopter sites in January 2017. Following the findings of the interim evaluation published in 2018, ICTGs were expanded to a further three sites in 2018 and 2019. In May 2021, ICTGs were rolled out to eleven additional areas extending the service to cover two thirds of local authorities across England and Wales.

Data tables published in October 2020 as part of the Assessment of Independent Child Trafficking Guardians – Regional Practice Co-ordinators: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/an-analysis-of-independent-child-trafficking-guardians show the number of ICTG referrals for Direct Workers and Regional Practice Coordinators since 2017, split by local authority area. This data covers the period from Q1 2017 – Q4 2019.

Data tables published in November 2021 in the UK Annual Report on Modern Slavery: 2021 UK Annual Report on Modern Slavery (accessible version) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) show the numbers of children referred to Direct Workers and Regional Practice Coordinators, broken down by region, in 2019 and 2020. This shows an overall increase in referrals between 2019 and 2020.

The Home Office has rolled out Independent Child Trafficking Guardians (ICTGs), an independent source of advice for trafficked children, in two thirds of local authorities across England and Wales.

ICTGs provide one-to-one support for children who have no one with parental responsibility for them in the UK via an ICTG Direct Worker. They also provide an expert ICTG Regional Practice Co-ordinator, first introduced in October 2018, for children where there is someone with parental responsibility for them in the UK.

A staggered approach has been adopted in the delivery of ICTGs, together with built-in evaluations to ensure the ICTG service meets the needs of the children it supports. ICTGs were first introduced to three initial adopter sites in January 2017. Following the findings of the interim evaluation published in 2018, ICTGs were expanded to a further three sites in 2018 and 2019. In May 2021, ICTGs were rolled out to eleven additional areas extending the service to cover two thirds of local authorities across England and Wales.

Data tables published in October 2020 as part of the Assessment of Independent Child Trafficking Guardians – Regional Practice Co-ordinators: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/an-analysis-of-independent-child-trafficking-guardians show the number of ICTG referrals for Direct Workers and Regional Practice Coordinators since 2017, split by local authority area. This data covers the period from Q1 2017 – Q4 2019.

Data tables published in November 2021 in the UK Annual Report on Modern Slavery: 2021 UK Annual Report on Modern Slavery (accessible version) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) show the numbers of children referred to Direct Workers and Regional Practice Coordinators, broken down by region, in 2019 and 2020. This shows an overall increase in referrals between 2019 and 2020.

Statistics on the number of individuals referred into the National Referral Mechanism can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-referral-mechanism-statistics. The data includes breakdowns of the number of positive conclusive grounds decisions made per quarter for victims who were exploited as children. The data also contains figures for the number of potential victims who were referred on the basis of criminal exploitation when a child.

Statistics on immigration outcomes including figures for grants of asylum, humanitarian protection and discretionary leave can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-june-2021

Statistics on the immigration status and immigration outcomes for victims of modern slavery are not currently published.

Statistics on the number of individuals referred into the National Referral Mechanism can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-referral-mechanism-statistics. The data includes breakdowns of the number of positive conclusive grounds decisions made per quarter for victims who were exploited as children. The data also contains figures for the number of potential victims who were referred on the basis of criminal exploitation when a child.

Statistics on immigration outcomes including figures for grants of asylum, humanitarian protection and discretionary leave can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-june-2021

Statistics on the immigration status and immigration outcomes for victims of modern slavery are not currently published.

Statistics on the number of individuals referred into the National Referral Mechanism can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-referral-mechanism-statistics. The data includes breakdowns of the number of positive conclusive grounds decisions made per quarter for victims who were exploited as children. The data also contains figures for the number of potential victims who were referred on the basis of criminal exploitation when a child.

Statistics on immigration outcomes including figures for grants of asylum, humanitarian protection and discretionary leave can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-june-2021

Statistics on the immigration status and immigration outcomes for victims of modern slavery are not currently published.

Statistics on the number of individuals referred into the National Referral Mechanism can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-referral-mechanism-statistics. The data includes breakdowns of the number of positive conclusive grounds decisions made per quarter for victims who were exploited as children. The data also contains figures for the number of potential victims who were referred on the basis of criminal exploitation when a child.

Statistics on immigration outcomes including figures for grants of asylum, humanitarian protection and discretionary leave can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-june-2021

Statistics on the immigration status and immigration outcomes for victims of modern slavery are not currently published.

Statistics on the number of individuals referred into the National Referral Mechanism can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-referral-mechanism-statistics. The data includes breakdowns of the number of positive conclusive grounds decisions made per quarter for victims who were exploited as children. The data also contains figures for the number of potential victims who were referred on the basis of criminal exploitation when a child.

Statistics on immigration outcomes including figures for grants of asylum, humanitarian protection and discretionary leave can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-june-2021

Statistics on the immigration status and immigration outcomes for victims of modern slavery are not currently published.

Statistics on the number of individuals referred into the National Referral Mechanism can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-referral-mechanism-statistics. The data includes breakdowns of the number of positive conclusive grounds decisions made per quarter for victims who were exploited as children. The data also contains figures for the number of potential victims who were referred on the basis of criminal exploitation when a child.

Statistics on immigration outcomes including figures for grants of asylum, humanitarian protection and discretionary leave can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-june-2021

Statistics on the immigration status and immigration outcomes for victims of modern slavery are not currently published.

The Department is currently considering allocations of its Spending Review settlement internally, including allocations to areas which have previously received funding from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund.

The outcome of this work will be included in the Main Estimate publication for the start of the next financial year as per the normal process.

The Joint Interim Interview Protocol was developed by the CPS, NPCC, Law Society, Criminal Law Solicitors’ Association and the London Criminal Courts Solicitors’ Association as a temporary requirement at the start of the pandemic to ensure the functioning of the criminal justice system was maintained.

Since stage 3 of the Government’s ‘roadmap’ out of lockdown on 17 May, solicitors have been required to attend interviews with children and vulnerable adults in person to ensure the most vulnerable in society receive in person support. A complete exit strategy from the protocol is ongoing with the intention to return to full provision of in person advice. It is for the signatories to this protocol – the NPCC, CPS and solicitors’ organisations – to determine how this should progress.

The Home Office has been chairing a weekly operational meeting with custody partners since March 2020 which ensures the operational impact of the interview protocol is assessed on a continuing basis.

The Home Office is unable to report how long on average a caseworker responsible for processing asylum claims is in post for or the number of staff who are responsible for processing asylum claims across each of the last five years, as this information is not recorded and held in a reportable format. To obtain this information would require detailed reporting against multiple cost centres and could only be obtained at disproportionate costs.

However, the Home Office can provide the number of asylum case working staff for each of the last five years. This data can be found in ASY_04 of the published Transparency data:

Immigration and protection data: Q2 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

In support of increasing the number of initial asylum decisions, the Home Office has recruitment strategies in place to increase staffing to more appropriate levels. We are working to almost double the number of decision makers to c.1000 by March 2022.

The Home Office is unable to report how long on average a caseworker responsible for processing asylum claims is in post for or the number of staff who are responsible for processing asylum claims across each of the last five years, as this information is not recorded and held in a reportable format. To obtain this information would require detailed reporting against multiple cost centres and could only be obtained at disproportionate costs.

However, the Home Office can provide the number of asylum case working staff for each of the last five years. This data can be found in ASY_04 of the published Transparency data:

Immigration and protection data: Q2 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

In support of increasing the number of initial asylum decisions, the Home Office has recruitment strategies in place to increase staffing to more appropriate levels. We are working to almost double the number of decision makers to c.1000 by March 2022.

Figures on the First Responder organisations making referrals into the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), the nationality of potential victims being referred, the gender of potential victims can be found in the published statistics.

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-referral-mechanism-statistics.

The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics regarding the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). These include the average time taken to make a Country Guidance Decision. The latest published NRM statistics can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-referral-mechanism-statistics.

As outlined in the Modern Slavery: Statutory Guidance for England and Wales (under s49 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015) and Non-Statutory Guidance for Scotland and Northern Ireland, the expectation is that the Single Competent Authority (SCA) will make a Reasonable Grounds decision within five working days, where possible, of the NRM referral being received. Modern Slavery: Statutory Guidance for England and Wales (publishing.service.gov.uk).

Following a positive Reasonable Grounds decision, and the minimum recovery and reflection period, the Single Competent Authority makes the Conclusive Grounds decision as soon as possible and only once there is sufficient information to do so. The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics regarding the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). These include the average time taken to make a Conclusive Grounds decision. The latest published NRM statistics can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-referral-mechanism-statistics.

A First Responder Organisation is an authority that is authorised to refer a potential victim of modern slavery into the National Referral Mechanism. The list of First Responder Organisations can be found in the Modern Slavery Statutory Guidance for England and Wales (under s49 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015) and Non-Statutory Guidance for Scotland and Northern Ireland, which also sets out their roles and responsibilities.

The SCA is currently recruiting a large number of new decision makers across the UK to increase capacity for NRM decision-making and reduce decision making timescales; this brings additional resource pressures initially (for training and upskilling) but will have substantial long-term benefits for decision making timescales.

Figures on the First Responder organisations making referrals into the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), the nationality of potential victims being referred, the gender of potential victims can be found in the published statistics.

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-referral-mechanism-statistics.

The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics regarding the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). These include the average time taken to make a Country Guidance Decision. The latest published NRM statistics can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-referral-mechanism-statistics.

As outlined in the Modern Slavery: Statutory Guidance for England and Wales (under s49 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015) and Non-Statutory Guidance for Scotland and Northern Ireland, the expectation is that the Single Competent Authority (SCA) will make a Reasonable Grounds decision within five working days, where possible, of the NRM referral being received. Modern Slavery: Statutory Guidance for England and Wales (publishing.service.gov.uk).

Following a positive Reasonable Grounds decision, and the minimum recovery and reflection period, the Single Competent Authority makes the Conclusive Grounds decision as soon as possible and only once there is sufficient information to do so. The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics regarding the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). These include the average time taken to make a Conclusive Grounds decision. The latest published NRM statistics can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-referral-mechanism-statistics.

A First Responder Organisation is an authority that is authorised to refer a potential victim of modern slavery into the National Referral Mechanism. The list of First Responder Organisations can be found in the Modern Slavery Statutory Guidance for England and Wales (under s49 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015) and Non-Statutory Guidance for Scotland and Northern Ireland, which also sets out their roles and responsibilities.

The SCA is currently recruiting a large number of new decision makers across the UK to increase capacity for NRM decision-making and reduce decision making timescales; this brings additional resource pressures initially (for training and upskilling) but will have substantial long-term benefits for decision making timescales.

Figures on the First Responder organisations making referrals into the National Referral Mechanism (NRM), the nationality of potential victims being referred, the gender of potential victims can be found in the published statistics.

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-referral-mechanism-statistics.

The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics regarding the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). These include the average time taken to make a Country Guidance Decision. The latest published NRM statistics can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-referral-mechanism-statistics.

As outlined in the Modern Slavery: Statutory Guidance for England and Wales (under s49 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015) and Non-Statutory Guidance for Scotland and Northern Ireland, the expectation is that the Single Competent Authority (SCA) will make a Reasonable Grounds decision within five working days, where possible, of the NRM referral being received. Modern Slavery: Statutory Guidance for England and Wales (publishing.service.gov.uk).

Following a positive Reasonable Grounds decision, and the minimum recovery and reflection period, the Single Competent Authority makes the Conclusive Grounds decision as soon as possible and only once there is sufficient information to do so. The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics regarding the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). These include the average time taken to make a Conclusive Grounds decision. The latest published NRM statistics can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-referral-mechanism-statistics.

A First Responder Organisation is an authority that is authorised to refer a potential victim of modern slavery into the National Referral Mechanism. The list of First Responder Organisations can be found in the Modern Slavery Statutory Guidance for England and Wales (under s49 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015) and Non-Statutory Guidance for Scotland and Northern Ireland, which also sets out their roles and responsibilities.

The SCA is currently recruiting a large number of new decision makers across the UK to increase capacity for NRM decision-making and reduce decision making timescales; this brings additional resource pressures initially (for training and upskilling) but will have substantial long-term benefits for decision making timescales.

Self-isolation remains an essential tool to reduce the spread of coronavirus. However, the Government recognises the impact self-isolation following a positive case contact is having on individuals, particularly those delivering critical functions. In such circumstances there are a limited number of exemptions to enable named workers to leave self-isolation under specific controls. The criteria for assessing exemptions are set out in the guidance published on GOV.UK.

In addition to the exemption for critical services, daily contact testing is also now available to frontline emergency workers. This includes the Police to mitigate against any potential disruption to key services.

Every week we remove people who have no right to be here from the UK to different countries. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we have continued to return and deport foreign national offenders and other immigration offenders where flight routes have been available to us, both on scheduled flights and charter flights.

The Government is committed to tackling the heinous crime of modern slavery and ensuring that victims are provided with the support they need to rebuilt their lives.

Each and every person on the flight had the appropriate opportunity to raise any representations which were carefully considered and responded to in accordance with published policy. All individuals on a charter flight have opportunities for legal advice and the UK only ever returns those who both the Home Office and, where appropriate, the courts are satisfied do not need our protection and have no legal basis to remain in the UK.

This Government’s priority is keeping the people of this country safe, and we make no apology for seeking to remove dangerous foreign criminals and other immigration offenders.

Every week we remove people who have no right to be here from the UK to different countries. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we have continued to return and deport foreign national offenders and other immigration offenders where flight routes have been available to us, both on scheduled flights and charter flights.

The Government is committed to tackling the heinous crime of modern slavery and ensuring that victims are provided with the support they need to rebuilt their lives.

Each and every person on the flight had the appropriate opportunity to raise any representations which were carefully considered and responded to in accordance with published policy. All individuals on a charter flight have opportunities for legal advice and the UK only ever returns those who both the Home Office and, where appropriate, the courts are satisfied do not need our protection and have no legal basis to remain in the UK.

This Government’s priority is keeping the people of this country safe, and we make no apology for seeking to remove dangerous foreign criminals and other immigration offenders.

Every week we remove people who have no right to be here from the UK to different countries. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we have continued to return and deport foreign national offenders and other immigration offenders where flight routes have been available to us, both on scheduled flights and charter flights.

The Government is committed to tackling the heinous crime of modern slavery and ensuring that victims are provided with the support they need to rebuilt their lives.

Each and every person on the flight had the appropriate opportunity to raise any representations which were carefully considered and responded to in accordance with published policy. All individuals on a charter flight have opportunities for legal advice and the UK only ever returns those who both the Home Office and, where appropriate, the courts are satisfied do not need our protection and have no legal basis to remain in the UK.

This Government’s priority is keeping the people of this country safe, and we make no apology for seeking to remove dangerous foreign criminals and other immigration offenders.

Every week we remove people who have no right to be here from the UK to different countries. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we have continued to return and deport foreign national offenders and other immigration offenders where flight routes have been available to us, both on scheduled flights and charter flights.

The Government is committed to tackling the heinous crime of modern slavery and ensuring that victims are provided with the support they need to rebuilt their lives.

Each and every person on the flight had the appropriate opportunity to raise any representations which were carefully considered and responded to in accordance with published policy. All individuals on a charter flight have opportunities for legal advice and the UK only ever returns those who both the Home Office and, where appropriate, the courts are satisfied do not need our protection and have no legal basis to remain in the UK.

This Government’s priority is keeping the people of this country safe, and we make no apology for seeking to remove dangerous foreign criminals and other immigration offenders.

Every week we remove people who have no right to be here from the UK to different countries. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we have continued to return and deport foreign national offenders and other immigration offenders where flight routes have been available to us, both on scheduled flights and charter flights.

The Government is committed to tackling the heinous crime of modern slavery and ensuring that victims are provided with the support they need to rebuilt their lives.

Each and every person on the flight had the appropriate opportunity to raise any representations which were carefully considered and responded to in accordance with published policy. All individuals on a charter flight have opportunities for legal advice and the UK only ever returns those who both the Home Office and, where appropriate, the courts are satisfied do not need our protection and have no legal basis to remain in the UK.

This Government’s priority is keeping the people of this country safe, and we make no apology for seeking to remove dangerous foreign criminals and other immigration offenders.

We currently have c8100 people in hotels, although the exact number will change daily.

Our providers are working to procure sufficient accommodation to exit contingency accommodation and maintain a business as usual operation thereafter.

We require providers to work at pace, but at the same time have directed them to procure accommodation which is safe and secure for asylum seekers and the communities in which they live. This is the principle we continue to follow, so where there is substantive and reliable evidence which raise doubts in such regard, we will work with local authorities, Police and providers to resolve them.

We remain committed to working in partnership with Local Authorities, through the use the Strategic Migration Partnerships to ensure the views of Local Authorities are included when forward planning

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 12th March 2021 to UIN 167900 and 167901. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

The Home Office plan to supplement the opening of a new immigration removal centre (IRC) for women, in County Durham, by continuing to provide some detention capacity for women at Colnbrook, Dungavel and Yarl’s Wood IRCs.

An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) will be completed for the change to predominantly male accommodation at Yarl’s Wood IRC. The Home Office will publish the EIA in due course.

The immigration removal estate is kept under ongoing review, to ensure that the Home Office has sufficient capacity and provides value for money.

The Home Office is developing plans for a new small residential short-term holding facility on part of the site of the current Morton Hall immigration removal centre, which will open later this year.

We expect the highest levels of professional conduct from our civil servants, and, in 2016, the Department acted decisively in this case. You will be aware the Home Office has obligations under data protection legislation and in law generally, and I regret disclosing information relating to an individual would run contrary to those principals.

There is no mechanism for capturing additional earnings. It is possible for Civil Servants to have other sources of income over and above their civil service salary, where those present no, or no perceived, conflict of interest.

However those arrangements are between the parties and do not involve the Home Office. Staff are required to report these arrangements to their manager and no central record is maintained.

Gifts and hospitality offered and received are recorded and reported internally. The Home Office publishes details of permanent secretaries’ external meetings and senior officials’ business expenses and hospitality on a quarterly basis.

The most recent publication of data can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-office-senior-officials-business-expenses-and-meetings-july-to-september-2020

In order to ascertain whether the gift or hospitality was offered to or received from a law firm, we would need to scrutinise every entry on the register individually and this would represent a disproportionate cost.

Per the Civil Service Code, Civil Servants must not accept gifts or hospitality or receive other benefits from anyone which might reasonably be seen to compromise their personal judgement or integrity.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-code/the-civil-service-code

The Home Office policy on Gifts and Hospitality is in line with Cabinet Office guidance.

The Home Office publishes data on asylum applications in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of asylum applications are published in Table Asy_D01 and data on the number and type of asylum initial decisions are published in table Asy_D02 of the Asylum and Resettlement datasets.

Figures on the number of asylum application decisions made in the first quarter of 2021 are due to be published on 27 May 2021. Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’. We are working to bring inadmissibility decisions in line with current reporting and hope to publish that information in the same timeframe.

The Home Office has acquired the former Hassockfield Secure Training Centre in County Durham and will open it as an immigration removal centre (IRC) for around 80 women by the autumn. We plan to supplement the new Hassockfield IRC by continuing to provide some detention capacity for women at Colnbrook, Dungavel and Yarl’s Wood IRCs.

The operational capacity for women under normal operating conditions is 18 at Colnbrook IRC, 12 at Dungavel IRC and 304 at Yarl’s Wood IRC. Yarl’s Wood has additional capacity of 68 for adult families more than half of whom could be women.

An Equality Impact Assessment will be completed for the change to predominantly male accommodation at Yarl’s Wood IRC.

The Home Office has acquired the former Hassockfield Secure Training Centre in County Durham and will open it as an immigration removal centre (IRC) for around 80 women by the autumn. We plan to supplement the new Hassockfield IRC by continuing to provide some detention capacity for women at Colnbrook, Dungavel and Yarl’s Wood IRCs.

The operational capacity for women under normal operating conditions is 18 at Colnbrook IRC, 12 at Dungavel IRC and 304 at Yarl’s Wood IRC. Yarl’s Wood has additional capacity of 68 for adult families more than half of whom could be women.

An Equality Impact Assessment will be completed for the change to predominantly male accommodation at Yarl’s Wood IRC.

Our Detention Centre Rules are designed to ensure the rights and safety of those in detention are our foremost priority and we expect the highest standards from our contractors in this regard. This includes mandatory gender-specific training for those working with women in detention.

The workforce requirements for the new Hassockfield immigration removal centre (IRC) will reflect the lessons learned from detaining women at Yarl’s Wood IRC and will include a ratio of female to male custodial staff that is appropriate for the specifics needs of women in detention.

The UK is regarded as a world-leader for its response to modern slavery.

The UK response is underpinned by the Modern Slavery Strategy 2014 and the Modern Slavery Act 2015, the first legislation of its kind in the world. The Government remains committed to tackling this crime.

We are currently considering how to take forward the review of roles and responsibilities of operational partners in Border Force, IE, UKVI and NCA. Findings will be shared with the BICS Board and Home Office ExCo, before being shared with partner agencies and communicated as appropriate.

The BICs guidance on the identification, reporting and pursuit of perpetrators of modern slavery and human trafficking is being drafted.

The guidance will be shared with the BICS Board and Home Office ExCo, before being shared with partner agencies, and communicated as appropriate in due course.

The 4 March 2021 ICIBI report on modern slavery and human trafficking refers, in a Note to Section 4.1, to Recommendation 1 of the March 2020 ICIBI report on in-country clandestine arrivals and irregular migrants arriving via "small boats”. This recommendation proposed a “fundamental review of the Borders, Immigration and Citizenship System’s criminal investigation and prosecution capabilities and capacity”.

The Government response, published in November 2020, partially accepted the recommendation, and undertook to take the findings of the March 2020 ICIBI inspection fully into account alongside the findings of the Independent Review of Serious and Organised Crime (IRSOC), led by Sir Craig Mackey QPM, when working with partners, including the National Crime Agency.

Significant changes in the governance and delivery of organised immigration crime have already been implemented. The November 2020 Government response noted both the Illegal Migration Strategy Board and the Clandestine Threat Board have been established since the ICIBI March 2020 report was issued, with the Clandestine Channel Threat Command now in place.

The Government undertaking to provide “details of key findings” relates to the IRSOC. The Government published the key findings of the IRSOC on 16th March, alongside the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy. The Integrated Review sets out our priorities for strengthening our response to serious and organised crime following the IRSOC.

The Illegal Migration Strategy Board and the Clandestine Threat Board direct the Home Office’s strategic and operational response to illegal migration. The groups are accountable to the Home Secretary and form part of the overall governance arrangements within the department. Home Office Ministers have regular meetings as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

The Illegal Migration Strategy Board and the Clandestine Threat Board direct the Home Office’s strategic and operational response to illegal migration. The groups are accountable to the Home Secretary and form part of the overall governance arrangements within the department. Home Office Ministers have regular meetings as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

The Home Office has acquired the former Hassockfield Secure Training Centre in County Durham and will open it as an immigration removal centre (IRC) for around 80 women by the autumn. Initial discussions with the planning authority at Durham Country Council have taken place and given the site’s previous history as a custody facility, planning designation for the site does not need to change in order to operate as an IRC.

People who are detained must be advised of their right to legal representation and of how they can obtain such representation, within 24 hours of their arrival at an IRC. The Home Office recognise the importance of ensuring that such legal advice can be easily obtained by those in detention and we will be working closely with the Legal Aid Agency to ensure appropriate legal provision at the site.

The rights of all detained individuals, including women, are safeguarded by the Detention Centre Rules, published Operating Standards for IRCs and individuals under escort and Detention Services Orders (DSO).

The training requirements for Home Office, custodial service provider and healthcare staff at Hassockfield IRC will be equivalent to those for Yarl’s Wood IRC. As set out in published DSO 06/2016 ‘women in the detention estate’, all staff working with women must receive appropriate gender specific training (such as the protocol for entry to bedrooms), in addition to any generic training they receive when they undergo initial training. Appropriate refresher training should be undertaken, to include equality and diversity, human trafficking and modern slavery.

The Home Office has acquired the former Hassockfield Secure Training Centre in County Durham and will open it as an immigration removal centre (IRC) for around 80 women by the autumn. Initial discussions with the planning authority at Durham Country Council have taken place and given the site’s previous history as a custody facility, planning designation for the site does not need to change in order to operate as an IRC.

People who are detained must be advised of their right to legal representation and of how they can obtain such representation, within 24 hours of their arrival at an IRC. The Home Office recognise the importance of ensuring that such legal advice can be easily obtained by those in detention and we will be working closely with the Legal Aid Agency to ensure appropriate legal provision at the site.

The rights of all detained individuals, including women, are safeguarded by the Detention Centre Rules, published Operating Standards for IRCs and individuals under escort and Detention Services Orders (DSO).

The training requirements for Home Office, custodial service provider and healthcare staff at Hassockfield IRC will be equivalent to those for Yarl’s Wood IRC. As set out in published DSO 06/2016 ‘women in the detention estate’, all staff working with women must receive appropriate gender specific training (such as the protocol for entry to bedrooms), in addition to any generic training they receive when they undergo initial training. Appropriate refresher training should be undertaken, to include equality and diversity, human trafficking and modern slavery.

The Home Office has acquired the former Hassockfield Secure Training Centre in County Durham and will open it as an immigration removal centre (IRC) for around 80 women by the autumn. Initial discussions with the planning authority at Durham Country Council have taken place and given the site’s previous history as a custody facility, planning designation for the site does not need to change in order to operate as an IRC.

People who are detained must be advised of their right to legal representation and of how they can obtain such representation, within 24 hours of their arrival at an IRC. The Home Office recognise the importance of ensuring that such legal advice can be easily obtained by those in detention and we will be working closely with the Legal Aid Agency to ensure appropriate legal provision at the site.

The rights of all detained individuals, including women, are safeguarded by the Detention Centre Rules, published Operating Standards for IRCs and individuals under escort and Detention Services Orders (DSO).

The training requirements for Home Office, custodial service provider and healthcare staff at Hassockfield IRC will be equivalent to those for Yarl’s Wood IRC. As set out in published DSO 06/2016 ‘women in the detention estate’, all staff working with women must receive appropriate gender specific training (such as the protocol for entry to bedrooms), in addition to any generic training they receive when they undergo initial training. Appropriate refresher training should be undertaken, to include equality and diversity, human trafficking and modern slavery.

There are no plans to expand immigration detention capacity for women.

The Home Office has acquired the former Hassockfield Secure Training Centre in County Durham and will open it as an immigration removal centre (IRC) for around 80 women by the autumn. We plan to supplement the new Hassockfield IRC by continuing to provide some detention capacity for women at Colnbrook, Dungavel and Yarl’s Wood IRCs, in order to provide flexibility in placement and shorter escorting journeys for those in detention.

The immigration removal estate is kept under ongoing review, to ensure that the Home Office has sufficient capacity for men and women it proves necessary to detain for the purposes of removal, and to protect the public; and to provide value for money.

The pilot for making an automatic referral for consideration of immigration bail for non-FNOs at two months, as opposed to four months at present, has concluded and the department is in the process of evaluating the findings. Automatic bail referrals are an additional safeguard and do not affect the rights of detainees to apply for bail at any time, regardless of the timeframe for automatic referrals.

The pilot for making an automatic referral for consideration of immigration bail for non-FNOs at two months, as opposed to four months at present, has concluded and the department is in the process of evaluating the findings. Automatic bail referrals are an additional safeguard and do not affect the rights of detainees to apply for bail at any time, regardless of the timeframe for automatic referrals.

The immigration removal estate is kept under ongoing review to ensure that the Home Office has sufficient capacity, in the right places and that it provides value for money.

The Home Office has acquired the former Hassockfield Secure Training Centre in County Durham and will open it as an immigration removal centre for women by the autumn. Initial discussions with the planning authority have taken place and work has commenced at the site. An Equality Impact Assessment will be completed as part of this programme of work.

In order to meet operational needs and demands we will continue to operate the immigration removal estate in a flexible manner.

Asylum seekers are not going to be denied entry to the UK from red-list countries and their asylum claims will be processed as usual. The UK has a proud record of providing protection for asylum seekers fleeing persecution, and every asylum claim is considered carefully, sensitively and on its individual merits by caseworkers who receive extensive training. Those asylum seekers who arrive in UK through illegal means are treated the same as every other arrival and must quarantine for 10 days – this is in line with Public Health England guidance. They are transported to designated accommodation where providers will monitor their isolation period and as would be expected if they break restrictions, we expect the police to take enforcement action.

The latest published information shows the total number of concluded applications to the EU Settlement scheme was 4.68 million up to 31 January 2021.

The latest figures can be found on the Home Office’s ‘EU Settlement Scheme statistics’ web page available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/eu-settlement-scheme-statistics.

Applications concluded by month and decision type are published in the detailed quarterly release – ‘EU Settlement Scheme quarterly statistics, September 2020’. The statistics for October to December 2020 will be released on 25 February 2021.

Our aim is to process all applications to the EU Settlement Scheme as expeditiously as possible. Complete applications are usually processed in around five working days.

More information about processing times for applications under the scheme is available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-settlement-scheme-application-processing-times/eu-settlement-scheme-pilot-current-expected-processing-times-for-applications

We take the wellbeing of asylum seekers extremely seriously. We provide them with safe, suitable, Covid-secure accommodation where they receive three meals a day, all paid for by the taxpayer.

We have been following public health advice at all times and the accommodation at Napier remains safe, suitable and Covid-secure. This has included putting in place a range of infection control measures and configuring the site so that social distancing can be maintained.

Despite our best efforts and the robust measures in place at our sites, a number of asylum seekers accommodated at Napier recently tested positive for coronavirus.

It was also incredibly disappointing that a number of individuals refused coronavirus tests and had refused to self-isolate or follow social distancing rules, despite repeated requests to do so.

In line with advice from Public Health England and as part of our outbreak management plan, the Home Office moved a number asylum seekers out of the site who had not tested positive for coronavirus. The purpose of this move was to allow others at Napier to self-isolate more easily and facilitate a deep clean of the site.

An independent rapid review was also recently conducted to assure ourselves of the extensive COVID-19 protocols in place to safeguard the health and safety of asylum seekers during the pandemic. The Home Office is currently reviewing and acting upon the recommendations of the review and, as previously stated, will seek to publish a summary of the recommendations in due course. We will also hold round tables with stakeholders to discuss the recommendations, actions taken and proposed next steps.

We continue to work closely with our provider and partners to identify opportunities for enhancement, as we do across our entire accommodation estate.

We take the wellbeing of asylum seekers extremely seriously. We provide them with safe, suitable, Covid-secure accommodation where they receive three meals a day, all paid for by the taxpayer.

We have been following public health advice at all times and the accommodation at Napier remains safe, suitable and Covid-secure. This has included putting in place a range of infection control measures and configuring the site so that social distancing can be maintained.

Despite our best efforts and the robust measures in place at our sites, a number of asylum seekers accommodated at Napier recently tested positive for coronavirus.

It was also incredibly disappointing that a number of individuals refused coronavirus tests and had refused to self-isolate or follow social distancing rules, despite repeated requests to do so.

In line with advice from Public Health England and as part of our outbreak management plan, the Home Office moved a number asylum seekers out of the site who had not tested positive for coronavirus. The purpose of this move was to allow others at Napier to self-isolate more easily and facilitate a deep clean of the site.

An independent rapid review was also recently conducted to assure ourselves of the extensive COVID-19 protocols in place to safeguard the health and safety of asylum seekers during the pandemic. The Home Office is currently reviewing and acting upon the recommendations of the review and, as previously stated, will seek to publish a summary of the recommendations in due course. We will also hold round tables with stakeholders to discuss the recommendations, actions taken and proposed next steps.

We continue to work closely with our provider and partners to identify opportunities for enhancement, as we do across our entire accommodation estate.

A number of asylum seekers at Napier Barracks previously tested positive for coronavirus. In line with advice from Public Health England, over the last week the Home Office moved a number of asylum seekers from the site.

The purpose of this was to allow others at Napier to self-isolate more easily and conduct a site-wide deep cleaning exercise.

On Friday, 29 January, a number of asylum seekers who remained at Napier objected to not being moved off site. They became aggressive toward staff on site, turned violent and set about destroying the barracks, putting lives in danger.

An accommodation block was set on fire resulting in a kitchen and canteen being badly damaged. The fire-damaged block has been secured and cordoned off and other blocks remain in use. Meals continue to be provided to those accommodated at the site.

Kent Police and Fire & Rescue Service attended the site to maintain order and extinguish the fire. The situation is now under control: a number of arrests have been made and an investigation is ongoing. We are aware of one person with minor injuries, from which they are expected to make a full recovery.

We are clear that this type of action will not be tolerated, and the Home Office will support the police to take robust action against those vandalising property, threatening staff and putting lives at risk.

A number of asylum seekers at Napier Barracks previously tested positive for coronavirus. In line with advice from Public Health England, over the last week the Home Office moved a number of asylum seekers from the site.

The purpose of this was to allow others at Napier to self-isolate more easily and conduct a site-wide deep cleaning exercise.

On Friday, 29 January, a number of asylum seekers who remained at Napier objected to not being moved off site. They became aggressive toward staff on site, turned violent and set about destroying the barracks, putting lives in danger.

An accommodation block was set on fire resulting in a kitchen and canteen being badly damaged. The fire-damaged block has been secured and cordoned off and other blocks remain in use. Meals continue to be provided to those accommodated at the site.

Kent Police and Fire & Rescue Service attended the site to maintain order and extinguish the fire. The situation is now under control: a number of arrests have been made and an investigation is ongoing. We are aware of one person with minor injuries, from which they are expected to make a full recovery.

We are clear that this type of action will not be tolerated, and the Home Office will support the police to take robust action against those vandalising property, threatening staff and putting lives at risk.

A number of asylum seekers at Napier Barracks previously tested positive for coronavirus. In line with advice from Public Health England, over the last week the Home Office moved a number of asylum seekers from the site.

The purpose of this was to allow others at Napier to self-isolate more easily and conduct a site-wide deep cleaning exercise.

On Friday, 29 January, a number of asylum seekers who remained at Napier objected to not being moved off site. They became aggressive toward staff on site, turned violent and set about destroying the barracks, putting lives in danger.

An accommodation block was set on fire resulting in a kitchen and canteen being badly damaged. The fire-damaged block has been secured and cordoned off and other blocks remain in use. Meals continue to be provided to those accommodated at the site.

Kent Police and Fire & Rescue Service attended the site to maintain order and extinguish the fire. The situation is now under control: a number of arrests have been made and an investigation is ongoing. We are aware of one person with minor injuries, from which they are expected to make a full recovery.

We are clear that this type of action will not be tolerated, and the Home Office will support the police to take robust action against those vandalising property, threatening staff and putting lives at risk.

Customers who fail the Life in the UK test are not informed of the number of questions they answered incorrectly, and they are not given the correct answers. They are told they have failed the test and are advised which subject areas of the official handbook they need to study.

The Life in the UK (LitUK) test is a computer delivered test and automatically marked, which mitigates against any potential incorrect results. We are not aware of any cases where a customer has been given an incorrect result.

The Home Office undertakes a schedule of unannounced inspections of all LitUK test centres. This has been impacted as a result of Covid-19 during 2020/21, but will recommence when it is appropriate to do so.

In addition to the inspections undertaken by the Home Office, the test provider is required to undertake audits of each of the test centres. Each centre will receive a combination of both an in-person audit and remote audit undertaken via CCTV monitoring.

Also, the test provider is required to facilitate independent third-party mystery shopping events for each test centre assessing the security arrangements at the centre.

The results of both the audits and mystery shopping events are provided to the Home Office officials for review and monitoring purposes. These audits and mystery shopping events and Home Office review thereof have continued during 2020/21.

Since 2010 there has been one test taken in Welsh by a Brazilian national and one test taken in Scots Gaelic by a German national.

Table 1 shows the number of tests taken by nationality. Table 2 shows the proportion of LitUK tests that have been passed by nationality.

The highest number of times an individual has taken the Life in the UK test is 118 times in 2015 and 2016. This is a unique case and the vast majority of customers pass by their 3^rd attempt.

Whilst the test provider does not disclose which answers they got wrong if they fail they are advised which parts of the handbook they need to study in more depth to help them pass future tests.

Asylum seekers at the barracks, in common with the rest of the population, must self-isolate if they test positive or have been exposed to someone who has. We are working closely with the local health authority and Public Health England and additional support staff, as well as on site medical staff, to ensure that all individuals who have to self-isolate can do so and are following all medical advice. Some individuals have not agreed to be tested.

We do not publish data on the numbers of asylum seekers who have tested positive for covid-19.

There are currently 381 asylum seekers accommodated at Napier Barracks, Kent.

We take the welfare of those in our care seriously and we have robust measures in place to deal with any cases of Covid-19. Our accommodation provider Clearsprings have an outbreak management plan which is enacted if there are positive Covid-19 tests and the Home Office is following national guidance in relation to testing.

Despite our best efforts a number of those accommodated at the site have tested positive for coronavirus and are self-isolating. Asylum seekers at the barracks must self-isolate if they test positive or have been exposed to someone who has.

We are working closely with the local health authority and Public Health England and additional support staff, as well as on site medical staff, are there to ensure that all individuals who have to self-isolate can do so and are following all medical advice.

The accommodation at Napier has been arranged to allow for social distancing and Covid safety in line with public health advice. This includes limiting occupancy of each dormitory to a maximum of 14 persons, with each dormitory effectively operating as a separate household on site.

There is a ratio of 1:5 showers, these are separate showers inside and in portable units. There is also a ratio of 1:5 toilets and additional urinals inside the blocks and separate toilet cubicles inside portable units.

The Home Office does not publish information on the number of telephone calls made to Migrant Help from asylum seekers. This not available in a reportable format and to provide the information could only be done at disproportionate cost.

There are currently 381 asylum seekers accommodated at Napier Barracks, Kent.

We take the welfare of those in our care seriously and we have robust measures in place to deal with any cases of Covid-19. Our accommodation provider Clearsprings have an outbreak management plan which is enacted if there are positive Covid-19 tests and the Home Office is following national guidance in relation to testing.

Despite our best efforts a number of those accommodated at the site have tested positive for coronavirus and are self-isolating. Asylum seekers at the barracks must self-isolate if they test positive or have been exposed to someone who has.

We are working closely with the local health authority and Public Health England and additional support staff, as well as on site medical staff, are there to ensure that all individuals who have to self-isolate can do so and are following all medical advice.

The accommodation at Napier has been arranged to allow for social distancing and Covid safety in line with public health advice. This includes limiting occupancy of each dormitory to a maximum of 14 persons, with each dormitory effectively operating as a separate household on site.

There is a ratio of 1:5 showers, these are separate showers inside and in portable units. There is also a ratio of 1:5 toilets and additional urinals inside the blocks and separate toilet cubicles inside portable units.

The Home Office does not publish information on the number of telephone calls made to Migrant Help from asylum seekers. This not available in a reportable format and to provide the information could only be done at disproportionate cost.

There are currently 381 asylum seekers accommodated at Napier Barracks, Kent.

We take the welfare of those in our care seriously and we have robust measures in place to deal with any cases of Covid-19. Our accommodation provider Clearsprings have an outbreak management plan which is enacted if there are positive Covid-19 tests and the Home Office is following national guidance in relation to testing.

Despite our best efforts a number of those accommodated at the site have tested positive for coronavirus and are self-isolating. Asylum seekers at the barracks must self-isolate if they test positive or have been exposed to someone who has.

We are working closely with the local health authority and Public Health England and additional support staff, as well as on site medical staff, are there to ensure that all individuals who have to self-isolate can do so and are following all medical advice.

The accommodation at Napier has been arranged to allow for social distancing and Covid safety in line with public health advice. This includes limiting occupancy of each dormitory to a maximum of 14 persons, with each dormitory effectively operating as a separate household on site.

There is a ratio of 1:5 showers, these are separate showers inside and in portable units. There is also a ratio of 1:5 toilets and additional urinals inside the blocks and separate toilet cubicles inside portable units.

The Home Office does not publish information on the number of telephone calls made to Migrant Help from asylum seekers. This not available in a reportable format and to provide the information could only be done at disproportionate cost.

To qualify for the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme, individuals must be employed or self-employed, unable to work from home, will lose income as a result of self-isolating, and be in receipt of certain ‘public funds’ benefits. Therefore, people with no recourse to public funds are not eligible for test and trace support payment.

However, a discretionary fund akin to the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme, in the form of a £500 discretionary payment, paid by local authorities is available to those with no recourse to public funds, provided they meet the criteria set by the local authority for discretionary payments in their area. Further information on this scheme can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/test-and-trace-support-payment-scheme-claiming-financial-support/claiming-financial-support-under-the-test-and-trace-support-payment-scheme

The Government remains committed to protecting vulnerable people and has acted decisively to ensure that we support everyone through this pandemic.

The Home Office is currently reviewing the recommendations of the rapid review and, as previously stated, will seek to publish a summary of the recommendations.

The Home Secretary has set out the Government’s ambition to overhaul our approach to asylum and illegal migration, delivering a firm but fair system, including bringing forward new legislation this year.

Any consultation that may take place will do so in line with established principles as well as taking into account any other relevant statutory duties.

The Home Office publishes statistics on people in detention on the last day of each quarter in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on people in detention under immigration powers, are published in Table Det_03a of the ‘Detention summary tables’

The ‘contents’ sheet contains an overview of all available data on detention.

Further breakdowns by gender can be found in the Immigration detention detailed datasets

Figures on people in detention at the end of December 2020 will be published on 25 February 2021.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.

In the last twelve months, 49 charter deportation flights have left the UK to a range of destinations globally.

Every week we remove people who have no right to be here from the UK to different countries. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we have continued to return and deport foreign national offenders and other immigration offenders where flight routes have been available to us, both on scheduled flights and charter flights.

This Government’s priority is keeping the people of this country safe, and we make no apology for seeking to remove dangerous foreign criminals and other immigration offenders.

The Home Office temporarily suspended processing those visa applications which might have been impacted.

Once we were satisfied those applications could be processed without adverse impact on the decision-making process, visa operations resumed.

Her Majesty’s Passport Office can confirm that no passports have failed to be successfully delivered by a UK courier since 23 March 2020. For international deliveries by courier there are nine confirmed losses, which resulted in these passports being cancelled on the system and reissued and successfully delivered.

Due to COVID-19, Her Majesty’s Passport Office continues to operate at reduced staffing levels so that its people can continue to socially distance, and it is therefore taking longer than usual to process passport applications. As part of its contingency arrangements, HM Passport Office is rapidly increasing its capacity for processing passport applications, in line with public health guidance, that will help to ensure that it continues to meet the travel needs of its customers.

As at 31 August 2020, passport applications work in progress is approximately 239.1k. There are a further 134,414k applications that will need to be worked through in the coming weeks once initial documentation has been received and allocated.

From 23 March to 31 August 2020 inclusive, Her Majesty’s Passport Office submitted 279 Data Incident Reports and 277 were assessed as constituting Personal Data Breaches. From 23 March to 30 June HM Passport Office received 545,806 passport applications.

Published statistics pertaining to the number of NHS visas extended as of June 2020, can be found via the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-year-ending-june-2020

Updated statistics regarding those extended after this date will be published in future.

All migrants granted leave receive written notification of their immigration status and are issued with a biometric residence permit (BRP) as evidence of their immigration status. Migrants who are waiting for a decision on their in-time immigration application are entitled to remain in the country on their current conditions until their application is resolved.

The Home Office are unable to state how many women and girls with an FGM protection order have applied for asylum and have been refused asylum in the UK as at July 2020 as this information is not held in a reportable format and easily aggregated.

The Home Office can state how many people have applied for asylum and have been refused asylum in the UK and can be found in the published immigration statistics March 2020 at Asy_D01 and Asy_D02 and can be broken down by gender:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-march-2020/list-of-tables#asylum-and-resettlement

The Home Office are unable to state how many women and girls with an FGM protection order have applied for asylum and have been refused asylum in the UK as at July 2020 as this information is not held in a reportable format and easily aggregated.

The Home Office can state how many people have applied for asylum and have been refused asylum in the UK and can be found in the published immigration statistics March 2020 at Asy_D01 and Asy_D02 and can be broken down by gender:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-march-2020/list-of-tables#asylum-and-resettlement

The Home Office publishes data on people in detention in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release

Data on the number of people detained under immigration powers, broken down by nationality, age, and length of detention are published in table Det_D02 of the immigration detention detailed datasets. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/returns-and-detention-datasets#immigration-detention

Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to the year ending March 2020. Additionally, the Home Office publishes a high-level overview of the data in the 'summary tables'. The ‘contents’ sheet contains an overview of all available data on detention.

A statistical report Statistics relating to Covid-19 and the immigration system, May 2020, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-relating-to-covid-19-and-the-immigration-system-may-2020released on 28 May 2020 provides further high-level information relating to detention and Covid-19 up to the end of April.

Figures covering the second quarter of 2020 will be released on 27 August 2020. Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’. https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-statistics?content_store_document_type=upcoming_statistics&organisations%5B%5D=home-office&order=release-date-oldest

The Home Office publishes data on people in detention in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release

Data on the number of people detained under immigration powers, broken down by nationality, age, and length of detention are published in table Det_D02 of the immigration detention detailed datasets. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/returns-and-detention-datasets#immigration-detention

Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to the year ending March 2020. Additionally, the Home Office publishes a high-level overview of the data in the 'summary tables'. The ‘contents’ sheet contains an overview of all available data on detention.

A statistical report Statistics relating to Covid-19 and the immigration system, May 2020, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-relating-to-covid-19-and-the-immigration-system-may-2020released on 28 May 2020 provides further high-level information relating to detention and Covid-19 up to the end of April.

Figures covering the second quarter of 2020 will be released on 27 August 2020. Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’. https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-statistics?content_store_document_type=upcoming_statistics&organisations%5B%5D=home-office&order=release-date-oldest

The Home Office publishes data on people in detention in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release

Data on the number of people detained under immigration powers, broken down by nationality, age, and length of detention are published in table Det_D02 of the immigration detention detailed datasets. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/returns-and-detention-datasets#immigration-detention

Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to the year ending March 2020. Additionally, the Home Office publishes a high-level overview of the data in the 'summary tables'. The ‘contents’ sheet contains an overview of all available data on detention.

A statistical report Statistics relating to Covid-19 and the immigration system, May 2020, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-relating-to-covid-19-and-the-immigration-system-may-2020released on 28 May 2020 provides further high-level information relating to detention and Covid-19 up to the end of April.

Figures covering the second quarter of 2020 will be released on 27 August 2020. Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’. https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-statistics?content_store_document_type=upcoming_statistics&organisations%5B%5D=home-office&order=release-date-oldest

The Home Office publishes data on people in detention in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release

Data on the number of people detained under immigration powers, broken down by nationality, age, and length of detention are published in table Det_D02 of the immigration detention detailed datasets. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/returns-and-detention-datasets#immigration-detention

Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to the year ending March 2020. Additionally, the Home Office publishes a high-level overview of the data in the 'summary tables'. The ‘contents’ sheet contains an overview of all available data on detention.

A statistical report Statistics relating to Covid-19 and the immigration system, May 2020, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-relating-to-covid-19-and-the-immigration-system-may-2020released on 28 May 2020 provides further high-level information relating to detention and Covid-19 up to the end of April.

Figures covering the second quarter of 2020 will be released on 27 August 2020. Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’. https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-statistics?content_store_document_type=upcoming_statistics&organisations%5B%5D=home-office&order=release-date-oldest

The Home Office publishes data on people in detention in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release

Data on the number of people detained under immigration powers, broken down by nationality, age, and length of detention are published in table Det_D02 of the immigration detention detailed datasets. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/returns-and-detention-datasets#immigration-detention

Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to the year ending March 2020. Additionally, the Home Office publishes a high-level overview of the data in the 'summary tables'. The ‘contents’ sheet contains an overview of all available data on detention.

A statistical report Statistics relating to Covid-19 and the immigration system, May 2020, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statistics-relating-to-covid-19-and-the-immigration-system-may-2020released on 28 May 2020 provides further high-level information relating to detention and Covid-19 up to the end of April.

Figures covering the second quarter of 2020 will be released on 27 August 2020. Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’. https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-statistics?content_store_document_type=upcoming_statistics&organisations%5B%5D=home-office&order=release-date-oldest