Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Report on an unannounced inspection of short-term holding facilities at Western Jet Foil, Manston and Kent Intake Unit, published on 6 June 2023, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that children are made to feel safe, supported and that their welfare and safeguarding needs are met at those facilities.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Home Office’s responses to the Priority and Key Concerns set out in the HMIP report are covered in the Service Improvement Plan which is published on the HMIP website at Short-term holding facilities at Western Jet Foil, Manston and Kent Intake Unit (justiceinspectorates.gov.uk)
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's consultation on Section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, which closed on 13 June 2014, for what reason her Department did not publish a response to the consultation; and if she will make it her policy to publish a response in the next six months.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
The Government intends to bring forward proposals and engage with stakeholders this year on transparency of information and the protection of confidential information regarding the regulation of the use of animals in science.
In doing so the Government intends to clarify section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, taking account of the previous consultation.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to recent reports of the abduction of unaccompanied children from a Home Office residence in Hove, what estimate her Department has made of the number of unaccompanied children who are (a) missing and (b) unaccounted for.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The rise in the number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) crossing the channel in small boats means there are significant challenges on providing Local Authority care places for UASC. Out of necessity and with the best interests of the child in mind, we have had no alternative but to temporarily use hotels to give some unaccompanied children a roof over their heads whilst local authority accommodation is found.
Robust safeguarding, welfare and security procedures are in place to ensure all children and minors are safe and supported in interim hotels as we seek urgent placements with a Local Authority.
Young people are supported by team leaders and support workers who are on site 24 hours a day.
Records are kept and monitored of children leaving and returning to the hotel. Support workers will accompany children off site on activities and social excursions, or where specific vulnerabilities are identified. The Home Office has no power to hold children in hotels or any temporary accommodation if they wish to leave.
As of 26 January 2023, there were 199 missing UASC from Home Office operated hotels, of which 76 were missing from Home Office operated hotels in Brighton and Hove.
When any young person goes missing the ‘missing persons protocol’ is followed and led by our directly engaged social workers. A multi-agency, missing persons protocol is mobilised alongside the police and local authorities, to establish their whereabouts and to ensure that they are safe
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to recent reports of the abduction of unaccompanied children from a Home Office residence in Hove, what arrangements for custody and responsibility her Department made with that local authority when it procured hotels to house asylum seekers in that area.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The rise in dangerous small boats crossings means there are significant challenges on providing local authority care places for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC). Out of necessity and with the best interests of the child in mind, we have had no alternative but to temporarily use hotels to give some unaccompanied children a roof over their heads whilst local authority accommodation is found. The safety and wellbeing of those in our care is our primary concern.
The Home Office engaged with the local authority before UASC were housed in the hotel, but operational pressures resulted in a reduced period of notice prior to their moving into the site.
We take our safeguarding responsibilities extremely seriously, and we have robust procedures in place to ensure all children are accommodated as safely as possible whilst in hotels. The movements of UASC in and out of hotels are monitored and recorded and they are accompanied by support workers when attending organised activities and social excursions off-site, or where specific vulnerabilities are identified.
We have no power to detain unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in these hotels and we know some do go missing. Many of those who have gone missing are subsequently traced and located. It is not true to say that unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are being kidnapped or abducted from these hotels.
Ending the use of hotels for UASC is an absolute priority and we will continue to work around the clock with councils to increase the number of care placements available. To achieve that goal we are providing are providing local authorities with children’s services £15,000 for every eligible young person they take into their care from a Home Office-run hotel dedicated to UASC or the Kent Reception and Safe Care Service by the end of February 2023.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to recent reports of the abduction of unaccompanied children from a Home Office residence in Hove, what training was provided to security staff contracted by her Department to manage the security of those children.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
We take the safety and welfare of those in our care, including unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, extremely seriously.
Contracted security staff within UASC hotels complete comprehensive training.
The wellbeing of children is our number one priority and our accommodation providers are required to ensure accommodation is safe and in line with contractual requirements.
Home Office Safeguarding Hub works closely with accommodation providers to ensure early identification of vulnerabilities, where issues are not disclosed by customers, and onward referral to the statutory agencies of health, police, and social services.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to recent reports of the abduction of unaccompanied children from a Home Office residence in Hove, what urgent steps her Department is taking to ensure the (a) safety and (b) welfare of children who (i) are missing, (i) were missing but have been found and (c) are living at that residence.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The rise in dangerous small boats crossings means there are significant challenges on providing local authority care places for unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC). Out of necessity and with the best interests of the child in mind, we have accommodated UASC on an emergency and temporary basis in hotels while placements with local authorities have been vigorously pursued. This work is led by dedicated team leaders and support workers who provide 24/7 supervision
We take our safeguarding responsibilities extremely seriously. We have robust safeguarding procedures in place to ensure UASC in hotels are as safe and supported as possible as we seek urgent placements with a local authority. Further care is provided in hotels by teams of social workers and nurses. All children receive a welfare interview which includes questions designed to identify potential indicators of trafficking or safeguarding issues and subsequent safeguarding plans are put in place.
Records are kept and monitored of children leaving and returning to the hotel. Support workers will accompany children off site on activities and social excursions, or where specific vulnerabilities are identified. The Home Office has no power to hold children in hotels or any temporary accommodation if they wish to leave.
When a young person goes missing the ‘missing persons protocol’ is followed and led by our directly engaged social workers. Missing After Reasonable Steps (MARS) is a new protocol which enables children’s homes and supported accommodation placements to have more ownership over the missing episodes of children within their care.
We engage with the local police and work in conjunction with the Local Authorities (LA) children’s services to invoke a missing child multi agency strategy meeting chaired by children’s services.
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many lithium-ion battery fire incidents were recorded in 2019.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
Data collected through the Fire and Rescue Service Incident Recording System (IRS) does not include data on whether fire incidents attended were caused by or involved lithium-ion batteries.
The Home Office collects data on incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs), with this data including the cause of the fire and the source of ignition. This data is published in a variety of publications, available here: Fire statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many lithium-ion battery fire incidents were recorded in 2020.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
Data collected through the Fire and Rescue Service Incident Recording System (IRS) does not include data on whether fire incidents attended were caused by or involved lithium-ion batteries.
The Home Office collects data on incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs), with this data including the cause of the fire and the source of ignition. This data is published in a variety of publications, available here: Fire statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many lithium-ion battery fire incidents were recorded in 2018.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
Data collected through the Fire and Rescue Service Incident Recording System (IRS) does not include data on whether fire incidents attended were caused by or involved lithium-ion batteries.
The Home Office collects data on incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs), with this data including the cause of the fire and the source of ignition. This data is published in a variety of publications, available here: Fire statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Ian Byrne (Labour - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many lithium-ion battery fire incidents were recorded in the UK in 2021.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
Data collected through the Fire and Rescue Service Incident Recording System (IRS) does not include data on whether fire incidents attended were caused by or involved lithium-ion batteries.
The Home Office collects data on incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs), with this data including the cause of the fire and the source of ignition. This data is published in a variety of publications, available here: Fire statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).