Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Leader of the House:
To ask the Leader of the House, if she will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to increase parliamentary scrutiny of UK strategic export controls for military goods.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The government recognises the importance of effective Parliamentary scrutiny of strategic export controls and takes these matters very seriously. The UK operates one of the most transparent export licensing systems in the world, publishing quarterly and annual statistics on all of our export licensing decisions, including details of export licences granted, refused and revoked. The government is required by statute to present an Annual Report on UK Strategic Export Controls detailing the government’s approach to export licensing, including international commitments. The most recent quarterly data on strategic export controls is available on gov.uk (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/strategic-export-controls-licensing-statistics-1-april-to-30-june-2023), as is the annual report for 2022 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-strategic-export-controls-annual-report-2022).
As of January 2024, the Business and Trade Committee is the Parliamentary scrutiny committee with oversight of arms export controls, a role formerly carried out by the Select Committee on Arms Exports Controls (CAEC). A joint report outlining plans for future parliamentary scrutiny of strategic export controls was published by the Business and Trade, Foreign Affairs and International Development Committees on 23rd January 2024 and can be found on parliament.uk (https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/42982/documents/213812/default/).
The Government recognises the important role that the CAEC played in providing Parliamentary scrutiny of export controls and the work of the Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU). While Parliamentary scrutiny is a matter for the House, the government is committed to keeping the Business and Trade Committee updated on the work of the ECJU as it carries out its new scrutiny role. Other relevant select committees will no doubt continue to examine strategic export controls as part of their wider work, allowing a broad range of scrutiny across the House.
Hon and Rt Hon Members can also raise matters relating to the scrutiny of the UK's strategic export controls directly with the Department for Business and Trade.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HMRC has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of consumer protection regulation for individuals submitting tax rebate applications to HMRC through accounting companies.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is committed to maintaining trust in the tax system and working with taxpayers to help them get their tax right. However, the Government is aware that some taxpayers face issues and feel misled when using companies that specialise in claiming tax refunds from HMRC.
The Government is working with regulators and other key partners to ensure that the current legal framework is robust in prohibiting harmful business practices to consumer contracts. This includes introducing expectations of transparency in the HMRC Standard for Agents, updated in January 2023, to ensure customers are made aware of the agent’s fees and charging structure.
There are many ways in which a customer can authorise a third party to act on their behalf. HMRC is also developing options for a more modern and secure approach to agent authorisation.
HMRC continues to monitor tax agents and challenge them when there are potential concerns about their practices. HMRC then takes action by either issuing penalties, suspending claims or refusing to deal with an agent, and wherever necessary working with the Police to support their investigations.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate he has made of the number of Afghan refugees previously housed in interim hotel accommodation have spent one or more nights sleeping rough since leaving that accommodation.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
On the number of Afghan households previously housed in Home Office interim hotel accommodation who have since become homeless, please refer to our response from 20 December 2023 to Question UIN 6726.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities does not collect data on the number of Afghan households previously housed in Home Office provided interim hotel accommodation who have slept rough since leaving that accommodation.
The Department does not regularly publish data on Afghan homelessness.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many Afghan refugees previously housed in interim hotel accommodation have been made homeless since leaving that accommodation.
Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
On the number of Afghan households previously housed in Home Office interim hotel accommodation who have since become homeless, please refer to our response from 20 December 2023 to Question UIN 6726.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities does not collect data on the number of Afghan households previously housed in Home Office provided interim hotel accommodation who have slept rough since leaving that accommodation.
The Department does not regularly publish data on Afghan homelessness.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Afghan refugees housed in interim hotel accommodation were aged (a) zero to three, (b) three to five, (c) five to ten, (d) 10 to 15 and (e) 15 to 18 years old as of 26 December 2023.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The UK made an ambitious and generous commitment to help resettle Afghans fleeing persecution and those who served in the UK. Since June 2021, we have brought 24,500 people to safety to the UK.
1,674 people, around half of whom are children, were living in interim accommodation (i.e., hotels/serviced accommodation) at the end of September 2023.
For information on individuals within interim accommodation, including nationality, age, and sex breakdowns, see table Asy_D02 of the asylum and resettlement detailed datasets: Immigration system statistics quarterly release - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
For data on those in accommodation by location, see the regional and local authority immigration groups data tables.
We are unable to provide a running commentary on interim accommodation and settled accommodation occupation. The next release of Afghan Operational Data is due for release around 22 February 2024.
Local authorities receive integration tariff funding of £20,520 per person, over three years, for each Afghan family they resettle and provide full integration support for this duration. They have the flexibility to use this funding to contribute towards renting accommodation, including deposit, letting fees and necessary furnishings.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Afghan refugees were housed in interim hotel accommodation as of (a) 5 December 2023, (b) 12 December 2023, (c) 19 December 2023, (d) 26 December 2023 and (e) 31 December 2023.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The UK made an ambitious and generous commitment to help resettle Afghans fleeing persecution and those who served in the UK. Since June 2021, we have brought 24,500 people to safety to the UK.
1,674 people, around half of whom are children, were living in interim accommodation (i.e., hotels/serviced accommodation) at the end of September 2023.
For information on individuals within interim accommodation, including nationality, age, and sex breakdowns, see table Asy_D02 of the asylum and resettlement detailed datasets: Immigration system statistics quarterly release - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
For data on those in accommodation by location, see the regional and local authority immigration groups data tables.
We are unable to provide a running commentary on interim accommodation and settled accommodation occupation. The next release of Afghan Operational Data is due for release around 22 February 2024.
Local authorities receive integration tariff funding of £20,520 per person, over three years, for each Afghan family they resettle and provide full integration support for this duration. They have the flexibility to use this funding to contribute towards renting accommodation, including deposit, letting fees and necessary furnishings.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Afghan refugees who left hotel accommodation between 1 and 31 December 2023 have found permanent accommodation in the same local authority area.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The UK made an ambitious and generous commitment to help resettle Afghans fleeing persecution and those who served in the UK. Since June 2021, we have brought 24,500 people to safety to the UK.
1,674 people, around half of whom are children, were living in interim accommodation (i.e., hotels/serviced accommodation) at the end of September 2023.
For information on individuals within interim accommodation, including nationality, age, and sex breakdowns, see table Asy_D02 of the asylum and resettlement detailed datasets: Immigration system statistics quarterly release - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
For data on those in accommodation by location, see the regional and local authority immigration groups data tables.
We are unable to provide a running commentary on interim accommodation and settled accommodation occupation. The next release of Afghan Operational Data is due for release around 22 February 2024.
Local authorities receive integration tariff funding of £20,520 per person, over three years, for each Afghan family they resettle and provide full integration support for this duration. They have the flexibility to use this funding to contribute towards renting accommodation, including deposit, letting fees and necessary furnishings.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support has been provided to Bradford Council by his Department to support Afghan refugees leaving interim hotel accommodation.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The UK made an ambitious and generous commitment to help resettle Afghans fleeing persecution and those who served in the UK. Since June 2021, we have brought 24,500 people to safety to the UK.
1,674 people, around half of whom are children, were living in interim accommodation (i.e., hotels/serviced accommodation) at the end of September 2023.
For information on individuals within interim accommodation, including nationality, age, and sex breakdowns, see table Asy_D02 of the asylum and resettlement detailed datasets: Immigration system statistics quarterly release - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
For data on those in accommodation by location, see the regional and local authority immigration groups data tables.
We are unable to provide a running commentary on interim accommodation and settled accommodation occupation. The next release of Afghan Operational Data is due for release around 22 February 2024.
Local authorities receive integration tariff funding of £20,520 per person, over three years, for each Afghan family they resettle and provide full integration support for this duration. They have the flexibility to use this funding to contribute towards renting accommodation, including deposit, letting fees and necessary furnishings.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his planned timetable is to publish further information about the Government's proposed increases to the minimum income requirement for family visas.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The revised minimum income requirement will be implemented in spring 2024.
The Government will set out any transitional provisions associated with this increase in January.
Any applications already submitted will be considered in line with the existing policy.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of trends in the level of violence in the West Bank.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are clear that settler violence and the targeting of Palestinian civilians in the West Bank is completely unacceptable. It undermines security and stability at a time when Israelis and Palestinians are desperate for both and increases the risks of atrocities and intercommunal violence. Israel must prevent these acts and hold those responsible to account, ensuring any perpetrators are arrested and prosecuted. Ultimately, to prevent further conflict, there must be a political solution: a two-state solution which provides justice and security for both Israelis and Palestinians, ending the security threat posed by Hamas and with the Israelis taking more precautions regarding civilians and tackling settler violence.