Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the (a) joint working arrangements and (b) enforcement plans to help tackle people smuggling gangs that were agreed with France on 27 February 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the oral statement made to the House by the Home Secretary on 14 July.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her press release entitled New UK-French action to go after smuggler gangs, published 28 February 2025, how many of the 12 planned specialist intelligence officers to be part of the judicial police unit, the Groupe d’Appui Operationnel, are in post.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
Twelve.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with the devolved Administrations on extending the remit for the commission into grooming gangs and child exploitation to include (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Whilst child protection is fully devolved in the UK and policing devolved except for Wales, all parts of the UK must work together to protect children and bring perpetrators to justice.
The Independent Commission into group-based child sexual exploitation will have statutory powers, and the chair will determine the Commission's procedure and conduct. We expect any relevant findings to be shared with devolved administrations to support a comprehensive approach across the UK. We will announce further details on the Commission, including the appointment of an independent chair, in due course.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the remit for the commission into grooming gangs and child exploitation to (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Whilst child protection is fully devolved in the UK and policing devolved except for Wales, all parts of the UK must work together to protect children and bring perpetrators to justice.
The Independent Commission into group-based child sexual exploitation will have statutory powers, and the chair will determine the Commission's procedure and conduct. We expect any relevant findings to be shared with devolved administrations to support a comprehensive approach across the UK. We will announce further details on the Commission, including the appointment of an independent chair, in due course.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) resources and (b) funding her Department will provide to the new commission into grooming gangs and child sexual exploitation.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Government will resource the national inquiry into group-based child sexual exploitation. Further details will be set out in due course.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether there will be a limit on the number of local inquiries overseen by the new commission into grooming gangs and child exploitation.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
An independent chair will determine the conduct and procedure of the inquiry. We will announce further details on the inquiry, including the appointment of an independent chair, in due course.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many hotels in Scotland are being used to accommodate asylum seekers.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the Answer I gave on 3 February to Question UIN 26316.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a bespoke immigration route for Scotland.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Government has no plans to devolve immigration policy or introduce a Scottish visa scheme. We are focussed on having an immigration system that works in the interests of the whole of the United Kingdom.
The Government has not tasked the MAC to look at the issue of Scottish visas and have no plans to do so.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will hold discussions with the Migration Advisory Committee on the potential merits of establishing a bespoke immigration route for Scotland.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Government has no plans to devolve immigration policy or introduce a Scottish visa scheme. We are focussed on having an immigration system that works in the interests of the whole of the United Kingdom.
The Government has not tasked the MAC to look at the issue of Scottish visas and have no plans to do so.
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a bespoke immigration route for Scotland.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Government has no plans to devolve immigration policy or introduce a Scottish visa scheme. We are focussed on having an immigration system that works in the interests of the whole of the United Kingdom.
The Government has not tasked the MAC to look at the issue of Scottish visas and have no plans to do so.