Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism's report entitled We sacrificed everything we had: seasonal workers left without jobs after Home Office decision, published on 24 August 2024, whether workers who had their visa applications rejected as a result of the Home Office’s revocation of Ethero’s sponsor licence will be compensated for (a) medical certificates, (b) TLSContact visa processing fees, (c) flights and (d) other costs incurred.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
There are no current plans to compensate those who are currently in the UK and have been impacted by the revocation of Ethero’s Sponsor Licence do not find themselves in a detrimental position so far as the continuity of employment is concerned.
Ethero were removed from the register of licensed sponsors for failing in their obligations towards workers under their sponsorship.
The UK government cannot underwrite the immigration costs of those seeking a visa to come to work in the UK and has no plans to compensate workers for (a) medical certificates, (b) TLSContact visa processing fees, (c) flights and (d) other costs incurred.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to help support people who have incurred costs to seek compensation following the revocation of Ethoro's seasonal worker scheme operator licence.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Provisions have been put in place to make certain that there is no detriment to individuals who were sponsored by Ethero. However, it is not within the remit of the Home Office to support workers in pursuing compensation claims.
The Home Office has also ensured that there is continuity of work with alternative sponsors for those who were originally attached to Ethero’s sponsor licence.
Organisations seeking to become scheme operators pass through a multifaceted selection process. This includes assessment and endorsement by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as well as holding licencing from the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority. They must also successfully apply for a sponsor licence from the Home Office.
We will continually work to ensure strong due diligence and safeguards in the sponsor licensing process.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether all workers already in the UK on the Seasonal Worker visa whose visas were sponsored by Ethero have been placed with a different Scheme Operator.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Provisions have been put in place to make certain that there is no detriment to individuals who were sponsored by Ethero. However, it is not within the remit of the Home Office to support workers in pursuing compensation claims.
The Home Office has also ensured that there is continuity of work with alternative sponsors for those who were originally attached to Ethero’s sponsor licence.
Organisations seeking to become scheme operators pass through a multifaceted selection process. This includes assessment and endorsement by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as well as holding licencing from the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority. They must also successfully apply for a sponsor licence from the Home Office.
We will continually work to ensure strong due diligence and safeguards in the sponsor licensing process.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of the due diligence carried out for the grant of a sponsor licence to Ethero.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Provisions have been put in place to make certain that there is no detriment to individuals who were sponsored by Ethero. However, it is not within the remit of the Home Office to support workers in pursuing compensation claims.
The Home Office has also ensured that there is continuity of work with alternative sponsors for those who were originally attached to Ethero’s sponsor licence.
Organisations seeking to become scheme operators pass through a multifaceted selection process. This includes assessment and endorsement by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as well as holding licencing from the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority. They must also successfully apply for a sponsor licence from the Home Office.
We will continually work to ensure strong due diligence and safeguards in the sponsor licensing process.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff at the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority work in (a) Scotland and (b) Northern Ireland.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
There are two Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) officers who work in Northern Ireland and one officer who works in Scotland. The GLAA can deploy their officers working in other regions to support the officers in Northern Ireland and Scotland in undertaking regulatory activity when there is capacity and a need to do so.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an estimate of the cost to the aid budget of preparations to transport migrants to Rwanda including costs (a) paid to the Rwandan Government, (b) defending legal challenges (c) passing the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill and (d) for flights and accommodation in the last 12 months.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson
The funding for the Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda is separate from, and additional to, the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget.
The most recently published information, which includes costs paid to the Rwandan government and legal fees, is the National Audit Office Report which can be found here: UK-Rwanda Partnership - NAO report.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an estimate of potential future costs to the aid budget of plans to transport migrants to Rwanda including costs (a) paid to the Rwandan Government, (b) defending legal challenges and (c) flights and accommodation for the next 12 months.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson
The funding for the Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda is separate from, and additional to, the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget.
The most recently published information, which includes costs paid to the Rwandan government and legal fees, is the National Audit Office Report which can be found here: UK-Rwanda Partnership - NAO report.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2023 on the (a) workload of and (b) resources available to police forces.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
The Home Office has undertaken an assessment of the potential impacts of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2023, which will ban nitrous oxide, on the police, courts and prison systems.
The impact assessment is published at The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2023 - Impact Assessment
Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2023 on (a) court caseloads and (b) the prison estate.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
The Home Office has undertaken an assessment of the potential impacts of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2023, which will ban nitrous oxide, on the police, courts and prison systems.
The impact assessment is published at The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2023 - Impact Assessment
Asked by: John McDonnell (Independent - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps to provide counselling and bereavement support to people at Colnbrook Immigration Removal Centre.
Answered by Robert Jenrick - Shadow Secretary of State for Justice
Published Home Office Detention Services Order 08/2014 Deaths in detention provides guidance as to the actions that Home Office and contracted supplier staff must take in the event of a death in detention.
The Home Office publish annual data on deaths in detention as part of the Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release. The annual data for 2017 to 2021 are included in table Det_05b in the Detention summary tables.