Asked by: Karen Bradley (Conservative - Staffordshire Moorlands)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to repurpose (a) offices and (b) other buildings to house asylum seekers in Staffordshire Moorlands constituency.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Home Office continues to work with a range of stakeholders to fulfil its statutory obligations, while seeking to reduce the overall cost of asylum accommodation, and to end the use of hotels.
Asked by: Karen Bradley (Conservative - Staffordshire Moorlands)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the number of migrants that attempted to enter the UK illegally in trucks and other motor vehicles in each of the last five years.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Home Office publish data on the number of detected attempts to enter the UK irregularly, by selected methods of entry since 2018. The latest publication can be found at: Gov.uk Irregular migration to the UK data page.
Asked by: Karen Bradley (Conservative - Staffordshire Moorlands)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she will appoint the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner.
Answered by Sarah Dines
The role of the Anti-Slavery Commissioner (IASC) as set out in the 2015 Modern Slavery Act is to encourage good practice in the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of slavery and human trafficking offences and the identification of victims.
The process to recruit a new IASC follows the principles set out within the Cabinet Office Governance Code on Public Appointments.
A decision on the appointment is under consideration.
Asked by: Karen Bradley (Conservative - Staffordshire Moorlands)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what additional resources she will provide to the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority for inspection and enforcement activities from 1 January 2021 to help tackle abuses of the new points-based immigration system.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
As we replace freedom of movement with the Points-Based System, we remain committed to preventing any abuse of the system, including by protecting individuals from modern slavery and exploitation by criminal traffickers and unscrupulous employers.
The Government spends £33m a year on state enforcement of employment rights to support the work of the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), HMRC’s National Minimum Wage Team and the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate. GLAA resources for 2021/2022 have not yet been agreed.
Asked by: Karen Bradley (Conservative - Staffordshire Moorlands)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to intercept criminals at the point of entry ahead of the implementation of the Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
The Home Office takes the issue of preventing foreign criminals entering the UK extremely seriously.
Using advance passenger information Border Force operates an Authority to Carry “No Fly” Scheme.? Foreign national offenders previously deported from the UK and individuals excluded from the UK on the grounds that their presence would be non-conducive to the public good due to their involvement in serious criminality are among those who carriers are refused authority to carry to UK. ?This action is disrupting criminals from even arriving into UK ports of entry.
In addition to our pre-travel checks every passenger arriving in the UK at passport control is checked in order to identify criminal, security and immigration concerns.. Where we are aware of individuals who pose a risk, Border Force officers can, and do, refuse them entry.