Asked by: Kate Green (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations she has received from Greater Manchester child and migrant rights organisations on children seeking asylum in the UK who are at a higher risk of criminal exploitation, self-harm and dying by suicide.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Home Office regularly receive representations from Greater Manchester child and migrants’ rights organisations on children seeking asylum in the UK who are at a higher risk of criminal exploitation, self-harm and dying by suicide.
The department most recently received a courtesy copy of an open letter dated 16 December 2021, from the Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit (GMIAU) in which 25 child and migrant rights organisations wrote to us and we replied to this on the 20 January 2022.
The department maintains a working relationship with GMIAU and other regional organisations through our strategic partnerships; including the Strategic Engagement Group (SEG) and National Asylum Stakeholder Forum (NASF), who continue to work collaboratively to ensure asylum claims from children and young people remains one of our top priorities.
Asked by: Kate Green (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department (a) will take to support Afghan nationals after their six months leave to remain in the UK ends and (b) is taking to provide information, advice and support to those people in the meantime.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The Home Office has written to Afghan families advising them of the next steps to progress permanent residence in the UK.
The Home Office has established a dedicated caseworking team, which is working jointly with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Ministry of Defence. This team will contact those here in the UK under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy and those moving onto the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, to assist them to obtain Indefinite Leave to Remain status.
While families are being accommodated in Bridging Hotel accommodation, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) is working with departments including Home Office to support people relocated to the UK through ARAP and ACRS to integrate into UK society. The Home Office are leading on supporting people in bridging accommodation, including getting people into schools, or registering with a GP for example. For the most recent update on what the Government is doing to support Afghans, please see my Dear Colleague of 23/12/21,
We also have Home Office Liaison Officers (HOLO’s) allocated to Bridging Hotel Accommodation.
The role of the HOLO is to provide both face to face support and remote support when not physically present. They are reactive to the needs of those accommodated in hotels and can provide signposting to other government departments and Local Authorities and ensure safeguarding concerns are appropriately acted upon.
Asked by: Kate Green (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many places remain to be allocated under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme; and how many of those given protection under the scheme to date are British nationals or people living in the UK.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) commenced on 6th January. The ACRS will provide up to 20,000 women, children and others at risk with a safe and legal route to resettle in the UK.
We are unable to give statistics of those in the scheme due to the continuing flow of people being welcomed. We will include this data within published resettlement statistics later in 2022.
Asked by: Kate Green (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of the staff employed by her Department are apprentices.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The number of staff currently employed by the Home Office who have started an apprenticeship is 735, which is 2.29% of the department headcount calculated on 31/12/20 (this does not include individuals in the pipeline preparing to start and/or undergoing security checks).
Asked by: Kate Green (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance has been issued to police forces on the carrying and use of tasers in schools by schools-based police officers.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Government does not issue specific guidance on the use of police equipment in schools. This is an operational matter for Chief officers to determine. Officers must pass a comprehensive training programme before they can carry Tasers.
Asked by: Kate Green (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many schools-based police officers are (a) authorised to carry tasers and (b) permitted to carry tasers in schools in each police force in England.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Home Office does not record the number of Taser devices or the number of officers authorised to carry Tasers. This is an operational matter for Chief Officers, and it is for them to determine the number of devices and specially trained officers needed based on their force assessment of threat and risk. Officers must pass a comprehensive training programme before they can carry Tasers.