Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people arriving in the UK aboard any floating structure have (a) had their phone confiscated by border force and (b) had their data digitally downloaded since 2022.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
The Home Office are unable to provide the requested data. This is on the basis that it is operationally sensitive and not stored in an easily accessible format.
Border Force, Immigration Enforcement and police colleagues use every tool at their disposal to investigate and disrupt the people smuggling networks who facilitate dangerous crossings on such floating vessels and structures, including seizing and examining mobile phones which could assist with criminal investigations.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2024 to Question 8806 on Bibby Stockholm: Inspections, on what dates and where the inspections of the Bibby Stockholm were conducted by Plymouth Marine Office.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The inspection from the Plymouth Marine Office was conducted on 31 August 2023 in Portland, with the barge in its current location.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of whether private providers responsible for running asylum accommodation are meeting their contractual requirements.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The Asylum Accommodation and Support Services Contracts (AASC) Statement of Requirements below gives a detailed breakdown of all of the services to be undertaken by our accommodation providers and to the standards we expect:
AASC_-_Schedule_2_- _Statement_of_Requirements.pdf (parliament.uk).
Home Office accommodation providers are required to visit each property at least monthly, and assurance that contractual requirements are met is tested by the Home Office Contract Assurance Team, which inspects properties and undertakes other assurance activities on an intelligence-led basis. Formal governance mechanisms are in place, to oversee performance and delivery against contractual requirements.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance his Department issues on (a) the level of profit that private providers may receive from running asylum accommodation and (b) arrangements for the management of profits over that threshold.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
It would not be appropriate to comment on commercial arrangements with suppliers. All Home Office commercial contracts are designed to ensure the best value for taxpayers and the Home Office closely monitors its contractors’ performance, including financial results. Any profits above the agreed contractual mark-up are returned to the Home Office.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will have discussions with local authorities on the potential for greater council control of asylum accommodation.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Full dispersal is built upon a culture of shared accountability and collective delivery between accommodation providers, the Home Office and local authorities. There are monthly regional governance meetings, which offer an avenue for collaboration and opportunities for the Home Office, accommodation providers, and local authorities to engage, drive progress and monitor the procurement of dispersed accommodation. It is imperative that we work together on asylum accommodation.
The Home Office agreed Full Dispersal Allocation Plans for every local authority and region in the UK, including Scotland and Wales for 2023. The Home Office is exploring how to improve plans for 2024 and beyond and local authorities will be contacted as soon as possible to discuss this in more detail.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has received payments of profits over a contractual threshold from private providers running asylum accommodation.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
We cannot comment on commercial arrangements with suppliers.
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2023 to Question 6871 on Bibby Stockholm, what certification was issued for the Bibby Stockholm by the (a) Maritime and Coastguard Agency and (b) Barbados Maritime Ship Registry since 1 January 2023.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
Appropriate inspections have been conducted by Plymouth Marine Office on behalf of Maritime & Coastguard Agency (PSC Inspection) and report issued on the 8th July 2023. In accordance with sec 197 of the Shipping Act 1994, Barbados Maritime Ship Registry duly inspected the vessel and found it to comply with the provisions of the said Act, Certificate of Inspection (03 Flag Safety Inspection) was issued on the 1st September 2023, and is valid for 12 months.
We have no plans to publish the inspection reports and the documents are used and held for internal purposes only.
The medical facility on the barge is staffed 5 days a week to provide an onsite primary healthcare service with which the asylum seekers will register; this means individuals will not need to register with a local GP practice. The medical team has previous experience of working with asylum seekers.
This team will provide care to the asylum seekers either on the vessel itself between the hours of 9am-5pm, or remotely (including outside of these hours).
Medical provision will include:
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the promotional material entitled Portland Port: Factsheet, published on 29 December 2023, how many staff work in the medical facility on the Bibby Stockholm.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
Appropriate inspections have been conducted by Plymouth Marine Office on behalf of Maritime & Coastguard Agency (PSC Inspection) and report issued on the 8th July 2023. In accordance with sec 197 of the Shipping Act 1994, Barbados Maritime Ship Registry duly inspected the vessel and found it to comply with the provisions of the said Act, Certificate of Inspection (03 Flag Safety Inspection) was issued on the 1st September 2023, and is valid for 12 months.
We have no plans to publish the inspection reports and the documents are used and held for internal purposes only.
The medical facility on the barge is staffed 5 days a week to provide an onsite primary healthcare service with which the asylum seekers will register; this means individuals will not need to register with a local GP practice. The medical team has previous experience of working with asylum seekers.
This team will provide care to the asylum seekers either on the vessel itself between the hours of 9am-5pm, or remotely (including outside of these hours).
Medical provision will include:
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 19 December 2023 to Question 6871 on Bibby Stockholm, if he will publish the Maritime and Coastguard Agency inspection report; and when this inspection took place.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
Appropriate inspections have been conducted by Plymouth Marine Office on behalf of Maritime & Coastguard Agency (PSC Inspection) and report issued on the 8th July 2023. In accordance with sec 197 of the Shipping Act 1994, Barbados Maritime Ship Registry duly inspected the vessel and found it to comply with the provisions of the said Act, Certificate of Inspection (03 Flag Safety Inspection) was issued on the 1st September 2023, and is valid for 12 months.
We have no plans to publish the inspection reports and the documents are used and held for internal purposes only.
The medical facility on the barge is staffed 5 days a week to provide an onsite primary healthcare service with which the asylum seekers will register; this means individuals will not need to register with a local GP practice. The medical team has previous experience of working with asylum seekers.
This team will provide care to the asylum seekers either on the vessel itself between the hours of 9am-5pm, or remotely (including outside of these hours).
Medical provision will include:
Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Maritime Coastguard Agency has made an assessment of the (a) accommodation standards and (b) staff accreditation on the Bibby Stockholm barge.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The Bibby Stockholm has been subject to certification and regulatory inspection by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency in order to fulfil its permitted purpose.
Accommodation providers ensure that guidance and training provided to staff regarding the identification and management of vulnerable asylum seekers with specific needs, or at risk asylum seekers, is kept up to date and aligns with best practice.