Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of reinstating the 56-day asylum move-on period for families.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
In reaching the decision to set the move-on period at 42 days, we have considered a range of evidence, including key findings from the evaluation of the 56-day pilot, operational data, and forecasted impacts on the asylum accommodation estate. This decision best enables the Home Office to fulfil our statutory obligations whilst looking to minimise impact on local authorities and individuals granted leave, and supports our commitment to deliver reductions to the cost of asylum accommodation and end the use of asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament. The approach and its impacts are being kept under review, however, our immediate focus is on ensuring that the 42 day period is used as effectively as possible, considering whether improvements can be made to our process, communications and services to better support individuals successfully move on from asylum accommodation.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to monitor the social impacts of the revised asylum move-on period of 42 days.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The approach and its impacts are being kept under review. We closely monitor the wider effect on local communities and any pressures placed on local authorities and public amenities. We continue to engage with stakeholders, including local authorities, to reduce barriers and support effective transitions from asylum accommodation. We are also working closely with MHCLG. Under the government’s National Plan to End Homelessness strategy the Home Office has made a commitment to ensure all local authorities receive information from asylum accommodation providers for 100% of newly granted refugees at risk of homelessness. Our immediate focus is on ensuring that the 42-day period is used as effectively as possible, including considering whether improvements can be made to our process, communications and services to better support individuals to successfully move on from asylum accommodation.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of BNO visa holders with (a) B1 and (b) B2 level English-language qualifications.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office has not made an estimate of the proportion of British National (Overseas) visa holders who hold English‑language qualifications at CEFR levels B1 or B2. No data is collected or published that disaggregates BNO visa holders by specific levels of English‑language attainment.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress she has made on responding to the Migration Advisory Committee’s recommendations on the minimum income requirement for the UK’s spouse and partner visa routes.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The MAC’s recommendations are being considered in detail alongside the work being carried out as a result of the Immigration White Paper (Restoring control over the immigration system: white paper - GOV.UK) which made clear that family migration would be reformed to tackle the over complex family immigration arrangements, including the financial requirements.
However, there is no set date for when we will publish a response to the MAC report.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with the Local Authority Registration and Coroner Services Association on their planned timescale to develop a professional qualification for registrars.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The General Register Office for England and Wales, (part of the Home Office) has had no discussions with the Local Authority Registration and Coroner Services Association on their planned timescale to develop a professional qualification for registrars.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing signage in register offices that state (a) marriage and (b) civil partnership can cause a will to be revoked.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
There is currently no plan to introduce signage about wills in register offices.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
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 proposed mandatory duty on the part of (a) therapists and (b) other mental health professionals to report child sexual abuse in the Crime and Policing Bill on child abuse convictions.
Answered by Jess Phillips
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse considered such issues very carefully in the course of compiling its report to Government, and concluded that a mandatory reporting law was necessary to improve the protection of children and young people.
The Crime and Policing Bill will establish a clear, consistent requirement that allegations of child sexual abuse are shared promptly with appropriate safeguarding agencies, who are best placed to consider it further and take appropriate action to safeguard and support the child involved where necessary.
The Government already sets clear expectations through statutory and non-statutory guidance that those engaging with children should make an immediate referral to the relevant local authority children’s social care or the police if they are concerned about a child.
As they are now, impacted services will be responsible for explaining the detail and limitations of their confidentiality policies to their service users, including children and young people. Setting out a clear explanation of the need to pass certain concerns on to appropriate authorities should not undermine trusted relationships, or dissuade people from accessing the services they need.
We will be working with regulators and professional standards-setting bodies to ensure the new duty is clearly communicated ahead of implementation.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
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 proposed mandatory duty to report child sexual abuse in the Crime and Policing Bill on dissuading offenders unknown to the police from coming forward for psychiatric treatment.
Answered by Jess Phillips
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse considered such issues very carefully in the course of compiling its report to Government, and concluded that a mandatory reporting law was necessary to improve the protection of children and young people.
The Crime and Policing Bill will establish a clear, consistent requirement that allegations of child sexual abuse are shared promptly with appropriate safeguarding agencies, who are best placed to consider it further and take appropriate action to safeguard and support the child involved where necessary.
The Government already sets clear expectations through statutory and non-statutory guidance that those engaging with children should make an immediate referral to the relevant local authority children’s social care or the police if they are concerned about a child.
As they are now, impacted services will be responsible for explaining the detail and limitations of their confidentiality policies to their service users, including children and young people. Setting out a clear explanation of the need to pass certain concerns on to appropriate authorities should not undermine trusted relationships, or dissuade people from accessing the services they need.
We will be working with regulators and professional standards-setting bodies to ensure the new duty is clearly communicated ahead of implementation.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
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 proposed mandatory duty to report child sexual abuse in the Crime and Policing Bill on levels of trauma in children who are not (a) ready and (b) willing to report such abuses.
Answered by Jess Phillips
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse considered such issues very carefully in the course of compiling its report to Government, and concluded that a mandatory reporting law was necessary to improve the protection of children and young people.
The Crime and Policing Bill will establish a clear, consistent requirement that allegations of child sexual abuse are shared promptly with appropriate safeguarding agencies, who are best placed to consider it further and take appropriate action to safeguard and support the child involved where necessary.
The Government already sets clear expectations through statutory and non-statutory guidance that those engaging with children should make an immediate referral to the relevant local authority children’s social care or the police if they are concerned about a child.
As they are now, impacted services will be responsible for explaining the detail and limitations of their confidentiality policies to their service users, including children and young people. Setting out a clear explanation of the need to pass certain concerns on to appropriate authorities should not undermine trusted relationships, or dissuade people from accessing the services they need.
We will be working with regulators and professional standards-setting bodies to ensure the new duty is clearly communicated ahead of implementation.
Asked by: Mary Glindon (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department uses artificial intelligence to transcribe asylum interviews.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
No.