Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to (a) investigate allegations of and (b) prevent potential exploitation of the Skilled Worker route by third parties that results in financial loss for skilled worker visa applicants.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
UKVI Work Services have numerous functions which focus and respond to allegations of Worker Exploitation.
A bespoke Seasonal Agricultural Compliance team exists for the Farming Sector and for other issues, we have an Embassy Team function who engage with foreign missions on the matter.
Underpinning all of this is our Investigations team who translate compliance and safeguarding issues into tangible disruption activity. Where exploitation is identified, referrals are also made to other relevant functions to take forward such as the Police and National Referral Mechanism.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many allegations of exploitation of the Skilled Worker route by third parties have been investigated by her Department in the last 12 months; and how many and what proportion of those investigations have resulted in (a) the recovery of funds and (b) other forms of compensation for skilled worker visa applicants who were found to have been exploited.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Government is committed to tackling all forms of modern slavery and through the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and has given law enforcement agencies the tools to tackle modern slavery, including maximum life sentences for perpetrators and enhanced protection for victims.
However, the Home Office does not routinely publish data on this matter.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish new police guidance on locating missing asylum-seeking children.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Police guidance is a matter for the College of Policing, which is operationally independent of the Home Office. The Authorised Professional Practice (APP) for missing persons is publicly available on the College’s website and sets out best practice guidance for all missing person investigations, including missing migrant children, for police forces in England and Wales.
In addition to the APP, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Missing Persons is developing advice for forces on the police response to missing migrant children. Other safeguarding agencies and third sector organisations are involved in drafting this advice which should be published this Spring, subject to consultation with relevant partners
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the letter of 20 January 2023 from the hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich on the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
A reply from the Minister for Safeguarding will be provided as soon as possible.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum-seeking children who had recently arrived in the UK without parents or carers were missing from Home Office accommodation in (a) Sussex, (b) London and (c) England as of 13 February 2023.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
There are no plans to routinely release data pertaining to missing unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) at this time.
As of the 22nd February, 196 UASC were missing.
When a young person goes missing the 'missing persons protocol' is followed and led by our directly engaged social workers.
The MARS (Missing After Reasonable Steps) protocol is followed for any looked after child who goes missing from a care setting, including the UASC hotels. When used correctly, similar protocols within police forces have safely reduced the number of missing episodes from placements by 36%.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether police informed her Department that asylum-seeking children who had recently arrived in the UK without parents or carers and who were staying in Home Office accommodation could be targeted by human traffickers.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
All asylum seekers, including children, have an interview on arrival in the UK which includes a series of questions designed to understand whether there are any potential indicators of trafficking and to identify any vulnerabilities.
If there are any indicators that a child is potentially at risk of modern slavery a referral is made to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). The Single Competent Authority (SCA) will make a decision on this referral. Children who are identified to be at risk are placed on a safety plan by the safeguarding team.
We have no power to detain unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) in temporary hotel accommodation. Many of those who have gone missing are subsequently traced and located. There are many reasons why children go missing from care and this is also true of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.
The safety and wellbeing of those in our care is our primary concern. Robust safeguarding and welfare procedures are in place to ensure all children and minors are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with a local authority. This includes support workers being onsite in the hotels 24 hours a day, including nurses and social workers. All contingency sites have security staff on site and providers liaise closely with local police to ensure the welfare and safety of vulnerable residents.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich of 11 December 2020 on his constituent’s Windrush compensation scheme offer.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Home Secretary responded on 27 January 2021.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich of 14 August 2020 regarding his constituent’s Windrush compensation scheme offer.
Answered by Priti Patel
I apologise for the delay in responding to the Hon. Member’s correspondence. The response was sent on 10 November 2020.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff her Department are paid less than the London Living Wage; and what requirements her Department places on contractors to pay the London Living Wage to London-based staff.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
In April 2016, the Government introduced a higher minimum wage rate, called the National Living Wage, which all employers in the UK are required to pay to those aged 25 and over.
The Home Office is compliant with April 2019 National Living Wage of £8.21 and pays this regardless of age. The Living Wage Foundation (LWF) is an initiative by Citizens UK which advocates employers paying an alternative hourly rate known as the Living Wage or London Living Wage. The current Living Wage is £9.00 and London Living Wage is £10.55. Currently there are no qualifying staff directly employed by the Department being paid below the Living Wage Foundation rate for London.
The Home Office does not require its contractors or suppliers to comply with the London Living Wage although they must comply with pay legislation.
Asked by: Matthew Pennycook (Labour - Greenwich and Woolwich)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for Tier 5 temporary religious worker visas were (a) made and (b) granted in the last five years.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Information on ‘Tier 5 – Religious Workers’ entry clearance visa applications and outcomes (granted, refused, withdrawn, lapsed) is published on a quarterly basis in the Home Office’s ‘Immigration Statistics’, Visas data tables volume 1, table vi_01_q, latest edition at: