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Written Question
Hygiene: Products
Wednesday 16th September 2020

Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant of the Answer of 3 September 2020 to Question 81490 on Hygiene: Products, whether the National Fire Chiefs Council’s press statement setting out the low risk of alcohol-based hand sanitisers takes into consideration the Health and Safety Executive’s guidance on storing alcohol in workplaces across the UK.

Answered by James Brokenshire

The consideration of guidance that informs National Fire Chiefs Council’s (NFCC’s) press statements is a matter for the NFCC.

Under the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR) 2002, employers must assess and eliminate or reduce risks from dangerous substances so far as is reasonably practicable in order to keep people safe.

As outlined in my answer to Question 81490, those responsible for premises are also required by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 to consider the fire risks on that premises and ensure that these are mitigated to as low a level as reasonably practicable.


Written Question
Hygiene: Products
Thursday 3rd September 2020

Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the fire risk of alcohol-based hand sanitisers being stored in large quantities in buildings throughout the UK; and what steps she is taking to educate the public on the fire risks of alcohol-based hand-rubs.

Answered by James Brokenshire

The Home Office has considered the fire risks associated with alcohol-based hand sanitisers in partnership with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC). The NFCC issued a press statement setting out the low risk of such products causing a fire and the need for a spark to come into contact with the substance.

Where alcohol-based hand sanitisers are stored in large quantities, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the responsible person for that premises to consider the fire risks and ensure these are mitigated to as low as reasonably practicable.


Written Question
Asylum: Fraud
Tuesday 5th November 2019

Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the UKVI investigations into asylum fraud since 2009 have resulted in criminal prosecutions.

Answered by Seema Kennedy

Since 2014, when records were centralised, Immigration Enforcement has undertaken 6 criminal prosecutions into asylum fraud.


Written Question
Immigration: Fraud
Tuesday 5th November 2019

Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the UKVI-led prosecutions for immigration fraud since 2009 have resulted in convictions.

Answered by Seema Kennedy

Since 2014, when records were centralised, Immigration Enforcement has secured 3 convictions into asylum fraud.


Written Question
UK Visas and Immigration: Staff
Friday 1st November 2019

Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people the National Allegations Team of UK Visas and Immigration has employed in each year since 2009.

Answered by Seema Kennedy

Allegations of immigration abuse submitted by the public to the Home Office are received and managed by Immigration Enforcement.

Data on the number of staff employed to perform this task is available form 2016 when bespoke receipt and evaluation teams were introduced.

In the years since 2016 they have employed the following personnel to perform that task.

2016 – 57, 2017 – 63, 2018 – 59 and 2019 – 61.


Written Question
Immigration: Fraud
Friday 1st November 2019

Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many complaints her Department has received on immigration fraud in each year since 2009.

Answered by Seema Kennedy

Information on the number of reports of immigration abuse received by the Home Office is published in our transparency data at: www.gov.uk/government/collection/migration-transparency-data.


Written Question
Immigration: Fraud
Friday 1st November 2019

Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many complaints on immigration fraud UK Visas and Immigration has investigated since 2009.

Answered by Seema Kennedy

All allegations of immigration abuse submitted by the public to the Home Office are carefully considered and are subjected to investigation. Cost restrictions prevent a detailed breakdown of specifically what action has been taken.


Written Question
Passports: Photographs
Friday 22nd April 2016

Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will arrange a meeting between the Photo Marketing Association and the Passport Office to discuss ensuring that future digitally-supplied ID photographs meet International Civil Aviation Organisation compliance standards and are supplied by photographic professionals.

Answered by Mike Penning

Photographic requirements for the British passport are set out in www.gov.uk and are fully compliant with standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. HMPO does not currently require passport photographs to be supplied by photographic professionals and there are no plans to change this.

The PMA is a member of the Open Identity Exchange (OIX) with whom HM Passport Office has been actively discussing our digital services to ensure open and transparent engagement with all photographic providers.


Written Question
Passports
Monday 10th November 2014

Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department last met members of the Photo Marketing Association to discuss plans to allow digital pictures to be used in passport applications; and if she will make a statement.

Answered by James Brokenshire

HM Passport Office (HMPO) has a long-standing and productive relationship with the New Zealand Passport Office and meets on a regular basis. HMPO recognise the challenges with getting photos to meet the required international Civil Aviation Organisation security standards and, in addition to working with the New Zealand Passport Office, we have been running user testing sessions to improve the quality of the service. HMPO will ensure any new service is tested extensively before any public launch.

HMPO has regular meetings with representatives from the Photo Marketing Association (PMA); the last meeting was on 23 October 2014. The meetings focus on sharing our plans and to discuss options for providing customers with an appropriate service in the digital age. HMPO will continue to engage with the PMA and through them with the photographic industry to share information about current plans for digital services.

The integrity and security of our passport issuance process is at the heart of HMPO's business model. We are fully committed to our public protection agenda and this extends to all aspects of the application process, across all channels.


Written Question
Passports
Monday 10th November 2014

Asked by: Paul Beresford (Conservative - Mole Valley)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department plans to take to secure professional photographic industry support and agreement for any proposals to collect digital ID photographs for use in future passport applications.

Answered by James Brokenshire

HM Passport Office (HMPO) has a long-standing and productive relationship with the New Zealand Passport Office and meets on a regular basis. HMPO recognise the challenges with getting photos to meet the required international Civil Aviation Organisation security standards and, in addition to working with the New Zealand Passport Office, we have been running user testing sessions to improve the quality of the service. HMPO will ensure any new service is tested extensively before any public launch.

HMPO has regular meetings with representatives from the Photo Marketing Association (PMA); the last meeting was on 23 October 2014. The meetings focus on sharing our plans and to discuss options for providing customers with an appropriate service in the digital age. HMPO will continue to engage with the PMA and through them with the photographic industry to share information about current plans for digital services.

The integrity and security of our passport issuance process is at the heart of HMPO's business model. We are fully committed to our public protection agenda and this extends to all aspects of the application process, across all channels.