Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether Mears Group plans to rule out the use of lock-change evictions when it commences the contract for providing housing for asylum seekers in Glasgow in September 2019.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute are provided with free, furnished accommodation whilst their asylum claim is under consideration. Where they are granted leave to remain they are free to live and work in the United Kingdom.
Those who have been unsuccessful in their asylum claim and do not have leave to remain in the UK are no longer entitled to asylum accommodation and should take steps to leave the UK. UKVI will continue to work with Serco, Mears and Glasgow City Council to ensure that those with no right to be in the UK leave their accommodation in a safe and secure way and that they are provided with the necessary support and advice to make an informed decision about their future.
Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment the Government has made of trends in the level of the incidents of partner violence in which perpetrators (a) monitor and (b) control their victims through (i) apps on smartphones and (ii) other internet-connected devices.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
On 21 January we published the Government response to our public consultation on transforming the response to domestic abuse, in which we asked about the risk of technology being used to perpetrate abuse. In our response we committed to continue to work on the Government Online Harms White Paper, which was published on Monday, and which sets out our proposals to address both harmful and illegal conduct and content, including the broad range of online harms associated with domestic abuse.
In addition, the Government has provided Refuge with £250,000 of funding through the Tampon Tax to provide specialist nationwide support to staff and survivors who experience technologically facilitated abuse. We have also provided Northumbria PCC with £646,000 through the Home Office Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Service Transformation Fund for a project which includes work to tackle cyberstalking.
Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of using existing powers under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 to tackle shop theft including (a) the Community Trigger, and (b) Community Remedy; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Where shop theft involves anti-social behaviour, local areas in England and Wales may use the tools provided for by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. Where appropriate, this may include the Community Remedy, which gives victims of low-level crime and anti-social behaviour a say in the punishment of perpetrators who receive an out of court punishment, and the Community Trigger, which gives victims of persistent anti-social behaviour the ability to request a formal case review.
Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to support convenience retailers in Glasgow North East that lost an estimated £194,659 due to shop theft; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
This matter is devolved to the Scottish Government.
Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if his Department will continue to provide funding to the National Business Crime Centre.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Ministers are yet to take a decision regarding the award of allocations from the PTF for 2019/2020.
Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure care workers can continue to come and work in the UK after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
In December 2018, the Government set out its proposals in “the UK’s future Skills-based Immigration System” White Paper. The White Paper proposals include a new route for skilled workers which will be open to anyone at RQF level 3 and above, irrespective of where they are applying from. This route will not be capped allowing all of those who meet our requirements to come to the UK.
The White Paper also includes a transitional route for temporary workers which will be open to anyone from qualifying countries, wishing to fill positions at any skill level, for up to 12 months. We do not intend to impose a cap on the number of people wishing to use the route.
Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he plans to take to compensate people who paid for a one-week fast-tracking service for a new passport in order to travel on 24 March in the event that the date that the UK leaves the EU is moved back from 29 March 2019.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
It is Her Majesty’s Passport Office’s policy to reimburse any out of pocket expenses incurred by a customer as a direct consequence of an error or omission it has made.
As part of our responsibility for preparing citizens for all scenarios, we have made clear in our advice that the changes to the rules for travel to Europe are in the event that the UK leaves the European Union without a deal. There is no error within this advice.
Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he plans to (a) retain and (b) extend to EEA citizens the Tier 2 visa salary exemption for nurses after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
We have been clear that we want all EU nationals, including those working in the NHS and the care sector, to stay in the UK after we leave the EU.
In their report, EEA migration in the UK, the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) recommended maintaining the existing system of salary thresholds.
The Government has been clear that we will undertake an extensive programme of engagement with a wide range of stakeholders across the UK, including with the private, public and voluntary sector and local government, as well as industry representatives and individual businesses before taking a final decision on the level of salary thresholds.
Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he plans to ensure that overseas care workers are exempt from the Tier 2 visa £30,000 salary cap and able to work in the UK; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
We have been clear that we want all EU nationals, including those working in the NHS and the care sector, to stay in the UK after we leave the EU.
In their report, EEA migration in the UK, the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) recommended maintaining the existing system of salary thresholds.
The Government has been clear that we will undertake an extensive programme of engagement with a wide range of stakeholders across the UK, including with the private, public and voluntary sector and local government, as well as industry representatives and individual businesses before taking a final decision on the level of salary thresholds.
Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2018 to Question 191442 on Diamorphine: Glasgow, what the guidelines are on chronic heroin addiction treatment plans as a condition of his Department permitting a diamorphine prescribing licence to local authorities.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The issue of ‘prescriber’ licences was devolved to the Scottish Ministers in 2012. The timeline for a decision on any prescriber licence or any conditions to be assigned to that licence are matters for Scottish Government.
Any controlled drugs licenses required by the organisation at a specific premises to possess and supply controlled drugs are a matter for the Home Office.