Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the cost to the public purse of immigration detention (a) in total, (b) per person detained and (c) by detention centre in the 2024-25 financial year.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The total amount spent on immigration detention in the 2024/25 financial year will be published in the Home Office annual report and accounts in 2025.
The Home Office does not publish the costs associated with each Immigration Removal centre as this is commercially sensitive.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of increasing the immigration detention estate by 290 places.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not comment on service provider procurement exercises, which are commercially sensitive. However, contracts are published upon the Contracts Finder website, once awarded. The Home Office is committed to ensuring value for money on all IRC sites.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to repeal Part II of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (Amendment of List of Safe States) Regulations 2024.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (Amendment of List of Safe States) Regulations 2024 amended Section 80AA of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (as inserted by section 59 of the Illegal Migration Act 2023).
The provisions in the Illegal Migration Act 2023 that use the Section 80AA list are not yet commenced. Therefore, at present, S80AA has no effect in practice. The Government is considering all options relating to the Illegal Migration Act and its implementation, and will set out more details in due course.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of implementing the recommendations of the 14th Report of Session 2017-19 of the Home Affairs Select Committee, Immigration detention, HC 913, published on 21 March 2019.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
No recent review of this report has taken place. However, the Government is committed to tackling irregular migration and strengthening border security. We are maximising efforts to establish a system that is better controlled and managed by increasing enforcement capabilities and returns, whilst operating a detention estate with appropriate safeguards in place.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to withdraw Georgia from the list of safe states as defined in immigration legislation.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
Section 80AA of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (as amended and inserted by section 59 of the Illegal Migration Act 2023) provides for a list of generally safe states for whom asylum and human rights claims would be declared inadmissible; Georgia was added to that list by regulations.
Our current assessment of the situation in Georgia is set out in the relevant Country Policy and Information Notes, which are available on the gov.uk website.
We will continue to monitor the situation, working closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Should we consider that Georgia – or any other designated state – no longer meets the relevant criteria, we would ask Parliament to make the necessary amendments to the list.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress she has made with Cabinet colleagues on easing restrictions for UK artists seeking to tour in EU countries.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
This Government is working collaboratively across departments to look at how best to help touring artists, and improve arrangements for musicians, performing artists and their support staff being able to tour across the EU.
We will engage with the new European Commission and EU Member States, seeking improved arrangements across the European continent without a return to free movement. Our priority remains ensuring that UK artists can continue to thrive on the global stage.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the total operating budget of the Envoy to the Regions and Nations will be.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The terms of reference for the Prime Minister's Envoy for the Nations and Regions will be published online in the normal way, setting out the purpose, scope and remit of the role.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, where the role of Envoy to the Regions and Nations will be based.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The terms of reference for the Prime Minister's Envoy for the Nations and Regions will be published online in the normal way, setting out the purpose, scope and remit of the role.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many full time equivalent staff will be allocated to the office of the Envoy to the Regions and Nations.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The terms of reference for the Prime Minister's Envoy for the Nations and Regions will be published online in the normal way, setting out the purpose, scope and remit of the role.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much funding her Department has allocated to the Pension Credit Week of Action campaign, launched on 2 September 2024.
Answered by Darren Jones - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Government wants those eligible for Pension Credit but not currently claiming it to receive the benefits they are entitled to, including their Winter Fuel Payment. We will continue to maximise opportunities to promote Pension Credit – such as the recent Week of Action - and to raise awareness of its wider benefits and to encourage pensioners to apply.
In the five weeks following the Chancellor’s statement on 29 July we have seen a 115% increase in claims for Pension Credit, compared to the five weeks before. This is a welcome increase, but we must continue to raise awareness. We are now focusing on a paid media partnership and a national Pension Credit marketing campaign through to 21 December to maximise take-up.
Campaign activity is funded from DWP's budget. We will confirm department's control totals for 2024-25, and expenditure limits for 2025-26 alongside the Budget on 30 October.