Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether the Government plans to respond to the publication entitled Your Right to Decide, published by the Scottish Government on 4 September 2025.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Scotland Office)
The UK Government’s priority is delivering for people in Scotland. The Scottish Government should be focussed on working collaboratively with us on our Plan for Change - to grow the economy, improve our public services, and put more money in people’s pockets. That is what people in Scotland want to see.
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, how many Immigration Officers are were employed in the operational arm of the Foreign National Offender Returns Command Immigration Prison Team on 29 August 2025; which prisons those officers are based in; and whether they are located (a) within the prison estate, (b) in embedded hubs or (c) in other facilities.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Home Office does not hold central data on the number of visits conducted by immigration officers in UK prisons.
However, as of 29 August 2025, there were 77 Immigration Officers employed by Foreign National Offender Returns Command. These officers are located within the Immigration Prison Team (IPT), which covers all prisons in the UK. Most of the IPT’s officers are based in prisons. Some are located in Home Office premises, from where they conduct prison visits.
The number of Immigration Officers embedded in a hub and the prisons they cover are:
Embedded Hub | Prisons Covered | Number of IOs (some of which will be part-time) |
HMPs Pentonville and The Mount | HMPs Pentonville & The Mount Feltham YOI HMP Ford HMP Lewes | 7 |
HMP The Verne | HMP The Verne HMP Ashfield HMP Bristol HMP Cardiff HMP Channings Wood HMP Eastwood Park HMP Erlestoke HMP Exeter HMP Guys Marsh HMP Leyhill HMP Parc HMP Swansea HMP Usk HMP Prescoed | 4 |
HMP Highpoint | HMP Highpoint HMP Bure HMP Chelmsford HMP Hollesley Bay HMP LIttlehey HMP Norwich HMP Peterborough (Female) HMP Warren Hill HMP Wayland HMP Whiteland | 5 |
HMP Hewell | HMP Hewell HMP Birmingham HMP Brinsford HMP Dovegate HMP Drake Hall HMP Featherstone HMP Foston Hall HMP Long Lartin HMP Oakwood HMP Onley HMP Rye Hill HMP Stafford HMP Stoke Heath HMP Sudbury HMP Swinfen Hall | 9 |
HMP Risley | HMP Risley HMP Altcourse HMP Berwyn HMP Buckley Hall HMP Forest Bank HMP Garth HMP Haverigg HMP Hindley HMP Kirkham HMP Lancaster Farms HMP Liverpool HMP Manchester HMP Preston HMP Styal HMP Thorn Cross HMP Wymott | 6 |
HMP Moorland | HMP Moorland HMP Fosse Way HMP Gartree HMP Hatfield HMP Hull HMP Humber HMP Leicester HMP Lindholme HMP Nottingham HMP Whatton HMP Ranby | 6 |
HMP Maidstone | HMP Maidstone HMP Cookham Wood HMP East Sutton Park HMP Elmley HMP Rochester HMP Standford Hill HMP Swaleside | 5 |
HMP Huntercombe | HMP Aylesbury HMP Bullingdon HMP Bedford HMP Five Wells HMP Grendon HMP Spring Hill HMP Woodhill | 5 |
HMP Wormwood Scrubs | HMP Wormwood Scrubs HMP Bronzefield HMP Winchester | 4 |
HMP Wandsworth | HMP Wandsworth HMP Brixton HMP Highdown | 4 |
HMP Morton Hall | HMP Morton Hall HMP Lincoln HMP Stocken HMP Lowdham Grange HMP North Sea Camp HMP Peterborough (Male) | 5 |
HMP Barlinnie | HMP Barlinnie HMP Addiewell HMP Castle HMP Huntly HMP Cornton Vale & YOI HMP Dumfries HMP Edinburgh HMP Glenochil HMP Greenock HMP Kilmarnock HMP Low Moss HMP Perth & YOI HMP Shotts HMP Stirling Polmont YOI N Ireland HMP Hydebank Wood HMP Maghaberry HMP Magilligan | 4 |
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, how many visits by Immigration Officers have taken place in each Scottish prison in each year since 2015.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Home Office does not hold central data on the number of visits conducted by immigration officers in UK prisons.
However, as of 29 August 2025, there were 77 Immigration Officers employed by Foreign National Offender Returns Command. These officers are located within the Immigration Prison Team (IPT), which covers all prisons in the UK. Most of the IPT’s officers are based in prisons. Some are located in Home Office premises, from where they conduct prison visits.
The number of Immigration Officers embedded in a hub and the prisons they cover are:
Embedded Hub | Prisons Covered | Number of IOs (some of which will be part-time) |
HMPs Pentonville and The Mount | HMPs Pentonville & The Mount Feltham YOI HMP Ford HMP Lewes | 7 |
HMP The Verne | HMP The Verne HMP Ashfield HMP Bristol HMP Cardiff HMP Channings Wood HMP Eastwood Park HMP Erlestoke HMP Exeter HMP Guys Marsh HMP Leyhill HMP Parc HMP Swansea HMP Usk HMP Prescoed | 4 |
HMP Highpoint | HMP Highpoint HMP Bure HMP Chelmsford HMP Hollesley Bay HMP LIttlehey HMP Norwich HMP Peterborough (Female) HMP Warren Hill HMP Wayland HMP Whiteland | 5 |
HMP Hewell | HMP Hewell HMP Birmingham HMP Brinsford HMP Dovegate HMP Drake Hall HMP Featherstone HMP Foston Hall HMP Long Lartin HMP Oakwood HMP Onley HMP Rye Hill HMP Stafford HMP Stoke Heath HMP Sudbury HMP Swinfen Hall | 9 |
HMP Risley | HMP Risley HMP Altcourse HMP Berwyn HMP Buckley Hall HMP Forest Bank HMP Garth HMP Haverigg HMP Hindley HMP Kirkham HMP Lancaster Farms HMP Liverpool HMP Manchester HMP Preston HMP Styal HMP Thorn Cross HMP Wymott | 6 |
HMP Moorland | HMP Moorland HMP Fosse Way HMP Gartree HMP Hatfield HMP Hull HMP Humber HMP Leicester HMP Lindholme HMP Nottingham HMP Whatton HMP Ranby | 6 |
HMP Maidstone | HMP Maidstone HMP Cookham Wood HMP East Sutton Park HMP Elmley HMP Rochester HMP Standford Hill HMP Swaleside | 5 |
HMP Huntercombe | HMP Aylesbury HMP Bullingdon HMP Bedford HMP Five Wells HMP Grendon HMP Spring Hill HMP Woodhill | 5 |
HMP Wormwood Scrubs | HMP Wormwood Scrubs HMP Bronzefield HMP Winchester | 4 |
HMP Wandsworth | HMP Wandsworth HMP Brixton HMP Highdown | 4 |
HMP Morton Hall | HMP Morton Hall HMP Lincoln HMP Stocken HMP Lowdham Grange HMP North Sea Camp HMP Peterborough (Male) | 5 |
HMP Barlinnie | HMP Barlinnie HMP Addiewell HMP Castle HMP Huntly HMP Cornton Vale & YOI HMP Dumfries HMP Edinburgh HMP Glenochil HMP Greenock HMP Kilmarnock HMP Low Moss HMP Perth & YOI HMP Shotts HMP Stirling Polmont YOI N Ireland HMP Hydebank Wood HMP Maghaberry HMP Magilligan | 4 |
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, where the embedded hubs for the Immigration Prison Teams are located; which prisons are included in each hub; and how many Immigration Officers are employed in each hub.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Home Office does not hold central data on the number of visits conducted by immigration officers in UK prisons.
However, as of 29 August 2025, there were 77 Immigration Officers employed by Foreign National Offender Returns Command. These officers are located within the Immigration Prison Team (IPT), which covers all prisons in the UK. Most of the IPT’s officers are based in prisons. Some are located in Home Office premises, from where they conduct prison visits.
The number of Immigration Officers embedded in a hub and the prisons they cover are:
Embedded Hub | Prisons Covered | Number of IOs (some of which will be part-time) |
HMPs Pentonville and The Mount | HMPs Pentonville & The Mount Feltham YOI HMP Ford HMP Lewes | 7 |
HMP The Verne | HMP The Verne HMP Ashfield HMP Bristol HMP Cardiff HMP Channings Wood HMP Eastwood Park HMP Erlestoke HMP Exeter HMP Guys Marsh HMP Leyhill HMP Parc HMP Swansea HMP Usk HMP Prescoed | 4 |
HMP Highpoint | HMP Highpoint HMP Bure HMP Chelmsford HMP Hollesley Bay HMP LIttlehey HMP Norwich HMP Peterborough (Female) HMP Warren Hill HMP Wayland HMP Whiteland | 5 |
HMP Hewell | HMP Hewell HMP Birmingham HMP Brinsford HMP Dovegate HMP Drake Hall HMP Featherstone HMP Foston Hall HMP Long Lartin HMP Oakwood HMP Onley HMP Rye Hill HMP Stafford HMP Stoke Heath HMP Sudbury HMP Swinfen Hall | 9 |
HMP Risley | HMP Risley HMP Altcourse HMP Berwyn HMP Buckley Hall HMP Forest Bank HMP Garth HMP Haverigg HMP Hindley HMP Kirkham HMP Lancaster Farms HMP Liverpool HMP Manchester HMP Preston HMP Styal HMP Thorn Cross HMP Wymott | 6 |
HMP Moorland | HMP Moorland HMP Fosse Way HMP Gartree HMP Hatfield HMP Hull HMP Humber HMP Leicester HMP Lindholme HMP Nottingham HMP Whatton HMP Ranby | 6 |
HMP Maidstone | HMP Maidstone HMP Cookham Wood HMP East Sutton Park HMP Elmley HMP Rochester HMP Standford Hill HMP Swaleside | 5 |
HMP Huntercombe | HMP Aylesbury HMP Bullingdon HMP Bedford HMP Five Wells HMP Grendon HMP Spring Hill HMP Woodhill | 5 |
HMP Wormwood Scrubs | HMP Wormwood Scrubs HMP Bronzefield HMP Winchester | 4 |
HMP Wandsworth | HMP Wandsworth HMP Brixton HMP Highdown | 4 |
HMP Morton Hall | HMP Morton Hall HMP Lincoln HMP Stocken HMP Lowdham Grange HMP North Sea Camp HMP Peterborough (Male) | 5 |
HMP Barlinnie | HMP Barlinnie HMP Addiewell HMP Castle HMP Huntly HMP Cornton Vale & YOI HMP Dumfries HMP Edinburgh HMP Glenochil HMP Greenock HMP Kilmarnock HMP Low Moss HMP Perth & YOI HMP Shotts HMP Stirling Polmont YOI N Ireland HMP Hydebank Wood HMP Maghaberry HMP Magilligan | 4 |
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason paramedics employed by air ambulance charities are excluded from eligibility for the Ambulance Service (Emergency Duties) Long Service and Good Conduct Medal; and if his Department will review that policy.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Employees of air ambulance charities and independent ambulance services are not eligible for the Ambulance Service (Emergency Duties) Long Service and Good Conduct Medal as they are not employed by the National Health Service or an NHS foundation trust. There are no current plans to extend the eligibility of the award.
Asked by: Pete Wishart (Scottish National Party - Perth and Kinross-shire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help support people who are unable to re-mortgage their properties because of fire safety issues.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Ten mortgage lenders (banks and building societies) have signed a joint statement confirming they will lend on properties in buildings before they have been remediated. Leaseholders should be able to re-mortgage their homes with one of these lenders, even before works have completed.
We will remain vigilant and continue to hold the ten major lenders to account following their commitment.
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 (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
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, 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 (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
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, 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 (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
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 (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
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.