Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of asylum seekers who will be accommodated at Wethersfield in (a) 2024 and (b) each of the next five years.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The government inherited an asylum system under unprecedented strain. We have taken immediate action to restart asylum processing which will save an estimated £7 billion for the taxpayer over the next ten years, and are delivering a major uplift in returns to remove people with no right to be in the UK. Over the long term this will reduce our reliance on hotels and costs of accommodation.
Occupancy at the Wethersfield site is currently capped at 580 as part of the Special Development Order. This means that during current operation of the site, the population will not exceed 580.
Once the relevant Special Development Order conditions have been discharged, regular occupancy will be capped at 800.
The number of residents on the site at any one time is likely to vary due to a number of factors, including individuals having moved to onward dispersed accommodation while their claims are being considered.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to continue to use the Wethersfield site to provide accommodation for asylum seekers.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The government inherited an asylum system under unprecedented strain. We have taken immediate action to restart asylum processing which will save an estimated £7 billion for the taxpayer over the next ten years, and are delivering a major uplift in returns to remove people with no right to be in the UK. Over the long term this will reduce our reliance on hotels and costs of accommodation.
Occupancy at the Wethersfield site is currently capped at 580 as part of the Special Development Order. This means that during current operation of the site, the population will not exceed 580.
Once the relevant Special Development Order conditions have been discharged, regular occupancy will be capped at 800.
The number of residents on the site at any one time is likely to vary due to a number of factors, including individuals having moved to onward dispersed accommodation while their claims are being considered.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the cost of operating the Wethersfield site for asylum accommodation in each of the next five years.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
Cost information is prospective and commercially sensitive, and as such is not available to be released.
The Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts at HO annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab). It does not publish a breakdown of statistics which disaggregates asylum accommodation costs by type or location.
Asylum seekers who are resident in accommodation where meals are provided, such as Wethersfield, are in receipt of 8.86 per week. Further details about support asylum seekers may be entitled to can be found at Asylum support: What you'll get - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) average and (b) total cost of financial support provided to asylum seekers at the Wethersfield site was in the last 12 months.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
Cost information is prospective and commercially sensitive, and as such is not available to be released.
The Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts at HO annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab). It does not publish a breakdown of statistics which disaggregates asylum accommodation costs by type or location.
Asylum seekers who are resident in accommodation where meals are provided, such as Wethersfield, are in receipt of 8.86 per week. Further details about support asylum seekers may be entitled to can be found at Asylum support: What you'll get - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of small boat arrivals there will be by the end of (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not make estimates of this kind.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Victims of Terrorism Unit (a) completed its review into the support package provided to victims of terrorism and (b) made a draft of its findings available to Ministers; and what plans his Department has to publish the outcomes of that review.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Shadow Minister (Home Office) (Security)
In recognition of the complexities and importance of the Victims of Terrorism Review, Home Office Ministers are considering how to progress recommendations.
Once this phase is complete, the Home Office will consider how to communicate the findings and next steps.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If he will introduce a National Day of Service and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Shadow Minister (Home Office) (Security)
The Home Office has conducted an internal review into the support package provided to victims of terrorism.
The scope of the review covered how the government considers victims of terrorism, what gaps there are in the current support offer and whether communication of the support available is right.
The review recognises that memorialisation and recognition are an important factor in victims’ recovery and has considered how victims could be commemorated in the future.
We will seek to update on next steps in due course.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the net financial costs to public services in Essex of the Wethersfield asylum seeker accommodation site.
Answered by Robert Jenrick - Shadow Secretary of State for Justice
The Home Office is carefully considering the impact on local services including the NHS, police, fire services and social care and we are working with local partners to develop bespoke plans that take account of potential issues including local public safety, local health services, local environmental issues, impact on local services and any risks associated with each site. Financial support is being provided to Braintree District Council, and primary healthcare is available onsite to ensure there is no impact on local GPs. The government provides £3,500 to local authorities for new and occupied dispersal beds. This £3,500 funding for local authorities is being provided to Braintree District Council for the site at Wethersfield.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers who were accommodated at MDP Wethersfield moved into alternative accommodation as a result of a modern day slavery claim being made.
Answered by Robert Jenrick - Shadow Secretary of State for Justice
We are using a phased approach, increasing the number of asylum seekers accommodated at the site over time with the practicalities of managing the site under constant review. The site can accommodate 1700 individuals when fully operational. From 13 April 2022, all local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales are currently considered a dispersal area and will need to take part in asylum dispersal. This is to ensure a fair and equitable accommodation spread of asylum seekers across the UK. We have agreed targets for every local authority and region in the UK to deliver by the end of 2023. Scotland is currently not meeting its dispersal accommodation target.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers have been (a) transferred to and (b) housed at the asylum accommodation centre at MDP Wethersfield site since it opened.
Answered by Robert Jenrick - Shadow Secretary of State for Justice
We are using a phased approach, increasing the number of asylum seekers accommodated at the site over time with the practicalities of managing the site under constant review. The site can accommodate 1700 individuals when fully operational. From 13 April 2022, all local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales are currently considered a dispersal area and will need to take part in asylum dispersal. This is to ensure a fair and equitable accommodation spread of asylum seekers across the UK. We have agreed targets for every local authority and region in the UK to deliver by the end of 2023. Scotland is currently not meeting its dispersal accommodation target.