Asked by: Richard Drax (Conservative - South Dorset)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the service provider for the asylum accommodation on a vessel in Portland Port, who will be responsible for providing (a) heath and safety work and (b) risk assessments; and what are their relevant qualifications.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The vessel will be managed by an experienced accomodation supplier, under contractual terms agreed with the Home Office. The same supplier has safely and successfully managed two vessels for Ukrainian refugees for the Scottish Government over the past year. Through the Multi Agency Forum health sub group, we are working closely with local health colleagues to ensure appropriate health and safety arrangements are in place.
Asked by: Richard Drax (Conservative - South Dorset)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the asylum accommodation on a vessel in Portland Port, what will happen to people accommodated on the vessel if their asylum claim is later unsuccessful.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Asylum seekers accommodated on the vessel whose claims are refused and have no further appeal rights will be removed from the UK. If people are granted asylum, we will work with local authorities across the UK to provide the support and appropriate accommodation.
Asked by: Richard Drax (Conservative - South Dorset)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to asylum accommodation on a vessel in Portland Port, whether the service provider has a system to report (a) accidents, (b) incidents, (c) dangerous occurrences and (d) fatalities, in compliance with the Health and Safety Executive's Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 Guidance; and what discussions she has had with Dorset Council on this.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The vessel will be managed by an experienced accommodation provider, under contractual terms agreed with the Home Office. The same supplier has safely and successfully managed two vessels for Ukrainian refugees for the Scottish Government over the past year. Through the Multi Agency Forum health subgroup, we are working closely with local health colleagues to ensure appropriate health and safety arrangements are in place.
Asked by: Richard Drax (Conservative - South Dorset)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the asylum accommodation on a vessel in Portland Port, whether people accommodated on the vessel will be (a) new arrivals from small boats and (b) people currently placed in hotels.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The intention is to accommodate single adult male asylum seekers.
Those being accommodated are likely to be of different nationalities. They will already be in the asylum system, having been through robust security checks and health checks.
Asked by: Richard Drax (Conservative - South Dorset)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the asylum accommodation on a vessel in Portland Port, what plans she has for the provision of law enforcement for detaining vessel occupants suspected of (a) acting criminally and (b) committing antisocial behaviour.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Security forms an integral part of the proposed site. A specialist security provider will be working on site 24/7 and we are working closely with Dorset Police to ensure appropriate security arrangements are in place. Any matters relating to suspected criminal activity are reported to the police as a matter of routine.
The safety and security of the local communities, those asylum seekers on the sites and the staff are of the utmost importance.
Asked by: Richard Drax (Conservative - South Dorset)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has hired contractors to provide food and water at Portland barge; and whether her Department plans to (a) provide and (b) require training for people providing services to that barge.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
I refer the Hon. member to my response to Question 182570: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament.
Asked by: Richard Drax (Conservative - South Dorset)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to provide asylum seekers accommodated in Portland Port with timely access to (a) mental health practitioners and (b) Section 12 approved doctors.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Through the Multi Agency Forum health sub group, we are working closely with local health colleagues to ensure appropriate health and safety arrangements are in place. This includes on-site healthcare to limit pressures on local NHS services.
Asked by: Richard Drax (Conservative - South Dorset)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to provide interpreters for asylum seekers housed in Portland Port.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
We are discussing with the local voluntary and community sector about appropriate provisions.
Asked by: Richard Drax (Conservative - South Dorset)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure the safety of doctors and nurses helping asylum seekers on the barge at Portland Port.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Through the Multi Agency Forum health sub group, we are working closely with local health colleagues to ensure appropriate health and safety arrangements are in place.
We are working closely with local police forces and other stakeholders to ensure appropriate security arrangements are in place.
Asked by: Richard Drax (Conservative - South Dorset)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps to prevent the spread of any infectious diseases in Portland barge; and what assessment she has made of the potential public health impacts of housing asylum seekers in Portland Barge on (a) Dorset Council and (b) Dorset health authority.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
We take both the welfare of those in our care and our wider public health responsibilities extremely seriously. At Manston, all asylum seekers are offered diphtheria vaccines and antibiotics upon arrival. The Home Office provides 24/7 health facilities at Manston, including trained medical staff and a doctor for all those on site. All asylum seekers undergo a health check upon arrival and, if needed people are taken to hospital for further care.
The vessel will be managed by a specialist and experienced provider, which has a strong track record of providing this kind of accommodation, having managed the two vessels in Scottish ports for the past year.