Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 26 April 2022 to Question 156340 on Sexual Harassment: Public Places, on what date she will publish the Government's consultation on public sexual harassment.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
We look forward to receiving the views of respondents to the consultation, which will help ensure that the Government is in the most informed position in determining its policies on public sexual harassment.
We will commence the consultation before the summer recess.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which national human rights institutions will be able to inspect the provision of services for those refugees whose applications for asylum will be covered by the joint new migration and economic development partnership with Rwanda.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
As set out in paragraph 15 of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) governing the Migration and Economic Development Partnership, an independent Monitoring Committee will monitor the entire relocation process and compliance with assurances in the MoU, including the processing of asylum claims and provision of support in Rwanda. More details on this, including membership, will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's proposal to use a hotel in E10 to house asylum seekers, when her Department plans to put in place (a) details of additional support provided by her Department to the local authority, (b) proposals to support local services experiencing additional demand and (c) proposals to ensure that hotel residents are able to move from that premises into longer term accommodation.
Answered by Kevin Foster
On 13th April 2022, The Minister for Safe and Legal Migration announced with immediate effect we would move to a full model for dispersal, to end our reliance on the use of contingency accommodation.
We have committed to working with local authorities to move to a fairer distribution of asylum seekers. All local authority areas in England, Scotland and Wales will be expected to participate in the new system process to allow us to move from hotels to less expensive and more suitable dispersed accommodation.
The full dispersal procurement process will run in two parts
a. Continued Procurement is effective from the 13th of April and will run until Regional Allocation plans are agreed. This is in place to ensure we are progressing with procurement in the absence of Regional Allocation plans.
b. Procurement against Regional Allocation Plans which will commence from the 15th of July or in advance pertaining to agreement on regional allocation plans and once the allocations are confirmed and shared.
We are committed to working with local authorities to move to a fairer distribution of asylum seekers and so during the week of 9 May, we launched an informal consultation. This will help to design how the full dispersal system will operate in each region. Participants will include Devolved Governments, Local Authorities and Non-Government Organisations who have an interest in asylum dispersal and resettlement. This consultation will run for 8 weeks.
To recognise the existing contribution and longstanding support from local authorities, each local authority in England, Scotland and Wales which was accommodating asylum seekers on 27 March 2022 will receive a £250 one off payment per asylum seeker.
In addition, further funding has been made available for 2022/2023 to provide £3,500 for each new dispersal bed space occupied, in both new and existing dispersal areas, between 28 March 2022 and 31 March 2023. This funding can be used to implement and/or bolster services in both new and existing areas. This will alleviate some pressures on local authorities and will ensure every local authority plays its part in this important work. Funding is also available for primary care through clinical commissioning groups.
The Government is fixing the broken asylum system through the work of the Nationality and Borders Bill. The asylum accommodation system is under enormous pressure because of the significant and sustained increase in asylum intake over the last 12 months and the build-up of the population as a result of Covid-19 related measures, which is placing unsustainable pressure on a limited number of local authorities.
This has resulted in the Home Office having to source temporary contingency accommodation, such as the hotels in E10. The use of hotel contingency is only ever a short term solution and we are working with our accommodation providers to find appropriate dispersed accommodation across the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to passport applications, what the average length of time taken to return supporting documents is when documents are (a) British passports or other proof of British citizenship and (b) Passports or proof of identity from another country.
Answered by Kevin Foster
We currently do not hold this data and to provide it would be at a disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what comparative assessment her Department has made of the cost of housing refugees evacuated from Afghanistan in hotels versus the cost of housing the same refugees in privately rented accommodation.
Answered by Kevin Foster
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications have been made for pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme from people who previously held a Residence Card under the old EU Regulations; and how many of those applications have been refused pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Home Office publishes data on the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) in the ‘EU Settlement Scheme statistics’.
The latest published information on EUSS applications received and applications concluded by outcome type to 31 December 2021, can be found in tables EUSS_01 and EUSS_03 available at: EU Settlement Scheme quarterly statistics, December 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Information on EUSS applications from people who previously held a residence card issued under Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2016 is not recorded in a reportable form on our case management system and is therefore not available.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what date she intends to open the Ukraine Family Scheme to applications from Ukrainian nationals currently in the UK.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Ukraine Family Scheme (UFS) visa application form went live on 4th March with accompanying guidance published on GOV.UK: Apply for a Ukraine Family Scheme visa - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support is available to British citizens and residents who were evacuated from Afghanistan and returned to their own homes, which are now overcrowded or otherwise unsuitable due to additional family members and dependents who were evacuated with them.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
A significant cross Government effort is underway to ensure the thousands of Afghans and British nationals who were evacuated to the UK receive the support they need to rebuild their lives, find work, pursue education, and integrate into local communities.
We are working at pace to source appropriate accommodation as quickly as possible for those evacuated from Afghanistan. In the interim we have ensured that support is provided to all evacuees, including British nationals, temporarily accommodated in bridging hotels.
British Citizens are provided with bridging accommodation for as long as is needed. We encourage any British Citizens who have left bridging accommodation to return so that support can be provided to them.
In bridging accommodation, we are providing all new arrivals from Afghanistan, including British Citizens with cash cards to give them subsistence support whilst their Universal Credit claim is processed.
In the social rented sector, Local Authorities (LAs) are advised to allocate properties in line with current statutory bedroom standards to avoid overcrowding. By law, LAs must ensure that certain groups receive ‘reasonable preference’ (priority) when allocating social housing, including people who are homeless, in overcrowded housing or who need to move for medical and welfare reasons. They can also give ‘additional preference’ (high priority’) to people in urgent housing need, including people occupying overcrowded housing which poses a serious health hazard.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme will open for applications; and when initial decisions on applications to that scheme will be made.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Officials are working urgently to stand up the remaining elements of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, amid the complex and changing picture.
The Home Office will continue to work closely with other government departments, non-governmental organisations, charities, local authorities and other partners and relevant organisations in the development and implementation of the ACRS.
Further information on the eligibility, prioritisation and referral of people for the ACRS is set out in the policy statement published on gov.uk on 13 September, available at:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement.
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many reports of fraud to Action Fraud have involved companies operating buy now pay later schemes, in each month since 2018.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Home Office does not hold this data centrally.