Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which (a) Minister and (b) officials in her Department were provided with SAGE (a) advice and (b) modelling on the potential effect of introducing restrictions at the UK borders on the spread of covid-19 in the UK.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office Chief Scientific Adviser participates in SAGE and regularly updates Home Office ministers and officials on all aspects of SAGE relating to their departmental interests.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she registered a written or other objection to the decision by Public Health England to rescind the advice entitled COVID-19: specified countries and areas with implications for returning travellers or visitors arriving in the UK in the last 14 days, available on gov.uk until 13 March 2020.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Our approach to tackling coronavirus has been driven by the latest scientific and medical advice provided by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) and Public Health England.
All decisions relating to international travel to the UK or on arrival at ports/airports have been made by Ministers across Government.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individuals arrived at the UK border from (a) Spain, (b) China, (c) Italy, (d) USA, (e) Iran, (f) Turkey and (g) France in each week since 1 January 2020.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Border Force are unable to provide the arrival data requested, as it would require a manual review of thousands of records and this would be cost prohibitive.
Border Force are not responsible for making any medical assessments or medical interventions when dealing with individuals at the border.
Our approach to tackling coronavirus is and has always been driven by the latest scientific and medical advice, and procedures at the border have been strictly following the latest PHE guidance throughout.
In line with that advice, no changes have been required at the UK border.
To bolster public health measures already in place, passengers at airports are provided with information on symptoms and the social distancing processes.
Border Force continues to work collaboratively with devolved administrations, including Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and Public Health England, to support the COVID 19 response.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people arriving at the UK Border from (a) Spain, (b) China, (c) Italy, (d) USA, (e) Iran, (f) Turkey and (g) France were taken to Government supported covid-19 quarantine centres in each week from 1 January 2020 to 23 March 2020; and how many of those people were required to remain at those quarantine centres for a defined period of time.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Individuals arriving from Wuhan and Tokyo were taken to Government supported isolation facilities.
On 31/01, a total of 83 passengers arrived in the UK on an evacuation flight arranged by the FCO from Wuhan. Upon arrival, these passengers were taken to an isolation facility at Arrowe Park, The Wirral, Merseyside.
On 02/02, a further 11 passengers arrived in the UK on a French led flight evacuation from Wuhan. These passengers were also taken to the isolation facility at Arrowe Park.
09/02, a total of 147 passengers arrived in the UK on a final evacuation flight arranged by the FCO from Wuhan. Upon arrival, these passengers were taken to an isolation facility at Kents Hill Park conference Centre in Milton Keynes. On this flight were an additional 104 passengers who were transferred onto further aircraft for onward travel to Germany, Italy and France.
On 22/02, a total of 32 passengers arrived in the UK on an evacuation flight arranged by the FCO from Tokyo. These passengers had been aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship. Upon arrival, these passengers were taken to the isolation facility at Arrowe Park.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, from which countries or specific locations, individuals arriving in the UK from 1 January to 23 March 2020 were taken to Government supported covid-19 quarantine centres and required to remain there.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Individuals arriving from Wuhan and Tokyo were taken to Government supported isolation facilities.
On 31/01, a total of 83 passengers arrived in the UK on an evacuation flight arranged by the FCO from Wuhan. Upon arrival, these passengers were taken to an isolation facility at Arrowe Park, The Wirral, Merseyside.
On 02/02, a further 11 passengers arrived in the UK on a French led flight evacuation from Wuhan. These passengers were also taken to the isolation facility at Arrowe Park.
09/02, a total of 147 passengers arrived in the UK on a final evacuation flight arranged by the FCO from Wuhan. Upon arrival, these passengers were taken to an isolation facility at Kents Hill Park conference Centre in Milton Keynes. On this flight were an additional 104 passengers who were transferred onto further aircraft for onward travel to Germany, Italy and France.
On 22/02, a total of 32 passengers arrived in the UK on an evacuation flight arranged by the FCO from Tokyo. These passengers had been aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship. Upon arrival, these passengers were taken to the isolation facility at Arrowe Park.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individuals arriving at the UK border from (a) Spain, (b) China, (c) Italy, (d) USA, (e) Iran, (f) Turkey and (g) France were (i) assessed for symptoms of and (ii) tested for covid-19 in each week from 1 January to 23 March 2020.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Border Force are unable to provide the arrival data requested, as it would require a manual review of thousands of records and this would be cost prohibitive.
Border Force are not responsible for making any medical assessments or medical interventions when dealing with individuals at the border.
Our approach to tackling coronavirus is and has always been driven by the latest scientific and medical advice, and procedures at the border have been strictly following the latest PHE guidance throughout.
In line with that advice, no changes have been required at the UK border.
To bolster public health measures already in place, passengers at airports are provided with information on symptoms and the social distancing processes.
Border Force continues to work collaboratively with devolved administrations, including Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and Public Health England, to support the COVID 19 response.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish scientific assessments provided to her Department on the efficacy of closing or restricting the UK border to people arriving at the UK Border from (a) Spain, (b) China, (c) Italy, (d) USA, (e) Iran, (f) Turkey and (g) France to prevent the spread of covid-19 in the UK from 1 January 2020 to 23 March 2020.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
SAGE advice and reports in response to the Covid 19 outbreak will be published in accordance with requirements.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what additional resources have been provided to the Welsh Extremism and Counter Terrorism Unit to tackle extreme right-wing organisations in the last 12 months.
Answered by James Brokenshire
In 2020-21 the Government is increasing funding for counter-terrorism policing by £90m year-on-year, taking CT police funding for England and Wales to over £900m.
The Government is committed to supporting our superb police, security and intelligence agencies who work round the clock to keep us safe. Since March 2017, the police and the security and intelligence agencies have foiled 25 Terrorist plots, including eight extreme right-wing plots.
For security reasons we do not disclose the breakdown of counter-terrorism police funding to individual forces.