Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she or Ministers in her Department held discussions with any migrants at Manston Immigration Processing Centre on (a) 3 November 2022 and (b) 31 October 2022.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
As part of our respective visits to Manston, the Home Secretary and I engaged with a wide range of people on site.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to ensure that Afghan refugees living in UK hotels following Operation Pitting are able to maintain their current employment when moving between hotels.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
There is a huge effort underway to support the families into permanent homes as soon as we can so they can settle and rebuild their lives. The length of time that a family will remain in bridging hotels is dependent on the availability of appropriate housing. We expect that whilst the hotel estate will reduce, there will be an ongoing need to provide temporary housing in hotels for a small number of families for several months.
To deliver value for money to the taxpayer, officials are working at pace to consolidate the bridging estate, by maximising capacity in hotels with available rooms and return rooms that don’t match family requirements. Part of this work means families can sometimes be moved from a hotel scheduled for closure to another hotel within the bridging estate. In such instances we consider current employment and endeavour where possible to keep families in the same areas, or within commutable distance. Families are given appropriate notice of a move and are supported by their Hotel Liaison Officer and local authority throughout.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans the Government has for (a) preventing and (b) tackling wildfires during heatwaves.
Answered by Sarah Dines
38594: The Home Office has been working closely with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) to provide monitoring and reporting of wildfires during this unprecedented heat.
38595: A coordinated multi-agency approach is essential in the prevention and tackling of wildfires. This includes government departments such as Defra, Cabinet Office, Met Office and DLUHC.
As of 0700 21st July, according to NFCC data, Fire and Rescue Services have responded to 462 wildfire incidents in England and Wales in 2022. These were incidents that met the national thresholds for reporting.
We anticipate further wildfire incidents to occur this year as the warm dry weather continues.
At a local level – each Fire and Rescue Authority is required to plan for the foreseeable risks in their area (including wildfires) through their Integrated Risk Management Plan. This will include plans to prevent and respond to incidents and Fire and Rescue Services will have regard in their planning to other key local responders including landowners and other emergency services.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the potential number of wildfires in 2022; and what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of summer heatwaves on that estimate.
Answered by Sarah Dines
38594: The Home Office has been working closely with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) to provide monitoring and reporting of wildfires during this unprecedented heat.
38595: A coordinated multi-agency approach is essential in the prevention and tackling of wildfires. This includes government departments such as Defra, Cabinet Office, Met Office and DLUHC.
As of 0700 21st July, according to NFCC data, Fire and Rescue Services have responded to 462 wildfire incidents in England and Wales in 2022. These were incidents that met the national thresholds for reporting.
We anticipate further wildfire incidents to occur this year as the warm dry weather continues.
At a local level – each Fire and Rescue Authority is required to plan for the foreseeable risks in their area (including wildfires) through their Integrated Risk Management Plan. This will include plans to prevent and respond to incidents and Fire and Rescue Services will have regard in their planning to other key local responders including landowners and other emergency services.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Monitoring Committee referred to in paragraph 15 of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of the Republic of Rwanda for the provision of an asylum partnership arrangement, whether the findings and recommendations of that Monitoring Committee will be published.
Answered by Simon Baynes
An independent Monitoring Committee for the Migration and Economic Development Partnership will monitor the entire relocation process and compliance with assurances in the Memorandum of Understanding, including the processing of asylum claims and provision of support in Rwanda.
The terms of reference and membership of the Monitoring Committee for the Migration and Economic Development Partnership are in the process of being developed. The Monitoring Committee is due to become established over the next few weeks. More details on this will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Monitoring Committee referred to in paragraph 15 of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of the Republic of Rwanda for the provision of an asylum partnership arrangement, what resources will be provided to that Monitoring Committee to enable it to fulfil its functions.
Answered by Simon Baynes
An independent Monitoring Committee for the Migration and Economic Development Partnership will monitor the entire relocation process and compliance with assurances in the Memorandum of Understanding, including the processing of asylum claims and provision of support in Rwanda.
The terms of reference and membership of the Monitoring Committee for the Migration and Economic Development Partnership are in the process of being developed. The Monitoring Committee is due to become established over the next few weeks. More details on this will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Monitoring Committee referred to in paragraph 15 of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of the Republic of Rwanda for the provision of an asylum partnership arrangement, when that Monitoring Committee will be established.
Answered by Simon Baynes
An independent Monitoring Committee for the Migration and Economic Development Partnership will monitor the entire relocation process and compliance with assurances in the Memorandum of Understanding, including the processing of asylum claims and provision of support in Rwanda.
The terms of reference and membership of the Monitoring Committee for the Migration and Economic Development Partnership are in the process of being developed. The Monitoring Committee is due to become established over the next few weeks. More details on this will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of whether her policy of transferring asylum applications to Rwanda will result in the separation of families.
Answered by Simon Baynes
With the exception of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, any individual who has arrived in the UK through dangerous, illegal and unnecessary methods since 1 January 2022 may be considered for relocation to Rwanda. Decisions will be taken on a case-by-case basis, and nobody will be relocated if it is unsafe or inappropriate for them.
Everyone considered for relocation will be screened and have access to legal advice.
We have published our Inadmissibility guidance on GOV.UK to make clearer provisions for removals to a safe third country under a model like the MEDP Partnership.
Those with family links in the UK, who want to be considered for entry to the UK, should seek to do so via safe and legal routes. Nobody needs to put their lives into the hands of criminal people smuggling gangs by making dangerous and irregular journeys. People with family in the UK may still be relocated to Rwanda subject to a detailed consideration of their Article 8 rights under the Human Rights Act.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the High Court’s ruling in June 2022 that the Special Development Order laid in August 2021 for the use of Napier Barracks for asylum accommodation for a further five years was unlawful.
Answered by Kevin Foster
We will consider the judgment fully once the final order has been made.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to include (a) guidance on and (b) specific reference to the storing and charging of e-bikes and e-scooters in the Government’s planned update to Fire safety in purpose-built blocks of flats.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Fire Safety in Purpose Built Blocks of Flats guide is currently being updated and we will shortly be launching a stakeholder engagement exercise seeking views on the revised version.
The guide includes a section on electrical hazards and specific reference to mobility scooters but there are no plans at present to include specific reference to the storing and charging of e-bikes and e-scooters. We would welcome views through the stakeholder engagement exercise on the content of the guide and any new or emerging issues that stakeholders would like to see included within it.