Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to paragraphs 5.3 and 5.5 on page 5 of her Department's publication entitled The Home Office response to the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration’s report: An Inspection of the Home Office’s Asylum Intake & Casework. April – August 2017, whether her Department has published its review of policies and practices to ensure that it does not discriminate against any particular groups; whether her Department has completed and plans to publish its review of existing non-straightforward claims (NSF) guidance to ensure that appropriate quality assurance systems are in place; and whether her Department has completed and plans to publish its longer-term review on ensuring that NSF guidance is gender neutral and does not disadvantage particular groups.

In its official response whilst the Home Office accepted the ICI recommendation it did also say that no evidence was provided to support claims of discriminatory practise. However we are reviewing our procedures and will complete our review of NSF guidance by the end of May.

As part of Operational plans all cases over 12 months were reviewed in 2017 to ensure any that could be progressed, were progressed, irrespective of the nature of the case.

There are no plans to publish guidance on NSF cases or its review as these are internal documents.