Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what mechanisms her Department will put in place to ensure the Windrush Commissioner’s (a) advice and (b) recommendations to the Government are promptly acted upon.

The Windrush Commissioner will provide independent scrutiny, challenge and advice to the Home Secretary and Ministers, ensuring the lessons from Windrush are applied across the Home Office and are acted on throughout government.

As the Windrush Commissioner is an independent role any decision on how the Commissioner engages with parliamentarians as part of their work is a matter to be raised with the Commissioner themselves. However, like other Home Office commissioners it is expected that they may be invited to give evidence to the Home Affairs Select Commitee on relevant issues.

The immediate priority is to appoint the right person into the role and ensure they engage swiftly with impacted communities to truly understand their views and concerns, and identify how the Commissioner can deliver meaningful change through their new role.

To maintain momentum, drive early progress, and refine the role based on stakeholder engagement, the Commissioner will initially operate on a non-statutory basis. It may be put on a statutory footing at a later date subject to Parliamentary approval.

A Memorandum of Understanding will be drawn up between the Windrush Commissioner and the Home Office on the governance arrangements between both parties in line with the approach taken for all independent public officer holders. Like other Home Office Commissioners, the Windrush Commissioner will have their own dedicated team, maintaining their independence while receiving civil service support. Further support will be provided from the re-established Windrush Unit in the Home Office.