Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's factsheet: asylum accommodation on a vessel in Portland Port, updated on 25 August 2023, what fire safety standards she has applied to the Bibby Stockholm; and to which industry standards the factsheet refers.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Under Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, the Home Office has a legal obligation to support asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute.
In the Netherlands and Belgium, the authorities have delivered accommodation for asylum seekers on vessels in a safe and secure manner.
The Bibby Stockholm vessel has been used for decades to provide safe and decent accommodation to oil rig workers and was used between 1995 to 1998 to accommodate refugees in Germany.
Corporate Travel Management (CTM) are responsible for managing the services on the barge. CTM managed two Scottish vessels housing refugees and have a strong track record of providing this kind of accommodation. We are confident that it will continue to manage the vessel and its supporting services. CTM has worked closely and successfully with local authorities and other public and voluntary organisations in Scotland.
The Bibby Stockholm adheres to the Regulatory Reform Order (Fire Safety) 2005 and has an appropriate fire risk assessment that complies to those regulations including safety features such as fire doors, fire detection systems and firefighting equipment at strategic locations.
Asked by: Zarah Sultana (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether there is a functioning sprinkler system on the Bibby Stockholm.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Under Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, the Home Office has a legal obligation to support asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute.
In the Netherlands and Belgium, the authorities have delivered accommodation for asylum seekers on vessels in a safe and secure manner.
The Bibby Stockholm vessel has been used for decades to provide safe and decent accommodation to oil rig workers and was used between 1995 to 1998 to accommodate refugees in Germany.
Corporate Travel Management (CTM) are responsible for managing the services on the barge. CTM, who managed two Scottish vessels housing refugees in Edinburgh, has a strong track record of providing this kind of accommodation, and we are confident that it can manage the vessel and its supporting services. CTM has worked closely and successfully with local authorities and other public and voluntary organisations in Scotland.
The Bibby Stockholm adheres to the Regulatory Reform Order (Fire Safety) 2005 and has an appropriate fire risk assessment that complies to those regulations including safety features such as fire doors, fire detection systems and firefighting equipment at strategic locations.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what arrangements they will make for delegations of parliamentarians to visit the Bibby Stockholm and any other new accommodation for migrants.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
If parliamentarians wish to visit a facility they should make a request through the normal Home Office channels.
Vessels have been used in Germany, Belgium and Scotland.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that asylum seekers housed on a waterborne barge are able to access necessary help in any emergency, including a medical emergency or fire.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
In the Netherlands and Belgium, the authorities have delivered accommodation for asylum seekers on vessels in a safe and secure manner. The Scottish Government have successfully done so for Ukrainian refugees.
The welfare of those in our care is of the utmost priority. The Bibby Stockholm successfully completed all fire and safety checks ahead the first individuals boarding. The vessel completed a statutory inspection and refurbishment before undergoing final preparations to accommodate asylum seekers.
We have been in liaison with Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Service to ensure that the safety of the vessel and its occupants are being appropriately managed in line with relevant legislation. Tactical plans, including arrangements for evacuation of residents to assembly areas away from the quayside and outside the gated area, have been developed.
The fire safety standards on the Bibby Stockholm are the same as any other berthed vessel and meets the industry standard.
In the case of the Bibby Stockholm, there is a log of who is on and off the vessel. During an emergency, our supplier would know who was/was not aboard and would contact any affected individuals. Our supplier would stay in constant touch with local law enforcement. In the event of a prolonged incident, and if there was a requirement to provide emergency accommodation, the supplier would find a room and direct the person to the accommodation, arranging local taxi transport if required.
Facilities onboard the vessel will be designed to provide for the essential needs of those accommodated in order to minimise the impact on local communities and local services. This includes the provision of primary healthcare, catering facilities and 24/7 security. The vessel’s 24/7 security team have established procedures for working with local police and emergency services.
The medical facility on the barge will be staffed 5 days a week to provide an onsite primary healthcare service with which the asylum seekers will register; this means individuals will not need to register with a local GP practice. The medical team has previous experience of working with asylum seekers.
This team will provide care to the asylum seekers either on the vessel itself between the hours of 9am-5pm, or remotely (including outside of these hours).
Medical provision will include:
Home Office is providing funding to the NHS to support on-site primary health service, to help reduce the impact on NHS services.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, to which five countries were the highest values of agri-food exports from Northern Ireland in 2022.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The five countries with the highest value of agri-food exports from Northern Ireland in 2022 were Ireland, France, Netherlands, United States, and Belgium.
Northern Ireland agri-food exports 2022 – top 5 export markets
Rank | Top 5 export markets | Value £million | % of total |
Total | Total agri-food exports | £2,296m | 100.0% |
1 | Ireland | £1,536m | 66.9% |
2 | France | £92m | 4.0% |
3 | Netherlands | £88m | 3.8% |
4 | United States | £80m | 3.5% |
5 | Belgium | £58m | 2.5% |
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in which countries UK personnel are deployed with NATO; on which (a) NATO and (b) domestic bases are they stationed; and at what levels.
Answered by James Heappey
The UK is one of the largest contributors of personnel to NATO, underlining our commitment to deterrence and defence of the Euro-Atlantic Area, with personnel deployed over twenty-one countries.
The number of UK personnel posted to NATO Peacetime Establishment locations (Table 1) and those deployed to NATO affiliated exercises and operations (Table 2) can be found below.
Table 1 – UK personnel deployed within the Peacetime Establishment in NATO as of June 2023.
Country | Organisation | Number of UK posts | Rank range |
Belgium | NATO HQ (Brussels) | 47 | OR4 – OF8 |
Belgium | SHAPE (Mons) | 169 | OR4 – OF9 |
Bulgaria | NFIU Bulgaria (Sofia) | 1 | OF3 |
Czech Republic | HQ ARRC (Vyskov) | 1 | OF4 |
Estonia | NFIU Estonia (Tallin) | 1 | OF4 |
France | NRDC HQ (Lille) | 10 | OR8 – OF6 |
Germany | NAEW&C FC (Geilenkirchen) | 9 | OR6 – OF6 |
Germany | 1 DEU NLD (Munster) | 6 | OR9 – OF5 |
Germany | NATO School (Oberammergau) | 3 | OR6 – OF4 |
Germany | AIRCOM (Ramstein) | 76 | OR4 – OF5 |
Germany | CAOCUE (Uedem) | 17 | OR4 – OF5 |
Germany | JSEC (Ulm) | 16 | OR4 – OF7 |
Germany | 1 NSB Wesel (Wesel) | 28 | OR3 – OF3 |
Greece | NRDC Greece (Thessaloniki) | 1 | OF3 |
Italy | NHRFI (Milan) | 17 | OR6 - OF7 |
Italy | JFCNP (Naples) | 124 | OR2 – OF7 |
Italy | DACCC (Poggio) | 26 | OR2 – OF5 |
Italy | NAGSF (Sigonella) | 6 | OR4 – OF3 |
Latvia | MND NE (Riga) | 4 | OF2 – OF5 |
Lithuania | NFIU Lithuania (Vilnius) | 1 | OF3 |
Netherlands | JFC Brunssum (Brunssum) | 109 | OR4 – OF7 |
Norway | JWC (Stavanger) | 32 | OR6 – OF5 |
Poland | JFTC (Bydgoszcz) | 3 | OF4 |
Poland | NFIU Poland (Bydgoszcz) | 1 | OF3 |
Poland | MND NE (Elblag) | 2 | OR7 – OF4 |
Poland | MNC NE (Szczecin) | 2 | OF3 – OF4 |
Portugal | STRIKFORNATO (Lisbon) | 14 | OR4 – OF7 |
Portugal | NCISS LATINA (Oiera) | 5 | OR7 – OR9 |
Romania | NFIU Romania (Bucharest) | 1 | OF3 |
Romania | MND SE (Bucharest) | 2 | OF3 - OF4 |
Slovakia | NFIU Slovakia (Bratislava) | 1 | OR6 |
Spain | CAOCTJ (Torrejon) | 15 | OR7 – OF4 |
Spain | NRDC Spain (Valencia) | 2 | OF3 – OF6 |
Türkiye | NRDC Turkiye (Istanbul) | 5 | OF4 – OF5 |
Türkiye | LANDCOM (Izmir) | 34 | OR6 – OF5 |
UK | 1NSB (Blandford) | 46 | OR3 – OF3 |
UK | CTC / NIFC (Molesworth) | 9 | OR7 – OF5 |
UK | MARCOM (Northwood) | 70 | OR4 – OF5 |
UK | JEWCS (Yeovilton) | 2 | OR2 – OR6 |
USA | SACT HQ (Norfolk, Virginia) | 51 | OR4 – OF8 |
USA | SHAPE Tampa (Tampa, Florida) | 1 | OF4 |
| Total | 969 | OR2 – OF9 |
Table 2 – NATO affiliated operations and exercises with UK troops deployed as of June 2023.
Ser | Activity | Outline | Location | Numbers Deployed |
1 | Op CABRIT Estonia | UK Contribution to NATO Forward Land Forces. (inclusive of Forward Land Forces, HQ CABRIT and Divisional Advisory Team). | Tapa and Tallinn, Estonia | 831 |
2 | Op CABRIT Poland Squadron | A UK Light Cavalry Squadron integrated with the US Forward Land Forces, including National Support Element. | Bemowo Piskie, Poland | 133 |
4 | Op ELGIN Bosnia | Staff Officers embedded in NATO HQ Sarajevo. | NATO HQ Sarajevo, Bosnia | 3 |
5 | Ex ARRCADE LEDGER | HQ ARRC and 7th Light Mechanised Brigade Combat Team Exercise. | NATO Forward Holding Base, Sennelager, Germany | 676 of which 43 are civilian contractors deployed through the Land Warfare Centre (LWC). |
5 | Ex JOINT COOPERATION | German sponsored NATO exercise. | Nirenburg, Germany | 2 |
|
|
| TOTAL | 1,678 |
Asked by: Rob Roberts (Independent - Delyn)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average amount of state pension paid to individuals who live outside the UK is; and if he will provide a breakdown of the average state pension payment in each country in which recipients reside.
Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
In November 2020, the average (mean) amount of State Pension paid to individuals who live outside the UK was £70.61 per week.
Table 1. Average Amount of State Pension paid to individuals who live outside the UK, November 2020
Residency | Mean Weekly State Pension Amount |
Outside United Kingdom | £ 70.61 |
Source: Stat-Xplore - Home (dwp.gov.uk)
Below is a table of the average (mean) amount of State Pension paid to individuals who live outside the UK, broken down by country of residence, in November 2020.
Table 2. Average Amount of State Pension by Country of Residence, November 2020
Country of Residence | Mean Weekly State Pension Amount |
Abroad - Not known | £ 112.62 |
Albania | £ 110.57 |
Alderney | £ 126.99 |
Algeria | £ 62.41 |
Andorra | £ 94.96 |
Anguilla | £ 64.93 |
Antigua | £ 74.02 |
Argentina | £ 65.18 |
Aruba | £ 60.29 |
Ascension Island | £ 91.68 |
Australia | £ 50.09 |
Austria | £ 49.24 |
Azerbaijan | £ 166.77 |
Bahamas | £ 66.64 |
Bahrain | £ 97.27 |
Bangladesh | £ 39.49 |
Barbados | £ 116.97 |
Belarus | £ 111.17 |
Belgium | £ 63.62 |
Belize | £ 85.01 |
Bermuda | £ 81.36 |
Bolivia | £ 106.19 |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | £ 73.12 |
Botswana | £ 75.98 |
Brazil | £ 81.20 |
Brunei | £ 121.78 |
Bulgaria | £ 122.47 |
Burkina Faso | £ 54.09 |
Cambodia | £ 119.76 |
Cameroon | £ 58.81 |
Canada | £ 46.34 |
Cape Verde | £ 52.18 |
Cayman Islands | £ 89.42 |
Chile | £ 72.13 |
China | £ 96.39 |
Colombia | £ 89.09 |
Cook Islands | £ 57.92 |
Costa Rica | £ 81.75 |
Cyprus | £ 122.54 |
Denmark | £ 58.40 |
Dom Commonwealth (Dominica) | £ 77.73 |
Dominican Republic | £ 107.52 |
Dutch Caribbean | £ 67.76 |
Ecuador | £ 85.95 |
Egypt | £ 78.64 |
El Salvador | £ 80.36 |
Equatorial Guinea | £ 142.11 |
Ethiopia | £ 88.34 |
Falkland Islands and Dependencies | £ 85.64 |
Faroe Islands | £ 33.01 |
Fiji | £ 73.66 |
Finland | £ 58.89 |
France | £ 113.52 |
French Overseas Departments | £ 84.34 |
French Polynesia | £ 55.84 |
Gambia | £ 91.46 |
Germany | £ 46.48 |
Ghana | £ 56.69 |
Gibraltar | £ 100.77 |
Greece | £ 109.44 |
Greenland | £ 23.21 |
Grenada | £ 77.33 |
Guam | £ 83.49 |
Guatemala | £ 77.73 |
Guernsey | £ 84.86 |
Guyana | £ 60.60 |
Honduras | £ 79.02 |
Hong Kong | £ 85.42 |
Hungary | £ 102.32 |
Iceland | £ 71.68 |
India | £ 50.10 |
Indonesia | £ 106.53 |
Iran | £ 70.85 |
Iraq | £ 64.11 |
Ireland | £ 66.41 |
Isle of Man | £ 127.85 |
Israel | £ 101.27 |
Italy | £ 56.79 |
Jamaica | £ 116.05 |
Japan | £ 46.97 |
Jersey | £ 70.02 |
Jordan | £ 67.90 |
Kazakhstan | £ 124.13 |
Kenya | £ 79.34 |
Kuwait | £ 103.54 |
Kyrgyzstan | £ 76.07 |
Laos | £ 100.66 |
Lebanon | £ 88.20 |
Lesotho | £ 59.64 |
Liechtenstein | £ 28.62 |
Luxembourg | £ 83.34 |
Macau | £ 77.52 |
Madagascar | £ 62.23 |
Malawi | £ 71.90 |
Malaysia | £ 77.87 |
Malta | £ 104.22 |
Mauritius | £ 108.25 |
Mexico | £ 74.98 |
Moldova | £ 124.94 |
Monaco | £ 111.96 |
Montserrat | £ 65.67 |
Morocco | £ 75.51 |
Mozambique | £ 74.56 |
Myanmar | £ 84.84 |
Namibia | £ 70.17 |
Nepal | £ 63.99 |
Netherlands | £ 55.81 |
Nevis, St Kitts-Nevis | £ 75.56 |
New Caledonia | £ 79.61 |
New Zealand | £ 46.44 |
Nicaragua | £ 79.72 |
Nigeria | £ 27.65 |
Norfolk Island | £ 55.18 |
North Macedonia | £ 24.20 |
Norway | £ 58.24 |
Oman | £ 89.53 |
Pakistan | £ 48.74 |
Panama | £ 96.96 |
Papua New Guinea | £ 75.49 |
Paraguay | £ 68.41 |
Peru | £ 88.02 |
Philippines | £ 138.86 |
Poland | £ 59.39 |
Portugal | £ 119.47 |
Puerto Rico | £ 77.32 |
Qatar | £ 113.55 |
Republic of Croatia | £ 62.10 |
Republic of Estonia | £ 78.98 |
Republic of Georgia | £ 129.54 |
Republic of Latvia | £ 68.34 |
Republic of Lithuania | £ 42.71 |
Republic of Slovenia | £ 60.38 |
Romania | £ 99.40 |
Russia | £ 85.51 |
Saint Helena & Dependencies | £ 89.27 |
San Marino | £ 29.33 |
Sark | £ 117.68 |
Saudi Arabia | £ 86.88 |
Senegal | £ 74.13 |
Serbia | £ 123.58 |
Seychelles | £ 79.10 |
Sierra Leone | £ 52.66 |
Singapore | £ 89.20 |
Solomon Islands | £ 79.08 |
Somalia | £ 44.20 |
South Africa | £ 56.52 |
South Korea | £ 41.69 |
Spain | £ 120.61 |
Sri Lanka | £ 59.98 |
St Lucia | £ 76.63 |
St Vincent & Grenadines | £ 80.10 |
State Union of Serbia and Montenegro | £ 53.44 |
Sudan | £ 71.27 |
Suriname | £ 151.95 |
Swaziland | £ 79.26 |
Sweden | £ 57.52 |
Switzerland | £ 51.98 |
Syria | £ 63.61 |
Tahiti | £ 77.00 |
Taiwan | £ 105.85 |
Tanzania | £ 87.61 |
Thailand | £ 119.10 |
The Czech Republic | £ 92.30 |
The Slovak Republic | £ 49.82 |
Togo | £ 50.10 |
Tonga | £ 73.36 |
Tours (Individuals on Tour) | £ 133.34 |
Trinidad & Tobago | £ 55.37 |
Tunisia | £ 88.16 |
Turkey | £ 132.24 |
Turks and Caicos Islands | £ 118.32 |
Uganda | £ 88.33 |
Ukraine | £ 115.86 |
United Arab Emirates | £ 107.46 |
United States | £ 74.19 |
United States Minor Outlying Islands | £ 75.89 |
Uruguay | £ 77.74 |
Vanuatu | £ 85.86 |
Venezuela | £ 67.62 |
Vietnam | £ 125.09 |
Virgin Islands (British) | £ 91.77 |
Virgin Islands (USA) | £ 72.74 |
Western Samoa | £ 34.12 |
Yemen | £ 42.90 |
Zambia | £ 75.67 |
Zimbabwe | £ 48.98 |
Source: Stat-Xplore - Home (dwp.gov.uk)
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to arrange preliminary interviews for Afghan and Syrian refugees seeking asylum in Britain in (1) France, and (2) Belgium.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
There is no provision within our Immigration Rules for someone to be allowed to travel to the UK to seek asylum or temporary refuge. Whilst the Home Office sympathises with individuals in many difficult situations around the world, it is not bound to consider asylum claims from the very large numbers of people overseas who might like to come here. Those who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety.
Our resettlement schemes already provide safe and legal routes for tens of thousands of people to start new lives in the UK. The UK welcomes people at risk through the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), Mandate Resettlement Scheme, Community Sponsorship and the Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme.
Asked by: Lord Berkeley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to (1) the remarks by Lord Murray of Blidworth on 28 February (HL Deb col 125) that "the service standard of a wait of no longer than 25 minutes for Border Force officers has been maintained throughout that period", and (2) the statement made by the chief executive of Eurostar, Gwendoline Cazenave, on 24 January that Eurostar are running trains more than a third empty, what discussions they are having with the governments of (a) France, (b) Belgium, and (c) the Netherlands, to facilitate increasing the passenger throughput; and what support they are giving to Eurostar to enable them to carry the full capacity of their trains without delay.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
Border Force operate the same service standards across all international airports, ports and rail termini. The Border Force operation across international rail operates within published service standard levels. Border Force are only one part of a port ecosystem and we are unable to speculate on Eurostar commercial operations or the wider operation and capacity of port infrastructure and processes outside of our control.
We have regular engagement with partner countries and continue to discuss with them, and Eurostar, future border arrangements and infrastructure availability’.
Asked by: Karl Turner (Labour - Kingston upon Hull East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress he has made on bilateral agreements on seafarer welfare and employment conditions with (a) France, (b) the Republic of Ireland, (c) the Netherlands, (d) Belgium, (e) Spain, (f) Denmark and (g) Norway.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
We are liaising with and have engaged all of our near European neighbours on how we can collaborate on seafarer welfare and to explore the creation of minimum wage equivalent corridors.
A Bill has been deposited in the French National Assembly that aims to provide a level of pay protection to seafarers working on certain cross-channel services between the UK and France, whilst in specific parts of French territorial waters. We are also working with the French government as they develop their own version of the UK’s Seafarers’ Charter and research into seafarer fatigue.