Asked by: Chris Philp (Conservative - Croydon South)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to consult the public on the application by the Home Office for full planning permission seeking the continued use of Crowborough Training Camp as a non-detained asylum accommodation for up to 540 residents.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
There will be no public representation period for this Urgent Crown Development application.
As it is an expedited planning process, there is no legal requirement for the Secretary of State to carry out public consultation for Urgent Crown Development applications under The Town and Country Planning (Crown Development) (Urgent Applications) (Procedure) (England) Order 2025.
All Urgent Crown Development applications involve engagement with the local planning authority and with relevant statutory consultees. This is being undertaken in this instance between 4 and 12 November 2026.
Asked by: Joy Morrissey (Conservative - Beaconsfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of current measures to protect women and girls from violence and sexual offences committed by individuals who have entered or remained in the UK unlawfully.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Protecting women and girls from violence, sexual offences and harassment is a fundamental responsibility of government. Anyone who commits these crimes, regardless of nationality or immigration status, must face the full force of the law.
Asylum seekers and other foreign nationals who offend are subject to the same criminal justice consequences as anyone else. Where individuals pose a threat to public safety, we will seek to remove them. As part of the Home Office operating procedures, asylum seekers are subject to ongoing risk assessment. Where necessary, our Public Protection & Safeguarding Command engages with police, local authorities and accommodation providers to manage any identified risks and ensure the community is adequately safeguarded.
The Home Office is committed to halving violence against women and girls within a decade, by preventing offending, pursuing perpetrators and protecting victims.
Asked by: Joy Morrissey (Conservative - Beaconsfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help ensure that women and girls living near asylum accommodation are adequately protected from violence, sexual offences and harassment.
Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Protecting women and girls from violence, sexual offences and harassment is a fundamental responsibility of government. Anyone who commits these crimes, regardless of nationality or immigration status, must face the full force of the law.
Asylum seekers and other foreign nationals who offend are subject to the same criminal justice consequences as anyone else. Where individuals pose a threat to public safety, we will seek to remove them. As part of the Home Office operating procedures, asylum seekers are subject to ongoing risk assessment. Where necessary, our Public Protection & Safeguarding Command engages with police, local authorities and accommodation providers to manage any identified risks and ensure the community is adequately safeguarded.
The Home Office is committed to halving violence against women and girls within a decade, by preventing offending, pursuing perpetrators and protecting victims.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to paragraph 6.18 of the Budget 2026, how many additional large sites for asylum accommodation the £150 million capital investment in 2027-28 is expected to fund.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)
This government is working on a fairer distribution of asylum accommodation across the country, with £1 billion saved in costs since the election.
This includes closing all asylum hotels and moving to alternative accommodation, including former military sites, which are designed to be self-contained to reduce the impact on local communities.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what additional support is being given to the Home Office by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in processing asylum claims by Chagossians fleeing Mauritius as a result of the current civil unrest.
Answered by Baroness Winterton of Doncaster - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As of 19 October, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has not received any requests for consular assistance and is not aware of any British nationals directly impacted by the recent unrest in Mauritius. British nationals who need consular assistance can contact the FCDO at any time.
The British High Commission Port Louis has been engaging with local authorities and monitoring the situation closely, including for any potential impact on British nationals and local communities. We have updated our travel advice and advised British nationals, which includes any British Chagossians, to avoid large gatherings, observe curfews, and follow local-authority instructions. More widely, we remain in close and regular contact with a range of Chagossian groups in Mauritius.
Chagossians are eligible to apply for UK citizenship under the Nationality and Borders Act 2022. There should be no need for Chagossians residing in Mauritius to claim asylum. Information on how to apply for UK citizenship is available on the GOV.UK website.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which Chagossian contact groups they are consulting for support and liaison as a result of the civil unrest in Mauritius.
Answered by Baroness Winterton of Doncaster - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As of 19 October, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has not received any requests for consular assistance and is not aware of any British nationals directly impacted by the recent unrest in Mauritius. British nationals who need consular assistance can contact the FCDO at any time.
The British High Commission Port Louis has been engaging with local authorities and monitoring the situation closely, including for any potential impact on British nationals and local communities. We have updated our travel advice and advised British nationals, which includes any British Chagossians, to avoid large gatherings, observe curfews, and follow local-authority instructions. More widely, we remain in close and regular contact with a range of Chagossian groups in Mauritius.
Chagossians are eligible to apply for UK citizenship under the Nationality and Borders Act 2022. There should be no need for Chagossians residing in Mauritius to claim asylum. Information on how to apply for UK citizenship is available on the GOV.UK website.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether any British citizens have been directly impacted by the current civil unrest in Mauritius.
Answered by Baroness Winterton of Doncaster - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As of 19 October, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has not received any requests for consular assistance and is not aware of any British nationals directly impacted by the recent unrest in Mauritius. British nationals who need consular assistance can contact the FCDO at any time.
The British High Commission Port Louis has been engaging with local authorities and monitoring the situation closely, including for any potential impact on British nationals and local communities. We have updated our travel advice and advised British nationals, which includes any British Chagossians, to avoid large gatherings, observe curfews, and follow local-authority instructions. More widely, we remain in close and regular contact with a range of Chagossian groups in Mauritius.
Chagossians are eligible to apply for UK citizenship under the Nationality and Borders Act 2022. There should be no need for Chagossians residing in Mauritius to claim asylum. Information on how to apply for UK citizenship is available on the GOV.UK website.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they are protecting Chagossians in light of the civil unrest in Mauritius.
Answered by Baroness Winterton of Doncaster - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As of 19 October, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has not received any requests for consular assistance and is not aware of any British nationals directly impacted by the recent unrest in Mauritius. British nationals who need consular assistance can contact the FCDO at any time.
The British High Commission Port Louis has been engaging with local authorities and monitoring the situation closely, including for any potential impact on British nationals and local communities. We have updated our travel advice and advised British nationals, which includes any British Chagossians, to avoid large gatherings, observe curfews, and follow local-authority instructions. More widely, we remain in close and regular contact with a range of Chagossian groups in Mauritius.
Chagossians are eligible to apply for UK citizenship under the Nationality and Borders Act 2022. There should be no need for Chagossians residing in Mauritius to claim asylum. Information on how to apply for UK citizenship is available on the GOV.UK website.
Asked by: Gareth Bacon (Conservative - Orpington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Home Office’s planning application for asylum accommodation at Site A, MOD Bicester, if she will clarify which specific statutory procedure under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 is being used.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Home Office's application has been made under the Urgent Crown Development procedure as at sections 293B to 293C of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
The procedure is governed by the Town and Country Planning (Crown Development) (Urgent Applications) (Procedure) (England) Order 2025.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to protect Uyghur individuals in the UK from a) refoulement and b) transnational repression.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)
All asylum and human rights claims, including those from Uyghur individuals, are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations. Protection is normally granted where a claimant has a well-founded fear of persecution under the Refugee Convention or a claimant faces a real risk of serious harm. We will not remove anyone to their own or any other country where they are found to have a well-founded fear or persecution or are at risk of serious harm.
The first duty of this Government is to keep the country safe. Any attempt by a foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK will never be tolerated, irrespective of where the threat emanates.
Wherever a threat to an individual is identified, we use all appropriate measures, including through our world class police and intelligence services, to mitigate risks. A range of support and security assistance is available to individuals at risk of transnational repression, including practical guidance is available on GOV.UK and via the National Protective Security Authority.
Anyone who believes they are a victim of state directed activity should report this to the police via 101, 999, or at a local station.