Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding has been provided by her Department to find missing persons in each year since 2010.
Answered by Sarah Dines
The Home Office provides funding to police forces through the Police Settlement, and the allocation of funding within forces is an operational matter for Chief Constables. For this reason, it is not possible to disaggregate funding which is spent specifically on missing people.
The Home Office also provides funding to Missing People, a charity which plays a unique safeguarding role with respect to vulnerable missing children and adults, including support for, and promotion of, live police missing persons investigations.
Annual missing persons statistics, going back to 2010 and including how many people were classified as long-term missing, are published by the National Crime Agency’s Missing Person’s Unit: http://missingpersons.police.uk
In the year to March 2022 there were a total of 4,521 long-term missing individuals outstanding in police forces in England and Wales. Long-term missing individuals are people reported missing prior to the current reporting year and who are still missing on the last day of the reporting year, e.g. reporting year 2021/22 includes all individuals reported missing prior to 1st April 2021 and who are still missing on 31st March 2022.
Asked by: Justin Madders (Labour - Ellesmere Port and Neston)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were classified as long-term missing in each year since 2010.
Answered by Sarah Dines
The Home Office provides funding to police forces through the Police Settlement, and the allocation of funding within forces is an operational matter for Chief Constables. For this reason, it is not possible to disaggregate funding which is spent specifically on missing people.
The Home Office also provides funding to Missing People, a charity which plays a unique safeguarding role with respect to vulnerable missing children and adults, including support for, and promotion of, live police missing persons investigations.
Annual missing persons statistics, going back to 2010 and including how many people were classified as long-term missing, are published by the National Crime Agency’s Missing Person’s Unit: http://missingpersons.police.uk
In the year to March 2022 there were a total of 4,521 long-term missing individuals outstanding in police forces in England and Wales. Long-term missing individuals are people reported missing prior to the current reporting year and who are still missing on the last day of the reporting year, e.g. reporting year 2021/22 includes all individuals reported missing prior to 1st April 2021 and who are still missing on 31st March 2022.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many children who arrived in the UK on small boats they have accommodated in each of the last five years; what steps they have taken to ensure their safety and security; what assessment they have made of the (1) safety, (2) security, and (3) safeguarding, measures put in place for those children; and how any issues identified have been addressed.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The data requested cannot be provided as it comes from live operational databases that have not been quality assured.
All asylum seekers, including children, have an interview on arrival in the UK which includes a series of questions specifically designed to understand whether there are any potential indicators of trafficking. A referral is made to the National Referral Mechanism if indicators are noted. In the case of children, a safety plan is put in place by social services, whilst adults identified as potential victims of modern slavery are entitled to care and support provided by the Salvation Army.
There has been a significant increase in the numbers of young people making unnecessary and dangerous journeys to the UK. The Home Office has had no alternative but to temporarily use hotels in order to give some unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) emergency accommodation and support while permanent accommodation with a local authority is identified.
We are determined to end the use of hotels for these young people and Home Office officials work tirelessly with local authorities to move children into care placements through the National Transfer Scheme (NTS).
The Home Office has no power to hold children or adults in contingency hotels if they wish to leave. To minimise the risk of a child going missing, records of children leaving and returning to the hotel are kept and monitored. Support workers accompany children off site on activities and social excursions, or where specific vulnerabilities are identified.
The Home Office and its accommodation providers have robust processes in place to ensure that where someone is at risk, they are referred to the appropriate statutory agencies of the police, NHS and social services, to promote appropriate safeguarding interventions. All contingency sites have security staff and providers liaise closely with local police to ensure the welfare and safety of vulnerable residents.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of children arriving in the UK on small boats of whom they have lost track; what steps they have taken to identify their whereabouts; and what steps they have taken to ensure that other children do not go missing.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The data requested cannot be provided as it comes from live operational databases that have not been quality assured.
All asylum seekers, including children, have an interview on arrival in the UK which includes a series of questions specifically designed to understand whether there are any potential indicators of trafficking. A referral is made to the National Referral Mechanism if indicators are noted. In the case of children, a safety plan is put in place by social services, whilst adults identified as potential victims of modern slavery are entitled to care and support provided by the Salvation Army.
There has been a significant increase in the numbers of young people making unnecessary and dangerous journeys to the UK. The Home Office has had no alternative but to temporarily use hotels in order to give some unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) emergency accommodation and support while permanent accommodation with a local authority is identified.
We are determined to end the use of hotels for these young people and Home Office officials work tirelessly with local authorities to move children into care placements through the National Transfer Scheme (NTS).
The Home Office has no power to hold children or adults in contingency hotels if they wish to leave. To minimise the risk of a child going missing, records of children leaving and returning to the hotel are kept and monitored. Support workers accompany children off site on activities and social excursions, or where specific vulnerabilities are identified.
The Home Office and its accommodation providers have robust processes in place to ensure that where someone is at risk, they are referred to the appropriate statutory agencies of the police, NHS and social services, to promote appropriate safeguarding interventions. All contingency sites have security staff and providers liaise closely with local police to ensure the welfare and safety of vulnerable residents.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to Government grants statistics 2020 to 2021, published on 31 March 2022, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Missing People Support Services Funding Grant.
Answered by Sarah Dines
The charity, Missing People, plays a unique safeguarding role with respect to vulnerable missing children and adults, including support for, and promotion of, live police missing persons investigations. This represents a significant cost saving to police forces, enabling them to focus resources on their investigations.
In 2020-21, the charity received a Home Office grant of £122,898.00 for their Support Services. This grant was monitored via regular meetings between the charity and Home Office officials, and an end of year grant report. During the period of this grant, Missing People responded to almost 45,000 police referrals. Support offered included:
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 28 February 2023 to Question 148822 on Asylum: Stockport, for what reason her Department does not record the data in a reportable format for adult and children asylum seekers that were accommodated and are missing.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Home Office takes the wellbeing, welfare and security of children and minors in our care extremely seriously. Robust safeguarding procedures are in place to ensure all children and minors are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with local authorities. All children receive a welfare interview on their arrival at accommodation, which includes questions designed to identify potential indicators of trafficking or safeguarding issues. If required, tailored safety plans are put in place.
There are no hotels for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) in Stockport.
We have no power to detain unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in hotels and we know some do go missing. Adults are not detained and are free to come and go therefore the Home Office does not hold data for the total number of adult and child asylum seekers that were accommodated via the Home Office that are missing in a reportable format.
Asked by: Lord Rosser (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what contractual obligations hotels must meet to provide contingency accommodation for asylum seekers; and whether those obligations include a requirement to ensure unaccompanied asylum-seeking children do not go missing.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The Home Office has no power to hold children or adults in contingency hotels if they wish to leave. To minimise the risk of a child going missing, records of minors leaving and returning to the hotel are kept and monitored. Support workers accompany children off site on activities and social excursions, or where specific vulnerabilities are identified.
All asylum seekers, including under 18s, have an interview on arrival in the UK which includes a series of questions specifically designed to understand whether there are any potential indicators of trafficking. A referral is made to the National Referral Mechanism if indicators are noted. In the case of children, a safety plan is put in place by social services, whilst adults identified as potential victims of modern slavery are entitled to care and support provided by the Salvation Army. The Home Office and its accommodation providers have robust processes in place to ensure that where someone is at risk, they are referred to the appropriate statutory agencies of the police, NHS and social services, to promote appropriate safeguarding interventions. All contingency sites have security staff and providers liaise closely with local police to ensure the welfare and safety of vulnerable residents.
The safety and wellbeing of asylum seekers in our care is of paramount importance to the Home Office. We expect high standards from all of our providers, and we have a robust governance framework in place to manage service delivery of the Asylum Accommodation Support Contracts (AASC). Details of the AASC can be found at: New asylum accommodation contracts awarded - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab).
Asked by: Lord Rosser (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to provide powers, or (2) to take other measures, to prevent unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in hotels or any temporary accommodation from going missing.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The Home Office has no power to hold children or adults in contingency hotels if they wish to leave. To minimise the risk of a child going missing, records of minors leaving and returning to the hotel are kept and monitored. Support workers accompany children off site on activities and social excursions, or where specific vulnerabilities are identified.
All asylum seekers, including under 18s, have an interview on arrival in the UK which includes a series of questions specifically designed to understand whether there are any potential indicators of trafficking. A referral is made to the National Referral Mechanism if indicators are noted. In the case of children, a safety plan is put in place by social services, whilst adults identified as potential victims of modern slavery are entitled to care and support provided by the Salvation Army. The Home Office and its accommodation providers have robust processes in place to ensure that where someone is at risk, they are referred to the appropriate statutory agencies of the police, NHS and social services, to promote appropriate safeguarding interventions. All contingency sites have security staff and providers liaise closely with local police to ensure the welfare and safety of vulnerable residents.
The safety and wellbeing of asylum seekers in our care is of paramount importance to the Home Office. We expect high standards from all of our providers, and we have a robust governance framework in place to manage service delivery of the Asylum Accommodation Support Contracts (AASC). Details of the AASC can be found at: New asylum accommodation contracts awarded - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab).
Asked by: Lord Rosser (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether any missing unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are in some form of modern slavery.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The Home Office has no power to hold children or adults in contingency hotels if they wish to leave. To minimise the risk of a child going missing, records of minors leaving and returning to the hotel are kept and monitored. Support workers accompany children off site on activities and social excursions, or where specific vulnerabilities are identified.
All asylum seekers, including under 18s, have an interview on arrival in the UK which includes a series of questions specifically designed to understand whether there are any potential indicators of trafficking. A referral is made to the National Referral Mechanism if indicators are noted. In the case of children, a safety plan is put in place by social services, whilst adults identified as potential victims of modern slavery are entitled to care and support provided by the Salvation Army. The Home Office and its accommodation providers have robust processes in place to ensure that where someone is at risk, they are referred to the appropriate statutory agencies of the police, NHS and social services, to promote appropriate safeguarding interventions. All contingency sites have security staff and providers liaise closely with local police to ensure the welfare and safety of vulnerable residents.
The safety and wellbeing of asylum seekers in our care is of paramount importance to the Home Office. We expect high standards from all of our providers, and we have a robust governance framework in place to manage service delivery of the Asylum Accommodation Support Contracts (AASC). Details of the AASC can be found at: New asylum accommodation contracts awarded - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab).
Asked by: Chloe Smith (Conservative - Norwich North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that asylum seekers who are (a) women and (b) unaccompanied minors are not falling victim to (i) modern slavery and (ii) human trafficking whilst residing in temporary hotel accommodation.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The UK is experiencing an unprecedented increase in the number of people making life-threatening journeys to cross the Channel. These boats are often carrying unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and this has placed unprecedented pressure on the National Transfer Scheme. Out of necessity and with the children’s best interests in mind, we have arranged for them to be accommodated on an emergency and temporary basis in hotels whilst placements with local authorities are being vigorously pursued.
We have safeguarding procedures in place to ensure all unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in emergency interim hotels are as safe and supported as possible whilst we seek urgent placements with a local authority. Young people are supported by team leaders and support workers who are on site 24 hours a day. Further care is provided in hotels by teams of social workers and nurses.
The Home Office has no power to hold children or adults in contingency hotels if they wish to leave. To minimise the risk of a child going missing, records of children leaving and returning to the hotel are kept and monitored. Support workers accompany children off site on activities and social excursions, or where specific vulnerabilities are identified.
All asylum seekers, including children, have an interview on arrival in the UK which includes a series of questions specifically designed to understand whether there are any potential indicators of trafficking. A referral is made to the National Referral Mechanism if indicators are noted. In the case of children a safety plan is put in place by social services, whilst adults identified as potential victims of modern slavery are entitled to care and support provided by the Salvation Army.
The Home Office and its accommodation providers have robust processes in place to ensure that where someone is at risk they are referred to the appropriate statutory agencies of the police, NHS and social services, to promote appropriate safeguarding interventions. All contingency sites have security staff and providers liaise closely with local police to ensure the welfare and safety of vulnerable residents.