Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of transporting asylum seekers in taxis to (a) contingency and (b) bridging hotels from (i) Aberdeen to (ii) Glasgow in each of the last 12 months.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Bridging hotel accommodation was previously used to temporarily house Afghans resettling in the UK and has not been used to accommodate asylum seekers. As of 31 August 2023, we have successfully ended the use of bridging hotels for legally resettled Afghans.
Costs are considered to be commercially confidential, therefore the Home Office does not publish this information. The total expenditure on asylum is published in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts, available at HO annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK.
The AASC Requirements below gives a detailed breakdown of all of the services to be undertaken by our accommodation providers and to the standards we expect. Full details of our polices:
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of transporting asylum seekers in taxis to (a) contingency and (b) bridging hotels from (i) Glasgow to (ii) Aberdeen in each of the last 12 months.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Bridging hotel accommodation was previously used to temporarily house Afghans resettling in the UK and has not been used to accommodate asylum seekers. As of 31 August 2023, we have successfully ended the use of bridging hotels for legally resettled Afghans.
Costs are considered to be commercially confidential, therefore the Home Office does not publish this information. The total expenditure on asylum is published in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts, available at HO annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK.
The AASC Requirements below gives a detailed breakdown of all of the services to be undertaken by our accommodation providers and to the standards we expect. Full details of our polices:
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an estimate of the number of taxis that have taken asylum seekers between (a) contingency and (b) bridging hotel accommodation from (i) Aberdeen to (ii) Glasgow in each of the last 12 months.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Bridging hotel accommodation was previously used to temporarily house Afghans resettling in the UK and has not been used to accommodate asylum seekers. As of 31 August 2023, we have successfully ended the use of bridging hotels for legally resettled Afghans.
Costs are considered to be commercially confidential, therefore the Home Office does not publish this information. The total expenditure on asylum is published in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts, available at HO annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK.
The AASC Requirements below gives a detailed breakdown of all of the services to be undertaken by our accommodation providers and to the standards we expect. Full details of our polices:
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an estimate of the number of taxis that have taken asylum seekers between (a) contingency and (b) bridging hotel accommodation from (i) Glasgow to (ii) Aberdeen in each of the last 12 months.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Bridging hotel accommodation was previously used to temporarily house Afghans resettling in the UK and has not been used to accommodate asylum seekers. As of 31 August 2023, we have successfully ended the use of bridging hotels for legally resettled Afghans.
Costs are considered to be commercially confidential, therefore the Home Office does not publish this information. The total expenditure on asylum is published in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts, available at HO annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK.
The AASC Requirements below gives a detailed breakdown of all of the services to be undertaken by our accommodation providers and to the standards we expect. Full details of our polices:
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of transporting asylum seekers in taxis between (a) contingency and (b) bridging hotels in each of the last 12 months.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Bridging hotel accommodation was previously used to temporarily house Afghans resettling in the UK and has not been used to accommodate asylum seekers. As of 31 August 2023, we have successfully ended the use of bridging hotels for legally resettled Afghans.
Costs are considered to be commercially confidential, therefore the Home Office does not publish this information. The total expenditure on asylum is published in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts, available at HO annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK.
The AASC Requirements below gives a detailed breakdown of all of the services to be undertaken by our accommodation providers and to the standards we expect. Full details of our polices:
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 20 June 2023 to Question 189782 on Disability, if he will state the other seven commitments in the National Disability Strategy that his Department has fully implemented.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
In addition to the Accessible Information Regulations (AIR) which were made in June 2023, the department has implemented the following seven commitments from the National Disability Strategy:
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Hemsworth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to introduce national minimum standards for taxi and private hire vehicles.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Government remains committed to bring forward legislation to create national licensing standards for taxis and private hire vehicles, enhanced enforcement powers and a national licensing database, when parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department is taking steps to strengthen taxi licensing conditions.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The Department published its Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards in 2020 which focus on safeguarding standards to protect the most vulnerable, but provide benefits for all passengers. The recommendations include six-monthly DBS checks at the highest level and safeguarding awareness training for all drivers. Licensing authorities should implement these high standards unless there is a compelling local reason not to.
The Department has also consulted on revised Best Practice Guidance which provides recommendations on licensing issues not covered by the Statutory Standards. The final version of the guidance will be published in due course.
Government remains committed to legislating to create national licensing standards for taxis and private hire vehicles when parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency guidance that seatbelt buckle guards should not be used on the safety of young people with additional needs and disabilities when travelling in vehicles, including taxis and mini buses.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
I recognise the importance of vulnerable young people being able to travel safely to school and elsewhere and I understand why some local authorities have chosen to use these devices to try and keep children safe. However, there are potential safety issues in the event of an emergency, and for this reason DVSA has sent two direct notices to public service vehicle operators to highlight the potential issues.
However, this is a complicated matter and the DVSA has no plans to target enforcement action against their use, instead it will support PSV operators and other transport providers and DVSA is working with industry to develop solutions to maintain the safe transport of PSV users.
Asked by: Gill Furniss (Labour - Sheffield, Brightside and Hillsborough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to address cross-border working by private hire vehicles.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
Taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) are permitted to undertake pre-booked work outside of the area in which they are licensed. PHVs are subject to a triple licensing lock; the operator fulfilling the request, the driver and vehicle must all be licensed by the same local authority. The Government is aware of the challenges out-of-area working can present to licensing authorities, but also sees the value this system provides in meeting otherwise unmet demand in areas where drivers might not be immediately available.
The Government is responsible for setting the regulatory structure within which local licensing authorities in England license the taxi and private hire vehicle trades. The Department for Transport's Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards recommends enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks for taxi and private hire vehicle drivers. All licensing authorities require these checks.