Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many asylum applicants have been returned to the UK from the EU in the last 12 months.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
There have been no returns from the EU to the UK.
Asked by: Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the publication of the Animals in Science Regulation Unit's Annual Report 2022 on 25 April, what assessment they have made of the adequacy of sanctions such as inspector advice and compliance letters in response to animal welfare failings, including animals dying because of a lack of food or water.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office takes non-compliance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 very seriously. The Animals in Science Regulation Unit responds to and applies sanctions in cases of non-compliance in accordance with its compliance policy, which aims to reduce the risk of future non-compliance. More rigorous sanctions are used in cases where animal welfare is impacted or there are significant systems failures.
The Animals in Science Regulation Unit will continue to assess the proportionality of its responses to cases of non-compliance.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have received any formal request or demand from the government of Ireland to send any asylum applicants back to the UK from the Republic of Ireland.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office has a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Irish Department of Justice for information sharing to preserve and enhance the operation of the Common Travel Area. This enables data sharing about asylum seekers.
In addition to this, in 2020 we agreed operational arrangements which allow for the return and readmission of asylum seekers where this is agreed by both participants. This is not a legally binding agreement and Ireland has not returned anyone to the UK under these arrangements.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many days e-gates were not in use in airports in each of the last five years.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The Home Office does not hold this information in an accessible format.
Asked by: Kate Osborne (Labour - Jarrow)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Introduction to the Government Response to the Report of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) on its visit to the United Kingdom from 27 March to 6 April 2023 (CPT/Inf (2024) 09), whether he has had recent discussion with Cabinet colleagues on the implications for their policies of the (a) conditions of detention and (b) treatment of persons held under immigration powers in the UK.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
Detention plays a key role in maintaining effective immigration control and securing the UK’s borders, particularly in connection with the removal of people who have no right to remain in the UK but who refuse to leave voluntarily.
The Home Office takes the welfare and safety of people in its care very seriously and we are committed to ensuring the proper protection and treatment of people in detention.
Asked by: Alex Cunningham (Labour - Stockton North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of introducing a new Safety of Women at Night Fund.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The independent evaluation of the Safety of Women at Night (SWaN) Fund, worth £5 million and delivered over the 2021/22 financial year, was published on 10 April.
Learnings from the SWaN Fund were incorporated into rounds Four and Five of the Safer Streets Fund, worth £50m and £35m respectively, which included a primary objective around combatting violence against women and girls in public spaces, and have funded a range of interventions including CCTV, streetlighting and educational initiatives with a focus on changing attitudes and behaviours. Round five is currently ongoing.
Asked by: Lord Scriven (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many full-time equivalent established posts there were in the Civil Service dealing with immigration issues related to the Rwanda scheme at (1) 30 September 2023, (2) 31 December 2023, and (3) 31 March 2024; and how many of these posts were filled on these dates.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes its accounts each year which sets out the FTE working in each of its systems, including on matters relating to Migration and Borders.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential introduction of a medical marker on GP records for people in possession of a gun certificate.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government received a wide range of views in response to last year’s consultation on firearms licensing. We are carefully considering all the comments received before publishing our response, which will set out what action we intend to take to further strengthen the controls on firearms. I cannot give an exact timescale for publication but I expect this to be shortly.
The Home Office worked with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England to introduce a digital firearms marker, which is placed on GP patient records. The digital marker enables the doctor to advise police if a firearm certificate holder begins to experience a medical condition which could affect their suitability to possess firearms, so that the police can review whether the person remains suitable. The digital marker has been rolled-out to GP practices since May 2023 and the Home Office is working with the DHSC and NHS England to obtain monitoring data about operation of the marker across the country.
His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services currently plans to carry out a thematic inspection of police firearms licensing arrangements in its 2024-25 inspection programme. The Home Office will assist the Inspectorate with any guidance or information it requires ahead of the inspection.
Work is underway with the police on a programme of work to improve reliability of the National Firearms Licensing Management System, including establishing links with the Police National Database.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance his Department has provided to His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services on the performance of firearms licensing divisions within police forces.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government received a wide range of views in response to last year’s consultation on firearms licensing. We are carefully considering all the comments received before publishing our response, which will set out what action we intend to take to further strengthen the controls on firearms. I cannot give an exact timescale for publication but I expect this to be shortly.
The Home Office worked with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England to introduce a digital firearms marker, which is placed on GP patient records. The digital marker enables the doctor to advise police if a firearm certificate holder begins to experience a medical condition which could affect their suitability to possess firearms, so that the police can review whether the person remains suitable. The digital marker has been rolled-out to GP practices since May 2023 and the Home Office is working with the DHSC and NHS England to obtain monitoring data about operation of the marker across the country.
His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services currently plans to carry out a thematic inspection of police firearms licensing arrangements in its 2024-25 inspection programme. The Home Office will assist the Inspectorate with any guidance or information it requires ahead of the inspection.
Work is underway with the police on a programme of work to improve reliability of the National Firearms Licensing Management System, including establishing links with the Police National Database.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his expected timetable is to publish his Department's response to its consultation on firearms licensing.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government received a wide range of views in response to last year’s consultation on firearms licensing. We are carefully considering all the comments received before publishing our response, which will set out what action we intend to take to further strengthen the controls on firearms. I cannot give an exact timescale for publication but I expect this to be shortly.
The Home Office worked with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England to introduce a digital firearms marker, which is placed on GP patient records. The digital marker enables the doctor to advise police if a firearm certificate holder begins to experience a medical condition which could affect their suitability to possess firearms, so that the police can review whether the person remains suitable. The digital marker has been rolled-out to GP practices since May 2023 and the Home Office is working with the DHSC and NHS England to obtain monitoring data about operation of the marker across the country.
His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services currently plans to carry out a thematic inspection of police firearms licensing arrangements in its 2024-25 inspection programme. The Home Office will assist the Inspectorate with any guidance or information it requires ahead of the inspection.
Work is underway with the police on a programme of work to improve reliability of the National Firearms Licensing Management System, including establishing links with the Police National Database.