Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many convicted foreign nationals awaiting deportation have been released from HMP Huntercombe in the last 2 years owing to the Home Office's failure to provide the necessary deportation documents on time.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

Foreign national offenders (FNOs) are referred to the Home Office for deportation immediately following sentencing. The timeliness of criminal court proceedings and extensive periods on remand means many prisoners will reach their Early Removal Scheme (ERS) window immediately, or very soon after they are sentenced. It is therefore not always possible for the Home Office to carry out all the case working and administrative processes as soon as an FNO becomes eligible for removal under ERS, even when they wish to return voluntarily.

HMPPS (HM Prisons and Probation Service) are working closely with the Home Office to ensure the ERS process runs as efficiently as possible focusing on operational improvements and more robust data.

Latest published information shows that between 5 July 2024 and 4 July 2025 2,632 FNOs were removed directly from prison under ERS, which is a 10% increase compared to the 2,385 in the same period 12 months prior.

We make every effort to ensure that a FNO’s removal by deportation coincides with their release from prison upon completion of their custodial sentence. Legal or re-documentation barriers can frustrate immediate deportation. Despite the barriers we face, we remain resolute in our commitment to deport those who would abuse our hospitality and make our communities safer for everyone.

The information requested is not available from published statistics.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many illegal immigrants who left asylum hotels in the past 5 years have not since been accounted for.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Secretary has set out the most sweeping changes to our asylum system in a generation to restore order and control to our borders.

This includes speeding up removals of illegal migrants from the UK – with almost 50,000 people removed since July 2024.

The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is their definition of a net contributor to the tax system.

Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

There is no set definition of a net contributor to the tax system. All taxpayers contribute to the public finances, supporting the provision of our public services.

Found: 2025 10.35 am Watch the meeting Members present: Lord Foster of Bath (The Chair); Lord Bach; Baroness Buscombe

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