Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 19 July (HL1506), whether the 'Life in the UK' test includes any questions about out-of-date information included in the current 'Life in the UK' test handbook.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Life in the UK (LitUK) test and supporting handbook are updated annually. Where an event means some test content is incorrect, related questions will not be asked and the content will be updated accordingly as per the scheduled updates.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 11 July (HL1285), what assessment they have made of (1) the number of asylum seekers attracted to the UK because of the asylum system in place prior to the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, and (2) the number of asylum seekers expected to be attracted to the UK because of the asylum system in place after the Act has been enacted.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Minister of State (Home Office)

Through our New Plan for Immigration, we are fixing the broken asylum system to make it firm and fair, ensuring it is compassionate towards those who need our help, whilst seeking to stop abuse of the system

The number of asylum seekers who claimed asylum prior to the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 being enacted stood at 55,146 for the year ending March 2022 for main applicants only.

The Home Office are not able to provide the numbers expected to be lodged with the UK asylum system now the Act has been enacted. All asylum claims lodged in the UK are carefully considered on their individual merits against a background of relevant case law and up to date country information.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 11 July (HL1285), whether they consider as a matter of policy that all asylum seekers travelling to the UK from France have done so unlawfully and are therefore unable to claim asylum; if so, on what grounds; and how many individuals seeking asylum after crossing the English Channel in small boats have been granted asylum in each of the last five years.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Minister of State (Home Office)

Asylum seekers who travel to the UK from France either commit a criminal offence of entering the UK without leave under section 24(B1) of the Immigration Act 1971, or of arriving in the UK without an entry clearance under section 24 (D1), depending on their method of entry or arrival. In line with the Kakaei and Bani judgments, those who are rescued and brought ashore (the majority of those crossing the channel in small boats) are deemed to have arrived without permission

The Home Office are able to provide the total number of individuals seeking asylum after crossing the English Channel in small boats who have been granted asylum in each of the last four years, from 2018-2021. However are not able to provide information prior to this date as there were no small boat crossing attempts.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 18 July (HL Deb col 1756), what is the maximum period beyond which the start of a misconduct hearing cannot be postponed.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Chair of a misconduct hearing must ensure that the hearing commences within 100 working days from the date the officer is served with a notice that they are being referred to a misconduct hearing. The Chair may, in the interests of justice, extend that period. There is no maximum period defined.

Arrangements concerning the misconduct hearing for Mike Veale, former Chief Constable of Cleveland Police, are a matter for the Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Cleveland. It is for the PCC to manage any actions arising from it.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 4 July (HL1093), which stated that the Home Office is liaising with the Ministry of Justice and the Legal Aid Agency to finalise details of the provision of legal advice and representation for asylum seekers accommodated at Linton-on-Ouse, what consultation has taken or will take place with specialist immigration lawyers as to such provision.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Minister of State (Home Office)

The proposed site at Linton-on-Ouse is designed to facilitate and support interaction between Asylum Seekers and their chosen legal advisors, whereby those accommodated at Linton-on-Ouse will have the ability to access the support of legal representation, either face-to-face or remotely.

If a decision is made to use the site, there will be dedicated private rooms where remote asylum case interviews and conversations between asylum seekers and their legal reps along with access to printers and scanners. The Service Provider will be the point of contact for support on-site for asylum seekers, legal reps and Case Workers. Additionally, individuals will also have 24/7 access to the Migrant Help hotline via the provision of phones which will enable issue reporting and complaints, plus signposting to legal aid.

The Home Office continues to liaise with colleagues in the Ministry of Justice and Legal Aid Agency to finalise the details of this provision at Linton-on-Ouse.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 4 July (HL1091), which stated that the policy guidance for the assessment of the suitability of individual asylum seekers to be accommodated at Linton-on-Ouse will be reviewed as part of preparations to open the accommodation, what consultations have been undertaken or will take place with medical and other experts regarding the review; and what is the expected timetable for the review and the publication of new guidance.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Minister of State (Home Office)

Internal considerations are ongoing.

The guidance will be published once a final decision is taken on Linton-on-Ouse.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 11 July (HL1285), how many individuals travelling in small boats across the English Channel they expect to arrive from France in (1) 2022, and (2) 2023.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office does not make forecasts of numbers crossing, given the multiplicity of variables involved.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 4 July (HL1093), which stated the that experience and lessons learnt from Napier Barracks would be applied to the provision of health services at the Linton-on-Ouse reception centre, what lessons were learnt.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Minister of State (Home Office)

The lessons learnt from the provision of healthcare at Napier were of the benefits to service users of having easy access to healthcare based on site. This model prevents strain on the provision of services and healthcare for local residents.

The Home Office are working closely with NHS colleagues to design an appropriate healthcare model for the Linton-on-Ouse Accommodation Centre should a decision be taken to use the site. Furthermore, the Service Provider will be required to have a Partnership Manager on site who will oversee safeguarding and wellbeing, working in collaboration with their onsite Risk & Assurance Manager, who will be responsible for the risk and safety elements of welfare.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 14 July (HL1286), when details of the new model for dispersal of asylum seekers will be published.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Minister of State (Home Office)

We are committed to working collaboratively with Local Authorities on the redesign of the asylum dispersal system, to deliver a system which houses asylum seekers more fairly and equitably across England, Wales and Scotland.

An informal consultation with partners shapes the redesign of the asylum dispersal system closed on 1 July. We have taken on board the representations made during the informal consultation period and are building the feedback into our plans for regional allocations. We will communicate these to Local Authority partners shortly.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 19 July (HL1506), in what month unannounced inspections of LitUK test centres will resume; why those inspections have not already been resumed; and what was the date of the last unannounced inspection of a LitUK test centre before inspections were suspended.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Minister of State (Home Office)

Unannounced audits of LitUK test centres are expected to resume in September 2022.

Unannounced audits were suspended due to Covid restrictions and the last unannounced audits before suspension took place in February 2020.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 13 July (HL1352), whether they will now answer the question put; namely, what plans they have, if any, to instigate an inquiry into (1) the arrest of Miss Hatun Tash at Speakers' Corner on 26 June and her subsequent detention, strip search and questioning at 4am on 27 June, and (2) the actions of the police towards other individuals present at Speakers' Corner (a) before, and (b) during, Miss Tash's arrest.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Minister of State (Home Office)

Ministers are unable to intervene in individual cases and complaints against the police.

If an individual is unhappy with the decisions made by the police, they have the option of submitting a complaint to the relevant police force. Police force websites include information about how to complain. A complaint can also be made via an online form available on the website of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) at: https://policeconduct.gov.uk/complaints-and-appeals/make-complaint.

A short guide to the police complaints system is also available on the IOPC’s website and is attached: https://policeconduct.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Documents/Complaint_forms/IOPC_A_guide_to_complaint_system_2020.pdf

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 4 July (HL1084), what is the maximum acceptable cost of transporting asylum claimants from the UK to Rwanda under the terms of the UK–Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership; and whether asylum seekers will be liable personally to fund any part of that cost.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Minister of State (Home Office)

Under the terms of the Migration and Economic Development Partnership the United Kingdom will arrange the transport for relocating individuals to Rwanda.

We do not routinely disclose commercial or operational information relating to individual charter flights. However, no asylum seeker will be liable to fund any part of the costs related to their relocation to Rwanda.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 8 June (HL408), what steps they will take to ensure that the total sum of the Abacha loot will not end up in the hands of criminals.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Minister of State (Home Office)

The UK is a signatory to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and places great importance on the recovery and return of the proceeds of corruption.

The UK is mindful of its obligations under international law, including UNCAC, and the principles for transparent and accountable asset return which were endorsed at the Global Forum for Asset Recovery in 2017.

In January 2022, the UK published its first ever Framework for Transparent and Accountable Asset Return, which applies across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The purpose of the Framework is to ensure consistency, transparency and accountability in the UK’s process for returning assets.

When returning funds, the UK will always sign a case-specific agreement with the relevant country detailing the steps that the recipient Government will take to ensure the funds are put to their intended use.

All agreements which oversee the return of funds abroad are published on gov.uk

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 8 June (HL408), why they are transferring funds to the US Department of Justice given that the United Nations Convention states that returns should be made to the victim country.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Minister of State (Home Office)

• The NCA’s recent recovery of $23,439,724.98 from the associates and family of former Nigerian Head of State, General Sani Abacha, was carried out following a request from the US Department of Justice (USDOJ).

• Acting on a request from the USDOJ, the NCA pursued nearly seven years of protracted litigation and international negotiation to obtain the recovery order, to enforce the US forfeiture order relating to the recovered monies.

• As such the funds have now been transferred to the Home Office for onward transmission to the USDOJ. The ultimate intention is for the $23.5m to be repatriated for the benefit of the Nigerian people.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 8 June (HL408), whether they will include victim compensation in any agreement about the appropriate use of funds.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Minister of State (Home Office)

• The NCA’s recent recovery of $23,439,724.98 from the associates and family of former Nigerian Head of State, General Sani Abacha, was carried out following a request from the US Department of Justice (USDOJ).

• Acting on a request from the USDOJ, the NCA pursued nearly seven years of protracted litigation and international negotiation to obtain the recovery order, to enforce the US forfeiture order relating to the recovered monies.

• As such the funds have now been transferred to the Home Office for onward transmission to the USDOJ. The ultimate intention is for the $23.5m to be repatriated for the benefit of the Nigerian people.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 26 May (HLWS61), whether and when they will publish their assessment of children’s best interests in relation to children’s statutory rights to British citizenship that underpins the review fees.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Minister of State (Home Office)

Answer to HL637:

Local Authorities were notified of the introduction of a fee exception in the Local Government Bulletin issued on 27 May by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities.

The Home Office is continuing to reach out to a wide range of organisations who have an interest in the fee exception and waiver to notify them of their introduction.

Answer to HL638:

There are no plans to publish the assessment of the children’s best interests in relation to the child registration fee. The Written Statement provided a summary of the conclusions of that assessment, outlining why the Home Office has opted for the specific approach of a waiver and exception.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 26 May (HLWS61), what steps they are taking to ensure that all local authorities are made aware of the fee exception.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Minister of State (Home Office)

Answer to HL637:

Local Authorities were notified of the introduction of a fee exception in the Local Government Bulletin issued on 27 May by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities.

The Home Office is continuing to reach out to a wide range of organisations who have an interest in the fee exception and waiver to notify them of their introduction.

Answer to HL638:

There are no plans to publish the assessment of the children’s best interests in relation to the child registration fee. The Written Statement provided a summary of the conclusions of that assessment, outlining why the Home Office has opted for the specific approach of a waiver and exception.

Found: I wish to reassure you that Baroness Williams of Trafford, the Minister of State from the Home Office