Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what evidence they have for describing socialism and communism as "united by a set of grievance narratives" in the latest version of the Home Office online Prevent duty training modules amended in July 2023.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Prevent plays a vital role in tackling radicalisation, seeking to intervene early where somebody is at risk of becoming a terrorist or supporting terrorism.
The Prevent duty training service is continually reviewed to align with the recommendations made in the Independent Review of Prevent, new Prevent Duty Guidance and CONTEST 2023. The latest update includes removal of the reference describing socialism and communism as "united by a set of grievance narratives" from the training module.
We will continue to improve and update the training modules to ensure that we can keep the public safe.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that measures to reduce legal migration do not damage the reputation of the UK’s university sector or imperil their financial sustainability.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
An Impact Assessment was produced and considered in developing the student package of reforms. We regularly engage with a range of stakeholders when developing policy.
In March 2019, the Government published the International Education Strategy: global potential, global growth. It set out two key ambitions to achieve by 2030: to increase education exports to £35 billion and to increase the numbers of international higher education students studying in the UK to 600,000. This has been achieved earlier than planned over the last two years.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they propose to implement legislation on buffer zones around abortion clinics.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
I refer to the statement made by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Home Office in the House of Lords on 20th November.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the proposed powers in clause 9 of the Nationality and Borders Bill (HL Bill 82) to enable the Secretary of State to rescind British citizenship without notice for those with or entitled to dual citizenship would apply to anyone automatically (1) in possession of, or (2) entitled to, citizenship of another country based on a parent's country of birth, whether or not they choose to exercise that entitlement; and if so, whether they have notified other national governments of this change.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The use of powers under section 40 may apply regardless of the person’s nationality or country of origin or that of their parents, but it must comply with the UN Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.
Clause 9 of the Nationality and Borders Bill relates solely to how a person is notified of a decision to deprive them of their British citizenship. There is no change to the reasons for which a person could be deprived of their British citizenship or to their right of appeal.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to update the list of characteristics that the Home Office lists it will not discriminate on detailed in the contents of the Home Office's Diversity and Inclusion webpage on gov.uk to include the protected characteristic of sex.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Home Office web pages on gov.uk will be updated as a matter of priority to reflect our inclusion of the protected characteristic of sex.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the contents of the Home Office's Diversity and Inclusion webpage on gov.uk to ensure the inclusion of the protected characteristic of sex.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Home Office web pages on gov.uk will be updated as a matter of priority to reflect our inclusion of the protected characteristic of sex.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the likely number of people coming from Hong Kong under the British National (Overseas) visa moving to different geographic regions in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
On 31 January the Home Office launched the new Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) route.
Since then, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has been working with partners across Whitehall and beyond to help new arrivals to settle into life in the UK. Planning assumptions and guidance on which services may need to prepare for BN(O) arrivals have been shared with local authorities and MHCLG will continue to work closely with local authorities to ensure that impacts on existing service provision are understood and addressed as appropriate.
We are clear landlords must take extra care to ensure no-one is discriminated against when carrying out right to rent checks. Successful applicants for the BN(O) route will receive either a biometric residence permit (BRP) or digital status, which will enable them to evidence their right to rent a property in the UK.
It is not standard practice for the Home Office to collect data around where people choose to settle once they receive their migration status. BN(O) status holders are entitled to settle wherever they choose within the United Kingdom.
The UK Government looks forward to welcoming applications from those individuals who wish to make our United Kingdom their home.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) discussions they are having with, and (2) guidance they have issued to, (a) local authorities, (b) landlord representatives, and (c) housing associations, to ensure that people coming to the UK from Hong Kong under the British National (Overseas) visa are able (i) to secure appropriate housing, and (ii) are not disadvantaged under the Right to Rent scheme by the need to demonstrate their immigration status.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
On 31 January the Home Office launched the new Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) route.
Since then, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has been working with partners across Whitehall and beyond to help new arrivals to settle into life in the UK. Planning assumptions and guidance on which services may need to prepare for BN(O) arrivals have been shared with local authorities and MHCLG will continue to work closely with local authorities to ensure that impacts on existing service provision are understood and addressed as appropriate.
We are clear landlords must take extra care to ensure no-one is discriminated against when carrying out right to rent checks. Successful applicants for the BN(O) route will receive either a biometric residence permit (BRP) or digital status, which will enable them to evidence their right to rent a property in the UK.
It is not standard practice for the Home Office to collect data around where people choose to settle once they receive their migration status. BN(O) status holders are entitled to settle wherever they choose within the United Kingdom.
The UK Government looks forward to welcoming applications from those individuals who wish to make our United Kingdom their home.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a British national (overseas) citizen who is ordinarily resident in Hong Kong but is in the UK for a permitted six-month, visa-free stay would be allowed to remain in the UK for the duration of their application process for a new Hong Kong BN(O) Visa, even if this exceeded the initial six-month period.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
BN(O) citizens whose current grant of leave in the UK is due to expire before the new Hong Kong BN(O) Visa is launched, should look to extend their leave in line with the rules of their existing route and then apply for the Hong Kong BN(O) Visa when it is available. Those who apply to the scheme before their leave expires will be able to remain in the UK whilst their application is considered.
We are considering options for those individuals whose leave is due to expire and who are unable to extend their leave before the new route is launched. We will set out further details in due course.
Asked by: Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of current fire regulations in protecting residents of both public and private care homes, particularly taking into account the prevalence of (1) reduced mobility, and (2) dementia, of such residents.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to care homes and requires the responsible person to carry out a fire risk assessment of the premises and put in place – and maintain – appropriate fire protection measures to mitigate the risk to life from fire. The fire risk assessment should be reviewed regularly to ensure the ongoing fire safety of residents and staff, considering the physical and mental health of those on the premises. Government has made available guidance to support responsible persons in complying with the provisions of the Fire Safety Order, including specific guidance for those responsible for healthcare premises.
The Home Office published a Call for Evidence on the Fire Safety Order in 2019 to test whether the legislation is fit for purpose for all premises within its scope and, where appropriate, is aligned to wider building safety regimes. The responses are being considered and a follow up consultation is planned for spring 2020.