Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to create a national register of all individuals who (1) have been refused, or (2) had revoked, a license issued under Schedule 3 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
The Government has no current plans to create a national register of individuals who have been refused or had a licence revoked under the Licensing Act 2003 or the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to create a national register of all individuals who (1) have been refused, or (2) had revoked, a license issued under the Licensing Act 2003.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
The Government has no current plans to create a national register of individuals who have been refused or had a licence revoked under the Licensing Act 2003 or the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to review how common law police disclosure operates regarding licensed taxi drivers, and (2) to ensure that allegations against such taxi drivers are promptly reported by the police to the relevant local licensing authority.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
Common Law Police Disclosure (CLPD) provisions are an operational matter for policing. The provisions allow forces to proactively provide (sensitive) personal data to a third party using common law powers, where appropriate. This includes – in certain circumstances - sharing information with a licensing authority where the individual in question is a taxi or private hire vehicle licence holder.
Chief officers should determine the implementation of CLPD provisions locally, in accordance with guidance published by the College of Policing and National Police Chiefs’ Council. They should also ensure close engagement with licensing authorities to allow for the exchange of information.
The Home Office and Department for Transport continue to facilitate join-up at the national level between policing and licensing bodies, in order to ensure these processes are understood and work as smoothly as possible at the local level.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of deaths which could be caused by their policy of turning back boats of refugees in the Channel; and what assessment they have made of the implications of this policy for the UK’s international reputation.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
These crossings are dangerous, illegal and unnecessary. Lives have been lost through them and we will do everything to deter such crossings and so ultimately reduce the risk to life.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to reports that the United Nations regards their planned asylum overhaul as “almost neo-colonial”.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
The UK has a long history of supporting refugees in need of protection. Our resettlement schemes have provided safe and legal routes for tens of thousands of people to start new lives in the UK.
The UK is a global leader in resettlement and resettled more refugees from outside Europe than any EU member state every year between 2016 and 2019.
Overall, since 2015, we have resettled more than 25,000 refugees through safe and legal routes direct from regions of conflict and instability - around half of whom were children.
The UK continues to welcome refugees through the global UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), as well as through the Community Sponsorship and Mandate Resettlement Schemes. This commitment, alongside a fair and firm asylum system, will ensure we continue to offer safe and legal routes to the UK for vulnerable refugees in need of protection. Our focus will remain on helping people directly from regions of conflict and instability.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to reported comments by the Assistant High Commissioner for Protection at the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees that the UK appeared to be trying to "wash its hands" of its international responsibilities for refugees.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
The UK has a long history of supporting refugees in need of protection. Our resettlement schemes have provided safe and legal routes for tens of thousands of people to start new lives in the UK.
The UK is a global leader in resettlement and resettled more refugees from outside Europe than any EU member state every year between 2016 and 2019.
Overall, since 2015, we have resettled more than 25,000 refugees through safe and legal routes direct from regions of conflict and instability - around half of whom were children.
The UK continues to welcome refugees through the global UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), as well as through the Community Sponsorship and Mandate Resettlement Schemes. This commitment, alongside a fair and firm asylum system, will ensure we continue to offer safe and legal routes to the UK for vulnerable refugees in need of protection. Our focus will remain on helping people directly from regions of conflict and instability.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to conclude a bespoke visa waiver agreement with the EU for the creative sector.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Shadow Chief Whip (Lords)
UK citizens going to the EU for shorts stays and EU, EEA and Swiss citizens visiting the UK are already visa free. Musicians and performers can already undertake short-term touring without visas and permits in at least 18 Member States.
EU visa waiver agreements are also subject to the provisions of Article 6 (3) of REGULATION (EU) 2018/1806 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL which sets out an individual Member State may still decide to require a visa for short stays for people carrying out a paid activity during their stay.
The EU’s draft text for the Trade and Cooperation Agreement included a visa waiver agreement, which would have prohibited the parties from introducing visa requirement on visitors from the other party unless those visitors were carrying out a paid activity (i.e. service supply or performance) during their stay. In the event they were carrying out a paid activity individual Member States could apply a visa requirement to this category of service suppliers. The ability of the UK to apply visas would have been restricted only to reciprocating by applying a visa requirement to the same category supplier for the individual member state.
The EU’s proposal would also have prevented the UK from introducing or maintaining visit visas on any future EU Member State, not just on existing ones. In effect handing to the European Union the ability to make a country a non-visa national for travel to the UK without the consent or approval of the UK.
The Government is now focusing on bilateral engagement with Member States to encourage them to more closely align with the UK's generous regime.