Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to repeal the Vagrancy Act 1824; and if so, when.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Government does agree that the Vagrancy Act is antiquated and not fit for purpose, and therefore we have committed to repealing it. We made that commitment during the passage of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act. Our commitment to repealing it has always been dependent on introducing modern replacement legislation to ensure that police and other agencies continue to have the powers that they need to keep communities safe and protect vulnerable individuals.
I cannot give a specific date when we will bring the legislation in. We will bring forward suitable replacement legislation in a future legislative vehicle.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when the consultation on sex for rent will be launched; and whether stakeholders and relevant organisations will be invited to take part.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The Government is clear that exploitation through ‘sex for rent’ has no place in our society.
Under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, there are two existing offences which can be used to prosecute this practice. In 2019, the CPS amended their guidance on ‘Prostitution and Exploitation of Prostitution’ to include specific reference to the potential availability of charges for offences under sections 52 and 53 of the 2003 Act when there is evidence to support the existence of ‘sex for rent’ arrangements. Both offences carry a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment.
In January 2021, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) authorised the first charge for ‘sex for rent’ allegations under Section 52. The individual against whom these allegations were made pleaded guilty to two counts of inciting prostitution for gain earlier this year.
These offences have also been included in Schedule 7 of the Online Safety Bill, which reflects the most serious and prevalent illegal content online. This will mean that services will be under a duty to proactively search for, remove and limit people’s exposure to this content, while also protecting users’ freedom of expression.
We are committed to improving the protection of vulnerable people from exploitation. In the cross-Government Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, which was published in July 2021, we committed to working with partners inside and outside of Government on the issue of sex-for-rent.
We have also committed to launching a public consultation on the issue of sex-for-rent to hear as wide a range of views as possible on the nature of sex-for-rent; the existing response and what more could be done to prevent exploitation and protect victims. We are working to launch this consultation soon.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) use of buffer zones outside abortion clinics, and (2) reports from women and girls who have attended such clinics in the UK that they were intimidated and harassed on arrival.
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 takes the matter of protests outside abortion clinics extremely seriously and recognises the adverse impact that such protests can have on patients and staff. It is completely unacceptable that anyone should feel harassed or intimidated simply for exercising their legal right to healthcare advice and treatment.
We have conducted extensive reviews into these protests, which has included reviewing evidence from those directly affected, with the impact on women being at the centre of our consideration. We continue to welcome any new evidence on this important and sensitive issue, as we keep this matter under review.
We believe that managing harmful protests requires a locally driven response and that the police and local authorities have the necessary powers to provide this. Public Spaces Protection Orders have been implemented successfully to restrict harmful protests in Ealing, Richmond, and Manchester.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
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 - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
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.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the applications of Ukrainian refugees through the Homes for Ukraine scheme are processed as quickly and thoroughly as possible.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
UKVI have issued thousands of visas under the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme. The latest figures can be found here: Ukraine Family Scheme and Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine) visa data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Ukrainians with valid passports can now prove their identity using the UK Immigration: ID check app as part of the application. There are fewer steps to complete and an improved customer experience.
More information on the ID check app, including a video giving top tips, can be found on GOV.UK at: Using the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)