Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent discussions with representatives of the Scottish Government on drug consumption rooms.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are committed to working across the UK and have regular contact with the Scottish Government at ministerial and official level on tackling drug use and reducing the harms it causes.
This includes discussion of Scottish Government interest in drug consumption rooms. The next UK Drugs Ministerial meeting is in planning for early in the New Year and will be held in Cardiff.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2022 to Question 95942 on Wind Power: Migrant Workers, what salary and resident labour market condition tests were undertaken (a) as part of the decision to extend the concession and (b) during the process of assessing applications to import crew.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Government regularly reviews all concessions to the Immigration Rules against the general principles of the immigration system to check whether they are necessary and regularly undertakes engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. This will continue to be the case in future.
We are clear that all employers should first seek to recruit from the resident labour market rather than using immigration to provide a work force.
The concession will expire on 30 April 2023 at which point we expect that the work will be undertaken by UK workers or those with the appropriate permission to do so.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2022 to Question 95942 on Wind Power: Migrant Workers, if he will take steps to consult maritime trade unions on the potential impact of the extension of the concession on UK seafarer employment in the offshore wind supply chain.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Government regularly reviews all concessions to the Immigration Rules against the general principles of the immigration system to check whether they are necessary and regularly undertakes engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. This will continue to be the case in future.
We are clear that all employers should first seek to recruit from the resident labour market rather than using immigration to provide a work force.
The concession will expire on 30 April 2023 at which point we expect that the work will be undertaken by UK workers or those with the appropriate permission to do so.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2022 to Question 95942 on Wind Power: Migrant Workers, which organisations the Government consulted prior to making the decision to extend that concession announced on 31 October 2022.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Government regularly reviews all concessions to the Immigration Rules against the general principles of the immigration system to check whether they are necessary and regularly undertakes engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. This will continue to be the case in future.
We are clear that all employers should first seek to recruit from the resident labour market rather than using immigration to provide a work force.
The concession will expire on 30 April 2023 at which point we expect that the work will be undertaken by UK workers or those with the appropriate permission to do so.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 25 November 2022 to Question 89909 on Wind Power: Migrant Workers, which Department is responsible for (a) the enforcement of and (b) assessing the impact on employment law of the Offshore Wind Workers Immigration Rules Concession 2017.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and its agencies are responsible for the enforcement of employment law.
BEIS are responsible for evaluating the impact of employment law on all sections of society including migrant workers. The Home Office is responsible for evaluating the impact of immigration concessions.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer by the Minister for Immigration to the Question from the hon. Member for East Lothian of 16 November 2022, Official Report, column 669, for what reason the Offshore wind workers Immigration Rules concession 2017 was extended in the period between 15 June 2017 and 1 July 2022.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
We are clear that all employers should first seek to recruit from the resident labour market before using immigration to provide a work force.
The concession will expire on 30 April 2023 at which point it will be reviewed.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he made an assessment of the potential impact of extending the Offshore Wind Workers Immigration rules concession 2017 on the number of jobs available for UK seafarers.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Government regularly reviews the existence of concessions against the general principles of the immigration system to check whether they are necessary and regularly undertakes engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. This will continue to be the case in future.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department consulted with relevant stakeholders prior to extending the Offshore Wind Workers Immigration Rules Concession 2017.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Government regularly reviews the existence of concessions against the general principles of the immigration system to check whether they are necessary and regularly undertakes engagement with a wide range of stakeholders. This will continue to be the case in future.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to take action against firms found to have dismissed UK seafarers and replaced them with workers from overseas following the extension of the Offshore Wind Workers Immigration rules concession 2017.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Employment law is a matter for the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether (a) she or (b) officials in her Department have met with US officials to discuss Julian Assange.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)
The Home Office routinely cooperates with international partners, including the US, on a range of issues involving judicial cooperation. This specific case is subject to ongoing court proceedings, so we are unable to comment further.
Further information on the UK’s extradition processes can be found on www.gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/extradition-processes-and-review