Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 22 March 2022 to Question 121942, on Animal Experiments, of the 65,888 botulinum tests carried out, what product was being tested in those tests; and for what reason a validated cell-based assay was not used for those tests.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Pursuant to answer 121942 the substance being tested in 65,888 procedures was Botulinum Toxin.
Animal testing was authorised because there was not a validated non-animal alternative acceptable to the relevant regulator to meet these legal requirements.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to establish a safe and legal route for Ukrainian asylum seekers to enter the UK.
Answered by Kevin Foster
This Government has made its support for Ukrainians fleeing in fear of their lives clear.
We are creating safe and legal routes for Ukrainian nationals to come to the UK. This Government has introduced two new schemes: the Ukraine Family Scheme announced on 4 March, and the ‘Homes for Ukraine’ Scheme announced by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities on 14 March.
The Ukraine Family Scheme is fee-free and allows British nationals and people settled in the UK to bring family members to the UK, covering immediate family members plus parents, grandparents, children over 18 and siblings, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, cousins and in-laws. Individuals will be granted leave for three years and will be able to work and access public services and benefits.
The bespoke ‘Homes for Ukraine’ scheme will ultimately allow individuals, charities, community groups and businesses in the UK to bring Ukrainians to safety – including those with no family ties to the UK. There will be no limit on the number of arrivals, and those who come to the UK on the scheme will have permission to live and work here for up to three years. They will also have access to public services and benefits.
This government will work closely with international partners on the ground to support displaced Ukrainians in need of a home.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the effect of the charges made by general practitioners for verifying the medical information submitted by applicants for shotgun and firearms certificates; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Government worked closely with the police and the medical profession on the development of the firearms marker that General Practitioners (GPs) place on the medical records of those who are licensed to hold a firearms certificate. The marker helps with monitoring of firearms certificate holders by alerting GPs to advise the police if there are any changes in relevant medical conditions that the police need to be made aware of so that the police force can assess whether a person remains suitable to possess a firearm certificate. Work is currently underway to digitalise the firearms marker to further strengthen these arrangements.
The new Statutory Guidance for police forces on firearms licensing, which came into effect on 1 November 2021, introduced improved arrangements for medical checks to ensure that no one is given a firearms certificate unless their doctor has confirmed to the police whether they have any relevant medical conditions. While the Home Office does not routinely monitor GPs’ use of the firearms marker on medical records, the Statutory Guidance will be kept under review to ensure that firearms licensing arrangements remain as effective as possible to protect the safety of the public including in relation to the medical check arrangements and use of the firearms marker.
While doctors can charge a fee to provide the medical information in relation to a firearms certificate application, whether a fee is charged or the level of the fee if it is charged, are a matter between the applicant and the doctor. The Statutory Guidance has made it a requirement that the police must receive relevant medical information about the applicant before a firearms certificate can be granted or renewed by the police force.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the level of compliance by general practitioners in placing markers on the medical notes of those licensed to own firearms since the publication of the latest Home Office guidance on firearms licensing.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Government worked closely with the police and the medical profession on the development of the firearms marker that General Practitioners (GPs) place on the medical records of those who are licensed to hold a firearms certificate. The marker helps with monitoring of firearms certificate holders by alerting GPs to advise the police if there are any changes in relevant medical conditions that the police need to be made aware of so that the police force can assess whether a person remains suitable to possess a firearm certificate. Work is currently underway to digitalise the firearms marker to further strengthen these arrangements.
The new Statutory Guidance for police forces on firearms licensing, which came into effect on 1 November 2021, introduced improved arrangements for medical checks to ensure that no one is given a firearms certificate unless their doctor has confirmed to the police whether they have any relevant medical conditions. While the Home Office does not routinely monitor GPs’ use of the firearms marker on medical records, the Statutory Guidance will be kept under review to ensure that firearms licensing arrangements remain as effective as possible to protect the safety of the public including in relation to the medical check arrangements and use of the firearms marker.
While doctors can charge a fee to provide the medical information in relation to a firearms certificate application, whether a fee is charged or the level of the fee if it is charged, are a matter between the applicant and the doctor. The Statutory Guidance has made it a requirement that the police must receive relevant medical information about the applicant before a firearms certificate can be granted or renewed by the police force.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with (a) the police and (b) professional bodies representing doctors regarding the placing of markers on the medical notes of those licensed to hold firearms.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Government worked closely with the police and the medical profession on the development of the firearms marker that General Practitioners (GPs) place on the medical records of those who are licensed to hold a firearms certificate. The marker helps with monitoring of firearms certificate holders by alerting GPs to advise the police if there are any changes in relevant medical conditions that the police need to be made aware of so that the police force can assess whether a person remains suitable to possess a firearm certificate. Work is currently underway to digitalise the firearms marker to further strengthen these arrangements.
The new Statutory Guidance for police forces on firearms licensing, which came into effect on 1 November 2021, introduced improved arrangements for medical checks to ensure that no one is given a firearms certificate unless their doctor has confirmed to the police whether they have any relevant medical conditions. While the Home Office does not routinely monitor GPs’ use of the firearms marker on medical records, the Statutory Guidance will be kept under review to ensure that firearms licensing arrangements remain as effective as possible to protect the safety of the public including in relation to the medical check arrangements and use of the firearms marker.
While doctors can charge a fee to provide the medical information in relation to a firearms certificate application, whether a fee is charged or the level of the fee if it is charged, are a matter between the applicant and the doctor. The Statutory Guidance has made it a requirement that the police must receive relevant medical information about the applicant before a firearms certificate can be granted or renewed by the police force.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people aged (a) 14 to 16 and (b) 16 to 18 hold gun licences.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Home Office publishes data on firearm and shotgun certificates in England and Wales by age group in the annual ‘Firearm and shotgun certificates, England and Wales’ National Statistics. The latest data cover the period April 2020 to March 2021, and are available here: Firearm certificates in England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Data on the number of firearm and shotgun certificate holders by age group are published in table 14 of the accompanying data tables. Data are published using the age groups ‘aged 13 and under’, ‘age 14 to 17’, ‘age 18 to 34’, ‘age 35 to 49’, ‘age 50 to 64’ and ‘age 65 and over’.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many seasonal agricultural work permits were approved for workers from Ukraine in the last 3 years.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Home Office publishes data on Seasonal Worker visas in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of grants to Ukrainian nationals are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the entry clearance detailed datasets. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook.
The latest data includes up to the end of 2021.
Please note the published data relates to Ukrainian nationals, regardless of their residency. Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many gun certificates have been issued and are active for pump action (a) shotguns and (b) rifles in England as of 18 February 2022.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The information requested is not collated as part of the annual statistical publication.
However, based on management information, as at 18 February 2022, there were 23,955 current certificates for pump-action shotguns and 1,918 current certificates for pump-action rifles on issue in England.
This data is not quality assured to the standards of the annual statistical publication.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what responsibilities Ministers in her Department hold in respect of the operational control of the Royal Navy’s cross channel migration operation.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The Government is determined to prevent further loss of life in the Channel and break the business model of dangerous criminal people smugglers.
The UK armed forces already work closely with Border Force in these operations, given their expertise and experience in maritime operations.
This is a complex global issue requiring a response across the whole of government, and it is right that we pursue all options to prevent illegal crossings and protect life at sea.
The Government’s New Plan for Immigration will help deter illegal migration and break the business model of the criminal gangs.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many licences for pump-action shotguns have been issued in England over the last 12 months.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
5,579 certificates authorising the possession of pump action shotguns were issued in England between 1 January and 31 December 2021. This information, which is not routinely collated, is drawn from management information and is not quality assured to the standards of the annual statistical publication.
The HG will know that the Home Secretary asked for a review of gun licensing arrangements by police forces following the tragic incident in his constituency, and we will do everything in our power to reduce the risk of such incidences in the future.