Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what was the original completion date for the Emergency Services Network critical communications system; what his planned timetable is for the completion of that project; and what is the (a) original and (b) current cost estimate for that project.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Emergency Services Network (ESN) will replace the Airwave communications service currently used by Britain’s emergency services and transform the way they operate.
The Programme’s 2021 revised Full Business Case set out the expectation that the transition to ESN would start in 2024 with Airwave shut down by the end of 2026. In 2021 the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched an investigation into Motorola’s profits on Airwave and as a result Motorola left the Programme in December 2022. Motorola’s withdrawal from the Programme means this timeline cannot now be achieved. The CMA’s final report in 2023 ruled that Motorola had enjoyed ‘supernormal’ profits and recommended Charge Controls on the Airwave service. This ruling was upheld by the Competition Appeal Tribunal in December 2023.
The Home Office is in the process of procuring a new supplier for mobile radio and data services and intends to release a revised Business Case in 2024, which will set out a new timetable and costs, taking into account the impact of procurement activity and the proposed CMA Charge Control. Recent NAO and PAC reports have indicated that Airwave Shutdown by December 2026 is now unlikely to be achieved, but new timescales cannot be confirmed until the procurement is complete. ESN must be ready prior to Airwave shut down and time has been set aside to allow a safe and orderly transition of users.
The 2021 Full Business Case estimated the cost of the programme to deliver ESN at £1.6bn, compared with the original estimate of £1.2bn. When combined with the Airwave and Legacy contracts, and the ongoing costs of the replacement ESN service, the total cost of providing critical emergency services communications between 2015/16 and 2036/37 in the July 2021 FBC was estimated at £11.3bn. This assumed Airwave and legacy system costs of approximately £450m annually compared with ESN at around £250m per annum. The Charge Control imposed by the CMA will save the taxpayer in the region of £200m a year for the period 2023 to 202.
The Home Office’s priority is to deliver the ESN as swifty and safely as possible and Airwave will only be shut down when it is safe to do so.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the original estimated completion date for the Emergency Services Network critical communications system was; what his most recent estimate is for the completion date of that project; and what (a) the original cost estimate was for and (b) his most recent cost estimate is for that project.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Emergency Services Network will replace the Airwave communications service currently used by Britain’s emergency services and transform the way they operate.
The July 2021 Full Business Case (FBC) estimated the cost of the programme to deliver ESN at £1.6bn, compared with the original estimate of £1.2bn. When combined with the Airwave and Legacy contracts, and the ongoing costs of the replacement ESN service, the total cost of providing critical emergency services communications between 2015/16 and 2036/37 in the July 2021 FBC was estimated at £11.3bn. This assumed Airwave and legacy system costs of approximately £450m annually compared with ESN at around £250m per annum. This estimated a target Airwave Shutdown Date of December 2026. The original estimated completion date was 2019.
In April 2021 the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched an investigation into Motorola’s profits on Airwave and as a result Motorola left the Programme in December 2022.
The CMA’s final report recommended Charge Controls on the Airwave service that if confirmed will save the taxpayer in the region of £200m a year for the period 2023 to 2029. This is pending the outcome of Motorola’s appeal to the Competition Appeal Tribunal.
The Home Office is in the process of procuring a new supplier for mobile radio and data services and intends to release a revised Business Case in 2024, which will set out a new timetable and costs, taking into account the impact of procurement activity and proposed CMA Charge Control.
The Home Office is committed to delivering ESN as swiftly and safely as possible and Airwave will not be switched off until the conditions for full transition have been met.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 19 April 2023 to Question 180360 on Refugees: Rwanda, whether her Department has set a provisional upper limit for the number of refugees who can be resettled from Rwanda.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
More details on the resettlement of refugees as part of the Migration and Economic Development Partnership will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 19 April 2023 to Question 180360 on Refugees: Rwanda, when she plans to set out the criteria for deciding which vulnerable refugees will be resettled from Rwanda.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
As set out in the Memorandum of Understanding, a small number of the most vulnerable refugees in Rwanda will be resettled in the UK as part of the Migration and Economic Development Partnership.
More details on the resettlement of vulnerable refugees will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what she plans the maximum number of refugees to be from Rwanda who may be resettled in the UK under the Memorandum of Understanding between the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the government of the Republic of Rwanda for the provision of an asylum partnership arrangement.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
As set out in the Memorandum of Understanding, a small number of the most vulnerable refugees in Rwanda will be resettled in the UK as part of the Migration and Economic Development Partnership.
The number will be small- likely in the tens, rather than the hundreds.
More details on the resettlement of vulnerable refugees will be set out in due
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 10 January 2023 to Question 114728 on Asylum, what are the safe and legal resettlement routes available to refugees through the UK Resettlement Scheme.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) is a global scheme with a multi-year commitment to resettle vulnerable refugees in need of protection. The UKRS sits alongside the government’s other resettlement schemes, which include Community Sponsorship, the Mandate Scheme, and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).
Under the UKRS, and Pathway 2 of the ACRS, refugees are assessed and referred by the UNHCR according to their criteria, which are based on at-risk people’s needs and vulnerabilities.
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will list the safe and legal routes for asylum seekers for access to the UK to claim asylum.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The UK, like most other countries, does not accept asylum claims from abroad. Individuals should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety.
The UK will continue to welcome refugees from across the world through existing safe and legal resettlement routes. These are the existing global UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), Community Sponsorship, the Mandate Resettlement Scheme, and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of people in her Department have worked on processing passport applications in each year since 2010.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The table below shows the total full-time equivalent staff of Her Majesty’s Passport Office as at 31 March, for the years 2010–2022:
Year | Full-time equivalent |
2010 | 4,017 |
2011 | 3,629 |
2012 | 3,134 |
2013 | 3,284 |
2014 | 3,469 |
2015 | 4,376 |
2016 | 4,059 |
2017 | 3,879 |
2018 | 3,680 |
2019 | 3,620 |
2020 | 3,947 |
2021 | 3,704 |
2022 | 4,466 |
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been employed in passport services in each year since 2010.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The table below shows the total number of staff by year employed in Her Majesty’s Passport Office.
HM Passport Office | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 |
Total Staff | 4,376 | 4,059 | 3,879 | 3,680 | 3,620 | 3,947 | 3,704 | 4,466 |
Figures for the years 2010 to 2014 are published on GOV.UK please see attached link.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ho-annual-reports-and-accounts
Asked by: Alan Brown (Scottish National Party - Kilmarnock and Loudoun)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of waiving visa entrance requirements for Ukrainians fleeing the war in Ukraine.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Russia’s assault on Ukraine is an unprovoked, premeditated attack against a sovereign, democratic state. We stand with Ukraine.
The UK has responded quickly and made changes to the immigration system, to support those affected by the conflict. The Ukraine Family Scheme has been set up which allows family members of British nationals, UK settled persons and certain others to come to or stay in the UK.
From 15 March Ukrainians, who are eligible for the family scheme with passports have been able to apply and get permission to come to the UK, fully online, from wherever they are. They have been, and will continue to be, able to give their biometrics once in the UK.
In addition, the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme allows Ukrainian nationals and their family members to come to the UK if they have a named sponsor under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme.
It would be wrong to make a blanket offer of sanctuary to those who may have committed offences which would be serious crimes in the UK or to those who pose a threat to our national security. Similarly, the checks as part of the visa process provide a vital safeguarding opportunity to protect vulnerable women and children looking to travel to the UK. Therefore we will not be waiving visa requirements.