Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 July 2023 to Question 192551 on Asylum: Applications, what steps her Department has taken to streamline the processes used when assessing asylum applications.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
We have taken immediate action to speed up asylum processing whilst maintaining the integrity of the system. This includes simplifying guidance, reducing interview length and streamlining processes.
When they make their asylum claim, all individuals will continue to undergo mandatory security checks during the screening interview.
Targeted interviews will concentrate on the individual’s nationality whilst shorter interviews will concentrate on a small number of material facts. These will be much shorter than substantive interviews and are more efficient.
There may be occasions where an individual will need to be referred for a substantive interview as is current practice, for example where there are criminality or security, or significant credibility concerns.
The duration of the interview is recorded in the interview transcript.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 July 2023 to Question 192551 on Asylum: Applications, whether her Department records the length of asylum application interviews for each applicant.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
We have taken immediate action to speed up asylum processing whilst maintaining the integrity of the system. This includes simplifying guidance, reducing interview length and streamlining processes.
When they make their asylum claim, all individuals will continue to undergo mandatory security checks during the screening interview.
Targeted interviews will concentrate on the individual’s nationality whilst shorter interviews will concentrate on a small number of material facts. These will be much shorter than substantive interviews and are more efficient.
There may be occasions where an individual will need to be referred for a substantive interview as is current practice, for example where there are criminality or security, or significant credibility concerns.
The duration of the interview is recorded in the interview transcript.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 July 2023 to Question 192551 on Asylum: Applications, how many asylum decisions were made between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on initial decisions made on asylum applications can be found in table Asy_D02 of the ‘asylum and resettlement detailed datasets’. Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbooks. The latest data relate to the year ending March 2023.
Data for the year ending June 2023 will be published on 24 August 2023. Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Departments plans to take to improve medical isolation practises at the Kent Intake Unit.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Home Office has no plans to improve isolation practices at the Kent Intake Unit as there is a purpose built isolation room and 24-hour medical services on site.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8 February to Question 136599 on Road Traffic Offences: Merseyside, if she will hold discussions with Merseyside police on the prevention of hit-and-run offences.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Enforcement of road traffic law is an operational matter for the Chief Constable of Merseyside Police. The Secretary of State has no plans to discuss the prevention of hit and run offences with Merseyside Police.
Under section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 there are requirements with which a driver must comply in the event of an accident involving injury to another person, or damage to another vehicle or certain animals, including dogs, or damage to property. The driver must stop and provide details to another person having reasonable cause to require them, or if he does not for any reason provide details must report the accident to the police and provide details within 24 hours.
Failure to stop after an accident and give details or report the accident carries a maximum penalty of an unlimited fine and/or 6 months’ imprisonment, plus discretionary disqualification and obligatory endorsement of 5 to ten penalty points.
Vehicle related theft is down 42% since March 2010 according to the Crime Survey for England and Wales.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department plans to take to clear the backlog of asylum applications.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
We have taken immediate action to speed up asylum processing whilst maintaining the integrity of the system. This includes simplifying guidance, reducing interview length and streamlining processes.
We have more than doubled our decision makers over the last 2 years, and we are continuing to recruit more. This will take the headcount of our expected number of decision makers to 2,500 by September 2023.
The latest Home Office statistics show asylum decisions are up in the year ending March 2023, with a 35% increase in asylum decisions from the previous year.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what mental health support is available to asylum seekers who are awaiting results of their asylum claim.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Government is under a legal obligation to provide support to all asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute.
Asylum seekers have access to free NHS care, which includes mental health services. In addition, asylum seekers can access Migrant Help, who the Home Office contract to provide advice and guidance to asylum seekers, should they have an issue.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent discussions with Merseyside Police on preventing hit-and-run offences.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Secretary of State has had no recent discussions with Merseyside Police on preventing hit and run offences. Enforcement of road traffic law is an operational matter for the Chief Constable of Merseyside Police.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the success rate is of visa and immigration appeal applications to the Home Office (a) with Members of Parliament intervening and (b) without Members of Parliament intervening.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The information sought is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Alison McGovern (Labour - Wirral South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the success rate is of visa and immigration applications when Members of Parliament intervene to help a constituent.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Each case is considered on its individual merits. Where a Member contacts the Home Office, it will address the issues raised and aim to respond within 20 working days.