Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of sharing redacted versions of applications for licences to conduct scientific experiments on animals with organisations that could provide expert advice on alternative scientifically satisfactory methods that do not involve the use of animals.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The National Centre for the 3Rs (NC3Rs) is the UKs leading independent scientific based organisation dedicated to replacing, refining and reducing the use of animals in scientific research and testing.
The NC3Rs primarily exists to support the research community to use the latest science and technology to replace animal studies. This Government will continue to work with the NC3Rs on how best to utilise its expert advice on the delivery of the 3Rs as part of the regulatory process.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the ability of third party suppliers to conduct asylum interviews effectively.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Asylum Operations are exploring many options to reduce the number of outstanding asylum claims. Alongside seeking temporary resource from within the Home Office and other government departments, we are also exploring with third-party suppliers, through a proof of concept, to test the viability of whether they can deliver the support required as a temporary, short term measure. An eight-week controlled mobilisation of testing has been confirmed. Once we have completed the proof of concept exercise, an evaluation will be completed, and this will inform any further recommendations or actions.
Asylum interviews have not been outsourced, and at this stage we are only exploring the potential feasibility. The increased interview throughput will help rebalance the system, but also speed up decision making, reduce the number of outstanding cases and support costs.
Asylum Operations will be looking to source resource with the right competency and recent experience in conducting sensitive interviews. To ensure external suppliers are suitably equipped to carry out the role, third-party interviewing officers will complete a bespoke training package, delivered by the qualified asylum operations training team, that has been designed specifically to meet their needs. Anyone who conducts asylum interviews receives thorough training to ensure they are fully equipped for the role.
To guarantee governance and accountability, mechanisms are in place for the oversight of third-party interviews, the department has a quality assurance process which assesses the quality of decisions, interviews and the application of Home Office policy.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the potential effect of using third-party suppliers for asylum interviews on the level of outstanding asylums (a) claims and (b) interviews.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Asylum Operations are exploring many options to reduce the number of outstanding asylum claims. Alongside seeking temporary resource from within the Home Office and other government departments, we are also exploring with third-party suppliers, through a proof of concept, to test the viability of whether they can deliver the support required as a temporary, short term measure. An eight-week controlled mobilisation of testing has been confirmed. Once we have completed the proof of concept exercise, an evaluation will be completed, and this will inform any further recommendations or actions.
Asylum interviews have not been outsourced, and at this stage we are only exploring the potential feasibility. The increased interview throughput will help rebalance the system, but also speed up decision making, reduce the number of outstanding cases and support costs.
Asylum Operations will be looking to source resource with the right competency and recent experience in conducting sensitive interviews. To ensure external suppliers are suitably equipped to carry out the role, third-party interviewing officers will complete a bespoke training package, delivered by the qualified asylum operations training team, that has been designed specifically to meet their needs. Anyone who conducts asylum interviews receives thorough training to ensure they are fully equipped for the role.
To guarantee governance and accountability, mechanisms are in place for the oversight of third-party interviews, the department has a quality assurance process which assesses the quality of decisions, interviews and the application of Home Office policy.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Government has taken to mitigate the risk of goods being smuggled into the UK from the EU from 1 January 2021 as a result of the phased introduction to border controls.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The UK has now left the EU, providing a once in a generation opportunity to take back control and strengthen the security of the UK border.
In December, the Government announced a plan to strengthen our border security. This included introducing the collection of pre-arrival goods data to stop smuggling and reduce £5 billion revenue leakage, the power to stop EU criminals at the border once we have ended free movement, the phasing out the use of European ID cards that are regularly used fraudulently given their insecurity compared to passports as well as introducing Electronic Travel Authorisation to provide an enhanced ability to screen arrivals and block threats from entering the UK.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on the return of rejected asylum seekers to Iran.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The UK has a proud history of granting asylum to those who need our protection.
All asylum and human rights claims are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations under the Refugee Convention and European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
Each individual assessment is made against the background of the latest available country of origin information and any relevant caselaw. Our assessment of the situation in Iran is set out in the relevant country policy and information notes, which are available on the Gov.uk website.
The Home Office only enforces removal to Iran when it and the courts conclude that it is safe to do so, with a safe route of return. By definition, those whose asylum claim have been unsuccessful do not need protection and are not at risk on return.
Enforced removals are carried out in the most sensitive way possible, treating those being removed with respect and courtesy.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department consulted with (a) young people and (b) members of the DCMS Youth Steering Group before launching the #knifefree chicken boxes campaign on 14 August 2019.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The #knifefree campaign has been developed in close consultation with young people. Regular independent quantitative and qualitative research has been undertaken with the target audience to inform campaign development and evaluation.
During campaign development we undertook qualitative research with young people aged 10-21 years old in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff and Leeds. Across the age range, fast food eateries were one of the key environments young people stated that they spend time.
A workshop held with stakeholders in December 2017 recommended that we ensured we placed outdoor advertisements strategically (i.e. in places where the audience are likely to go and spend time). Examples of these that were given included chicken shops.
We piloted the #knifefree fast food boxes in Spring 2019 in London and Manchester. Research conducted by All City Media Solutions indicated that there was:
We have not previously consulted with members of the DCMS Youth Steering Group, however would welcome the opportunity to work with them on future campaign planning.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many creative and sporting tier 5 visa applications (a) were subject to an administrative review and (b) had the original decision overturned following an administrative review in each year from 2012 to 2017.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The published information relates to total grants and refusals of entry clearance visas for Tier 5 creative and sporting, published in the quarterly Immigration Statistics, Visas volume 1, table vi_01_q, latest edition at:
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether Police and Crime Commissioners are subject to a purdah period in relation to elections.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) are accountable to the public via the ballot box for ensuring the policing needs of local communities are met effectively.
Restrictions are placed on local authorities, applicable to PCCs and their Deputies, by the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity, which refers to periods of heightened sensitivity during elections.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people born on 3 May 2000 or earlier are in possession of a police identification card registered in (a) Woking, (b) Gosport, (c) Bromley or (d) Watford local authority who are aged (i) under 24, (ii) 25 to 49, (iii) 50 to 64 and (iv) 65 or older.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Home Office does not hold a record of the data requested. Information requests on Police Identification Cards should be raised with the appropriate police force or with the appropriate directly elected Police and Crime Commissioner for that force.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Fleetwood)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people born on 3 May 2000 or earlier are in possession of a firearms licence registered in (a) Woking, (b) Gosport, (c) Bromley or (d) Watford local authority who are aged (i) under 24, (ii) 25 to 49, (iii) 50 to 64 and (iv) 65 or older.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Home Office publishes information on Firearm certificate holders by age and police force within table E2 of the ‘Firearm and Shotgun Certificates in England and Wales Statistics - Financial Year 2016/17’ publication.
This is available from the Home Office webpage on GOV.UK at: