Asked by: Charlie Elphicke (Independent - Dover)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 6 February 2019 to Question 215158 on UK-France Migration Committee, what services were purchased with the £3.6 million of funding to support transfers of eligible children to the UK.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The UK and France enjoy a special relationship based on shared values and priorities, including promoting the rule of law, protecting the rights of individuals and ensuring the security of our citizens. In January 2018 both countries signed the Sandhurst Treaty, which included a funding package of £45.5 million to fund joint co-operation on all elements of tackling the impact of illegal migration in northern France.
Within this package, £3.6 million was specifically allocated to funding the development of the Dublin process to support transfers of eligible children to the UK, including training for those working with unaccompanied children, family tracing and targeted information campaigns. This full package of £3.6 million was paid to the French Government at the end of 2018. We continue to work with France to transfer eligible children under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 and the Dublin regulation and transfers are ongoing.
Asked by: Charlie Elphicke (Independent - Dover)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to his Department (a) has been and (b) will be of Royal Navy assets patrolling the English Channel in relation to immigration.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The deployment of the Royal Navy vessel is an interim measure whilst the two Border Force cutters currently redeployed from overseas make their way back to UK waters.
As stated in the House of Lords by Baroness Williams on 6 February 2019 to date, it has cost a total of £700,000.
The deployment is being funded by the Home Office and will be kept under constant review.
Asked by: Charlie Elphicke (Independent - Dover)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the names are of the two Border Force cutters that he has recalled from the Mediterranean and Aegean seas; what their current locations are; and on what date they will arrive in the English Channel.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
HMC Protector and HMC Seeker have been recalled to the English Channel.
All essential maintenance has been completed on the cutters and both are fully crewed. These vessels are designed and built to work around coastal areas rather than to undertake long distance open ocean deployments during adverse weather conditions.
For the crews to transit the Bay of Biscay during winter, especially during the current period of deep Atlantic pressures sweeping across and causing high swells (at times up to 14 metres), is a dangerous pursuit and one which must not be taken carelessly. The vessels therefore require a favourable weather window to return to the UK safely and securely.
The two cutters are expected to arrive in the coming weeks.
Asked by: Charlie Elphicke (Independent - Dover)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the daily operating cost is of a Border Force cutter (a) at sea and (b) in port.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
It is Home Office policy not to comment on details of the deployment of any operational capability or taskings, as to do so would or is likely to prejudice national security.
Please see below a Home Office publication link to transparency data from 2010 to financial year 2017/2018 on Home Office spending.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ho-annual-reports-and-accounts
Border Force uses a layered approach to coastal defence, including patrols comprising additional military and law enforcement vessels, on-shore resources and intelligence and surveillance to detect efforts to smuggle guns and drugs or facilitate illegal entry into the country.
Asked by: Charlie Elphicke (Independent - Dover)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the daily operating cost is of a Border Force patrol craft (a) at sea and (b) in port.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
It is Home Office policy not to comment on details of the deployment of any operational capability or taskings, as to do so would or is likely to prejudice national security.
Please see below a Home Office publication link to transparency data from 2010 to financial year 2017/2018 on Home Office spending.
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ho-annual-reports-and-accounts
Border Force uses a layered approach to coastal defence, including patrols comprising additional military and law enforcement vessels, on-shore resources and intelligence and surveillance to detect efforts to smuggle guns and drugs or facilitate illegal entry into the country.
Asked by: Charlie Elphicke (Independent - Dover)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many days each Border Force cutter has spent (a) at sea and (b) in port in (i) each year from 2010 to 2018 and (ii) 2019.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
It is Home Office policy not to comment on details of the deployment of operational capability or taskings, as to do so would or is likely to prejudice national security.
Asked by: Charlie Elphicke (Independent - Dover)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many days each Border Force patrol craft has spent (a) at sea and (b) in port in (i) each year from 2010 to 2018 and (ii) 2019.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
It is Home Office policy not to comment on details of the deployment of operational capability or taskings, as to do so would or is likely to prejudice national security.
Asked by: Charlie Elphicke (Independent - Dover)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 7 February 2019 to Question 215154 on Undocumented Migrants: Kent, how many of the 500 migrants referred to were not Iranian.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
We do not routinely publish this level of data on clandestine entry or attempts to enter the UK and we do not comment on the status of cases once they have claimed asylum.
Asked by: Charlie Elphicke (Independent - Dover)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 7 February 2019 to Question 215154 on Undocumented Migrants: Kent, what were the claimed nationalities of the migrants referred to who were not Iranian; and how many migrants claimed each of those nationalities.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
We do not routinely publish this level of data on clandestine entry or attempts to enter the UK and we do not comment on the status of cases once they have claimed asylum.
Asked by: Charlie Elphicke (Independent - Dover)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 7 February 2019 to Question 215154 on Undocumented Migrants: Kent, what number of people does the figure 80% represent.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Please see below a Home Office publication link to the Home Secretary’s statement on 31 December 2018. This can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/home-secretary-bolsters-border-force-fleet-in-the-channel.