Asked by: Chris Philp (Conservative - Croydon South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on student society statements praising Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
As the Education Secretary made clear in her statement to Parliament on 2 March, universities should be places of open discussion and dialogue, where views should be challenged and questioned. But there is no place for hate speech or intimidation on campus.
That is why on 8 March, the Government announced stronger protections for university students and staff against extremism, harassment and intimidation on campus.
Asked by: Chris Philp (Conservative - Croydon South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to open new legal routes for Iranian nationals affected by the regional conflict.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government has not introduced a bespoke visa route in response to the conflict. Existing visa routes remain available and Iranian nationals who wish to come to the UK can apply to do so via these routes.
Any application for a UK visa will be assessed against the requirements of the Immigration Rules. We advise people to consider the most appropriate visa route for their own circumstances.
Asked by: Chris Philp (Conservative - Croydon South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the conflict with Iran on the number of asylum applications from Iranian nationals; and what steps she is taking to manage the anticipated change.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
There is no provision within our Immigration Rules for someone to be allowed to travel to the UK to seek asylum or temporary refuge. Those who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety.
If someone is in the UK and circumstances in their home country change, such that it is no longer safe for them to return home, they can claim asylum. The Home Office constantly monitors global events and prepares for a range of scenarios to ensure the asylum system can respond effectively.
We are closely monitoring the fast-moving situation in Iran and we continue to register, interview and decide protection claims from Iranian nationals in the UK as normal. All asylum and human rights claims will be carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations.
We have already taken steps to streamline the asylum process and increase our efficiency. As per normal operational practice we can deploy decision makers flexibly to support wider casework demands across Asylum & Human Rights Operations and the wider Asylum Group within the Home Office. Any additional asylum claims will be processed in the usual way and each individual assessment will be made against the background of relevant case law and the latest available country of origin information. Our assessment of the situation of a given group in a given country, is set out in the relevant Country Policy and Information Note. We keep all country guidance relating to asylum claims under constant review so we can respond to emerging issues such as challenges in the Middle East. The CPIN for Iran is available on GOV.UK at: Iran: country policy and information notes - GOV.UK. We will not remove anyone to their own or any other country where they have a well-founded fear or persecution or are at risk of serious harm.
Asked by: Chris Philp (Conservative - Croydon South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the status is of the rollout of the Right Care, Right Person policy in each police force.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
It is a matter for each chief constable to determine how much of the Right Care, Right Person (RCRP) approach they wish to adopt and timing is ultimately an operational matter for each chief constable.
It is recognised best practice for the police to work in close consultation with local partners to understand local issues and gaps, to clarify roles and responsibilities in responding to given incidents and to agree a timeline for implementing the different phases of RCRP in their force area.
In the recent white paper on police reform, From Local to National this government has committed to continue to support the roll out of RCRP to all parts of the country.
Asked by: Chris Philp (Conservative - Croydon South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the officer hours saved each year as a result of the rollout of the Right Care Right Person policy.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office and the Department for Health and Social Care published a joint evaluation on the implementation of the Right Care, Right Person in December 2024, which showed that RCRP has led to a reduction in calls and deployments to RCRP-related incidents following implementation, estimating a saving of c.370,000 police hours per year across the five forces covered by this aspect of the evaluation.
Asked by: Chris Philp (Conservative - Croydon South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact on the welfare of military families living in accommodation next to the Cameron Barracks, in light of the site now being used as asylum accommodation.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Consideration of this site is ongoing and any final decision to utilise any site for the intended purposes will be made once the relevant factors have been properly considered.
The Home Office continues to engage regularly with representatives from the local authority, NHS, Police, and other local partners – via an Operational Working Group in addition to bi-lateral conversations.
Safety and security of residents, staff and the neighbouring community will remain central to any decisions. We will ensure that any development is safe, appropriate, and compliant with planning regulations.
Asked by: Chris Philp (Conservative - Croydon South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what formal process has been followed regarding the change of use of the Cameron Barracks.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Consideration of this site is ongoing and any final decision to utilise any site for the intended purposes will be made once the relevant factors have been properly considered.
The Home Office continues to engage regularly with representatives from the local authority, NHS, Police, and other local partners – via an Operational Working Group in addition to bi-lateral conversations.
Safety and security of residents, staff and the neighbouring community will remain central to any decisions. We will ensure that any development is safe, appropriate, and compliant with planning regulations.
Asked by: Chris Philp (Conservative - Croydon South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the cost of providing recreational activities and health services to asylum seekers at the Cameron barracks.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Consideration of this site is ongoing and any final decision to utilise any site for the intended purposes will be made once the relevant factors have been properly considered.
The Home Office continues to engage regularly with representatives from the local authority, NHS, Police, and other local partners – via an Operational Working Group in addition to bi-lateral conversations.
Safety and security of residents, staff and the neighbouring community will remain central to any decisions. We will ensure that any development is safe, appropriate, and compliant with planning regulations.
Asked by: Chris Philp (Conservative - Croydon South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to engage with local communities in Inverness, in light of the decision to use the Cameron barracks as asylum accommodation.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Consideration of this site is ongoing and any final decision to utilise any site for the intended purposes will be made once the relevant factors have been properly considered.
The Home Office continues to engage regularly with representatives from the local authority, NHS, Police, and other local partners – via an Operational Working Group in addition to bi-lateral conversations.
Safety and security of residents, staff and the neighbouring community will remain central to any decisions. We will ensure that any development is safe, appropriate, and compliant with planning regulations.
Asked by: Chris Philp (Conservative - Croydon South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether asylum seekers at the Cameron barracks will have access to publicly-funded therapists.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Consideration of this site is ongoing and any final decision to utilise any site for the intended purposes will be made once the relevant factors have been properly considered.
The Home Office continues to engage regularly with representatives from the local authority, NHS, Police, and other local partners – via an Operational Working Group in addition to bi-lateral conversations.
Safety and security of residents, staff and the neighbouring community will remain central to any decisions. We will ensure that any development is safe, appropriate, and compliant with planning regulations.