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Written Question
Counter-terrorism: Remand in Custody
Wednesday 4th September 2024

Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether a person remanded in custody is prevented from receiving (a) visits and (b) phone-calls from next-of-kin if they have been arrested under counter-terrorism legislation but not charged with terror-related offences.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) and the accompanying PACE codes of practice establish the powers of the police to combat crimes while protecting the rights of the public. PACE Code H focuses on detention, treatment and questioning by the police under terrorism legislation.

PACE Code H 2023 can be accessed via Gov.uk and details a person’s right to communication with ‘one named person’. The code sets out the following:

While held in custody at a police station or other premises the detainee may, on request, have one named person who is a friend, relative or a person known to them who is likely to take an interest in their welfare informed by the custody officer that they have been detained. They may also request a phone call or other form of communication with the ‘named person’.

At the custody officer’s discretion and subject to the detainee’s consent, visits should be allowed, when possible, subject to sufficient personnel being available to supervise a visit and any possible hindrance to the investigation.

However, in limited circumstances the nature of an investigation might mean that such requests (for visits, phone-calls or other form of communication) cannot be met. This is risk assessed on an individual basis, and in accordance with the considerations set out in Annex B to the Code. In this situation consideration is given to increasing the frequency of visits from independent visitor schemes, such as by the Independent Custody Visitors Association.

Any delay or denial of these rights should be proportionate and should last no longer than necessary.


Written Question
Police: Pensions
Monday 19th February 2024

Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on pension adjustments for police officers affected by the McCloud judgement.

Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

Neither the policy responsibility nor administrative responsibility for police pension scheme falls to the Department of Work and Pensions. There have, therefore, been no such discussions.

The relevant legislation provides that all eligible members will be given a choice to remedy the discrimination set out in the McCloud judgment and that information should be provided to eligible members by 31 March 2025. Adjustments to individual members’ benefits are an administrative matter, and the police pension scheme is locally administered by each of the separate police forces in England and Wales (policing is a devolved matter in Scotland and Northern Ireland).

The Home Office has policy responsibility for the police pension scheme but does not have any role in the administration of police pensions. Information on the progress of forces with the remedy process is therefore not held centrally.


Written Question
Police: Pensions
Monday 19th February 2024

Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he expects pension adjustments for police officers affected by the McCloud judgement to be completed.

Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

Neither the policy responsibility nor administrative responsibility for police pension scheme falls to the Department of Work and Pensions. There have, therefore, been no such discussions.

The relevant legislation provides that all eligible members will be given a choice to remedy the discrimination set out in the McCloud judgment and that information should be provided to eligible members by 31 March 2025. Adjustments to individual members’ benefits are an administrative matter, and the police pension scheme is locally administered by each of the separate police forces in England and Wales (policing is a devolved matter in Scotland and Northern Ireland).

The Home Office has policy responsibility for the police pension scheme but does not have any role in the administration of police pensions. Information on the progress of forces with the remedy process is therefore not held centrally.


Written Question
Visas: Skilled Workers
Monday 15th January 2024

Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the potential impact of the skilled worker visa application process on businesses.

Answered by Tom Pursglove

Home Office ministers regularly engage with the Department for Business and Trade, and other Whitehall Departments on a range of matters.

This Government is keen to strike the balance between reducing overall net migration and ensuring that businesses have the skills they need to support economic growth.


Written Question
Asylum
Monday 27th November 2023

Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to reduce the backlog of asylum applications.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

Provisional data indicates that between the end of November 2022 and October 2023 the legacy backlog reduced by 64% and we remain on track to clear the legacy backlog by the end of the year as per the Prime Minister’s commitment last year.

We will continue the steps we are already taking to speed up asylum processing whilst maintaining the integrity of the system. This includes better performance management, overtime, and shorer, focussed interviews.


Written Question
Asylum: Applications
Monday 18th September 2023

Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle the backlog of asylum applications.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

We have transformed the productivity of asylum decision making by streamlining processes, creating focused interviews and instilling accountability for performance. And as of 1 September, we have met our commitment to have 2,500 decision makers, an increase of 174% from the same point last year.

As a result, I am pleased to report to the House that we are on track to clear the legacy backlog by the end of the year, and that recently published provisional figures for July show that the overall backlog fell.


Written Question
Home Office: Recruitment
Thursday 23rd February 2023

Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department spent on recruitment consultants in each of the last three years.

Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

The Home Office does not report the information sought to the level of granularity required. To identify spending on recruitment consultants specifically from our management systems would require a manual review of all consultancy related transactions.

This can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.


Written Question
Home Office: Recruitment
Friday 3rd February 2023

Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department has spent on headhunters in each of the last three years.

Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

The Home Office does not report the information sought to the level of granularity required. To identify spending on head-hunters specifically from our management systems would require a manual review of all consultancy related transactions.

This can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.


Written Question
Home Office: Redundancy Pay
Monday 14th November 2022

Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to the public purse has been of Ministerial severance pay in their Department in each year since 1 January 2016 to 8 November 2022.

Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

The Provision of severance payments for Ministers is set out in legislation.

Details of the severance payments made to Ministers when leaving office are published in departments’ annual reports and accounts.


Written Question
Visas: Skilled Workers
Monday 14th November 2022

Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing temporary recovery visas to address industries experiencing labour and skills shortages; and if she will extend eligibility for those types of visas to bus drivers.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

The Points based immigration system provides for occupations within a wide range of sectors, subject to the requirements of specific routes – including English language and salary – being met. However, roles such as bus drivers do not meet the skills threshold for the Skilled Worker route. It is not the Government’s intention to launch a recovery visa.

Beyond the points based system, employers can recruit those with general work rights including the millions of people who have been granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme, those who have arrived via our settlement route for British National (Overseas) normally resident in Hong Kong and their households, those who have arrived via a family visa and those in the UK under our Youth Mobility Schemes. They have full access to the UK labour market and are free to work in the UK and can undertake any role.

However, we must see long-term solutions to labour and skills shortages delivered by employers through improved training and hiring, with better pay and working conditions.