Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children are held in the Manston asylum processing centre as of 1 November 2022.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Home Office does not hold the data in the format requested.
Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much funding has been allocated to North East London ICS to support with GP retention in 2022-23; and how much was spent in that ICS for that purpose in 2021-22.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Policy Renewal and Development)
North East London Integrated Care System (NEL ICS) reports that in 2021/22, it was allocated £460,000 and spent £460,000 on projects across all 7 boroughs. Programmes last year included the introduction of mid-career fellowships, the development of peer support groups for GPs at different career stages and widening participation through Primary Care mentorship and work experience.
NEL ICS was allocated £460,000 for 2022/23, which will be invested in existing and new projects.
NHS England advises that a total of £1.9 million for GP retention schemes was allocated and spent by the ICS/CCGs in 2021/22 and £2.3 million allocated to the Integrated Care Board in 2022/23.
Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to improve GP retention in the North East London ICS area.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Policy Renewal and Development)
We are working with NHS England and Health Education England to increase the general practice workforce in England, including North East London. This includes measures to boost recruitment, address the reasons why doctors leave the profession, and encourage them to return to practice.
The updated GP Contract Framework announced a number of new schemes, alongside continued support for existing recruitment and retention schemes for the general practice workforce. This includes the GP Retention Scheme, the GP Retention Fund, the National GP Induction and Refresher, the Locum Support Scheme, the New to Partnership Payment and the Supporting Mentors Scheme.
To boost recruitment, we have increased the number of GP training places. In 2021/22, we saw the highest ever number of doctors accepting a place on GP training - a record 4,000 trainees, up from 2,671 in 2014.
Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data her Department collects on the provision of local retention initiatives in the North East London ICS area.
Answered by Will Quince
We are working collectively across providers to support well-being for all our health and care staff, and have developed an overarching programme where staff can access support. More information here: keepingwellnel.nhs.uk
NHS England are developing a network of retention leads to share local practice in Trusts, co-ordinated by their retention team. The NHS England retention programme includes Barts Health where initiatives are being developed that will be shared and rolled out across North East London ICS area.
We are working together to establish a collective response to the cost of living crisis, including exploring flexible workforce spaces for staff. We are also working to develop a single offer of support for all staff which would include financial planning and advice services.
All our Trusts have individually tailored retention programmes, including focusing on career development and training pathways to retain staff.
Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many GPs who had been previously working in North East London ICS area have left the profession over the last three years.
Answered by Will Quince
This information is not collected in the format requested.
Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the current minimum staffing levels are on contracts between the Border Force and private security contractors in (a) the Port of Dover and (b) Manston Airport.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Home Office does not routinely publish information relating to the number of staff working in specific locations as this would publicise operational practises which, in the wrong hands, could be used to attempt to evade controls at the border and compromise border security.
However, resource and staffing requirements at every port are continually reviewed by Border Force and we work closely with all port operators to try and anticipate demand. Resources are deployed flexibly as and when they are required.
Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will list the private security companies (a) contracted or (b) sub-contracted to process undocumented migrants in (i) the Port of Dover and (ii) Manston Airport.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Home Office has a number of arrangements in place to provide security, and custodial staff at the Port of Dover, and at its site in Manston.
These arrangements include the pre-existing Escorting and Related Services Contract with Mite Care and Custody, a contract with Management & Training Corporation (UK) Ltd, and a contract with Bloom Procurement Services who contracts with Definitive PSA Ltd (trading as Interforce) to deliver services for the Department.
Providing number of staff based at Dover and Manston, would reveal information on the security of our borders. It is not possible to provide the level of detail requested on volumes and patterns without impacting national security
Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will list the (a) value and (b) length of the contracts Border Force holds with (i) MITIE, (ii) Interforce and (iii) Definitive PSA in connection with the processing of undocumented migrants arriving in the Port of Dover.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Home Office has a number of arrangements in place to provide security, and custodial staff at the Port of Dover, and at its site in Manston.
These arrangements include the pre-existing Escorting and Related Services Contract with Mite Care and Custody, a contract with Management & Training Corporation (UK) Ltd, and a contract with Bloom Procurement Services who contracts with Definitive PSA Ltd (trading as Interforce) to deliver services for the Department.
Providing number of staff based at Dover and Manston, would reveal information on the security of our borders. It is not possible to provide the level of detail requested on volumes and patterns without impacting national security.
Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what due diligence is undertaken by Border Force in relation to sub-contracting of private security services to deliver public contracts.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Due diligence is an ongoing process carried out during a procurement exercise and varies depending upon the nature and size of the contract being procured. Typical areas considered as part of the selection and due diligence of a potential supplier could include:
Asked by: Diane Abbott (Independent - Hackney North and Stoke Newington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport since 17 March 2022 on Border Force’s private security contractors in (a) the Port of Dover and (b) Manston Airport.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Department for Transport is not involved in the asylum operations at Dover or Manston. There have therefore been no discussions with the Department for Transport about the use of private security contractors at the Home Office facilities at Dover and Manston.