Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people seeking asylum in the UK on the basis of sexual orientation are in immigration detention.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The UK has a proud record of providing protection for asylum seekers fleeing persecution because of their sexual orientation. Each case is considered on its individual merits, with all available evidence carefully and sensitively considered in light of published country information.
Decisions on claims based on sexual orientation are reviewed by a second experienced caseworker as an additional safeguard.
Migrants, including asylum claimants, may be detained for immigration purposes only in accordance with Home Office detention policy, as set out in Detention general guidance and adults at risk in immigration detention. The detention decision must always be made on the basis of the individual’s particular circumstances and eligibility for detention.
All immigration removal centres take a strategic approach to equality and diversity, with identification, monitoring and support for all detainees with protected characteristics. Every detainee receives an individual risk assessment at the point of initial detention which is repeated when the detainee enters the immigration removal centre. The risk assessment is kept under review.
Guidance is available for Home Office and supplier staff on providing consistent standards of treatment for LGB detainees. This is provided in Detention Services Order 2/2016 ‘Lesbian, gay and bisexual detainees in the detention estate’ which is available on the gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lesbian-gay-and-bisexual-detainees
Where transsexual individuals are detained, Detention Services Order 11/2012 on the ‘Care and Management of Transsexual Detainees’ sets out how individuals with these particular protected characteristics should be safeguarded and treated in detention. This can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/caring-for-and-managing-transsexual-detainees
The UK only ever returns those who both the Home Office and the Courts are satisfied do not need our protection and have no legal basis to remain in the UK.
We do not currently hold the data in the format you have requested, however published data is available on the number of individuals held in immigration detention and those that are returned, including the sexuality of the number of applicants and decisions made. Details of the number of Asylum claims made is also published, the data can be found at:
Under section 8 (detentions and returns) and section 10 (Asylum on the basis of sexual orientation):
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether musicians and artistic performers from the EU will be subject to the Tier 5 (Creative and Sporting visa) temporary worker route from 1 January 2021.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Currently, visiting artists, entertainers and musicians can perform at events, take part in competitions and auditions, make personal appearances and take part in promotional activities for up to 6 months without the need for formal sponsorship or a work visa. They can also receive payment for appearance at permit free festivals for up to 6 months, or for up to one month for a specific engagement, under the Visitor route.
Artists wishing to come to the UK for longer-term work will need to do so under the points-based system. There will continue to be special arrangements for creative workers, which in future will encompass both EEA and non-EEA citizens.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending a statutory duty on flood response to the Fire and Rescue Service in England in line with that in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
A statutory duty for firefighters to respond to flooding is unlikely to make a significant difference to the Fire and Rescue Services which already provide effective response to flooding incidents. This has been demonstrated through the fantastic response of Fire and Rescue Services to a range of incidents in 2019 including the Lincolnshire and Yorkshire floods and the Toddbrook Reservoir incident; and more recently in response to this year’s severe storms.
Fire and Rescue Authorities in England already have the power to respond to all kinds of emergencies including flooding, under the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004, and placing a duty on them would remove local choice on responding to local emergencies.
The Government provides the Fire and Rescue Service with additional resource to tackle flooding via the provision of High-Volume Pumps and boats.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have had a (a) passport and (b) UK citizenship withdrawn under the Royal Prerogative in each year since 2013.
Answered by Kevin Foster
(a) The Secretary of State publishes the number of passports withdrawn under the Royal Prerogative in the annual Government Transparency Report: Disruptive and Investigatory Powers. The last Transparency Report was published in July 2018. A link to that report can be found here;
(b) Citizenship is not withdrawn under the Royal Prerogative, it is the British Nationality Act 1981 that provides the Secretary of State with powers to deprive a person of citizenship status under the circumstances set out at sections 40(2) and 40(3) of the Act.
Section 40(2) allows the Secretary of State to deprive any person of British citizenship, should they deem it conducive to the public good to do so.
Section 40(3) allows the Secretary of State to deprive a person who has obtained citizenship by naturalisation or registration, where the Secretary of State is satisfied citizenship was obtained by means of fraud, false representation or concealment of material fact.
Three reports have been published to date in 2015, 2017 and 2018, which have included figures for section 40(2) deprivations. Figures from May 2010 to December 2014 are included in the 2015 report, from January to December 2015 in the 2017 report and January 2016 to December 2017 in the 2018 report. The links to these reports are below:
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Home Department, how many Unexplained Wealth Orders have been issued in each quarter since the implementation of those orders.
Answered by James Brokenshire
Since implementation, 15 unexplained wealth orders (UWOs) have been granted in relation to 4 cases.
The quarterly breakdown is as follows:
3 UWOs were granted in relation to 1 case in Q4 of 2017/18
3 UWOs were granted in relation to 1 case in Q1 2019/20
9 UWOs were granted in relation to 2 cases in Q2 2019/20
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of a single location in Wales for scanning settled status application documents on vulnerable applicants in Wales.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
EU citizens make a huge contribution to our economy and society, and we want them to stay. The EU Settlement Scheme enables them to do so and over 3 million people have now made applications, to which more than 2.7 million have been granted status.
The application process for the EU Settlement Scheme is straightforward and user-friendly, and is accessible on any smartphone, tablet or computer using internet browsers.
There are multiple ways to have identity documents checked, including using the EU Exit: ID Document Check app or by posting identity documents to the Home Office. There are also over 100 locations nationwide, provided by local authorities, where applicants have their passport scanned and verified.
The ID document scanning service is provided at the discretion of each local authority. The viability and cost of offering the ID document scanning service in each location is a matter for each local authority. There are currently seven local authorities participating in Wales; Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Ceredigion, Conway, Gwynedd and Rhondda Cynon Taf.
The Home Office would encourage as many local authorities as possible to offer this service, and we continue to work with local government bodies across the UK to increase the provision of this service.
Participating local authorities do not receive funding from central Government to provide this service. Charges for using this service, payable directly to the local authority, can be set to cover the cost of providing the service. Some local authorities have elected to provide the service for free to residents, whilst others have elected to set a fee.
The Home Office has a range of structures in place nationally to support the most vulnerable people in making their application to the EU Settlement scheme, including up to £9 million grant funding for 57 voluntary and community organisations. This includes funding allocated to charities in Wales.
The EUSS Grant Scheme was set up as a result of extensive engagement with voluntary and community sector organisations representing different vulnerable groups. We continue to engage with stakeholders to ensure appropriate support is in place for vulnerable applicants.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effect on vulnerable people of charging a fee for scanning supporting documents for Settled Status at a single location in Wales.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
EU citizens make a huge contribution to our economy and society, and we want them to stay. The EU Settlement Scheme enables them to do so and over 3 million people have now made applications, to which more than 2.7 million have been granted status.
The application process for the EU Settlement Scheme is straightforward and user-friendly, and is accessible on any smartphone, tablet or computer using internet browsers.
There are multiple ways to have identity documents checked, including using the EU Exit: ID Document Check app or by posting identity documents to the Home Office. There are also over 100 locations nationwide, provided by local authorities, where applicants have their passport scanned and verified.
The ID document scanning service is provided at the discretion of each local authority. The viability and cost of offering the ID document scanning service in each location is a matter for each local authority. There are currently seven local authorities participating in Wales; Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Ceredigion, Conway, Gwynedd and Rhondda Cynon Taf.
The Home Office would encourage as many local authorities as possible to offer this service, and we continue to work with local government bodies across the UK to increase the provision of this service.
Participating local authorities do not receive funding from central Government to provide this service. Charges for using this service, payable directly to the local authority, can be set to cover the cost of providing the service. Some local authorities have elected to provide the service for free to residents, whilst others have elected to set a fee.
The Home Office has a range of structures in place nationally to support the most vulnerable people in making their application to the EU Settlement scheme, including up to £9 million grant funding for 57 voluntary and community organisations. This includes funding allocated to charities in Wales.
The EUSS Grant Scheme was set up as a result of extensive engagement with voluntary and community sector organisations representing different vulnerable groups. We continue to engage with stakeholders to ensure appropriate support is in place for vulnerable applicants.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to review the application fee for British citizen naturalisation; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Border, Immigration and Citizenship System (BICS) is predominately funded by the user, and we think it is right that those who use it contribute to its cost, thereby reducing the burden on the UK taxpayer. We keep our fees for immigration and nationality applications under review and ensure they are within the parameters agreed with HM Treasury and Parliament, as set out in Section 68 (9) of the Immigration Act 2014.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking support EU nationals living in the UK that (a) lack mental capacity and (b) do not have a power of attorney with their application for settled status.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The Home Office has put in place a comprehensive vulnerability strategy to ensure that the EU Settlement Scheme is accessible to all.
A user group of external stakeholders who represent the needs of vulnerable individuals has been established to work with the Home Office to assess and understand relevant risks and issues and to ensure the right support arrangements are in place for applicants, including those who lack mental capacity.
The Home Office is working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Department for Health and Social Care, NHS England as well as with stakeholders including the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, the Care Provider Allice and Local Government Association. This collaboration ensures local authorities and partners can work together to identify and support those without mental capacity to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme.
Applicants who need additional support, or those who are assisting them, can call the Settlement Resolution Centre or contact one of the 57 voluntary and community grant funded organisations who can provide immigration advice to individual applicants.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the application process for settled status for EU nationals living in the UK that are homeless.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The Home Office has put in place measures to ensure that the EU Settlement Scheme is accessible to all vulnerable applicants, including those who are homeless.
A user group of external stakeholders who represent the needs of potentially vulnerable individuals, including those who are homeless, has been established to work with the Home Office to ensure the right support arrangements are in place.
There is provision in policy to allow for a wide range of evidence to be provided by applicants in order to prove their residence, including confirmation from a charity or support group. There is also provision for applicants to apply without the standard evidence of identity and nationality where they can not provide it due to compelling practical or compassionate reasons or circumstances beyond their control, which may include being homeless or destitute.
The Home Office has introduced a range of support including up to £9 million grant funding for 57 voluntary and community organisations, to ensure those that require the most support to apply to the scheme can access it. This includes funding allocated to charities that support the homeless.