Asked by: Laura Smith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of provision of emergency accommodation for refugees in Calais.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Migrants in France are the responsibility of the French authorities. The Government recognises the importance of collaboration with France on migration and, as part of the Calais camp clearance last year, and our wider programme of engagement with France, supported the provision of accommodation for asylum seekers.
Asked by: Laura Smith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the review of harassment and intimidation near abortion clinics announced on 26 November 2017 will include meetings with organisations that protest near abortion clinics.
Answered by Nick Hurd
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Congleton on the 20th December 2017, UIN 119787.
Asked by: Laura Smith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to ensure that all asylum seekers are guaranteed the right to work in the UK.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
Asylum seekers are not allowed to work in the UK unless their claim has been outstanding for at least 12 months through no fault of their own.
The policy is designed to protect the resident labour market so that access to employment is prioritised for British citizens and lawful residents, including those granted refugee status. We have no plans to change this policy.
Asked by: Laura Smith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to ensure that decisions on asylum support applications are made as quickly as possible.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to the Hon. Member for Birmingham Hall Green on 11 September 2017, UIN 8672.
Asked by: Laura Smith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of whether the decision-making process on asylum support applications is sufficiently transparent.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given the Hon. Member for Bristol West on 20 July 2017, 5403.
Asked by: Laura Smith (Labour - Crewe and Nantwich)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to ensure that people who have a criminal record for drug use are able to join the police force.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The College of Policing published their statutory Vetting Code of Practice on 12 October 2017 which sets out the vetting standards which are to be applied by police forces in England and Wales.
These standards are designed to ensure that the public is confident that police vetting processes are effective in identifying those who pose a potential risk to others or who are otherwise unsuitable for working within the police force.
The Vetting Code states that whilst the presumption is that an individual with a previous conviction would not be suitable for appointment as an officer, each case must be considered on its own merit and factors that should be considered include the nature and severity of the offence and the age of the individual at the time they committed the offence. Rejection should be automatic where an offence resulted in a custodial sentence or the applicant is a registered sex offender.