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Written Question
Climate Change: Demonstrations
Monday 10th July 2023

Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department issues to the Metropolitan Police on handling climate protests in accordance with the Public Order Act 2023.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The College of Policing have primary responsibility for publishing police guidance and are operationally independent. They have recently published specific guidance on the measures in the Public Order Act 2023 that have already commenced (Public Order Act 2023: Supplementary content (college.police.uk)). Further guidance on the remaining measures will be published in due course.

The College of Policing have also worked with the National Police Chiefs’ Council to publish the National Protest Operational Advice document (National protest operational advice (college.police.uk)), which provides operational guidance on the handling of protests and the application of the Public Order Act 2023.

In addition, the College of Policing’s Authorised Professional Practice on Public Order Public Safety (Public order public safety | College of Policing) has recently been updated and signposts to both the Public Order Act 2023 and the National Protest Operational Advice document.

The Home Office will continue to provide support where appropriate to assist the College of Policing in publishing accurate and up to date guidance on the Public Order Act 2023.


Written Question
Business: Rural Areas
Tuesday 4th July 2023

Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Draft Bill on rural businesses.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

The Terrorism (Protection of premises) draft Bill is currently undergoing pre-legislative scrutiny by the Home Affairs Select Committee (HASC). As part of this process, the Home Office have published a full Impact Assessment, which can be found on gov.uk.

A fundamental consideration when developing this draft Bill is proportionality, and it is vital that we balance this against the threat we face today.


Written Question
Asylum: RAF Scampton
Monday 12th June 2023

Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of housing asylum seekers at RAF Scrampton on historical buildings at that site.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

RAF Scampton played a vital role in the Second World War and the Home Office has been clear that we will preserve and enhance the heritage feature of Scampton.

We have undertaken significant engagement with Historic England and will create an Operational Management Plan (OMP) which will set out clear actions and responsibilities to protect the heritage assets at RAF Scampton. A regularly updated Factsheet on RAF Scampton can be found at Factsheet: RAF Scampton asylum accommodation (accessible) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)


Written Question
Visas
Monday 12th June 2023

Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to stop foreign nationals overstaying their right to reside in the UK on each visa route.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

We take robust action against those who abuse the conditions of their visa.

Any individuals abusing their visa are liable to be removed from the UK under section 10(1) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

A person who knowingly overstays their permission to enter or stay is, under section 24(C1) of the Immigration Act 1971, guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction with an unlimited fine, or with imprisonment for not more than four years, or with both.


Written Question
Migration
Friday 9th June 2023

Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to reduce net migration figures.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

On 23 May, the Government announced a package of measures to tackle the substantial rise in the number of student dependants coming to the UK. This package includes:

o Removing the right for international students to bring dependants unless they are on postgraduate courses currently designated as research programmes.

o Removing students’ right to switch into a work route before their studies are complete.

o Reviewing maintenance requirements for those applying for student and dependant visas.

o Clamping down on unscrupulous education agents selling inappropriate applications.

o Improving communications about visa rules to universities and international students.

o Improved and more targeted enforcement activity.

We expect this package to have a tangible impact on net migration. Taken together with the easing of temporary factors, like our exceptional humanitarian offers, we expect net migration to fall to pre-pandemic levels in the medium term.

We keep all our immigration policies under constant review to ensure they best serve the UK and reflect the public’s priorities.


Written Question
Immigration: Overseas Students
Friday 9th June 2023

Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing all international students to bring dependents to the UK with them.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

As set out in the Home Secretary’s written statement made on 23 May 2023, the Government remains committed to bringing down net migration to sustainable levels. The immigration statistics highlighted an unexpected rise in the number of dependants coming to the UK alongside international students which the system was not intended for. We are therefore taking steps to remove the right for international students to bring dependants unless they are on postgraduate courses currently designated as research programmes. Those affected by this package will predominantly be dependants of students who make a more limited contribution to the economy than students or those coming under the Skilled Worker route. Restricting the ability to bring dependants under the Student route to the aforementioned cohort of international students also ensures we continue to attract the brightest and best talent the world has to offer.

We keep all our immigration policies under constant review to ensure they best serve the UK and reflect the public’s priorities.


Written Question
Undocumented Migrants
Friday 19th May 2023

Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will make an estimate of the number of migrants who have illegally arrived in the UK since 1 January 2023.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

The Home Office has published data on the number of migrants detected crossing the English Channel in small boats on a weekly basis since January 2023 which can be accessed here: Migrants detected crossing the English Channel in small boats - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Data on the quarterly total number of attempts to enter the UK irregularly is published in the irregular migration to the UK statistics release within the ‘Irregular migration to the UK detailed dataset and summary tables’. This data is currently published up to end of December. Data for the next quarter (January to March 2023) is due to be published 25th May 2023.


Written Question
Child Sexual Abuse Independent Panel Inquiry
Thursday 23rd March 2023

Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, published on 20 October 2022, whether (a) police forces and (b) local authorities are recording the ethnicity of people arrested on suspicion of child sexual exploitation.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

We recognise the significant work of the Inquiry over its 7 years of investigation on these important issues. We owe it to the victims and survivors to give the Inquiry’s final recommendations proper time, consideration, and attention.

The Government continues to carefully consider all of the findings and each of the recommendations of the Final Report and will respond in the coming weeks.

The Government has already taken key steps to drive up data quality in policing by funding regional child sexual abuse analysts in every policing region. This includes making it mandatory from April 2022 for police forces to record demographic information, including the ethnicity of those arrested and held in custody as a result of their suspected involvement in grooming gangs.


Written Question
Undocumented Migrants: English Channel
Tuesday 13th December 2022

Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many allegations of assault have been made against asylum seekers who (a) came across the Channel illegally in small boats and (b) arrived in the UK by other means since 1 January 2022.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

If Police suspect they are dealing with a non-settled person, the Police will contact Immigration Enforcement to check a person’s status and a record is made of that on our databases; however this information is not recorded in a way which is reportable


Written Question
Undocumented Migrants: English Channel
Tuesday 13th December 2022

Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers who (a) came across the Channel illegally in small boats and (b) arrived in the UK by other means have been arrested by police for offences other than under the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 since the commencement of that Act.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

If Police suspect they are dealing with a non-settled person, the Police will contact Immigration Enforcement to check a person’s status and a record is made of that on our databases; however this information is not recorded in a way which is reportable