Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made a comparative assessment of (a) provision and (b) the level of maternity pay in fire and rescue services.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Setting fire pay and conditions, including setting a minimum national maternity entitlement, is the responsibility of employers, working through the National Joint Council. The Home Office plays no role in the negotiation or funding of firefighter pay.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his oral contribution of 19 September 2023, Official Report, column 1253, whether new Afghan people arriving in the UK on approved schemes will be placed in bridging accommodation.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The UK has made an ambitious and generous commitment to help at-risk people in Afghanistan and, so far, we have brought around 24,600 people to safety, including thousands of people eligible for our Afghan schemes. We continue to honour our commitments to bring eligible Afghans to the UK.
The Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme which was formally opened on the 1 April 2021 , has already relocated thousands of Afghans who have worked for or alongside the UK government, and their families, and who are deemed eligible.
In addition, the UK formally opened the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) on 6 January 2022. The scheme prioritises those who have assisted the UK efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for values such as democracy, women’s rights, freedom of speech, and rule of law.
We take seriously our commitment to resettling Afghans yet to arrive in the UK, including those eligible for our schemes still in Afghanistan. But our efforts to move people out of hotels has shown how vital it is that they are moved into long-term settled accommodation, so, they can put down roots in the community.
Once in the UK eligible Afghans have the right to live, work and study, and can apply for benefits and other local authority support.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to launch her Department's consultation on full cost recovery for firearms licencing.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office is currently reviewing firearms licensing fees, which were last increased in 2015 and are now considerably below the cost of the service provided.
The key aim of the review is to achieve full cost recovery for the police so that they receive the funding and resources they need to provide a more effective service that supports public safety.
The review is being informed by a Firearms Fees Working Group, chaired by the Home Office and including representation from the police, shooting representative bodies and other Government departments. I expect to consult publicly on proposed new fees during the Autumn and to put the new fees before Parliament shortly thereafter.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her timeline is for completing the resettlement and housing of Afghan citizens who are currently housed in hotels in Pakistan under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Programme scheme.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Responsibility for this area is shared across Departments. Within the Home Office I lead on resettlement as Minister for Immigration.
As of June 2023, we have relocated over c.12,200 people under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy Scheme (ARAP) initiative, while over 11,500 people have been granted settled status, since the scheme launched in April 2021.
It is vital that those arriving have somewhere suitable to stay once they are in the UK. We are developing plans across government to support the remainder of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) and ARAP cohorts into settled accommodation in the UK.
We will only facilitate ARAP third country arrivals where suitable accommodation can be secured ahead of arrival, including where individuals can be supported to arrange accommodation themselves.
We continue to work at pace with Local Authorities and other partners to source suitable accommodation, in order to be able to welcome more eligible Afghans.
We know there is still a way to go to bring those eligible to safety in the UK, but we remain committed to continuing to welcome eligible Afghans to the UK through our schemes.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which Minister is responsible for the resettlement and housing of Afghan citizens currently living in hotels in Pakistan under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy scheme.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Responsibility for this area is shared across Departments. Within the Home Office I lead on resettlement as Minister for Immigration.
As of June 2023, we have relocated over c.12,200 people under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy Scheme (ARAP) initiative, while over 11,500 people have been granted settled status, since the scheme launched in April 2021.
It is vital that those arriving have somewhere suitable to stay once they are in the UK. We are developing plans across government to support the remainder of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) and ARAP cohorts into settled accommodation in the UK.
We will only facilitate ARAP third country arrivals where suitable accommodation can be secured ahead of arrival, including where individuals can be supported to arrange accommodation themselves.
We continue to work at pace with Local Authorities and other partners to source suitable accommodation, in order to be able to welcome more eligible Afghans.
We know there is still a way to go to bring those eligible to safety in the UK, but we remain committed to continuing to welcome eligible Afghans to the UK through our schemes.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the potential cost to the public purse of refitting the Bibby Stockholm barge in Falmouth Docks to accommodate asylum seekers; and whether this cost has increased since work began.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Cost information is prospective and commercially sensitive, and as such is not available to be released. The pressure on the asylum system has continued to grow and requires us to look at a range of accommodation options which offer better value for money for taxpayers than hotels.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the potential cost to the public purse of housing asylum seekers on the Bibby Stockholm barge; and whether this cost can be broken down per asylum seeker.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Cost information is prospective and commercially sensitive, and as such is not available to be released. The pressure on the asylum system from small boat arrivals has continued to grow and requires us to look at a range of accommodation options which are more appropriate and offer better value for the taxpayer than expensive hotels.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department conducted a structural survey of the Bibby Stockholm before it underwent refitting in Falmouth Docks.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Bibby Stockholm is now in Falmouth where it is undergoing a statutory inspection along with any necessary refurbishment and general maintenance ahead of its berthing in Portland in the coming weeks. It will not be used to house asylum seekers whilst in Falmouth.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to use Falmouth Docks to refit more barges to house asylum seekers.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
We do not comment on individual sites. The Home Office are assessing all suitable options for accommodation.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her original timescale was for refitting the Bibby Stockholm barge in Falmouth Docks to accommodate asylum seekers; and whether this timescale has changed since work began.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Bibby Stockholm will arrive in Portland in early July and asylum seekers are expected to be moved onto the Bibby Stockholm from mid-July onwards.
It will be in place initially for 18 months but kept under review. The Bibby Stockholm is now in Falmouth where it is undergoing a statutory inspection along with any necessary refurbishment and general maintenance ahead of its berthing in Portland in the coming weeks. It will not be used to house asylum seekers whilst in Falmouth.