Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond substantively to the email from the hon. Member for Lichfield of 15 January 2021 and the follow-up email of 11 June 2021 on Educational oversight inspections of private further education colleges.
Answered by Kevin Foster
My officials have been in discussion directly with the relevant organisations and other Government departments in relation to the issue of Educational Oversight (EO) provision for further education colleges raised in the email from the hon. Member for Lichfield.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will (a) commission an investigation through her Department's agencies into the proportion of the racist tweets directed at three England football players following the UEFA Euro 2020 final that originated in the UK and (b) publish a report following that investigation.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
Racist abuse is utterly unacceptable whether it takes place online or offline. Individuals who commit racist offences should face the full force of the law and we already have robust legislation in place to deal with online hate crime.
While companies have taken some positive steps, more needs to be done to tackle online harms, including hate crime. The upcoming Online Safety regulatory framework will put in place measures to tackle illegal and legal but harmful abuse, including racist abuse. If major platforms do not meet their own standards to keep people safe and address abuse quickly and effectively, they could face enforcement action. There is no reason for companies to wait until the regime is fully running to take action against this abhorrent abuse, and we will continue to press them to do so.
The police are reviewing offending material and will work with the relevant social media companies to identify account holders and progress their investigations.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what reports she has received of members of the Jewish community in Luton being advised to avoid parts of the town on 29 May 2021 when the Luton Council of Mosques organised a demonstration in solidarity with Palestine; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
We understand that a local statement was issued by Luton United Synagogue, which referred to concerns about a protest on 29 May 2021 and incorrectly stated that Bedfordshire Police were advising members of the Jewish community to avoid parts of Luton. This statement was subsequently retracted. The protest did take place with approximately 100 attendees. No disorder was reported
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she plans to take in response to anti-Semitic abuse from and reported incitements to violence by pro-Palestinian demonstrators visiting London against Jewish people on 15 to 16 May 2021; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Government is clear that any criminal activity, including the incitement of violence or racial hatred, is completely unacceptable. We have robust laws to tackle such criminal offences.
The Metropolitan Police Service is investigating a number of allegations in relation to recent demonstrations in London.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Home Office:
What steps her Department is taking to prevent migrants from unlawfully crossing the English Channel; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The danger to life from channel crossings and the criminal activity they fund is simply unacceptable.
Journeys are often illegally-facilitated and totally unnecessary, France is a safe country with a fully functioning asylum system.
We are working tirelessly to make this route unviable.
We are also introducing legislation to fix our broken asylum system and create a fairer and firmer system.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans for the first of the new blue British passports to be issued.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The return to a blue passport will be introduced in a phased approach, which is now familiar when bringing in a redesign of the British passport to ensure a smooth and safe transition. The first of the new blue passports will be issued in late 2019, and all new British passports will be blue from early 2020.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has received representations on doctors from overseas being prevented from working in the NHS on account of immigration rules relating to their salaries; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
We have received representations concerning the recruitment of overseas doctors under Tier 2 (General), our main immigration work route for non-EEA workers. The minimum salary thresholds were set following consultation with the independent Migration Advisory Committee and are based on pay scales published by the NHS – and have not been recently changed.
When we receive more applications than the number of places available in any given month, priority is given – through the award of points– first to occupations in UK shortage as identified by the independent Migration Advisory Committee, then to PhD-level occupations, and followed by economically valuable jobs paying higher salaries.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has received representations on doctors from overseas being prevented from working in the NHS on account of immigration rules relating to their salaries; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
We have received representations concerning the recruitment of overseas doctors under Tier 2 (General), our main immigration work route for non-EEA workers. The minimum salary thresholds were set following consultation with the independent Migration Advisory Committee and are based on pay scales published by the NHS – and have not been recently changed.
When we receive more applications than the number of places available in any given month, priority is given – through the award of points– first to occupations in UK shortage as identified by the independent Migration Advisory Committee, then to PhD-level occupations, and followed by economically valuable jobs paying higher salaries.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to change the (a) design, (b) colour and (c) wording of the new UK passport after the UK leaves the EU; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
I refer the hon. Friend to the answer given to the hon. Member for Romford, on 7th December 2016, UIN 55575.
Asked by: Michael Fabricant (Conservative - Lichfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the lead time required for the introduction of a redesigned British passport; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The UK passport is changed every five years for security reasons. The lead time for a re-designed passport is dependent on the level of changes to be made.