Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Home Affairs, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of hate crime during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
In March, April and May, the level of racially and religiously aggravated offences in 2020 was lower than the previous year. In April the number of offences was down almost a quarter (24%) on the same month in 2019. However, the number of racially or religiously aggravated offences in June 2020 was a third higher (34%) than in June 2019 and remained high in July. More information can be found online at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hate-crime-england-and-wales-2019-to-2020/hate-crime-england-and-wales-2019-to-2020
These offences are completely unacceptable and the UK has a robust legislative framework to respond to them.
The Home Office is working closely with the National Police Chief’s Council to ensure that all police forces are providing reassurance to affected communities and encouraging hate crime reporting during the pandemic.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what public engagement exercises her Department has undertaken in Luton on the Prevent Strategy.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The Prevent programme is fundamentally about safeguarding and supporting vulnerable individuals to stop them from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. It works best when it is locally-led and delivered in partnership with communities. As part of the Prevent Duty, Local Authorities have an obligation to deliver a programme of engagement tailored to the needs of the local community. The Home Office supports areas with engagement to increase transparency and communicate proactively about Prevent delivery in the local area. The Home Office has previously engaged with Luton Council's Elected Members Prevent Engagement Group on the Prevent Strategy.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of people have been required to self-isolate in each of the last four months after entering the UK from a country where there is no travel corridor.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Information relating to Health measures at the border and compliance with quarantine restrictions are available on GOV.uk at the following link:
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of people self-isolated in (a) July, (b) August, (c) September and (d) October 2020 after entering the UK from a country with which the UK does not have a travel corridor.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Information relating to Health measures at the border and compliance with quarantine restrictions are available on GOV.uk at the following link:
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the admission of children of Hong Kong BNO holders to UK schools ahead of the scheme's launch in 2021.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Home Office is working as part of a cross-government effort to ensure that when the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) Visa route opens in January it operates smoothly.
All children who live in the UK are eligible for a school place in England irrespective of their nationality.
BN(O) families moving to the UK under the Hong Kong BN(O) Visa route will be able to access a state-funded or independent school place for their children on the same basis as every other family in the UK. Those BN(O) families who choose not to avail themselves of our migration offer, and who remain in Hong Kong, will, as now, be able to send their children to the UK to access an independent school place under the UK study visa rules.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress the Government has made on the development of the Hong Kong BNO scheme announced in July 2020.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) Visa route will open from 31 January, and will allow BN(O)s and their family members to come to the UK to live, work and study.
Further details of the route were put before Parliament on 22 October, when the Immigration Rules were laid.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans the Government has to support people without funds to self-isolate safely after entering or returning to the UK.
Answered by Kevin Foster
We have been clear people should arrange their accommodation before they travel to the UK and the vast majority of travellers have complied.
For the small minority who don’t, the Government will support them in finding appropriate accommodation.
We are working to ensure non-exempt arrivals without the means to effectively self-isolate are supported in making alternative arrangements, including accommodation, for their period of self-isolation.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans the Government has to include ethnicity on death certificates.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The statistical information currently recorded in a death registration (and subsequently on certificates) is determined by the Office for National Statistics and prescribed by law. There are currently no plans to record ethnicity.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish a list of companies that sent representatives to the aviation industry meeting which discussed the 14-day quarantine on 4 June 2020; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The following companies attended the meeting:
Airport Operators Association (AOA);
Regional and Business Airports Group (RABA);
Airlines UK; Board of Airline Representatives UK (BAR UK);
International Air Transport Association (IATA);
Heathrow;
Gatwick;
MAG;
Edinburgh;
Virgin Atlantic;
EasyJet;
Jet2;
TUI;
Swissport;
Eurostar;
Eurotunnel;
Port of Dover;
UK Chamber of Shipping;
Maritime UK;
BPA;
UKMPG;
RHA;
FTA;
The International Airlines Group were invited to attend, but they declined the invitation.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the 14-day quarantine rule for people entering the UK during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Kevin Foster
In developing the Public Health regulations which introduced the 14-day self-isolation requirement, and the exemptions to be applied, there were discussions between the Home Secretary and Secretary of State for Transport, as well as other Cabinet colleagues. These discussions took place through Cabinet meetings, including the General Public Sector Ministerial Implementation Group (GPSMIG), and further exchanges in developing the policy, exemptions to apply, and its announcement.