Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many motoring offences have been committed by drivers of cloned vehicles in each of the last three years.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
Information is not held centrally on motoring offences committed by drivers of cloned vehicles.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations he has received on survivors' pensions for widows and widowers of retired police officers.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Home Secretary has regular discussions with the Chancellor on a range of issues. The Home Office receives correspondence on many issues, including police survivors’ pensions.
On 18 January 2016, the Police Pensions Regulations 1987 and the Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006 were amended to allow widows, widowers and civil partners of police officers in England and Wales who have died on duty and who qualified for a survivor pension after 1 April 2015 to continue to receive their survivors’ benefits for life.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on survivors' pensions for widows and widowers of retired police officers.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Home Secretary has regular discussions with the Chancellor on a range of issues. The Home Office receives correspondence on many issues, including police survivors’ pensions.
On 18 January 2016, the Police Pensions Regulations 1987 and the Police (Injury Benefit) Regulations 2006 were amended to allow widows, widowers and civil partners of police officers in England and Wales who have died on duty and who qualified for a survivor pension after 1 April 2015 to continue to receive their survivors’ benefits for life.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure that any future changes to immigration policy do not lead to a rise in forced labour.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Government is committed to tackling modern slavery in all sectors, including construction, which is why is we reformed the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), giving it a wider remit and police powers to investigate labour market offences across all sectors of the economy.
The construction sector has been the focus of increased enforcement activity by the GLAA and other agencies over the last 12 months, with over 20 investigations resulting in several arrests. The GLAA has also established a Construction Protocol in partnership with the industry to protect vulnerable workers and raise awareness of modern slavery.
The Government is also using other levers to tackle modern slavery in the sector. Businesses operating in the UK with a turnover above £36m are required to publish annual transparency statements detailing the steps they are taking to address modern slavery in their supply chains.
The Home Office is hosting a conference on 27 March to share good practice on tackling modern slavery in public procurement, focussing on high-risk sectors for public sector buyers, including construction.
The protection of all persons from forced labour and modern slavery offences remains a key priority for the Government and will of course be taken into account in the development of future immigration policy through engagement with key representative and law enforcement bodies, the Director of Labour Market Enforcement, consultations and impact assessments.
Those with lawful immigration status permitting them to work in the UK enjoy full protection under labour market legislation when they engage in employment. Immigration Enforcement will take action against rogue businesses who exploit illegal workers under powers provided in the Immigration Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 and Immigration Act 2016.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to tackle forced labour in the construction industry.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Government is committed to tackling modern slavery in all sectors, including construction, which is why is we reformed the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), giving it a wider remit and police powers to investigate labour market offences across all sectors of the economy.
The construction sector has been the focus of increased enforcement activity by the GLAA and other agencies over the last 12 months, with over 20 investigations resulting in several arrests. The GLAA has also established a Construction Protocol in partnership with the industry to protect vulnerable workers and raise awareness of modern slavery.
The Government is also using other levers to tackle modern slavery in the sector. Businesses operating in the UK with a turnover above £36m are required to publish annual transparency statements detailing the steps they are taking to address modern slavery in their supply chains.
The Home Office is hosting a conference on 27 March to share good practice on tackling modern slavery in public procurement, focussing on high-risk sectors for public sector buyers, including construction.
The protection of all persons from forced labour and modern slavery offences remains a key priority for the Government and will of course be taken into account in the development of future immigration policy through engagement with key representative and law enforcement bodies, the Director of Labour Market Enforcement, consultations and impact assessments.
Those with lawful immigration status permitting them to work in the UK enjoy full protection under labour market legislation when they engage in employment. Immigration Enforcement will take action against rogue businesses who exploit illegal workers under powers provided in the Immigration Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 and Immigration Act 2016.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what engagement he has had with representatives of the construction industry on the Immigration White Paper.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The Government is committed to developing a future borders and immigration system that will cater for all sectors of the UK, including for those who make a very valuable contribution to our construction sector
The Migration Advisory Committee recommended reducing the level required for those coming to the UK as skilled workers to include those at RQF level 3 and above. They did not recommend a route for low skilled workers. However, the White Paper does propose a temporary short-term workers route which will be open to people at any level.
Our proposals in the immigration White Paper, the UK’s Future Skills-Based Immigration System, were accompanied by a full economic appraisal. As the Government has been clear, we are launching a twelve month engagement process in order to listen to businesses and organisations. As part of this, there has already been engagement with the construction sector. We will consider the feedback from this process before making a final decision.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposals in the Immigration White Paper on the construction industry.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The Government is committed to developing a future borders and immigration system that will cater for all sectors of the UK, including for those who make a very valuable contribution to our construction sector
The Migration Advisory Committee recommended reducing the level required for those coming to the UK as skilled workers to include those at RQF level 3 and above. They did not recommend a route for low skilled workers. However, the White Paper does propose a temporary short-term workers route which will be open to people at any level.
Our proposals in the immigration White Paper, the UK’s Future Skills-Based Immigration System, were accompanied by a full economic appraisal. As the Government has been clear, we are launching a twelve month engagement process in order to listen to businesses and organisations. As part of this, there has already been engagement with the construction sector. We will consider the feedback from this process before making a final decision.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effect on the construction industry of only allowing skilled visas for roles at RQF Level 3 or above; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reducing that requirement to RQF Level 2.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The Government is committed to developing a future borders and immigration system that will cater for all sectors of the UK, including for those who make a very valuable contribution to our construction sector
The Migration Advisory Committee recommended reducing the level required for those coming to the UK as skilled workers to include those at RQF level 3 and above. They did not recommend a route for low skilled workers. However, the White Paper does propose a temporary short-term workers route which will be open to people at any level.
Our proposals in the immigration White Paper, the UK’s Future Skills-Based Immigration System, were accompanied by a full economic appraisal. As the Government has been clear, we are launching a twelve month engagement process in order to listen to businesses and organisations. As part of this, there has already been engagement with the construction sector. We will consider the feedback from this process before making a final decision.
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has plans to allow self-employed migrants to enter the UK under the proposed future skills-based immigration system.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
As we set out in the immigration system White Paper, those wishing to base themselves in the UK to work on a self-employed or freelance basis will continue to able to do so where they are able to qualify under the exceptional talent and business start-up routes. Skilled professionals who are technically self-employed, but effectively filling a position with a UK-based business (for example, barristers) will continue to be able to be sponsored under the new route for skilled and highly skilled workers.
We are currently engaging with businesses, employers and other stake-holders on the proposals set out in the White Paper
Asked by: Stephen Crabb (Conservative - Preseli Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to reply to the letters of 1 and 21 May 2018 from the right hon. Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire on the case of Melissa Siso Rodrigues.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The correspondence from the hon. Member dated 1 May and 21 May 2018 was responded to by the UKVI MP Account Management Team as agreed with his office.
In view of the hon. Member’s question, I will write to him separately about this case.