Asked by: Stephen Twigg (Labour (Co-op) - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is in discussion with Greek authorities on additional resettlement places from Greece for (a) unaccompanied minors and (b) migrant children in families.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The UK is at the forefront in protecting children affected by the migration crisis. We remain absolutely committed to transferring the specified number of 480 unaccompanied children under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 (Dubs Amendment) as soon as possible. We have been making further progress with participating States, Greece, France, and Italy, to transfer more eligible children to move closer to the commitment to transfer 480 children.
In keeping with our commitments to ensure that the vulnerable children we have transferred from Greece, France and Italy to the UK under section 67 will have everything they need to be able to start a new life in the UK, we introduced a new form of leave, section 67 leave, in July 2018. Individuals who receive section 67 leave will have the right to study, work, access public funds and healthcare and apply for indefinite leave to remain.
Section 67 is one of a number of schemes that offer a safe and legal route to the UK for the most vulnerable refugees. In total, the UK provided protection to over 7,000 children in the year ending June 2019, and 39,500 since the start of 2010, and in every year since 2016, the UK resettled more refugees from out-side Europe than any other EU member state. In the year ending June 2019 the UK received 3,496 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. In 2018, the UK received 15% of all asylum claims from unaccompanied children in the EU, representing the third highest intake country.
Until the UK leaves the EU, we remain fully committed to the timely and efficient operation of the Dublin III Regulation including the provisions determining responsibility for examining the claims of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. Officials continue to work closely with Member States, including partners in Greece, to ensure the safe transfer of children under this Regulation.
Under Section 17 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act, we are committed to seek to negotiate an agreement with the EU allowing for the family reunion of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, where it is in their best interests, once we leave the EU. We are ready to engage with the EU and with Member States on this matter and will endeavour to negotiate such an agreement as soon as possible.
Asked by: Stephen Twigg (Labour (Co-op) - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the UK plans to undertake medical evacuations of critically ill children in Greece whose access to adequate and timely healthcare services in that country is obstructed by their migrant status.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Dissolution.
Asked by: Stephen Twigg (Labour (Co-op) - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to facilitate the resettlement of (a) vulnerable children and (b) unaccompanied minors from Greek islands.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The UK is at the forefront in protecting children affected by the migration crisis. We remain absolutely committed to transferring the specified number of 480 unaccompanied children under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 (Dubs Amendment) as soon as possible. We have been making further progress with participating States, Greece, France, and Italy, to transfer more eligible children to move closer to the commitment to transfer 480 children.
In keeping with our commitments to ensure that the vulnerable children we have transferred from Greece, France and Italy to the UK under section 67 will have everything they need to be able to start a new life in the UK, we introduced a new form of leave, section 67 leave, in July 2018. Individuals who receive section 67 leave will have the right to study, work, access public funds and healthcare and apply for indefinite leave to remain.
Section 67 is one of a number of schemes that offer a safe and legal route to the UK for the most vulnerable refugees. In total, the UK provided protection to over 7,000 children in the year ending June 2019, and 39,500 since the start of 2010, and in every year since 2016, the UK resettled more refugees from out-side Europe than any other EU member state. In the year ending June 2019 the UK received 3,496 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. In 2018, the UK received 15% of all asylum claims from unaccompanied children in the EU, representing the third highest intake country.
Until the UK leaves the EU, we remain fully committed to the timely and efficient operation of the Dublin III Regulation including the provisions determining responsibility for examining the claims of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. Officials continue to work closely with Member States, including partners in Greece, to ensure the safe transfer of children under this Regulation.
Under Section 17 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act, we are committed to seek to negotiate an agreement with the EU allowing for the family reunion of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, where it is in their best interests, once we leave the EU. We are ready to engage with the EU and with Member States on this matter and will endeavour to negotiate such an agreement as soon as possible.
Asked by: Stephen Twigg (Labour (Co-op) - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support the National Crime Agency has provided to (a) security forces and (b) law enforcement to address modern slavery in Libya in the last 12 months.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The National Crime Agency (NCA) led Organised Immigration Crime Taskforce has been supporting the development of a Libya-owned serious organised crime strategy, sharing best practice with the Libyan Attorney-General’s Office. This has included building niche law enforcement capabilities with trusted Libyan partners to tackle modern slavery and organised immigration crime threats over the last 12 months. The NCA has also collaborated with European and international partners to impose UN Security Council co-designated sanctions on six Libyan and Eritrean people traffickers.
Asked by: Stephen Twigg (Labour (Co-op) - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of gun and knife offences in Merseyside in each of the last five years.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Statistics on firearm offences and knife offences for the requested period are set out in the attached tables.
September 2018, compared to an 8% increase in England and Wales as a whole. Since 2013/14, knife offences in Merseyside have increased by 43%, compared to a 61% increase in England and Wales over the same period.
Police recorded crime data show that firearm offences (excluding air weapons) in Merseyside increased by 8% in the year to March 2018, a larger increase than for England Wales as a whole. The data show a negligible decrease (-0.9%) since 2013/14, opposed to a 34% increase for England and Wales over the same period.
The Government is very concerned about increases in knife crime and gun crime nationally, and its impact on victims, families and communities. The action we are taking is set out in our Serious Violence Strategy and includes new legislation in the Offensive Weapons Bill and continuing police action on knife crime under Operation Sceptre. The Strategy includes a strong focus on prevention and early intervention to stop young people being drawn into violent crime.
We are supporting early intervention and prevention with children and young people through the Early Intervention Youth Fund of £22 million, which is already supporting 29 projects across England and Wales. Over £17 million has already been allocated to projects delivering interventions to young people at risk of criminal involvement, gang exploitation and county lines. For example, a total of £700,000 has been awarded to an early intervention programme in Merseyside, involving a joint partnership between Everton in the Community, The Liverpool Foundation, the Princes Trust and The Shrewsbury House Youth Club. We are also supporting 68 small community projects this year through £1.5 million from the anti-knife crime Community Fund, of which four are in Merseyside.
Asked by: Stephen Twigg (Labour (Co-op) - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effect of trends in the level of Police Community Support Officers on incidences of crime in (a) Liverpool and (b) England in each of the last five years.
Answered by Nick Hurd
No assessment has been made of the effect of trends in the level of Police Community Support Officers on incidences of crime.
The police have always been operationally independent of Government. Decisions about frontline policing, and how resources are best deployed, are for Chief Constables and democratically accountable Police and Crime Commissioners. They are best placed to make decisions with their communities based on their local knowledge and experience.
Asked by: Stephen Twigg (Labour (Co-op) - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the additional cost to police forces in 2020-21 of employer contributions to the police pension scheme.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The additional cost to policing in 2019-20 of employer contributions to police pensions is estimated to be £330 million.
The 2019/20 police funding settlement provides additional funding of up to £970 million, including general Government grant funding, pensions grant, council tax precept and investment in national priorities. This substantial in-crease in funding will enable forces to meet their genuine financial pressures as well as to invest in key capabilities.
Decisions on funding for future years are a matter for the 2019 Spending Review.
Asked by: Stephen Twigg (Labour (Co-op) - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to publish the results of his Department's consultation on police pursuits; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nick Hurd
The Government fully recognises the difficult job that police drivers do every day to keep road users and the wider public safe. That is why we have worked closely with the Federation, other government departments and groups representing road users and those advocating road safety to review the law, guidance, procedures and processes surrounding police pursuits. We will shortly announce the next steps following the consultation.