Asked by: Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will introduce a trial seasonal agricultural workers scheme in 2018.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
For the time being, the United Kingdom remains a part of the European Union and the latest labour market statistics continue to show an increased number of EU citizens entering into the UK labour force. However, the Government has committed to keeping the position under review and we will continue to engage with the agricultural sector.
The Government has commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to assess the impact of leaving the EU and the subsequent needs of the UK economy, including the rural economy. We will outline our future immigration proposals in due course.
Net migration includes all persons coming to the UK for 12 months or longer.
Asked by: Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department intends to publish a White Paper on immigration.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
We are considering the options for our future immigration system very carefully and we will be setting out initial proposals for our future immigration arrangements in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what response her Department has made to the recommendations of the report entitled, Facing the future: tackling post-Brexit labour and skills shortages published in June 2017 by the CIPD and the National Institute for Economic and Social Research.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The Government is considering options for our future immigration system very carefully. We will build a comprehensive picture of the needs and interests of all parts of the UK and look to develop a system which works for all.
The UK will remain an open country; one that recognises the valuable contribution migrants make to our society and welcomes those with the skills and expertise to make our nation better still. We will control immigration so that we continue to attract the brightest and the best to work or study in Britain, but manage the process properly so that our immigration system serves the national interest.
Parliament will have an important role to play in this and we will ensure businesses and communities have the opportunity to contribute their views.
Asked by: Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 6 December 2010, Official Report, column 7WS, what consideration her Department has given to the articles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child when making new policy and legislation since May 2015.
Answered by Sarah Newton
On 17 October the Minister for Vulnerable Children and Families laid a Written Ministerial Statement reaffirming the Government’s commitment to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It stated that both the UNCRC articles and the Committee’s recent Concluding Recommendations serve as a helpful and important guide to making sure that our policies – whether they hold direct or indirect consequences – consider children.
Home Office Ministers and Officials consider the rights, freedoms, and protections for children throughout the policy-making and legislative process. A recent example is the Modern Slavery Act 2015 which specifically provides additional protections for children. Cabinet Office guidance encourages all government departments to consider, and set out in summary, the anticipated effects of legislation on children and on the compatibility of draft legislation with the UNCRC. This guidance can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/450239/Guide_to_Making_Legislation
Asked by: Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of refugees that have been settled in Cumbria in the last 12 months; and whether she has further plans to settle refugees in Cumbria.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
Progress on resettlement is reported in quarterly immigration statistics, including the local authorities participating in the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme and how many refugees have been resettled in each area. This is a voluntary scheme whereby local authorities sign up to accept refugees on a voluntary basis. No refugees have been resettled to Cumbria under any of our other resettlement schemes.
Asked by: Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to implement the coercive and controlling behaviour offence, as defined by the Serious Crime Act 2015; and what training the (a) police, (b) judiciary and (c) other statutory agencies will have on coercive control and the new offence.
Answered by Karen Bradley
We are aiming to introduce the offence of coercive and controlling behaviour as soon as practicable. We have been clear that before the offence can be introduced it is essential that frontline agencies receive proper training and guidance on how to use the new offence.
We have been working with the College of Policing and Crown Prosecution Service to develop statutory guidance.
New guidance on investigating domestic abuse was published by the College of Policing last month including coercive and controlling behaviour and new training for the police incorporating coercive control has been developed and piloted. In addition, every Police force in England and Wales has now published an action plan on domestic abuse and the College of Policing is reviewing risk assessment tools used by officers.
Upon commencement of the offence, a circular will be issued, including to the Lord Chief Justice, to ensure criminal justice partners are fully aware.
Asked by: Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Government plans to ratify the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.
Answered by Karen Bradley
The previous Government signed the Istanbul Convention in June 2012. This Government remains committed to its ratification.
The UK already complies with the vast majority of the articles through its comprehensive work to protect women and girls. However, primary legislation will be required to comply with the extra-territorial jurisdiction provisions in Article 44 of the Convention before ratification.
The Government is liaising with the devolved administrations about ratification, including any further legislative steps necessary. The Government takes its international commitments very seriously and will only commit to such ratification when we are absolutely satisfied that we comply with all articles.
Asked by: Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether refugees offered a home in Britain will be vetted before entry.
Answered by Lord Harrington of Watford
The operation of the UK’s resettlement schemes, including the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Scheme, involves the UNHCR submitting potential cases for our consideration. The cases are then screened and considered by the Home Office for suitability for entry to the UK: we retain the right to reject individuals on security, war crimes or other grounds.
Asked by: Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on parity between Great Britain and Northern Ireland with regard to police officers' widows and widowers pensions.
Answered by Mike Penning
In the Budget on 18 March, the Chancellor announced that widows, widowers and surviving civil partners of police officers who have died on duty in England and Wales will no longer lose their survivors’ benefits in future if they remarry, form a civil partnership or cohabit. These pensions will not be re-instated for those who have already lost them through remarriage or cohabitation, though current rules already allow re-instatement if the 'new' relationship ends.
Changes will be limited to those deaths which have occurred whilst on duty. The Home Office will consult the Police Advisory Board for England and Wales (PABEW) shortly on proposals to implement this change and this will include the definition of “on duty”.
As policing is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and Scotland, the Northern Ireland Executive and Scottish Government respectively are responsible for the design and funding of police pensions in those parts of the United Kingdom. The Government has a continuous duty to ensure that public service pensions are affordable, sustainable and fair, both for the members of those schemes and for other taxpayers.
Asked by: Baroness Hayman of Ullock (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on pensions for police officers' widows and widowers; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Mike Penning
In the Budget on 18 March, the Chancellor announced that widows, widowers and surviving civil partners of police officers who have died on duty in England and Wales will no longer lose their survivors’ benefits in future if they remarry, form a civil partnership or cohabit. These pensions will not be re-instated for those who have already lost them through remarriage or cohabitation, though current rules already allow re-instatement if the 'new' relationship ends.
Changes will be limited to those deaths which have occurred whilst on duty. The Home Office will consult the Police Advisory Board for England and Wales (PABEW) shortly on proposals to implement this change and this will include the definition of “on duty”.
As policing is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and Scotland, the Northern Ireland Executive and Scottish Government respectively are responsible for the design and funding of police pensions in those parts of the United Kingdom. The Government has a continuous duty to ensure that public service pensions are affordable, sustainable and fair, both for the members of those schemes and for other taxpayers.