Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Monitoring Committee referred to in paragraph 15 of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of the Republic of Rwanda for the provision of an asylum partnership arrangement, whether the findings and recommendations of that Monitoring Committee will be published.
Answered by Simon Baynes
An independent Monitoring Committee for the Migration and Economic Development Partnership will monitor the entire relocation process and compliance with assurances in the Memorandum of Understanding, including the processing of asylum claims and provision of support in Rwanda.
The terms of reference and membership of the Monitoring Committee for the Migration and Economic Development Partnership are in the process of being developed. The Monitoring Committee is due to become established over the next few weeks. More details on this will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Monitoring Committee referred to in paragraph 15 of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of the Republic of Rwanda for the provision of an asylum partnership arrangement, what resources will be provided to that Monitoring Committee to enable it to fulfil its functions.
Answered by Simon Baynes
An independent Monitoring Committee for the Migration and Economic Development Partnership will monitor the entire relocation process and compliance with assurances in the Memorandum of Understanding, including the processing of asylum claims and provision of support in Rwanda.
The terms of reference and membership of the Monitoring Committee for the Migration and Economic Development Partnership are in the process of being developed. The Monitoring Committee is due to become established over the next few weeks. More details on this will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Monitoring Committee referred to in paragraph 15 of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of the Republic of Rwanda for the provision of an asylum partnership arrangement, when that Monitoring Committee will be established.
Answered by Simon Baynes
An independent Monitoring Committee for the Migration and Economic Development Partnership will monitor the entire relocation process and compliance with assurances in the Memorandum of Understanding, including the processing of asylum claims and provision of support in Rwanda.
The terms of reference and membership of the Monitoring Committee for the Migration and Economic Development Partnership are in the process of being developed. The Monitoring Committee is due to become established over the next few weeks. More details on this will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of whether her policy of transferring asylum applications to Rwanda will result in the separation of families.
Answered by Simon Baynes
With the exception of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, any individual who has arrived in the UK through dangerous, illegal and unnecessary methods since 1 January 2022 may be considered for relocation to Rwanda. Decisions will be taken on a case-by-case basis, and nobody will be relocated if it is unsafe or inappropriate for them.
Everyone considered for relocation will be screened and have access to legal advice.
We have published our Inadmissibility guidance on GOV.UK to make clearer provisions for removals to a safe third country under a model like the MEDP Partnership.
Those with family links in the UK, who want to be considered for entry to the UK, should seek to do so via safe and legal routes. Nobody needs to put their lives into the hands of criminal people smuggling gangs by making dangerous and irregular journeys. People with family in the UK may still be relocated to Rwanda subject to a detailed consideration of their Article 8 rights under the Human Rights Act.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the High Court’s ruling in June 2022 that the Special Development Order laid in August 2021 for the use of Napier Barracks for asylum accommodation for a further five years was unlawful.
Answered by Kevin Foster
We will consider the judgment fully once the final order has been made.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to include (a) guidance on and (b) specific reference to the storing and charging of e-bikes and e-scooters in the Government’s planned update to Fire safety in purpose-built blocks of flats.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Fire Safety in Purpose Built Blocks of Flats guide is currently being updated and we will shortly be launching a stakeholder engagement exercise seeking views on the revised version.
The guide includes a section on electrical hazards and specific reference to mobility scooters but there are no plans at present to include specific reference to the storing and charging of e-bikes and e-scooters. We would welcome views through the stakeholder engagement exercise on the content of the guide and any new or emerging issues that stakeholders would like to see included within it.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8 June 2022 to Question 13085 on Refugees: Afghanistan, how many of the 12,000 individuals accommodated in hotels from the Operation Pitting evacuation have been moved to permanent accommodation as of 17 June 2022.
Answered by Kevin Foster
We have moved, or in the process of moving 6,700 people into new homes since the first ARAP flights in June 2021.
We are working across government and with over three hundred Local Authority partners to move Afghan evacuees into permanent homes as soon as possible so they can settle and rebuild their lives. Alongside our engagement with local authorities, we are reaching out to landlords, developers and the wider private rented sector to encourage further offers of properties, either directly to Local Authorities or through our Housing portal.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Afghans evacuated under Operation Pitting are in bridging hotels as of 6 June 2022; and how many of those are children.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The UK Government undertook the biggest and fastest emergency evacuation in recent history. Over 15,000 people were supported to come to the UK directly following the evacuation of Afghanistan, and a further 3,000 have since arrived.
Due to the scale and pace of the evacuation we have had to use hotels as a temporary measure. There are currently over 12,000 individuals from Afghanistan in bridging hotels around half of whom are children. This cohort is made up of British and Afghan Nationals who may be eligible for Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) or Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).
We do not want to keep people in temporary accommodation for any longer than is absolutely necessary. We have moved – or are in the process of moving - over 6,000 people into homes since June 2021. There is a huge effort underway to support the families into permanent homes as soon as we can so they can settle and rebuild their lives, and to ensure those still temporarily accommodated in hotels are given the best start to their life in the UK.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the impact of the increase of (a) Ukrainian family visas and (b) Homes for Ukraine visas on the processing of non-Ukrainian asylum and refugee family reunion applications.
Answered by Kevin Foster
It has been necessary for the department to flex its resources to allow it to deliver the urgent commitments made to support the people of Ukraine.
This has had an impact on other routes, although we are implementing plans to mitigate this and return to normal timeframes.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which Minister is responsible for the operation of the (a) Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy and (b) Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Lord Richard Harrington is the joint Minister of State for Refugees for the Home Office and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. A full list of his responsibilities can be found at Minister of State (Minister for Refugees) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)