Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress he has made on ending the use of hotels for asylum seekers.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Hotel closures will be phased on a monthly basis. Timings will be informed by operational requirements and contractual notice periods. We plan to exit at least 50 hotels used for asylum seekers by the end of January 2024.
We keep our asylum accommodation estate under constant review and will close additional hotels whenever possible, ensuring that it does not impact our statutory obligation to accommodate otherwise destitute asylum seekers.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to reduce levels of organised crime in (a) Bournemouth East constituency and (b) the South West.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office is committed to ensuring that the police have the resources they need and that is why I have recently approved, on an exceptional basis, Dorset’s application for £600,000 of additional funding to support the force with the costs of exceptional policing demand arising in Bournemouth.
Ultimately, it is for Chief Constables and directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), and Mayors with PCC functions to make operational decisions based on their local knowledge and experience. This includes how to allocate resources to reduce levels of organised crime.
Chief Constables, PCCs and Mayors with PCC functions have provided significant resource to the Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) network by allocating 725 extra officers to ROCUs between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2023. Those officers are tackling the range of Serious and Organised Crime threats, helping to reduce crime and keep communities safe.
Dorset Police used the Police Uplift Programme to grow their officer capacity. As part of that programme Dorset was set a target to recruit 166 new officers. As of April 2023, 174 new recruits joined Dorset over the last 3 years.
Investment in policing is paying off and delivering results. Violent Crime, as measured by the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW), has fallen 52% in the year ending June 2023 compared with the year ending March 2010.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the safety of (a) Jewish and (b) Muslim communities in the UK in the context of the war in Gaza.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
In response to the conflict and reports of increased incidents of antisemitism in the UK, the Prime Minister has announced additional funding of £3 million for the Community Security Trust (CST) to provide additional security at Jewish schools, synagogues and other Jewish community sites, bringing total funding for CST, through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant, to £18 million in 2023/24. The Chancellor’s Autumn Statement confirmed that protective security funding for the Jewish community will be maintained at £18 million in 2024/25.
Earlier this year, we established the Jewish Community Crime, Policing and Security Taskforce. The Taskforce, chaired by the Home Secretary, allows the Jewish community, represented by CST, to raise concerns with the Home Office, law enforcement and partners, and work together to understand and address the concerns of the Jewish community on safety and security issues. We continue to work closely with CST on how best to respond to live incidents that affect the Jewish communities in the UK.
The Prime Minister has made clear we stand with British Muslim communities. We will not tolerate anti-Muslim hatred in any form and seek to stamp it out wherever it occurs. I can now confirm that additional funding of £4.9 million will also be made available to provide additional protective security at mosques and Muslim faith schools in light of increased reports of anti-Muslim hate incidents. This brings the total funding to £29.4 million for both 2023/24 and 2024/25. We have also extended the deadline for the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme and invite UK mosques and Muslim faith community centres to register for protective security measures by the end of December.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has also allocated over £6 million to Tell MAMA since their inception in 2012 for their vital work monitoring and supporting victims of anti-Muslim hatred.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help prevent homicides involving (a) an object with a blade and (b) a sharp instrument in Bournemouth East constituency.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is determined to tackle the underlying causes of serious violence, and we are redoubling our efforts with a twin-track approach, combining tough enforcement to get dangerous weapons off the streets with programs that steer young people away from crime.
We are supporting the police every step of the way in this effort. As of 31 March 2023, over 20,000 additional officers have been recruited in England and Wales and as of 31 March 2023, Dorset Police has recruited 174 additional uplift officers against a total three-year allocation of 166 officers.
On 31 January, the Government confirmed a total police funding settlement of up to £17.2 billion in 2023/24, an increase of up to £313.8 million when compared to 2022/23. Dorset Police’s funding will be up to £166 million in 2023/24, an increase of up to £6.9 million when compared to 2022/23.
More widely, the Serious Violence Duty, introduced as part of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, requires a range of specified authorities, such as the police, local government, criminal justice services and health services, to work collaboratively, share data and information, and put in place plans to prevent and reduce serious violence within their local communities. Dorset have been allocated £292,301 in 2023/24 to cover costs incurred by local partners in delivering the Duty.
In addition, we keep all legislation under review in the interests of public safety. The Offensive Weapons Act 2019 includes specific measures around knives, in particular making it an offence to possess certain offensive weapons in private, and stopping knives being sent to residential addresses after they are bought online, unless the seller has arrangements in place with the delivery company to ensure that the product would not be delivered into the hands of a person under 18.
Building on this we recently consulted on new legislative proposals to tackle knife crime and published the government response on 30 August 2023. When Parliamentary time allows, the Government intends to introduce:
o A new ban on zombie-style machetes and knives that have no practical use.
o More powers for police to seize knives that could be used in crimes.
o A new offence and higher sentencing to root out the sale and possession of these dangerous weapons.
Finally, we are also providing £200 million over 10 years for the Youth Endowment Fund, to test and evaluate what works to ensure those young people most at risk are given the opportunity to turn away from violence and lead positive lives.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to provide safe and legal routes for people displaced from Sudan who are dependents of British nationals to come to the UK.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Over 2,000 people have been evacuated to safety in the longest and largest airlift of any western nation during the crisis in Sudan. As well as British nationals, the UK has also evacuated Sudanese clinicians who work in the NHS.
In addition, those individuals who were evacuated from Sudan by other governments who would have met the criteria for evacuation by the UK government will also be able to come to the UK.
The UK Government is monitoring the situation in Sudan closely to ensure that it is able to respond appropriately. We recognise that some people displaced by the fighting may wish to join family in the UK, and where those family members do not have a current UK visa, they can apply for one via one of our standard visa routes, which remain available, and applications can be submitted at the nearest Visa Application Centre (VAC).
Those wishing to come to the UK for a short time to stay with family can apply for a visit visa which allows them to stay in the UK for up to six months. Immediate family members of British citizens, and those settled in the UK, who wish to come and live in the UK can apply under one of the existing family visa routes. The safe and legal entry routes are country-specific and global:
Applications can be made at any VAC and we will accept applications which would normally have to be made in the country where the person is living at any VAC from someone who has been evacuated, or self-evacuated, from Sudan.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to prevent knife crime in Bournemouth East constituency.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Tackling knife crime is a priority and the Government is determined to crack down on the scourge of violence devastating our communities.
We are supporting the police every step of the way to tackle knife crime and have given them more powers and resources to go after criminals and take knives and other dangerous weapons off our streets, including through the recruitment of 20,000 additional officers and increased police funding.
As of 31 December 2022, Dorset Police has recruited 117 additional uplift officers against a total three-year allocation of 166 officers and the force has been allocated 67 additional uplift officers in the final year of the Uplift.
On 31 January, the Government confirmed a total police funding settlement of up to £17.2 billion in 2023/24, an increase of up to £313.8 million when compared to 2022/23. Dorset police’s funding will be up to £166m in 2023/24, an increase of up to £6.9m when compared to 2022/23.
Nationally, the Government has made over £110m available this financial year (23/24) to tackle serious violence, including murder and knife crime and are also providing £200m over 10 years for the Youth Endowment Fund, to build an evidence base around what works in preventing youth violence and make this accessible to practitioners.
In the Bournemouth area the Youth Endowment Fund is supporting Tavistock Relationships with £1,512,711 across sites in Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch, offering 10 sessions of Mentalization-based therapy (MBT) for parents experiencing high levels of relationship conflict.
In the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 we have introduced
o Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVRO); these will be piloted in four police force areas and will give police the power to stop and search adults already convicted of knife or offensive weapons offences.
o The new Serious Violence Duty created to ensure a range of specified agencies work together to address serious violence.
o New offensive weapons homicide reviews; introduced to improve the national and local understanding of causes, patterns, victims and perpetrators of violence and homicide; improve the response to serious violence on a national and local scale; and ultimately help save lives.
Lastly, on 18 April we launched a 7-week consultation on new knife legislation proposals to tackle the use of machetes and other bladed articles in crime. We are consulting on legislative measures to provide the police with more tools to disrupt knife possession and tackle knife crime. The consultation is open to the public.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she is taking steps with Cabinet colleagues to help refugees learn English.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
We know that language skills are crucial to help people integrate into life in England, as well as to break down barriers to work and career progression.
The Department for Education funds English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) through the Adult Education Budget (AEB). Refugees and those granted humanitarian protection are eligible for full funding for ESOL through the AEB if they are unemployed and looking for work.
The Home Office provides funding to local authorities to support resettlement and integration costs for those who arrive through the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme and the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy. In the first year this includes £850 per adult to cover additional English language provision.
We have also invested in a number of ways to improve English language provision for refugees, including providing £1.8mn in 2022/23 to support additional childcare so that refugees resettled to the UK (the UKRS) can access ESOL lessons; and £360,000 to improve regional coordination of ESOL for refugees.
The government is committed to offering an enhanced integration package for refugees arriving through safe and legal routes, to help them integrate and become self-sufficient more quickly. This will be delivered in England through the Refugee Employability Programme (REP), which has three key pillars: tailored employment support, integration support and English language training. More information about the Refugee Employability Programme can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/refugee-employability-programme/refugee-employability-programme-policy-statement.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps to help mitigate the risks posed to local people by asylum seekers with severe mental health issues in Bournemouth East constituency.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The rise in the number of small boat crossings has placed significant pressures on local authorities and the asylum system.
We take the safety and welfare of those in our care seriously and the Home Office has robust safeguarding procedures in place to ensure those in our accommodation are as safe and supported as possible as we seek urgent placements with a local authority.
Our providers are aware of the requirement to ensure that all service users are able to register with a local GP. During the induction process, which is carried out in multiple languages via the use of a translation service, the medical registration process is explained to all residents. This information is also displayed throughout the hotel. Staff at the hotel will support all residents to register with a GP practice. This extends to arranging appointments and transport to and from appointments if that is required. In the event of a medical situation that requires immediate attention, staff support by contacting 111 or 999 in an emergency.
Anyone granted asylum, temporary protection or humanitarian protection under the Immigration Rules of section 3 of the Immigration Act 1971 is recognised as a refugee and able to access all health care services, including mental health care services, exempt from charges.
We are committed to work to improve the mental health of refugees and asylum seekers, including through work with representatives from DHSC, National Health Service, Devolved Administrations and Non-Governmental Organisations to consider approaches to mental health support. The Government will also continue to use our safeguarding networks to identify the most vulnerable users of the asylum system and engage with the appropriate statutory agencies to provide the support they need.
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities has produced a Migrant Health Guide, which is a free-to-use, online resource designed to support primary care practitioners in caring for patients who have come to the UK from overseas. It includes information on asylum seekers entitlement to the NHS, guidance for assessing new patients, tailored health information specific to over 100 countries of origin and guidance on a range of communicable and non-communicable diseases and health issues.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to increase funding for the fire service in (a) Bournemouth East constituency and (b) England.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
Fire and rescue services have the resources they need to do their important work. Overall, fire and rescue authorities in England will receive around £2.5 billion in 2022/23. Dorset & Wilshire Fire and Rescue Authority has a core spending power of £60.5m, an increase of £2.6m (4.5%) compared to 2021/22.
Over the past 10 years (year ending December 2011– year ending December 2021) the total number of all incidents in England attended by fire and rescue services has fallen by 8% and the total number of fire incidents in England has fallen by 34%.
Asked by: Tobias Ellwood (Conservative - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps to increase the (a) capability and (b) number of (i) Police Community Support Officers and (ii) Community Safety Accreditation Scheme officers in Bournemouth East constituency.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) are a valued part of the police workforce, working with others to act as a key liaison point to help resolve local issues and foster good community relations.
Decisions around recruitment and retention of PCSOs, their powers and duties, are for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners. Similarly, the use of the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme is a local matter for Chief Constables.
On the 2nd February 2022, the Government published a total police funding settlement of up to £16.9 billion in 2022/23, an increase of up to £1.1 billion when compared to 2021/22.
Dorset's funding will be up to £159.1m in 2022/23, an increase of up to £8m when compared to 2021/22.