Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, further to the meeting between the hon. Member for Torbay, the Minister for Immigration and Future Borders, and the hon. Member for Rochdale on 2 November 2021, what progress he has been made in resolving the constituent's case and other similar cases, reference ASS GWF055081555.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Our aim is to conclude applications for an EEA family permit or an EUSS family permit as soon as possible after identity and supporting documents are submitted. More information can be found here; https://www.gov.uk/guidance/visa-decision-waiting-times-applications-outside-the-uk#if-you-want-to-join-family-in-the-uk
A concession was published within guidance on 1 November 2021 EU Settlement Scheme: family and travel permits - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The constituent’s case in question was concluded on 18 November 2021.
Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will provide details of the outstanding issues preventing the UK's ratification of the Istanbul Convention; and what steps the Government is taking to bring forward (a) legislative or (b) other proposals to enable the ratification of that convention.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The UK signed the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention) in 2012, signalling our strong commitment to tackling violence against women and girls.
This Government remains committed to ratifying the Convention as soon as possible.
Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has published for people who have not yet received the Aspen card.
Answered by Kevin Foster
If a service user is eligible for asylum support and a payment card but has not received their card, they have been advised this should be reported to Migrant Help as per the existing published process and guidance for service user concerns or issues.
Migrant Help will forward the concern onto the relevant operational team to investigate and action a replacement card, if needed, as well as issue an Emergency Cash Payment (ECP) to cover the period until the card arrives and is activated.
Service users can also contact their accommodation provider who have been instructed to reach out to service users known to not have activated their cards. Through these checks, accommodation providers are actively ensuring service users have both received their card and activated accordingly as well as self-authorise ECPs accordingly.
Finally, service users can also reach out to any third sector representatives/voluntary sector partners to escalate an issue on their behalf. Third sector colleagues have a direct escalation route to Home Office teams where they can direct issues (such as the need for replacement cards and issuing ECPs to service users) for Home Office colleagues to investigate and action.
The vast majority of service users have now received their new Aspen card, activated it and have been using it successfully since the service went live on Monday 24th May 2021.
Numbers are fluid as activation numbers continue to increase on a daily basis as well as having new eligible asylum seekers coming into the system over the same period of time.
We are proactively working with partners to ensure any eligible service users receive their new Aspen card and activate it successfully. In the interim, Emergency Cash Payments (ECPs) are being provided to support their critical needs.
Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information she holds on the progress on the roll-out of the Aspen card; and what percentage of those planned to receive that card have received it to date.
Answered by Kevin Foster
If a service user is eligible for asylum support and a payment card but has not received their card, they have been advised this should be reported to Migrant Help as per the existing published process and guidance for service user concerns or issues.
Migrant Help will forward the concern onto the relevant operational team to investigate and action a replacement card, if needed, as well as issue an Emergency Cash Payment (ECP) to cover the period until the card arrives and is activated.
Service users can also contact their accommodation provider who have been instructed to reach out to service users known to not have activated their cards. Through these checks, accommodation providers are actively ensuring service users have both received their card and activated accordingly as well as self-authorise ECPs accordingly.
Finally, service users can also reach out to any third sector representatives/voluntary sector partners to escalate an issue on their behalf. Third sector colleagues have a direct escalation route to Home Office teams where they can direct issues (such as the need for replacement cards and issuing ECPs to service users) for Home Office colleagues to investigate and action.
The vast majority of service users have now received their new Aspen card, activated it and have been using it successfully since the service went live on Monday 24th May 2021.
Numbers are fluid as activation numbers continue to increase on a daily basis as well as having new eligible asylum seekers coming into the system over the same period of time.
We are proactively working with partners to ensure any eligible service users receive their new Aspen card and activate it successfully. In the interim, Emergency Cash Payments (ECPs) are being provided to support their critical needs.
Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Home Office:
What steps she is taking to tackle the grooming of children and young people.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
On the 22 January, the Government published the Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Strategy, which sets out a system-wide response to all forms of child sexual abuse.
The strategy details the government’s work to tackle child grooming, including supporting local prevention initiatives, piloting innovative approaches to law enforcement, and work to improve data on the characteristics of offending.
Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Rochdale of 11 November 2020, on the deportations of members of the Rochdale Grooming Gang.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
I apologise for the delay. The Minister for Immigration Compliance and the Courts will respond shortly.
Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will take urgent steps to deport non-UK nationals who have completed custodial sentences for the grooming of young people in Rochdale.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
I am aware of the cases referred to, but I am unable to comment on individual cases.
The crimes committed by child sexual exploitation gangs who prey on the young and vulnerable are appalling. I have every sympathy with their victims. Once we are in a position to do so, we will also be in contact with the victims to provide them with an update.
This Government puts the rights of the British public before those of criminals, and we are clear that foreign criminals should be deported from the UK wherever it is legal and practical to do so.
Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, by what date he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Rochdale dated 22 March 2018 on the Immigration Health Surcharge, reference number IW/0045.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
I responded to the hon. Member’s correspondence on 10 May 2018.
Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, by what date she plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Rochdale dated 22 March 2018 on Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre reference number IW/0043.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
I apologise for the delay in responding to the Honourable Member. A response has been sent to the Honourable Member (May 2018).
Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to restore normal mobile connectivity in Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Flooding at the site of a mobile telephone mast close to Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre has resulted in intermittent mobile telephone signals affecting three mobile phone network providers. Repairs are underway and normal service is expected to resume shortly.
In the meantime, arrangements are in place at the centre to ensure that any detainee whose mobile phone service is affected can continue to make landline telephone calls and access other means of communication.
Detention Services Order 08/2012 sets out the Home Office’s policy on detainees’ possession of mobile phones in immigration removal centres. Detainees are able to retain their own mobile telephones throughout their detention, provided their handset has no recording facility and/or access to the internet. Where a detainee’s handset does not comply with these restrictions they are provided with a suitable handset by the immigration removal centre supplier so that they may maintain contact with friends, family and other means of support.