Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the impact of prolonged stays in bridging accommodation on the ability of refugees to settle in other parts of the UK.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Operation Warm Welcome is a significant cross-government effort, working with local authorities, NGOs, housing organisations and the commercial sector to explore all options available to meet the need for housing. We are working closely with Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities and other stakeholders to identify a range of alternative accommodation options to minimise hotel use and to enable people to get into accommodation as quickly as possible in order for them to begin their new lives here in the UK.
We do not want to keep people in temporary accommodation for any longer than is absolutely necessary and more than 4,000 Afghans who arrived in the UK before, during, and after Operation Pitting have either been matched or are in the process of being matched into properties.
We currently have Home Office Liaison Officers (HOLO’s) who’s role is to provide support to those in bridging hotel accommodation. The role of the HOLO is to provide both face to face support and remote support when not physically present. They are reactive to the needs of those accommodated in hotels and can provide signposting to other government departments and Local Authorities and ensure safeguarding concerns are appropriately acted upon.
There is a huge effort underway to get 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 have access to healthcare, education, any essential items they need as well as employment opportunities or Universal Credit.
We have a range of criteria which is taken into consideration when allocating families into permanent accommodation to allow for the best possible matches, this includes family size, vulnerabilities and availability of housing.
We strive to allocate the right families into the right accommodation to ensure they have a smooth integration into their new communities within the UK.
DLUHC have created a new Housing Portal to make it easier for councils to assess the suitability of properties prior to contacting landlords. Offers of property are triaged by DLUHC and sent directly to councils. We are also looking at ways to make more suitable homes available in the private rental sector by engaging with landlords, letting agencies and industry bodies to promote the housing portal and encourage participation in the resettlement programme. We are also working with the Estate Agent Rightmove to identify potential properties available in the private rental sector.
Local Authorities continue to assist with helping families to integrate into communities upon their arrival to their permanent accommodation. We would also ask that Local Authorities who are not already part of the scheme to consider assisting in our efforts to resettle the Afghan people into permanent accommodation in the UK.
There are no plans to publish targets for placing Afghans in permanent accommodation.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish targets and timescales for the placement of families in to available properties under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy and Afghan citizens resettlement schemes.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Operation Warm Welcome is a significant cross-government effort, working with local authorities, NGOs, housing organisations and the commercial sector to explore all options available to meet the need for housing. We are working closely with Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities and other stakeholders to identify a range of alternative accommodation options to minimise hotel use and to enable people to get into accommodation as quickly as possible in order for them to begin their new lives here in the UK.
We do not want to keep people in temporary accommodation for any longer than is absolutely necessary and more than 4,000 Afghans who arrived in the UK before, during, and after Operation Pitting have either been matched or are in the process of being matched into properties.
We currently have Home Office Liaison Officers (HOLO’s) who’s role is to provide support to those in bridging hotel accommodation. The role of the HOLO is to provide both face to face support and remote support when not physically present. They are reactive to the needs of those accommodated in hotels and can provide signposting to other government departments and Local Authorities and ensure safeguarding concerns are appropriately acted upon.
There is a huge effort underway to get 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 have access to healthcare, education, any essential items they need as well as employment opportunities or Universal Credit.
We have a range of criteria which is taken into consideration when allocating families into permanent accommodation to allow for the best possible matches, this includes family size, vulnerabilities and availability of housing.
We strive to allocate the right families into the right accommodation to ensure they have a smooth integration into their new communities within the UK.
DLUHC have created a new Housing Portal to make it easier for councils to assess the suitability of properties prior to contacting landlords. Offers of property are triaged by DLUHC and sent directly to councils. We are also looking at ways to make more suitable homes available in the private rental sector by engaging with landlords, letting agencies and industry bodies to promote the housing portal and encourage participation in the resettlement programme. We are also working with the Estate Agent Rightmove to identify potential properties available in the private rental sector.
Local Authorities continue to assist with helping families to integrate into communities upon their arrival to their permanent accommodation. We would also ask that Local Authorities who are not already part of the scheme to consider assisting in our efforts to resettle the Afghan people into permanent accommodation in the UK.
There are no plans to publish targets for placing Afghans in permanent accommodation.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish her Department's policy and guidance on matching and allocating people to local authority properties under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy and Afghan citizens resettlement schemes.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Operation Warm Welcome is a significant cross-government effort, working with local authorities, NGOs, housing organisations and the commercial sector to explore all options available to meet the need for housing. We are working closely with Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities and other stakeholders to identify a range of alternative accommodation options to minimise hotel use and to enable people to get into accommodation as quickly as possible in order for them to begin their new lives here in the UK.
We do not want to keep people in temporary accommodation for any longer than is absolutely necessary and more than 4,000 Afghans who arrived in the UK before, during, and after Operation Pitting have either been matched or are in the process of being matched into properties.
We currently have Home Office Liaison Officers (HOLO’s) who’s role is to provide support to those in bridging hotel accommodation. The role of the HOLO is to provide both face to face support and remote support when not physically present. They are reactive to the needs of those accommodated in hotels and can provide signposting to other government departments and Local Authorities and ensure safeguarding concerns are appropriately acted upon.
There is a huge effort underway to get 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 have access to healthcare, education, any essential items they need as well as employment opportunities or Universal Credit.
We have a range of criteria which is taken into consideration when allocating families into permanent accommodation to allow for the best possible matches, this includes family size, vulnerabilities and availability of housing.
We strive to allocate the right families into the right accommodation to ensure they have a smooth integration into their new communities within the UK.
DLUHC have created a new Housing Portal to make it easier for councils to assess the suitability of properties prior to contacting landlords. Offers of property are triaged by DLUHC and sent directly to councils. We are also looking at ways to make more suitable homes available in the private rental sector by engaging with landlords, letting agencies and industry bodies to promote the housing portal and encourage participation in the resettlement programme. We are also working with the Estate Agent Rightmove to identify potential properties available in the private rental sector.
Local Authorities continue to assist with helping families to integrate into communities upon their arrival to their permanent accommodation. We would also ask that Local Authorities who are not already part of the scheme to consider assisting in our efforts to resettle the Afghan people into permanent accommodation in the UK.
There are no plans to publish targets for placing Afghans in permanent accommodation.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle delays in matching families to local authority properties under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy and Afghan citizens resettlement schemes.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Operation Warm Welcome is a significant cross-government effort, working with local authorities, NGOs, housing organisations and the commercial sector to explore all options available to meet the need for housing. We are working closely with Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities and other stakeholders to identify a range of alternative accommodation options to minimise hotel use and to enable people to get into accommodation as quickly as possible in order for them to begin their new lives here in the UK.
We do not want to keep people in temporary accommodation for any longer than is absolutely necessary and more than 4,000 Afghans who arrived in the UK before, during, and after Operation Pitting have either been matched or are in the process of being matched into properties.
We currently have Home Office Liaison Officers (HOLO’s) who’s role is to provide support to those in bridging hotel accommodation. The role of the HOLO is to provide both face to face support and remote support when not physically present. They are reactive to the needs of those accommodated in hotels and can provide signposting to other government departments and Local Authorities and ensure safeguarding concerns are appropriately acted upon.
There is a huge effort underway to get 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 have access to healthcare, education, any essential items they need as well as employment opportunities or Universal Credit.
We have a range of criteria which is taken into consideration when allocating families into permanent accommodation to allow for the best possible matches, this includes family size, vulnerabilities and availability of housing.
We strive to allocate the right families into the right accommodation to ensure they have a smooth integration into their new communities within the UK.
DLUHC have created a new Housing Portal to make it easier for councils to assess the suitability of properties prior to contacting landlords. Offers of property are triaged by DLUHC and sent directly to councils. We are also looking at ways to make more suitable homes available in the private rental sector by engaging with landlords, letting agencies and industry bodies to promote the housing portal and encourage participation in the resettlement programme. We are also working with the Estate Agent Rightmove to identify potential properties available in the private rental sector.
Local Authorities continue to assist with helping families to integrate into communities upon their arrival to their permanent accommodation. We would also ask that Local Authorities who are not already part of the scheme to consider assisting in our efforts to resettle the Afghan people into permanent accommodation in the UK.
There are no plans to publish targets for placing Afghans in permanent accommodation.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish in full her Ministerial diary for 20 May 2020.
Answered by Priti Patel
Ministers regularly meet with departmental officials and external stakeholders. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published quarterly and can be found on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications were received for the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme for the 2021 season.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Home Office publishes data on Seasonal Worker visas in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’.
Data on the number of Seasonal Worker visa applications are published in table Vis_D01 of the entry clearance visas applications and outcomes dataset while numbers of decisions can be found in table Vis_D02. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook.
The latest data relates to the year ending March 2021.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what additional resources the Government has provided to (a) the EU Settlement Scheme Resolution Centre and (b) relevant grant-funded third sector organisations to ensure that there is sufficient capacity to deal with people applying for the EU Settlement Scheme ahead of the 30 June 2021 deadline.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Resource for the EUSS Resolution Centre is kept under close review and additional resource is made available as required.
Regarding grant funded organisations we have already awarded £17 million of funding to a network of now 72 organisations, including charities and community organisations across the UK, to ensure important information and assistance gets through to those who are hardest to reach, and no one is left behind. These organisations have helped more than 250,000 vulnerable people to apply to the EUSS already.
In addition, we recently announced a further £4.5 million for the Grant Funded Network so it can continue to provide a wide range of invaluable support across the UK, including after the 30 June deadline, ensuring those most at-risk continue to get the help they need.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she plans to take in response to the findings of the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration's inspection on contingency asylum accommodation.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Penally has provided emergency capacity in response to pressures put on the asylum estate during the pandemic. As those pressures have eased, we have decided not to extend emergency planning permission beyond six months and moved all remaining asylum seekers from the site on 21 March. Napier Barracks will remain in operation in accordance with current needs.
The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration announced an inspection of contingency asylum accommodation on 25 January 2021. The Home Office acknowledges the ICIBI’s decision to publish the initial findings from site visits to Napier Barracks and Penally.
The ICIBI’s inspection continues and a full inspection report will follow.
The duration of the inspection is a matter for the ICIBI and upon its conclusion, following standard procedure set out in the UK Borders Act 2007, the Department will issue a formal response alongside the inspection report as it is laid before Parliament and published on Gov.UK
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to close Penally and Napier Barracks as asylum accommodation.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Penally has provided emergency capacity in response to pressures put on the asylum estate during the pandemic. As those pressures have eased, we have decided not to extend emergency planning permission beyond six months and moved all remaining asylum seekers from the site on 21 March. Napier Barracks will remain in operation in accordance with current needs.
The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration announced an inspection of contingency asylum accommodation on 25 January 2021. The Home Office acknowledges the ICIBI’s decision to publish the initial findings from site visits to Napier Barracks and Penally.
The ICIBI’s inspection continues and a full inspection report will follow.
The duration of the inspection is a matter for the ICIBI and upon its conclusion, following standard procedure set out in the UK Borders Act 2007, the Department will issue a formal response alongside the inspection report as it is laid before Parliament and published on Gov.UK
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people from which countries have been issued a Youth Mobility Scheme visa in each of the last five years.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Home Office regularly publishes data of Immigration Statistics (Managed Migration Datasets) which includes this information. It can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/managed-migration-datasets#entry-clearance-visas-granted-outside-the-uk).
This data was last published in November 2020. As a result of this the data for 2020 is only up to the end of September. Please note all figures for 2020 are provisional.