Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of whether her Department has carried out immigration status checks on a disproportionate number of BAME citizens as a result of the Government's hostile environment policy.

A wide range of bodies conduct compliant environment checks under immigration and other legislation to prevent immigration offending and to protect public services from misuse. Codes of practice issued by the Home Office regarding the compliant environment are clear that status checks by employers and landlords must be conducted on a non-discriminatory basis. Public authorities must comply with the Equality Act in administering services.

Where the Home Office is asked to confirm the immigration status of an individual, this will usually be done with their consent, but the Home Office does not require nor record the race, colour or ethnic background of the individual concerned.