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  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the total number of refugees and asylum seekers from Syria resident in the UK.

    James Brokenshire

    While published statistics provide data on the number of Syrian’s who have
    applied for asylum in the UK (4,714 between 2001-2013), how many have been
    granted refugee status (2,182) or refused (2,065) and how many have been
    removed (305 between 2004 and 2013), it is not possible to confirm the total
    number of refugees and asylum seekers from Syria resident in the UK.

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) asylum seekers and (b) refugees from Syria have applied for leave to remain since the start of the Syrian conflict; and how many such people have been granted leave to remain.

    James Brokenshire

    The published available figures only relate to asylum seekers.

    The latest published Home Office data shows that between 1 April 2011 and 31
    December 2013 there were 3,796 applications for asylum from Syrian nationals
    (including main applicants and their dependants) in the UK. During the same
    period, 2,507 Syrian nationals and dependants were granted leave to remain in
    the UK, including asylum, humanitarian protection or discretionary leave. These
    grant decisions do not all necessarily relate to applications made in the same
    period. In addition, given the need to give each asylum claim careful
    consideration on its merits, not all the asylum applications made during that
    period will have received a decision during that time.

    Eurostat data based on provisional management information shows that between 1
    April 2011 and 28 February 2014 there were 4,105 applications for asylum from
    Syrian nationals (including main applicants and their dependants) in the UK.
    Eurostat data on grants of asylum are only available annually. There are some
    definitional differences between National Statistics published by the Home
    Office on a quarterly basis and monthly figures published by Eurostat.

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what average length of time is taken for asylum seekers and refugees from Syria to have an initial interview.

    James Brokenshire

    Between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2013, the average length of time taken
    for asylum seekers and refugees from Syria to have an initial interview was
    28 days from initial claim.

  • Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Hilary Benn – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will review the effectiveness of current legislation on banned breeds of dog.

    George Eustice

    The Government has introduced new legislation to tackle irresponsible dog ownership, including extending the criminal offence of allowing a dog to be dangerously out of control to all places, increasing the maximum penalties for allowing a dog to become dangerously out of control and ensuring that the new measures to deal with anti-social behaviour will include such instances when they involve a dog. As announced on 6th February 2013, Defra is looking at making changes to the arrangements for seizure and kennelling of suspected dangerous dogs but there are noplans to review the effectiveness of the restrictions on keeping certain types of dogwhich are specifically bred for fighting.

  • Thomas Docherty – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Thomas Docherty – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thomas Docherty on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2014, Official Report, column 413W, on Falkland Islands, if he will discuss the correct use of the name Falkland Islands with the Secretary of State for the Home Office; and given the misuse of the name by his Department in its internal guidance if he will now issue cross-Department guidance.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials have been in contact with the Home Office to remind them of the appropriate terminology for the Falkland Islands. All Government departments and agencies should refer to ‘the Falkland Islands’ in all instances. There is no evidence that incorrect terminology has been used other than in the isolated cases which the Honourable Member highlights. Therefore no cross-Departmental guidance has been issued.

  • Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward proposals to relocate (a) staff and (b) offices of his Department to Brighton; and if he will make a statement.

    Dan Rogerson

    There are no current plans for the Department to relocate staff or offices to Brighton.

  • Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will bring forward proposals to relocate (a) staff and (b) offices of his Department to Brighton; and if he will make a statement.

    Dr Daniel Poulter

    The Department has no plans to relocate Departmental offices or staff to Brighton.

  • Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will bring forward proposals to relocate (a) staff and (b) offices of her Department to Brighton; and if she will make a statement.

    Karen Bradley

    The Department has no plans to (a) relocate staff to Brighton and
    (b) relocate offices to Brighton.

  • Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will bring forward proposals to relocate (a) staff and (b) offices of his Department to Brighton; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Francis Maude

    Staffing is kept under review but I have no plans to move Cabinet Office staff to Brighton.

  • Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-05-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward proposals to relocate (a) staff and (b) offices of his Department to Brighton; and if he will make a statement.

    Brandon Lewis

    Whilst noting the many virtues of Brighton, as recognised by the conferring of City status to the towns of Brighton and Hove by Her Majesty in 2000, I am afraid I have to disappoint my hon. Friend. My Department has no current plans to dig out our bucket and spade and move to the seaside.

    Since May 2010, my Department’s priority has been to rationalise our wider estate to reduce costs. This has seen the Department surrender six leasehold office properties through a combination of lease breaks and expiries generating net savings in the period of around £7 million per annum. The Department has also successfully sub-let surplus space across its leasehold office estate during the same period, reducing the overall property costs by around £11.1 million.

    The Department has also negotiated the early surrender of Eland House and is shortly scheduled to relocate to 2 Marsham Street to share premises with the Home Office. This move will reduce our Department’s running costs by a further £9 million a year and generate savings for the taxpayer of £220 million over the lifetime of the building’s lease. This illustrates the scope for Government and, indeed, the public sector as a whole to make sensible savings through better property management.

    However, I commend the hon. Member for his cheerleading of the City as a place to do business.