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  • Ian Paisley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Ian Paisley – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Paisley on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what arrangements are in place for the Government and the Northern Ireland Executive to cooperate to counter the Islamic terrorist threat and the potential utilisation by such terrorists of the land border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

    Mr John Hayes

    The UK and the Republic of Ireland have long enjoyed a Common Travel Area (CTA) free of routine border controls. However, there are long-established and effective working relationships between the police and intelligence agencies in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to mitigate threats. The Government takes protecting our border security very seriously, and there is a high level of collaboration on work with the Republic of Ireland to also strengthen the CTA’s external border.

  • Maria Miller – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Maria Miller – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Maria Miller on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prosecutions and convictions have been obtained under sections 60 and 79 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 since that Act came into force.

    Andrew Selous

    This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  • Bill Esterson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Bill Esterson – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bill Esterson on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2015 to Question 14066, what accountability mechanisms are in place for the Criminal Cases Review Commission; and if he will meet the hon. Member for Sefton Central to discuss the case of James Thompson.

    Mike Penning

    As I stated in response to Question 14066, although the Criminal Cases Review Commission is funded by my Department, it is entirely independent of Government, and Ministers cannot, and should not, intervene in its reviews or decisions. Since there is no action I can take, I do not believe a meeting with the Hon. Member would be helpful.

  • Stephen Twigg – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Stephen Twigg – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Twigg on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department is planning to publish an LGBT Theory of Change.

    Grant Shapps

    A document describing “DFID’s approach to LGBT rights” will be published on UK Government website by the end of 2015. A theory of change will be available with this.

  • Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women detained in Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre went on hunger strike in 2015.

    James Brokenshire

    For the period 1 January 2015 to 30 June 2015 provisional management information shows that 84 women were recorded as refusing food or fluid at Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre (IRC).

  • Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many detainees held in Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre (a) claim that they are victims of human trafficking and (b) have been identified by the National Referral Mechanism as victims of human trafficking.

    James Brokenshire

    Individuals who have been identified as victims of trafficking by the competent authorities are normally considered suitable for detention in only very exceptional circumstances, which include cases where there is a risk of public harm. This data is not collected centrally and accurate figures are not available. Once a person is detained their continued detention remains under review by the Home Office at least at monthly intervals, and earlier in response to any change of circumstances that might have a material effect on their detention.

  • Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women taken to hospital from Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre have been handcuffed in transit in each of the last six months.

    James Brokenshire

    Provisional management information showing the number of women who have been handcuffed when taken to hospital from Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre over the requested period is detailed in the table below:

    Month

    Number of Handcuffed Hospital Moves

    May

    0

    June

    0

    July

    0

    August

    0

    September

    1

    October

    6

    The increased figure in October 2015 was not due to any change in policy. These cases have been reviewed by the Home Office Use of Force Monitor to ensure that the use of handcuffs was appropriate. The review established that each case had been subject to an individual risk assessment, in accordance with standard policy, and that handcuffs were used on the basis of that outcome of that assessment.

  • Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department’s policy is on testing detainees for infectious diseases such as TB.

    Jane Ellison

    In April 2015, Public Health England, NHS England, and Home Office Immigration Enforcement jointly published a National Partnership Agreement which outlines shared commitments and priorities across the three organisations relating to the health and wellbeing of people in detention in the immigration removal estate. This includes a joint priority to improve the pro-active detection, surveillance and management of infectious diseases in Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs), particularly in respect of blood-borne viruses (BBVs) and tuberculosis (TB), and to improve capability to detect and respond to outbreaks and incidents.

    A programme of work to implement the provisions of the National Partnership Agreement is being taken forward by the three organisations. Use of new technology is being explored in some IRCs including using digital x-ray technology to detect active TB disease in the lungs as well as blood tests to detect both latent TB and BBV infection.

  • Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of victims of human trafficking from (a) Benin, (b) Nigeria, (c) Uganda and (d) Zimbabwe who applied for asylum were successful in their application between 2010 and 2015.

    James Brokenshire

    In total 420 individuals of the listed nationalities were confirmed as victims of trafficking between 2010 and 2015 of which 338 had an associated asylum claim split as follows: a) Benin [1], b) Nigeria [264], c) Uganda [62] and d) Zimbabwe [11]. The proportion of successful asylum claims for those cases where a decision had been made were: a) Benin [0% (0)], b) Nigeria [74% (156)], c) Uganda [85% (46)] and d) Zimbabwe [88% (7)]

  • Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-11-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many women held in Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre have legal representation.

    James Brokenshire

    All detainees at immigration removal centres are able to access legal advice through a duty solicitor scheme provided by the Legal Aid Agency.

    Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons (HMCIP) inspected Yarl’s Wood between 13 April and 1 May 2015 and reported that waiting times for duty advice surgeries were short.