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  • Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the average cost to a local authority of taking in a Syrian refugee under the UNHCR VPR scheme in year (a) one, (b) two, (c) three, (d) four and (e) five; and how much additional central government funding has been made to local authorities to help meet those costs per refugee for each of those years.

    Richard Harrington

    The Government has committed to resettling 20,000 Syrian refugees in the lifetime of this Parliament. The Prime Minister has said that we want to see 1,000 refugees brought to the UK by Christmas.

    The first 12 months of a refugee’s resettlement costs will be funded by central government from the Overseas Development Aid budget. The Government has also committed to providing additional funding to local authorities to assist with costs incurred for years 2 to 5. This funding package forms part of the forthcoming Spending Review and full details will be confirmed shortly.

  • Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Hilary Benn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 9 November 2015 to Question 14380, what (a) number or (b) proportion of referrals under the UNHCR VPR scheme translate into arrivals.

    Richard Harrington

    We do not have reliable statistics on this at this stage. We are quickly working our way through the referrals received from UNHCR. It is too early to say how many will become arrivals into the UK. However, we have collaborated closely with UNHCR to ensure that those referrals made in the early months of the expanded scheme are likely to be people that can be matched quickly with Local Authority places. More difficult cases might take longer to place.

    In some instances, refugees choose to withdraw from the scheme, for example, following the death of a family member, marriage or childbirth. Furthermore the Home Office also retains the right to reject individuals on security, war crimes or other grounds.

  • Alasdair McDonnell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Alasdair McDonnell – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alasdair McDonnell on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy that the Common Travel Area be maintained in the event that Great Britain and Northern Ireland leave the EU.

    James Brokenshire

    Our focus is the reform of the EU and the Prime Minister clearly set out in his speech on 10 November and his letter to the President of the European Council, the issues where we are seeking change. We recognise the important economic and social benefits of the Common Travel Area, and our priority is to strengthen the external border of the Common Travel Area through collaboration with Ireland and the Crown dependencies, to ensure the benefits of the Common Travel Area can be preserved whilst maintaining a secure border.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stephen Doughty – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when and by what method she informed South Wales Police of the errors in calculating the police funding formula.

    Mike Penning

    The Minister of State for Policing, Crime, Criminal Justice and Victims made a statement to the House on Monday 9 November on this issue. Ministers were informed of this issue on Friday 6 November.

  • Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Stephen Timms – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to publish an updated action plan on violence against women and girls.

    Karen Bradley

    Home Office officials have been working with partners on a refresh of our violence against women and girls strategy. We aim to publish this shortly.

  • Philip Hollobone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Philip Hollobone – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Philip Hollobone on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people attempting to enter the UK without valid papers were detained at UK border controls at Calais and returned to the French authorities in the last 12-month period for which figures are available.

    James Brokenshire

    Border Force operates UK immigration controls at the juxtaposed ports in northern France and also operates a multi-layered freight search regime to detect clandestine illegal entry attempts.

    The figures for passenger refusals at the juxtaposed controls in northern France are 3,695 in FY 2014/15.

    Additionally 39,545 attempts at clandestine illegal entry were successfully intercepted by the UK and French authorities at the juxtaposed controls in northern France in FY 2014/15.

  • Michael Dugher – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Michael Dugher – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Dugher on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy that police officers be assigned to support all Royal British Legion Remembrance parades.

    Mike Penning

    The Home Office does not hold the information requested. The police have never had a policy of routinely attending remembrance parades. Decisions on the operational deployment of resources are matters for Chief Constables, in association with Police and Crime Commissioners. There are no plans for the Home Office to issue guidance to the police on this matter.

  • Michael Dugher – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Michael Dugher – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michael Dugher on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many official Royal British Legion Remembrance events have received logistical police support other than wreath laying in a ceremonial capacity in each year since 2010.

    Mike Penning

    The Home Office does not hold the information requested. The police have never had a policy of routinely attending remembrance parades. Decisions on the operational deployment of resources are matters for Chief Constables, in association with Police and Crime Commissioners. There are no plans for the Home Office to issue guidance to the police on this matter.

  • Ruth Smeeth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Ruth Smeeth – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ruth Smeeth on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many non-EU workers hold visas to work on IT projects in the UK.

    James Brokenshire

    Acquiring this information would involve examining each individual case record held by UKVI for the category. To do so would incur a disproportionate cost.

  • Lyn Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lyn Brown – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lyn Brown on 2015-11-10.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what funding her Department has allocated to work on the strategic communications plan for making (a) young and (b) other people aware of the blanket ban on legal highs proposed in the Psychoactive Substances Bill.

    Mike Penning

    A strategic communications plan to make people aware of the intended blanket ban on psychoactive substances is currently being developed. We are working with key partners and agencies such as Pubic Health England to develop a comprehensive plan that will explain the legislative changes and consequences to sellers, young people and other users and signpost support and advice. A budget has not yet been allocated for this work.