The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-05-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which companies were contracted to facilitate enforced returns to Yemen for failed asylum seekers from that country in 2015.
James Brokenshire
There were no escorted enforced returns to Yemen in 2015.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-09-13.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many HM Revenue and Customs staff were employed in Scotland in each year since 2006.
Jane Ellison
The number of HM Revenue and Customs staff employed in Scotland each year since 2006 is shown in the following table.
|
Year Ending |
Head Count |
|
31/03/2006 |
11,415 |
|
31/03/2007 |
11,464 |
|
31/03/2008 |
11,018 |
|
31/03/2009 |
11,160 |
|
31/03/2010 |
10,031 |
|
31/03/2011 |
9,860 |
|
31/03/2012 |
9,839 |
|
31/03/2013 |
9,437 |
|
31/03/2014 |
8,959 |
|
31/03/2015 |
8,331 |
|
31/03/2016 |
9,147 |
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-10-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what arrangements he plans to put in place for milk bank sharing between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland when the UK leaves the EU.
Kris Hopkins
The issue of milk bank sharing is a devolved matter and as such falls to the Department of Health in Northern Ireland. However, the UK Government’s focus remains on making a success of exiting the European Union and getting the right deal both for Northern Ireland and the UK as a whole.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-01-04.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions his Department had with financial institutions prior to the introduction of new rules for Tier 1 Entrepreneur visas in January 2013.
Harriett Baldwin
The government has regular discussions with financial institutions on a number of issues, both prior and since January 2013.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-03-16.
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what criteria is applied when determining which charities should receive funding from the Tampon Tax Fund.
Mr David Gauke
‘Showcase’ bids were identified, with the help of departmental expertise, that were innovative, in line with the aims of government policy, and likely to provide strong value for money.
Additionally, in recognition of the very high level of interest received, the government has also allocated funding to the Women’s Fund for Scotland, Comic Relief and Rosa who have specialist experience in this area, to disburse funding to a range of grassroots women’s organisations. These funds mean further awards will be made to a high number of charities in this sector.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-04-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the Government’s planned increase in the number of presenting officers at employment and support allowance and personal independence payments tribunal hearings.
Justin Tomlinson
The Department is increasing the attendance of Presenting Officers at appeals to help ensure the right decision is reached.
We’ve estimated that it will cost approximately £22m to increase the number of Presenting Officers at ESA and PIP Tribunal hearings. The vast majority of the £22m, which will be spent over three years, will be used for Presenting Officer salary costs, with a small proportion for Learning and Development, communications and start up project costs.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-05-26.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on which dates in 2015 enforced removals of people from Yemen who had unsuccessfully claimed asylum took place.
James Brokenshire
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 14 April 2016, Question number 33999.
There were no enforced removals of nationals from Yemen in 2015 who had unsuccessfully claimed asylum.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to promote breastfeeding in the curriculum.
Edward Timpson
Where there is a demand from parents and pupils, schools can choose to teach about any topic of interest, including breastfeeding. For example, it can be covered in schools’ personal, social, heath and economic (PSHE) lessons. The suggested programme of study for teachers by the PSHE Association does not specifically cover breastfeeding, but it includes teaching about parenthood and the development of parental skills. Schools can expand on these topics if they wish, and include breastfeeding if there is a demand to cover it.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-10-10.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will issue a response to the report Scientific and factual? A review of breastmilk substitute advertising to healthcare professionals, published by the First Steps Nutrition Trust.
Nicola Blackwood
My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no plans to issue a response to the report, Scientific and Factual by First Steps Nutrition. The Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula (England) Regulations 2007 regulate the advertising of breast milk substitutes. These regulations are enforced by local authorities, who have been made aware of the report.
The speech made by Alison Thewliss, the SNP spokesperson on Home Affairs, in the House of Commons on 19 December 2022.
This is a dark day indeed with this judgment, particularly when the Home Secretary comes to the House to imply that having morals is fanciful. Enver Solomon of the Refugee Council has called the policy
“wrong in principle and unworkable in practice”,
and I am certain that this will go to appeal as charities and those involved in the issue have stated. SNP Members will never get behind this policy—not in our name—and I remind Members that slavery, apartheid and marital rape were all lawful at one time, but none of them were right.
The Court found that the Home Office had failed to consider properly the circumstances of the eight who challenged the policy. How exactly does the Home Secretary intend to approach such cases now, and what will happen to those eight individuals? What happens to those who have already been issued with notices of intent, and what confidence can they have in a system that previously did not properly consider the cases of eight people?
The Home Secretary claims that this will be a deterrent. The Tories also claimed that the hostile environment would be a deterrent and that the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 would be a deterrent. Now they claim the Rwanda policy will be a deterrent. None of them is working because they fail to recognise the desperate circumstances that drive people to come here in the first place. Safe and legal routes will work and prevent people from losing their lives in the channel.
The Home Secretary talked about the trade in human cargo. We all want to tackle the people smugglers who exploit people in the most vulnerable of circumstances. However, what else is the Rwanda policy but state-sponsored people trafficking? How many people are actually going to be removed to Rwanda? It is going to be a tiny proportion, so any deterrent effect that the Government claim is not going to be proper. What is the total cost of this unworkable scheme? How much money has been spent on it already? How much has gone on the legal case? How much of it would have been better spent dealing with the catastrophic backlog of cases that the Tories have created?
Suella Braverman
I am afraid that the hon. Lady’s ideological zeal is blinding and preventing her from taking a rational approach. I am proud of the fact that we have welcomed 450,000 people through safe and legal routes to this country since 2015. I do not think that anyone can claim that we are not forward-leaning on all of this. She and her party need to be honest about their position with the British people: they stand for open borders and uncontrolled migration.