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Tag: Kate Osamor

  • Kate Osamor – 2023 Parliamentary Question on Racial Disparities in Convictions for Joint Enterprise

    Kate Osamor – 2023 Parliamentary Question on Racial Disparities in Convictions for Joint Enterprise

    The parliamentary question asked by Kate Osamor, the Labour MP for Edmonton, in the House of Commons on 10 January 2023.

    Kate Osamor (Edmonton) (Lab/Co-op)

    If he will make an assessment of the reasons for racial disparities in the level of convictions for joint enterprise.

    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Mike Freer)

    The Government recognise that convictions based on joint enterprise appear to affect ethnic minority groups disproportionately. However, the Crown Prosecution Service can only apply the law when making charging decisions and plays no part in the decision making on individual joint enterprise cases. Data is collected on the ethnicity of defendants who are prosecuted and convicted of a criminal offence, but not on whether the crime was part of a joint enterprise. However, we are considering whether such data could be collected as part of the common platform programme.

    Kate Osamor

    I thank the Minister for his response but research by the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies suggests that the doctrine of joint enterprise is routinely applied in a racist way leading to many miscarriages of justice. Assessing why it disproportionately targets ethnic minority communities, especially young black men, is only the first step; what is needed is urgent action. Will the Minister tell us what he is doing to right historical wrongs and prevent future miscarriages of justice due to joint enterprise?

    Mike Freer

    What I can do is confirm that the Government have of course implemented many of the recommendations of the Lammy review. I understand how passionately the hon. Member feels about this, so I would like to sit down with her and go through some of the specific issues she wants discussed in more depth, rather than talk across the Dispatch Box; I think that would be more fruitful and practical and I hope the hon. Member will accept my invitation.

  • 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 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many hon. Members have had a request to visit Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre refused in the last 12 months; and on what grounds each such refusal was justified.

    James Brokenshire

    One Hon. Member has had a request to visit Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre declined in the last twelve months.

    As set out in the Detention Centre Rules 2001, visitors to immigration removal centres may only enter with the prior authorisation of the Secretary of State other than those for purposes specified under the Rules.

    Requests to visit centres must be carefully considered and planned to preserve the privacy and dignity of the individuals who are detained.

  • 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 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) average and (b) longest recorded waiting time was between a detainee at Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre sounding the emergency alarm in their room and an officer arriving to assist them in each of the last three years.

    James Brokenshire

    The information requested on waiting times is not collected centrally by either the Home Office or Serco so this information cannot be provided except at disproportionate cost.

  • Kate Osamor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Kate Osamor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2016-04-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the effect of the EU-Turkey refugee deal on her Department’s policy on family reunification for refugees.

    James Brokenshire

    The EU-Turkey deal does not affect our family reunion policy.

    Under the family reunion policy a spouse, partner or children under 18 can apply to join someone granted refugee status or humanitarian protection in the UK providing they formed part of their family unit before the sponsor fled their country of origin.

  • Kate Osamor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Kate Osamor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what contribution her Department has made to UN Sustainable Development Goal 1 on poverty eradication in the last six months; and if she will make a statement.

    Priti Patel

    Eradicating extreme poverty by 2030 is the primary purpose of UK aid under the International Development Act and one of the UK Aid Strategy’s objectives. DFID’s 2015/16 Annual Report sets out progress against our Single Departmental Plan, and hence to delivery of the 2030 Agenda. Progress in 2016/17 will be set out in our next Annual Report.

  • 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 2015-11-16.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of the officers employed at Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre are male.

    James Brokenshire

    Management information shows that the proportion of male officers employed at Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre as of 17 November 2015 is 51%.

    Deployment of staff to the accommodation units is reviewed on a daily basis by Serco, with the aim of two-thirds of staff on female units being female officers.

  • Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Kate Osamor – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-11-24.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2015 to Question 13392, if he will make an estimate of the number of people with cancer who will be affected by the proposals to remove the work-related activity element of employment and support allowance.

    Priti Patel

    No current claimants will be affected by these proposals. We do not hold estimates on the number of future claimants of the work-related element of ESA with specific conditions.

    The impact assessment can be found here: http://www.parliament.uk/documents/impact-assessments/IA15-006B.pdf.

    “

  • Kate Osamor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Kate Osamor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the Government’s policy is on maintaining its commitment to spending 0.7 per cent of gross national income on overseas aid.

    Priti Patel

    This Government remains committed to continuing the UK’s leading role on international development, including through spending 0.7% of gross national income (GNI) on overseas aid.

    As an outward-looking, globally engaged nation, we believe that the UK should work to tackle international problems at their source – not wait for them to arrive on our doorstep.

  • Kate Osamor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Kate Osamor – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2016-10-19.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what representations she has received on trends in life expectancy in Northern Nigeria; and if she will make a statement.

    Priti Patel

    Survey data on infant and child mortality rates shows that mortality rates are much higher in the north of Nigeria compared to the south.

    In 2015/16, of a total DFID bilateral spend in Nigeria of £214m, approximately 60% of programming focused in six northern states. Additionally, over the last two years, DFID has scaled up its response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the northeast, bringing life-saving support to those affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.

  • 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 2015-11-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of detainees held in Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre are receiving medication for mental health problems; and what proportion of those detainees have had their dosage increased since being held in detention.

    Alistair Burt

    Information on the number of detainees who are prescribed a particular medicine or any changes in prescriptions is not collected centrally.

    It is essential that any person detained within the immigration detention estate receives medical attention appropriate to their clinical needs. Health professionals should assess and keep under review the medicines requirements for each individual to determine the best course of action for that patient, taking into account their views and preferences.

    Health providers at Yarl’s Wood have now established a Health and Wellbeing Group for detainees in recognition of the anxiety levels that many detainees exhibit when they arrive in the establishment. This group supports the detainees to feel less disempowered in their environment and, as such, can pre-empt the escalation of anxiety which when not acknowledged, can lead to more serious mental health presentations.