The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many detainees who have medical evidence that they are vulnerable persons have suffered (a) state and (b) non-state violence.
Mr Robert Goodwill
Information on the reasons for a claim for asylum is not readily accessible from central statistical records and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost through a manual search of individual case files.
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.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on Turkish military action against (a) the Kurdistan Workers’ Party in northern Iraq and (b) ISIS since July 2015; and if he will make a statement.
Mr David Lidington
We are closely monitoring all of these and related events in Turkey and the region. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) continues to kill members of the Turkish police service and security forces. We support Turkey’s right to defend itself against all forms of terrorism. We have been clear that the PKK must cease its violence and the peace process needs to be resumed. The UK stands ready to help in any way it can in this regard. I last raised this with my Turkish counterpart when we met in August.
The Government continues to monitor closely Turkey’s democratic reforms, including as part of the EU accession process, focusing particularly on freedom of expression, respect for the rule of law and minority rights.
We welcome Turkey’s invaluable contribution to the international campaign against Daesh, particularly its agreement for the use of its airspace and airbases, as a member of the Global Coalition committed to defeating it. Turkey has been carrying out military strikes against Daesh since July 2015, and state that they have detained over 2,500 Daesh suspects since 2013, of whom one third are foreigners. Turkey recognises the role that Syrian Kurds have to play in the fight against Daesh, and accepts that Syrian Kurds receive Coalition support.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of whether there are contradictions in applying the Article 1 definition of torture alongside implementing Shaw Recommendation 9, the presumption against the detention for victims of rape and other sexual or gender based violence, including female genital mutilation, for which the identity of the perpetrator is irrelevant.
Mr Robert Goodwill
For the purposes of the Government’s “adults at risk in immigration detention” policy, which was implemented on 12 September, the Government has adopted a definition of torture in line with that set out in the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT). This covers acts of torture carried out by, or on behalf of state authorities and, in guidance issued to Home Office staff, to doctors working in immigration removal centres, and to other staff, it has been made clear that the definition also covers acts of torture or ill-treatment carried out by groups exploiting instability and civil war to hold territory. It does not, however, cover acts of violence carried out in the course of, for example, neighbourhood disputes. The definition employed most accurately reflects the need to protect those who are most likely to be deleteriously affected by detention – that is, those who have been harmed by the state (or by an organisation exercising similar control) and for whom detention is most likely to be redolent of the harm they have suffered. In addition, individuals will fall within the scope of the adults at risk policy if the harm to which they have been subjected causes them to suffer from a condition which also falls within the “indicators of risk” set out in the policy, regardless of whether it falls within the strict definition of “torture” and regardless of the perpetrator of the violence. The policy recognises a broad range of groups of individuals as those likely to be particularly vulnerable to harm in detention without necessarily having to define them as victims of torture.
In making the decision to employ the UNCAT definition of torture, the Government took into account a range of considerations, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees guidelines, but concluded that the UNCAT definition provided the appropriate level of protection. The Government believes that this approach is fully in line with Stephen Shaw’s recommendations in respect of vulnerable people. The adults at risk policy as a whole represents a broadening of the scope of individuals considered vulnerable, by virtue of the inclusion within the list of indicators of risk set out in the policy of, for example, victims of sexual or gender based violence (including female genital mutilation), transsexual individuals, and those suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. Overall, the impact of the adoption of the UNCAT definition on different groups of vulnerable individuals will depend on the circumstances of the particular case. The Government does not anticipate that it will have a disproportionate impact on any specific group. In particular, the Government does not see that there are contradictions in applying the new definition of torture alongside the inclusion in the policy, as an indicator of risk, being a victim of sexual or gender based violence. Although the perpetrator of the violence is, by necessity, a key part of the definition of torture, the adults at risk policy focuses as a whole on the impact on the individual and on whether detention is appropriate in their particular case. Home Office caseworkers have been provided with training and communications on the new adults at risk policy, including in respect of the definition of torture. Guidance on the adults at risk policy has been issued, including to the commissioners of healthcare in Immigration Removal Centres.
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)]
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-12-08.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Turkish counterpart on negotiating a ceasefire with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party; and if he will make a statement.
Mr David Lidington
We are closely monitoring all of these and related events in Turkey and the region. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) continues to kill members of the Turkish police service and security forces. We support Turkey’s right to defend itself against all forms of terrorism. We have been clear that the PKK must cease its violence and the peace process needs to be resumed. The UK stands ready to help in any way it can in this regard. I last raised this with my Turkish counterpart when we met in August.
The Government continues to monitor closely Turkey’s democratic reforms, including as part of the EU accession process, focusing particularly on freedom of expression, respect for the rule of law and minority rights.
We welcome Turkey’s invaluable contribution to the international campaign against Daesh, particularly its agreement for the use of its airspace and airbases, as a member of the Global Coalition committed to defeating it. Turkey has been carrying out military strikes against Daesh since July 2015, and state that they have detained over 2,500 Daesh suspects since 2013, of whom one third are foreigners. Turkey recognises the role that Syrian Kurds have to play in the fight against Daesh, and accepts that Syrian Kurds receive Coalition support.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2016-09-13.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many detainees were threatened with the Kingfisher Isolation Unit as a result of peaceful protest activities in conjunction with the demonstration outside Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre on 10 September 2016.
Mr Robert Goodwill
Kingfisher Unit at Yarl’s Wood is managed by Serco, the service provider, in accordance with Rules 40 (removal from association) and 42 (temporary confinement) of the Detention Centre Rules 2001. Detainees may only be separated from others for reasons of safety, either their own or for others, for security reasons or when an individual is being refractory or violent. There is no provision in the Rules for separation to be used as punishment.
Provisional management information from Serco shows that no detainees were re-located to Kingfisher Unit on either 10 or 11 September. There is no record of any complaints having been made by detainees alleging that they have been threatened with placement on Kingfisher Unit in connection with the demonstration on 10 September.
Detainee Custody Officers must not threaten detainees in order to manage their behaviour but may advise detainees that they may be separated if their behaviour is judged to risk compromising the safety and security of the centre, themselves or others.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-10-29.
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to the World Health Organisation’s Global Tuberculosis Report 2015, published on 28 October 2015, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the findings of that report; and what steps her Department is taking to contribute to the global eradication of tuberculosis.
Grant Shapps
We welcome the publication of the World Health Organisation’s Global Tuberculosis (TB) Report 2015, which reports on the challenges and achievements that have been made in tackling this terrible disease. The report highlights the threat of drug-resistant TB and makes the case for new diagnostics, drugs and vaccines to achieve the targets in the End TB Strategy.
The UK Government continues to be committed to tackling this disease, which was demonstrated by our support for the new Global Goal for Good Health and Well-Being. This includes helping to increase the access to, and use of, effective diagnostics and treatment of TB, including drug resistant TB. The UK delivers on its commitment through different channels, including supporting research and product development into more effective diagnosis, treatment and vaccines; helping countries to strengthen health systems to deliver quality TB programmes; and through our support to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and UNITAID. The Global Fund has enabled 13.2 million people to receive TB treatment since 2002.
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.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Osamor on 2015-12-07.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Turkish government about the use of curfew, martial law and the deployment of the military in (a) Cizre and Silvan and (b) other mainly Kurdish towns.
Mr David Lidington
We welcome the visit on 15-16 October of Turkey’s national human rights body to Cizre and Sirnak to conduct analysis and research on the recent events there. We continue to monitor the human rights situation in Turkey closely and raise concerns regularly with the Turkish authorities.