Tag: Sarah Champion

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Champion on 2016-06-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that survivors of female genital mutilation are better protected from cervical cancer.

Jane Ellison

The National Health Service will support women who have had female genital mutilation (FGM) and will provide them with appropriate care to ensure that cervical screening can be done as comfortably as possible, as for all women invited for cervical screening. FGM survivors may feel anxious about the procedure, and NHS staff are encouraged to have sensitive conversations with women about their worries.

It is important that all women invited for screening attend appointments. Taking a cervical sample may not always be possible for women with FGM, and in such cases women can be referred to specialist gynaecological services who are trained in treating complications that can be caused by FGM.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Champion on 2015-12-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of age assessments for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children have been completed within the new timetable for upon local authorities in each month since March 2015.

James Brokenshire

All unaccompanied asylum seeking children are referred to the Refugee Council’s panel of advisers.

Age-assessments of unaccompanied asylum seeking children are conducted by local authorities. The guidance to local authority practitioners states that most assessments should be completed within 28 days, however the timescale for assessment should be responsive to the needs of the child or young person. The Home Office does not collect statistics on how many and what proportion are carried out within this timescale.

Statistics on the number of age disputes raised and resolved for asylum applicants for each quarter from January 2010 to September 2015 are available on GOV.UK at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/476915/asylum3-q3-2015-tabs.ods

The Home Office does not keep a record of the number of appeals against age assessments conducted by local authorities.

Home Office policy is not to return unaccompanied asylum seeking children whose claim has been refused unless there are safe and adequate reception arrangements in place. Statistics on the number of children removed from the UK in 2014 are available on Gov.UK at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/476919/removals1-q3-2015-tabs.ods

However, these statistics include all nationalities and non-asylum cases.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Champion on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance she has issued to local authorities on the provision of specialist BME domestic violence services.

Karen Bradley

We are determined to ensure that all victims of domestic violence, including those from black and minority ethnic communities, have the same opportunities to access the criminal justice system and the appropriate support and services.

The Government has already committed £40 million for domestic abuse services including refugees between 2016 and 2020, provided a £2 million grant to Women’s Aid and SafeLives to support a new domestic abuse early intervention project, protected funding of over £6.4 million to 86 female Rape Support Centres for 2016/17. We have also committed to a further year of funding to support the local provision of 144 Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs) and 87 Independent Sexual Violence Advisers for 2016/17.

The Government will shortly publish an updated Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy which will set out how we will work with local areas and specialist charities to support all victims of VAWG, including black and ethnic minority victims.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Champion on 2016-07-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to raise awareness among public authorities of their statutory duty to notify her where they have reasonable grounds to believe that a person may be a victim of slavery or human trafficking under the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Sarah Newton

We published guidance on the Modern Slavery Act on GOV.UK and a circular was sent to all bodies who are subject to the duty. We will publish data on notifications received and carry out further awareness-raising activity later this year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Champion on 2015-12-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the rate of appeal was against age-assessments for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in each month since March 2010; and what proportion of such appeals were successful.

James Brokenshire

All unaccompanied asylum seeking children are referred to the Refugee Council’s panel of advisers.

Age-assessments of unaccompanied asylum seeking children are conducted by local authorities. The guidance to local authority practitioners states that most assessments should be completed within 28 days, however the timescale for assessment should be responsive to the needs of the child or young person. The Home Office does not collect statistics on how many and what proportion are carried out within this timescale.

Statistics on the number of age disputes raised and resolved for asylum applicants for each quarter from January 2010 to September 2015 are available on GOV.UK at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/476915/asylum3-q3-2015-tabs.ods

The Home Office does not keep a record of the number of appeals against age assessments conducted by local authorities.

Home Office policy is not to return unaccompanied asylum seeking children whose claim has been refused unless there are safe and adequate reception arrangements in place. Statistics on the number of children removed from the UK in 2014 are available on Gov.UK at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/476919/removals1-q3-2015-tabs.ods

However, these statistics include all nationalities and non-asylum cases.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Champion on 2016-03-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 2.112 of the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, how much of the planned £40 million spending for services for victims of domestic abuse he plans will be spent in each of the next four years; and in each such year what programmes or policies that spending is planned to support.

Mr Marcus Jones

Details of how the £40 million fund will be used to support victims of domestic abuse will be announced shortly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Champion on 2016-07-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many notifications her Department has received under section 52 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 relating to slavery or human trafficking of (a) children and (b) adults.

Sarah Newton

We published guidance on the Modern Slavery Act on GOV.UK and a circular was sent to all bodies who are subject to the duty. We will publish data on notifications received and carry out further awareness-raising activity later this year.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Champion on 2015-12-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any unaccompanied asylum-seeking children from Albania have been returned to that country in the last year.

James Brokenshire

All unaccompanied asylum seeking children are referred to the Refugee Council’s panel of advisers.

Age-assessments of unaccompanied asylum seeking children are conducted by local authorities. The guidance to local authority practitioners states that most assessments should be completed within 28 days, however the timescale for assessment should be responsive to the needs of the child or young person. The Home Office does not collect statistics on how many and what proportion are carried out within this timescale.

Statistics on the number of age disputes raised and resolved for asylum applicants for each quarter from January 2010 to September 2015 are available on GOV.UK at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/476915/asylum3-q3-2015-tabs.ods

The Home Office does not keep a record of the number of appeals against age assessments conducted by local authorities.

Home Office policy is not to return unaccompanied asylum seeking children whose claim has been refused unless there are safe and adequate reception arrangements in place. Statistics on the number of children removed from the UK in 2014 are available on Gov.UK at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/476919/removals1-q3-2015-tabs.ods

However, these statistics include all nationalities and non-asylum cases.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Champion on 2016-03-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much the Government has spent on specialist BAME domestic violence services in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2015-16 to date.

Karen Bradley

The Government is committed to tackling domestic violence in all its forms and is determined to ensure all victims, including those from black and minority ethnic communities, have access to appropriate support.

The previous Government provided £40 million of dedicated funding for domestic and sexual violence services between 2011 and 2015 equating to £10 million per year. This funding was extended until April 2016, supplemented by an additional £10 million for refuges, and a £3.5 million fund to boost the provision of domestic violence services including refuges. This funding supported all victims of domestic abuse, including victims from black and minority ethnic communities.

A new Violence Against Women and Girls strategy published on 8 March 2016 sets out how the Government will support local authorities in implementing tailored services for victims who experience different forms of discrimination or additional barriers to accessing support. This includes women from black and minority ethnic communities.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sarah Champion on 2016-07-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to bring forward proposals for secondary legislation on identifying and supporting victims under section 50 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

Mike Penning

We are committed to ensuring we have an effective system for identifying and supporting victims. We reviewed and are piloting changes to the National Referral Mechanism. We will consider the introduction of regulations once the proposed changes to the National Referral Mechanism have been tested.