Tag: Thangam Debbonaire

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-03-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of (a) the number of people resident in refugee camps in Northern France, (b) the proportion of such people who are unaccompanied children and (c) how many extra reception places for asylum applicants have been created by the French authorities.

James Brokenshire

The management of the migrant camps in Calais, including healthcare provision is the responsibility of the French Government.

The French Government has recently stated that there are approximately 3,700 migrants living in the Calais camp and 1,050 in Dunkirk. The UK Government does not routinely assess the numbers of migrants in northern France or hold a breakdown of the ages of migrants.

The UK has funded a project aimed at identifying and protecting vulnerable people in the Calais migrant camp. The project is being delivered by the French NGO Terre D’Asile.

In addition, France has opened 102 reflection centres away from Calais and Dunkirk to help migrants with their asylum options and the UK is contributing towards the funding of this programme.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people who applied for UK citizenship in the year ending June 2015 (a) applied for exemption from the language requirements and (b) were granted such an exemption.

James Brokenshire

The Secretary of State may waive the Knowledge of Language and Life in the UK requirement for British citizenship on the basis of a person’s age, physical or mental condition.

A person will normally be exempted from this requirement if they provide evidence from an appropriate medical practitioner that their condition is so severe that it prevents them from being able to learn English or prepare for or sit an English test or the Life in the UK test. Each application is considered on its own merits.

Information cannot be obtained from UKVI data systems to show how many exemption requests were made and granted. This information could only be obtained from looking at individual records at disproportionate cost.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will make a commitment at the World Humanitarian Summit 2016 to work to prevent harm from the use of wide-area explosive weapons in populated areas.

Mr Desmond Swayne

At the World Humanitarian Summit this week the UK reaffirmed its commitment to promoting and enhancing the protection of civilians and civilian objects, by strengthening compliance with International Law. We condemn targeting of civilians and the indiscriminate or disproportionate use of any weapon.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-05-26.

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she has discussed with the Prison Service and probation services the recommendations of the Women and Equalities Committee in its First Report of Session 2015-16, on Transgender Equality, HC390, relating to the criminal justice system and prisons.

Caroline Dinenage

The Government welcomes the report from the Women and Equalities Select Committee into transgender equality.

The report provides a number of recommendations, including ones on hate crime and prison and probation services. Government (including the Ministry of Justice) is carefully considering these recommendations.

In addition, on 8 December 2015 as the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Women, Equalities and Family Justice I announced a review of the care and management of transgender offenders. The review is being coordinated by the Ministry of Justice who are engaging with others to ensure that staff in prisons and probation are provided with the best possible guidance. The National Offender Management Service, the Youth Justice Board, the NHS and the Government Equalities Office are providing professional and operational expertise. The revised guidelines will be published in due course.

Further information on the review can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/review-into-the-care-and-management-of-transgender-offenders.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-07-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Jobcentre Plus staff follow the guidance on newly recognised refugees applying for welfare benefits so as to ensure that those refugees are not left without support.

Damian Hinds

We have recently carried out an analysis of the information and instructions available to DWP staff handling claims from refugees and a number of improvements have been made to instructions as a result. These changes have been accompanied by an alert to staff.

Jobcentre Plus leaders use a Quality Assurance Framework as a tool to support their work coaches deliver a quality service. This includes a Quality Assurance Standards observation process, which is used by managers to regularly observe interviews with claimants; this observation includes ensuring specific support for refugees is provided.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-09-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timetable is for local councils to bid for funds to improve local railway stations and rail services.

Paul Maynard

The Department launched a new round of the New Stations Fund on 26 August, with up to £20 million available towards the total project cost. Promoters of new stations, including local authorities, should submit bids by 25 November.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-10-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to his Department’s press release entitled, Department of Health’s settlement at the Spending Review 2015, published on 25 November 2015, how the investment of up to £300 million per year on diagnostics will be spent in 2016-17.

David Mowat

The independent Cancer Taskforce’s implementation plan, published May 2016, included activity modelling that showed a 7% growth in overall diagnostic activity year on year to 2020/21. This was factored into overall clinical commissioning group (CCG) allocations and CCGs were advised to plan for appropriate diagnostic capacity as one of the nine ‘must dos’ in the 2016/17 Planning Guidance.

The Government and NHS England are also taking forward a number of diagnostic initiatives to support this through immediate investment in 2016-17. This includes a new National Diagnostics Capacity Fund to explore new and innovative ways to deliver diagnostic services; a new 28 Day Faster Diagnosis Standard, which will ensure that all patients are seen, and either diagnosed or have their cancer ruled out within 28 Days; and Wave 2 of the Accelerate, Coordinate, Evaluate (ACE) programme, testing a new, multi-disciplinary diagnostic centre approach to ensuring patients with vague but concerning symptoms receive a diagnosis as quickly as possible.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2015-12-09.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether it is his policy that the changes to interest rate relief on buy-to-let mortgages announced in the Summer Budget 2015 apply to purchasers within a limited company structure.

Mr David Gauke

The restriction to finance cost relief brings the rate of relief available for individual landlords more in line with that of corporate landlords.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-03-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been transferred from the UK to other EU countries under Articles 9, 10 and 11 of the Dublin III Regulation (a) in total and (b) for the purposes of family reunification in the last 12 months.

James Brokenshire

Records indicate that in 2015 there were no transfers from the UK to other EU countries under articles 9, 10 or 11 or for the purposes of family re-unification.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what provision is made for people with learning disabilities and mental health problems in the system for testing applicants for UK citizenship.

James Brokenshire

The Secretary of State may waive the Knowledge of Language and Life in the UK requirement for British citizenship on the basis of a person’s age, physical or mental condition.

A person will normally be exempted from this requirement if they provide evidence from an appropriate medical practitioner that their condition is so severe that it prevents them from being able to learn English or prepare for or sit an English test or the Life in the UK test. Each application is considered on its own merits.

Information cannot be obtained from UKVI data systems to show how many exemption requests were made and granted. This information could only be obtained from looking at individual records at disproportionate cost.