Tag: Thangam Debbonaire

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

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to provide an integration support service for refugees to help those refugees who have recently arrived in the UK to integrate into local communities.

Mike Penning

We are working towards achieving more integrated communities and creating the conditions for everyone to live and work successfully alongside each other.

Those who are granted refugee status are given access to the labour market, mainstream benefits and housing assistance from their local authority. There are therefore no plans to allow refugees to stay in asylum support accommodation.

The Home Office offers integration loans to recognised refugees. The loan is designed to help refugees integrate into UK society by offering financial support towards housing costs, employment and training.

The Home Office also funds strategic migration partnerships which provide coordination and support services for those organisations working with migrants and refugees in local communities.

Earlier this year the Government announced that £20 million of additional funding for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses would be introduced in October 2016. This funding will reach the most isolated communities in the UK.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what monitoring her Department has carried out to ensure that no one is denied access to justice, regardless of ability to pay for legal representation.

Sir Oliver Heald

We have made sure that legal aid continues to be available in the most serious cases, for example where people’s life, liberty, or housing is at stake or where their children may be taken into care. The operation of, and expenditure on, the legal aid scheme is continually monitored by the Ministry of Justice and the Legal Aid Agency.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what responsibilities the Government has for delivering services to teenagers and young adults with cancer.

David Mowat

Cancer services for teenagers and young adults are delivered by a network of Principle Treatment Centres and Designated Hospitals, commissioned centrally by NHS England. Services include:

– All cancer chemotherapy and radiotherapy;

– Specialist palliative care services;

– Survivorship;

– Long-term follow up; and

– Specialist therapies and rehabilitation.

Cancer services for teenagers and young adults reflect the unique needs of this age group. The delivery of care is arranged similarly to adult services, but there are important differences including the delivery of care in an age-appropriate environment and multi-disciplinary teams include social workers, youth workers, and activity coordinators.

Services also support teenagers and young adults with the late effects of cancer treatment which particularly affect this age group. Because cancer is a rare condition in this age range, teenage and young adult services work very closely with other agencies to deliver emotional, psychosocial and specialist therapies to support each teenager and young adult to maximise their physical, emotional, cognitive, social and functional potential.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Thangam Debbonaire on 2015-11-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that public opinion is taken into account in its input to the BBC Charter review.

Mr Edward Vaizey

A public consultation which began on Thursday 16 July and closed on 8 October received in excess of 190,000 responses. We are now in the process of analysing these responses.

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.