Every parliamentary written question tabled by Rupert Lowe this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 1,961–1,980 of 2,322 · this parliament
How much was paid to thebigword by all Departments in each of the last ten years.
All Government Departments are responsible for determining their own requirements for language services and ensuring these deliver good value for money for the taxpayer. Details on how much is paid to individual suppliers, including thebigword, is not held centrally by the Cabinet Office.
Pursuant to the Answer of 26 November to Question 14345 on Undocumented Migrants, if she will make it her policy to publish data on the number of asylum seekers for whom her Department does not have an address.
I refer the Honourable Member to the Answer I gave on 27 November to his Question UIN 15076.
Pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2024 to Question 11414 on Undocumented Migrants: Crimes of Violence, if she will make it her policy to publish data on (a) recorded incidents of assault against her Department's staff and (b) a breakdown of the immigration status of the perpetrators of such assaults.
I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 27 November to question UIN 15076.
How many teachers have formally raised concern about the age of irregular migrant students in each of the last five years.
Concerns of this nature would be raised with the individual local authority children’s services team which has responsibility for the unaccompanied asylum-seeking child, therefore the department does not hold data on this.
What information her Department holds on asylum seekers visiting their country of origin whilst still resident in the UK.
Claimants whose asylum claim has not been decided are not permitted to leave the UK without permission, for example to visit their country of origin, until their claim has been concluded. If they do so, their claim may be withdrawn under the Immigration Rules.
What steps her Department takes to help determine the ages of irregular migrants.
Where an individual claims to be a child without any documentary evidence, and where there is reason to doubt their claimed age, immigration officers are required to make an initial age decision to determine whether the individual should be treated as a child or an adult. This is an important first step to prevent individuals who are clearly an adult or child from being subjected unnecessarily to a more substantive age assessment and ensure that individuals are swiftly routed to the correct process.Current guidance provides that immigration officers may only treat that individual as an adult where that individual has no credible and clear documentary evidence proving their age, and two members of Home Office staff assess that their physical appearance and demeanour very strongly suggests that the individual is ‘significantly over 18.’ Where that threshold is not met, but there remains doubt about the individual’s age, they will be treated as a child, and transferred to a local authority for further consideration of their age. This often involves a further, more comprehensive age assessment if deemed necessary. This approach to initial decisions on age has been considered by the Supreme Court in BF (Eritrea) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2021] UKSC 38 and held to be lawful.
How many international (a) air miles and (b) flights have been completed by (i) the Prime Minister and (ii) his staff since 5 July 2024.
As was the practice under the previous Government, information about official overseas ministerial travel will be published as part of the Cabinet Office transparency returns and made available on the GOV.UK website.
How many and what proportion of people who took an English for Speakers of Other Languages class claimed Universal Credit in the last 12 months; and what the cost to the public purse was of the provision of those classes in the same period.
The information requested is not held centrally and is therefore not readily available. The department does hold data on the number of people who took an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) qualification, but this only includes learners funded through the adult skills fund (ASF), therefore excluding learners in devolved areas and those who studied ESOL courses funded through tailored learning. In 2023/24 145,730 people studied an ESOL qualification funded through the ASF.
How many (a) air miles and (b) flights he has completed since 5 July 2024.
Data on minister’s overseas travel and on senior civil servant’s business expenses is published on a quarterly basis. This can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/desnz-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-meetings-april-to-june-2024
How much legal aid was provided to (a) irregular migrants and (b) asylum seekers in each of the last five years.
Expenditure data for irregular migrants and asylum seekers across all legal aid schemes is not held centrally.The Legal Aid Agency publishes information about case volumes and expenditure data for the immigration and asylum category as part of its official statistics.
How many international (a) air miles and (b) flights have been completed by (i) her and (ii) staff in her office since 5 July 2024.
The Chancellor and her Private Office staff have completed three international trips since 5 July 2024. Further details for international flights will be published in the usual way in due course on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel
What proportion of equipment purchased by his Department and in use by his Department was manufactured (a) in and (b) outside the UK.
For the Financial Year 2023-24, the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) total global expenditure with industry and commerce, including Foreign Military Sales and direct payments to Foreign Governments, was £34.6 billion of which £5.5 billion (16%) related to work that took place outside of the UK. Statistics on MOD expenditure with industry are published annually on the gov.uk website at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mod-regional-expenditure-statistics-with-industry-202324
If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of removing benefits from foreign national offenders.
In order to receive taxpayer-funded benefits such as Universal Credit or Personal Independence Payments, an individual must either be a British or Irish citizen or hold a valid UK immigration status that allows them to access such benefits. If DWP is made aware of a change in a customer’s circumstances, either by the customer directly or by another government department (such as the Home Office), then the relevant claim will be reviewed. This includes if immigration status is cancelled due to criminality, or if a customer is sent to prison/young offenders’ institution or is in custody awaiting trial (on remand). If a customer is sent to prison, all benefit payments except the following will stop: housing payments part of Universal Credit (in some cases), tax credits and Child Benefit (in some cases), Housing Benefit (for shorter sentences), and council tax assistance (if eligible). Additional information on benefit eligibility whilst in prison or remand is available at: https://www.gov.uk/benefits-and-prison/benefits-that-stop-or-are-suspended. If immigration status ends, they will lose entitlement to benefits.
How many irregular migrants were arrested in Great Yarmouth constituency in each of the last five years.
This data is not held centrally, and could only be at disproportionate cost.
What equipment produced in China his Department has bought at what cost to the public purse in each of the last five years.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) welcomes foreign trade where it allows us to provide our Armed Forces with the equipment they require, meets our stringent legal and regulatory requirements and does not compromise our national security. Defence utilises Chinese manufactured goods throughout its supply chain, however the Department’s direct spend for goods manufactured in China for the last five years is as follows: YearSpend (rounded to nearest £100,000)2023-24£4.6 million2022-23£3.6 million2021-22£3 million2020-21£2.6 million2019-20£3.7 millionWe are unable to provide details of the specific items purchased as this spend data is captured by the MOD to monitor contractual spend. Statistical analysis and reporting is a secondary function. Transactions continue to be monitored where there are potential national security concerns from any country, and the Department will investigate and apply appropriate mitigations where required.
With reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Border Security and Asylum in response to the question from the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth during Oral Questions to the Home Office on 25 November 2024, what data will be published; when that data will be published; and whether that data will include crimes committed by irregular migrants.
I refer the Honourable Member to the statistics published on Thursday 28 November by the Home Office which can be found on the Migration statistics gov.uk page.Data on Foreign national offenders in UK prisons is available in the House of Lords Library and comes from the Ministry of Justice’s Offender management statistics quarterly release.
Pursuant to the Answer of 18 November 2024 to Question 13342 on Shoplifting Prosecutions, what estimate her Department has made of the (a) number of people who avoided charges and (b) value of goods lost because of the effective immunity on shoplifted goods under £200 in value in the last three years.
It is not possible to estimate the number of people who have avoided criminal sanctions, or the value of items stolen, as a result of the effective immunity on shoplifted goods under £200 introduced by the last Government.However, this Government will send a clear message that all those who take part in this criminality should face the full force of the law and we are determined to remove any perception that offenders will escape punishment. That’s why we will end the effective immunity granted to shop theft of goods under £200.This Government will also introduce a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores, because everybody has a right to feel safe on the job.
If she will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that women can only be strip-searched by British Transport Police officers who were female at birth.
The British Transport Police (BTP) is operationally independent. Chief Constables must ensure that their force policies comply with all legal obligations, including under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and Equalities Act 2010.
If she will (a) introduce more thorough age assessments for irregular migrants and (b) reassess the age of all 16-17 year old irregular migrants in the UK.
I refer the Honourable member to the answer I gave on 22nd October to question UIN 9190.
If she will make an estimate of the average amount of time that elapsed between the arrival in the UK of foreign nationals who go on to offend and the date of their offence by nationality in the last 12 months.
I refer the Honourable Member to the Answer I gave on 27 November to his Question UIN 15076.