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I pay tribute to my right hon. and gallant Friend the Minister for Armed Forces—I am very sad to hear that he is going. He talks of warfighting. As he knows, I am on the Defence Committee. I would challenge the idea that we are ready to fight a sustained war with the armed forces that we have, and bearing in mind all the threats that we face, that possibility has become very real. Bearing in mind that his collective responsibility is about to go, will he now stand at the Dispatch Box and say that we need to spend a lot more money on defence?
I pay tribute to my right hon. and gallant Friend the Minister for Armed Forces—I am very sad to hear that he is going. He talks of warfighting. As he knows, I am on the Defence Committee. I would challenge the idea that we are ready to fight a sustained war with the armed forces that we have, and bearing in mind all the threats that we face, that possibility has become very real. Bearing in mind that his collective responsibility is about to go, will he now stand at the Dispatch Box and say that we need to spend a lot more money on defence?
That will go soon, but not yet. Colleagues on both sides of the House will note that whenever I have been invited to respond to such a question, like all good Defence Ministers, I have never missed the opportunity to say yes, but the reality is that our armed forces remain fit. Yes, it is the job of this House and particularly my hon. Friend’s Committee to scrutinise our readiness, as the Committee has done—and I commend the report to colleagues who have not already read it—but reinvestment is needed to sustain our armed forces at warfighting level. That is no scandal; that is the consequence of a peace dividend that rightly allowed successive Governments to disinvest in the resilience that kept our cold war force credible. However, as the Secretary of State so rightly said in his speech the other week, we are now in a “pre-war era”, so it is the responsibility of this Government and those who follow to reinvest in the necessary warfighting capability.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he plans to take to review the potential impact of the number of (a) diversity, (b) inclusion and (c) gender-based initiatives on morale in the Armed Forces.
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he plans to take to review the potential impact of the number of (a) diversity, (b) inclusion and (c) gender-based initiatives on morale in the Armed Forces.
The Secretary of State has ordered a review of all equality, diversity and inclusivity policies across the Armed Forces and Ministry of Defence to ensure that all those who are willing and able to serve our nation are able to freely do so in an environment which is welcoming to all, but that no policy distracts from the priority of defending our nation and being able to fight our enemies in a more dangerous age.
We will only meet current and future security challenges and threats if all our people, regardless of background, are confident that their efforts, skills and experience are properly recognised, and they are able to achieve their full potential.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of claimed conversions to Christianity by people resident on the barge in Portland Port on their asylum applications.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of claimed conversions to Christianity by people resident on the barge in Portland Port on their asylum applications.
All asylum and human rights claims, including those based on religion or belief, and regardless of where or how a person might be accommodated while in the UK, are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations.
Detailed Home Office policy guidance provides a framework for considering asylum claims, including those based on religious conversion, and all caseworkers receive extensive training before making such decisions.
Those found not to need protection are refused, and the decision can be subject to legal challenge, where appropriate, either via appeal to the independent courts, or through a judicial review, depending on the decision in question. Once appeal rights are exhausted, they are liable for removal and enforcement action is pursued where necessary.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason people accomodated on the Bibby Stockholm barge are transported to Weymouth by a full size bus; what the cost to the public purse is for this service; and if he will make an assessment of the potential...
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason people accomodated on the Bibby Stockholm barge are transported to Weymouth by a full size bus; what the cost to the public purse is for this service; and if he will make an assessment of the potential...
Those resident on the barge are not detained. Through our contracted service provider, the Home Office provides a bus service to take asylum seekers from the port to destinations agreed with local agencies. This is designed to ensure the movement of asylum seekers on and off the vessel is orderly and controlled, with the impact on the surrounding community as small as possible.
Financial assessments are carried out and reviewed regularly on the overall cost of each large site and vessel to test the value for money to the taxpayer.
One decision that my hon. Friend could make to support defence jobs is to retain HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark. Will he reassure the House, the Royal Marines, the Royal Navy and the armed forces that these two vital ships will be kept in operation and not mothballed?
One decision that my hon. Friend could make to support defence jobs is to retain HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark. Will he reassure the House, the Royal Marines, the Royal Navy and the armed forces that these two vital ships will be kept in operation and not mothballed?
I am grateful to my hon. Friend, who speaks with great authority from all his time on the Defence Committee. No final decision has been made on those platforms. I know that there has been much coverage in the press—and, inevitably, chatter—and I know how important they are to our service personnel. I reassure him that we are looking at this in the round. We are absolutely committed to supporting defence jobs across the piece. Obviously, we have recruitment challenges, but we must also support British industry, and that is why the Secretary of State is leading on that in his role as shipbuilding tsar.
I send my condolences to the Secretary of State.
As my right hon. Friend knows, membership of NATO requires an expenditure of 2% of GDP. This is an arbitrary and paltry figure bearing in mind the threats that we all face. What discussions is he having with other NATO partners, many of which are not even spending the 2%, to increase their spending on defence?
I send my condolences to the Secretary of State.
As my right hon. Friend knows, membership of NATO requires an expenditure of 2% of GDP. This is an arbitrary and paltry figure bearing in mind the threats that we all face. What discussions is he having with other NATO partners, many of which are not even spending the 2%, to increase their spending on defence?
I steer my hon. Friend to the communiqué from the Vilnius summit, which was very clear that NATO countries that are not yet spending 2% need urgently to increase their spending to do so. Our Prime Minister has gone further and indicated his willingness to spend 2.5% on defence once the economic circumstances allow. I think that that is the right order, because we cannot have physical security without economic security.
I associate myself with your comments about the NHS, Mr Speaker.
My constituents in Weymouth and Portland and I are getting a little tired of being told that placing a migrant barge in our port is in the national interest. It is neither in the national interest nor in ours. The barge, designed for 222, will accommodate 506 illegal migrants, already testing our overstretched resources. It was imposed on us without any consultation. There are many concerns both about the barge and about what the 506 young men will do, going around a seaside resort at the height of the summer, unmonitored and with little money. Will my right hon. Friend stop it, and ask my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary to do likewise?
I associate myself with your comments about the NHS, Mr Speaker.
My constituents in Weymouth and Portland and I are getting a little tired of being told that placing a migrant barge in our port is in the national interest. It is neither in the national interest nor in ours. The barge, designed for 222, will accommodate 506 illegal migrants, already testing our overstretched resources. It was imposed on us without any consultation. There are many concerns both about the barge and about what the 506 young men will do, going around a seaside resort at the height of the summer, unmonitored and with little money. Will my right hon. Friend stop it, and ask my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary to do likewise?
I am sure my hon. Friend appreciates that we need to reduce the bill of housing asylum seekers in hotels and that we need to look at different measures to accommodate them. Of course, I am very happy to engage with him, and I am sure the Home Secretary is too, to ensure we can find a satisfactory solution in his constituency that protects his constituents’ interests.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is her Department's policy that asylum seekers accommodated on asylum vessels will be able to move freely or have restrictions on their movements.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is her Department's policy that asylum seekers accommodated on asylum vessels will be able to move freely or have restrictions on their movements.
As with all asylum accommodation, asylum seekers accommodated on vessels will be non-detained. If someone is late returning from a visit off the site, they will be contacted to ascertain their whereabouts. Those accommodated will be required to sign in and out of the site. Individuals will be subjected to security checks when they re-enter the vessel.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has placed controls on the ability of the migrants on the barge at Portland Port to come and go at will.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has placed controls on the ability of the migrants on the barge at Portland Port to come and go at will.
As with all asylum accommodation sites will be non-detained. There will be no curfew. As a matter of routine, if someone is late returning from a visit off the site, they will be contacted for to ascertain their whereabouts.
The vessel will be managed by an experienced accommodation provider under contractual terms agreed with the Home Office. The same supplier has safely and successfully managed two vessels for Ukrainian refugees for the Scottish Government over the past year.
It is being designed to minimise the impact on local communities and services.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much Portland Port is being paid from the public purse to accommodate the migrant barge for an initial period of 18 months.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much Portland Port is being paid from the public purse to accommodate the migrant barge for an initial period of 18 months.
The Home Office cannot disclose commercially sensitive information.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what funding will be provided to statutory bodies that have responsibilities for the planned migrants on the barge in Portland Port in addition to what has already been promised to Dorset Council and the police.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what funding will be provided to statutory bodies that have responsibilities for the planned migrants on the barge in Portland Port in addition to what has already been promised to Dorset Council and the police.
The Home Office has committed to providing funding to help minimise the impact on the local community and local services. Discussions regarding the specific funding arrangements for statutory bodies are ongoing.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who will provide what medical facilities for the migrants on the barge in Portland Port; and who will be responsible overall for their health.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who will provide what medical facilities for the migrants on the barge in Portland Port; and who will be responsible overall for their health.
The Home Office expect to provide medical services on site, with detailed planning ongoing. All asylum seekers in the UK may contact Migrant Help 24 hours a day, 365 days a year if they need help, advice, or guidance, that includes raising issues relating to safeguarding.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the dispersal arrangements are for the migrants on the barge in Portland Port when their time on the vessel comes to an end; where they will then be housed; and what responsibilities Dorset Council will have for them.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the dispersal arrangements are for the migrants on the barge in Portland Port when their time on the vessel comes to an end; where they will then be housed; and what responsibilities Dorset Council will have for them.
The accommodation have been contracted for 18 months. We are assessing how long asylum seekers will be accommodated before being moved further through the accommodation system.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what role she plans that voluntary bodies and charities will play in regard to the migrant barge in Portland Port; and what funding she plans to provide to those bodies and charities.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what role she plans that voluntary bodies and charities will play in regard to the migrant barge in Portland Port; and what funding she plans to provide to those bodies and charities.
We are working with local authorities and the voluntary sector in regular Multi Agency Forum (MAF) meetings to identify potential opportunities.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to asylum accommodation on a vessel in Portland Port, whether the service provider has a system to report (a) accidents, (b) incidents, (c) dangerous occurrences and (d) fatalities, in compliance with the Health and Safety Executive's Reporting of...
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to asylum accommodation on a vessel in Portland Port, whether the service provider has a system to report (a) accidents, (b) incidents, (c) dangerous occurrences and (d) fatalities, in compliance with the Health and Safety Executive's Reporting of...
The vessel will be managed by an experienced accommodation provider, under contractual terms agreed with the Home Office. The same supplier has safely and successfully managed two vessels for Ukrainian refugees for the Scottish Government over the past year. Through the Multi Agency Forum health subgroup, we are working closely with local health colleagues to ensure appropriate health and safety arrangements are in place.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the asylum accommodation on a vessel in Portland Port, what will happen to people accommodated on the vessel if their asylum claim is later unsuccessful.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the asylum accommodation on a vessel in Portland Port, what will happen to people accommodated on the vessel if their asylum claim is later unsuccessful.
Asylum seekers accommodated on the vessel whose claims are refused and have no further appeal rights will be removed from the UK. If people are granted asylum, we will work with local authorities across the UK to provide the support and appropriate accommodation.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the service provider for the asylum accommodation on a vessel in Portland Port, who will be responsible for providing (a) heath and safety work and (b) risk assessments; and what are their relevant qualifications.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the service provider for the asylum accommodation on a vessel in Portland Port, who will be responsible for providing (a) heath and safety work and (b) risk assessments; and what are their relevant qualifications.
The vessel will be managed by an experienced accomodation supplier, under contractual terms agreed with the Home Office. The same supplier has safely and successfully managed two vessels for Ukrainian refugees for the Scottish Government over the past year. Through the Multi Agency Forum health sub group, we are working closely with local health colleagues to ensure appropriate health and safety arrangements are in place.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the asylum accommodation on a vessel in Portland Port, what plans she has for the provision of law enforcement for detaining vessel occupants suspected of (a) acting criminally and (b) committing antisocial behaviour.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the asylum accommodation on a vessel in Portland Port, what plans she has for the provision of law enforcement for detaining vessel occupants suspected of (a) acting criminally and (b) committing antisocial behaviour.
Security forms an integral part of the proposed site. A specialist security provider will be working on site 24/7 and we are working closely with Dorset Police to ensure appropriate security arrangements are in place. Any matters relating to suspected criminal activity are reported to the police as a matter of routine.
The safety and security of the local communities, those asylum seekers on the sites and the staff are of the utmost importance.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the asylum accommodation on a vessel in Portland Port, whether people accommodated on the vessel will be (a) new arrivals from small boats and (b) people currently placed in hotels.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the asylum accommodation on a vessel in Portland Port, whether people accommodated on the vessel will be (a) new arrivals from small boats and (b) people currently placed in hotels.
The intention is to accommodate single adult male asylum seekers.
Those being accommodated are likely to be of different nationalities. They will already be in the asylum system, having been through robust security checks and health checks.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure the safety of doctors and nurses helping asylum seekers on the barge at Portland Port.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure the safety of doctors and nurses helping asylum seekers on the barge at Portland Port.
Through the Multi Agency Forum health sub group, we are working closely with local health colleagues to ensure appropriate health and safety arrangements are in place.
We are working closely with local police forces and other stakeholders to ensure appropriate security arrangements are in place.