Speeches by Reid.

“Do you have any thoughts about whether the national inquiry should have official input from devolved Governments, so that we can get that broadbrush learning across the UK?”

“It isn’t. We still have the old IT systems.”

“Thank you for your audit and report, and also for coming here today—the whole Committee really appreciates it. I am a Scottish MP, and the vast majority of not just what is in your report but Alexis Jay’s recommendations cover devolved issues. Much of what is in there, such as a lack of mandatory reporting and gaps in …”

“What needs to happen now to ensure that that does not happen in the national inquiry?”

“I would love to come and see it in action once you have set it up, it will be interesting.”

“Do you think there is sufficient work on prevention of high risk perpetrators? Do you think we are doing enough in that area currently, and if not, why not?”

“I agree about the IT systems and how crucial that is—but if you are not collecting accurate, robust data, it does not really matter what IT system you have, right? Can you talk more about the gaps in the data? You mentioned ethnicity, but are there any other egregious examples that you think we should remedy now? It se…”

“I strongly welcome the Home Secretary’s announcement of an inquiry and its commitment to survivors. It is absolutely right that the inquiry focuses on local areas where we know that survivors have been failed by the authorities that were supposed to protect them, but it is also essential that we draw lessons for the wh…”

“Q11. The Prime Minister and Members across the House will have witnessed the spectacular victory for Davy Russell and Scottish Labour at the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election. My constituents are sick of SNP failure and they voted for change: change for their NHS, for their schools and for Scotland. Has the…”

“I thank my hon. Friend for bringing this crucial debate to Westminster Hall today. I wonder whether she has noticed the private Members’ Bill tabled by Ash Regan of the Scottish Parliament, which looks to do exactly what she has described by decriminalising the sale of sex. Would she like to congratulate Ash Regan and …”

“Can you tell us in more detail how those contracts differ? What are the fundamental differences between the contracts that you have with Government in the UK as opposed to those in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland? Do you do more to support the population within that accommodation and provide access to support service…”

“Are you contracted to provide and deliver support services in any other countries?”

“Can you go into a wee bit more detail about that? You mentioned integration support.”

“Mr Burt, I just want to go back to something you referred to a couple of times, which was the loss in providing your services in Scotland. Surely, as a business, you will be looking to mitigate that risk going forward. How do you plan? What do you have at your disposal to address that issue? Would you be looking at the…”

“You mentioned Glasgow in particular, though.”

“We have heard that from local authorities on the ground. This is my final question. The nature of net migration is that you are going to see these surges, and I know we all want certainty around numbers. Is there anything the Home Office can do to help you with contingency planning for when we do see these spikes?”

“Our understanding is that the Home Office has emphasised that the safeguarding duty lies not with the provider but with the local authority. What do you think should be the role of the Home Office in safeguarding vulnerable people within its accommodation? What should that process and model look like?”

“Beyond that initial assessment that you mentioned, is it possible to have an effective model whereby the welfare officer is doing that assessment? Surely, when they initially arrive at port, all their safeguarding issues might not come out at that moment in time. Is it possible to have a good, robust relationship with …”

“Who do you think should do that?”

“If the model, as you have just said, should not be driven by cost, what would a new procurement model look like? What should be the criteria outwith what you have already said about equitable dispersion? What should be the criteria by which we should select asylum accommodation? Do you have any thoughts on that?”