Every parliamentary written question tabled by Rachael Maskell this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 21–40 of 42 · Home Office
If she will publish the safe and legal routes for asylum seekers to enter the UK.
Those individuals who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety.Information on the UK’s safe and legal routes is published on gov.uk.
What assessment she has made of the potential merits of enabling Ukrainian refugees who are living in the UK to obtain the right to remain.
This Government stands with Ukraine and is committed to providing stability for those we have welcomed to the UK and those who still need our sanctuary.To provide certainty to those who have been provided with temporary sanctuary in the UK under the existing Ukraine schemes, the Government has introduced a bespoke Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme, which opened to applications on 4 February 2025. This scheme allows those with existing sanctuary to apply for a further 18 months' permission to remain in the UK with the same rights and entitlements as they have been given under the existing Ukraine schemes.The Ukrainian Government has been clear about its strong desire for the future return of its citizens to help rebuild Ukraine when it is safe to do so. It is important that our approach respects these wishes.We will, of course, continue to keep the Ukraine schemes under review in line with developments in Ukraine.
What offences would require an asylum seeker to be deported.
All foreign nationals, including asylum seekers and refugees, can and do face prosecution for criminal offences in the same way as any other individual in the UK, and routinely have their immigration status reviewed if convicted.Under existing legislation, an individual convicted of a particularly serious crime, resulting in a custodial sentence of 12 months or more, will be routinely denied asylum and considered for removal from the UK.All asylum claimants are subject to mandatory security checks to establish their identity and to link it to their biometric details for the purpose of immigration, security and criminality checks - including war crimes, crimes against humanity and terrorism. These checks are critical to the delivery of a safe and secure immigration system.
If she will place a limit on the period of time that someone can remain in a short-term hold facility.
There are already time limits on detention in short-term holding facilities.Section 147 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 defines a short-term holding facility as a place where a detained person may be detained for not more than 7 days, or such other period as may be prescribed.Subparagraph 4 of the Immigration (Places of Detention) Direction 2021 provides that detention in a residential short-term holding facility shall not continue beyond a normal maximum of 5 days unless the person concerned is to be removed from the UK within the next 2 days, in which case their detention at the short term holding facility may continue for no more than a further 2 days, up to an absolute maximum of 7 days.Rule 6 of the Short-term Holding Facility Rules 2018 limits periods of detention in non-residential short-term holding facilities (holding rooms) to a normal maximum of 24 hours, though this is extendable beyond that point in exceptional circumstances.The Short-term Holding Facility (Amendment) Rules 2022 amended the 2018 rules to create as a third category of short-term holding facility, known as a residential holding room. Rule 2 limits detention in a residential holding room to not more than 96 hours unless a longer period is authorised by the Secretary of State.
What the non-criminal reasons are that could be lead to a person claiming asylum being deported.
An asylum seeker whose claim is unsuccessful and has exhausted any appeal rights will be liable for removal where they have no permission to remain in the UK. A person may also be deported on the ground that it is conducive to the public good, which can for example participating in a sham marriage.
What assessment has she made of the potential links of retail crime to County Lines.
Shoplifting has increased at an unacceptable level in recent years, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers to do this. We will not stand for this. Everybody has a right to feel safe on the job.To that end, this Governmen...
How many cases of retail crime have been reported in (a) York and (b) England in each of the last five years.
Shoplifting has increased at an unacceptable level in recent years, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers to do this. We will not stand for this. Everybody has a right to feel safe on the job.To that end, this Governmen...
What her planned timetable is for bringing forward legislative proposals to tackle retail crime.
Shoplifting has increased at an unacceptable level in recent years, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers to do this. We will not stand for this. Everybody has a right to feel safe on the job.To that end, this Governmen...
If she will take steps to ensure that there are simplified reporting systems for retail crime from business owners.
Shoplifting has increased at an unacceptable level in recent years, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers to do this. We will not stand for this. Everybody has a right to feel safe on the job.To that end, this Governmen...
What non-custodial steps she is taking to help divert people away from retail crime.
Shoplifting has increased at an unacceptable level in recent years, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers to do this. We will not stand for this. Everybody has a right to feel safe on the job.To that end, this Governmen...
What steps she is taking to monitor the adequacy of policing in city centres.
The Home Secretary has made a clear commitment to strengthen neighbourhood policing through the introduction of a Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, which will include restoring patrols to town centres.This will also involve the addition of thousands more ...
What steps she is taking to identify good practice in interagency working between local authorities, the police and the voluntary sector in tackling anti-social behaviour.
Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission. We will put thousands of neighbourhood police and community support officers into local communities. and crack down on those causing havoc o...
If she will take steps with Cabinet colleagues to introduce minimum pricing for alcohol.
Under our Health Mission, this government is committed to prioritising public health measures to support people to live longer, healthier lives.We are continuing to work closely across government to better understand what can be done to address the driver...
If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of minimum pricing for alcohol.
Any new plans to reduce alcohol harm will be announced in Parliament in the normal way. There are no such plans at present.
What steps she is taking to reduce anti-social behaviour (a) on high streets and (b) in city centres.
Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission to take back our streets.We will put thousands of neighbourhood police and community support officers into local communities.We will crack down on those causing havoc on our high streets and in city centres by introducing tougher powers via a Crime and Policing Bill, including a new Respect Order to tackle repeat offending.
If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing additional legal powers of local authorities to assess the suitability of applications by premises for the sale of alcohol.
The Licensing Act 2003 regulates the sale and supply of alcohol in licensed premises across England and Wales and devolves decision-making to local licensing authorities.The Act sets out four statutory licensing objectives: the prevention of crime and disorder; public safety; the prevention of public nuisance and the protection of children from harm.Licensing committees can utilise a number of discretionary powers set out in the Licensing Act should they decide it is appropriate to do so – for example by introducing a cumulative impact assessment. Responsible authorities as set out in the Act can submit representations to the licensing committee to help inform decision making and flag concerns. Local residents can submit representations on individual licensing applications.
What steps she is taking to (a) tackle the use of nitazenes and (b) help ensure that drug users are safe in the context of trends in the use of those drugs.
A cross-Government taskforce is co-ordinating the response to the risk synthetic opioids, including nitazenes, pose to the UK. The Taskforce includes officials from the Home Office, Department for Health and Social Care, National Crime Agency, National Police Chiefs’ Council and Border Force. Additionally, the NCA, working closely with policing, Border Force and international partners is ensuring that all lines of enquiry are prioritised and vigorously pursued to stem any supply of nitazenes to and within the UK.High quality drug treatment and recovery services are crucial to the response. Across England, there has been investment in drug treatment and recovery services working to prevent drug-related deaths and harms.In line with recent advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, the Government intends to control a group of harmful nitazenes as Class A drugs via a generic definition under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, subject to parliamentary approval. The generic definition will control more nitazenes than current legislation does, reducing the opportunity for criminals to circumvent sanctions under the 1971 Act. We will be laying these amendments as a matter of urgency.The UK’s early warning and surveillance system has been enhanced and captures multiple sets of data including ambulance data, post-mortem toxicology, drug seizures and wastewater analysis among other sources. Findings will be shared with law enforcement and public health agencies, at national and local level, meaning that rapid action can be taken in communities where harmful substances such as nitazenes are detected.We are also working with the NPCC to expand provision of the lifesaving opioid antidote naloxone to police forces to reduce the risk of death from an opioid overdose.
What assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing harm reduction centres for drug users.
No recent assessment has been made of the potential merits of introducing ‘harm reduction centres’ for drug users, including any implications for UK drug legislation. Such centres are sometimes referred to as drug consumption rooms or safer consumption facilities and are understood to be locations where drug users could lawfully consume controlled drugs that they have purchased from criminal dealers.Specifically in relation to Scotland, the Government will not interfere with the lawfully exercised prosecutorial independence of the Lord Advocate in respect of a pilot drug consumption room in Scotland. We will consider any evidence emerging from evaluation of that pilot in due course.
With reference to her Oral Statement of 18 July 2024 on Prison Capacity, Official Report columns 175-177, if she will commission a review into the adequacy of (a) the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, (b) the Public Order Act 2023 and (c) sentencing guidelines for protesters arrested following climate protests.
The Government is currently preparing a report on the operation of a number of the public order measures in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 (PCSC Act). This was a commitment made in parliament when the Act was passed. All other measures in the PCSC Act 2022 will be subject to the standard post-legislative scrutiny period, which will be carried out according to the standard timeframe of three to five years after Royal Assent.In addition, the previous Government committed to carrying out post-legislative scrutiny of the Public Order Act 2023 two years after it received Royal Assent rather than the usual three to five years, in line with the recommendation made by the Home Affairs Select Committee. That work will begin in May 2025.Sentencing guidelines are developed by the independent Sentencing Council for England and Wales. The guidelines produced provide the Court with guidance on factors that should be considered, which may affect the sentence given. The Council monitors and evaluates all definitive guidelines, as per its statutory duty to do so. The Sentencing Council is independent of parliament and Government, and therefore set its own workplan; an indicative business plan is published annually online.
If she will take steps to enable children brought to the UK by the UNHCR to be reunited with their parents.
Keeping families together as part of the resettlement process is a priority. Children resettled through the UK Resettlement Scheme will usually arrive in the UK with their parents or carers.As part of UNHCR’s assessment, UNHCR will first seek to reunify unaccompanied children with parents or family members within the host region or wherever their family members may be. For unaccompanied children, UNHCR will refer a child to the UK or another participating State should they consider that it would be in the child’s best interest to be resettled.The government provides a safe and legal route to bring families together through its refugee family reunion policy. This allows individuals with protection status in the UK to sponsor their partner or children to reunite with them, provided they formed part of the family unit before their sponsor fled the country of their habitual residence in order to seek protection. We will seek to ensure that this route works effectively.