Select Committee
Parliament

Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes says the Home Office hasn't yet identified any Windrush victims that have been wrongfully deported from the UK.

However, Ms Nokes does suggest that there have been some Windrush victims wrongfully detained.

She says the Home Office review into Windrush will look at around 8,000 cases since 2002.

House of Commons
Parliament

MPs are now debating an urgent question tabled by shadow mental health minister Barbara Keeley, on a recent review by NHS England into the deaths of people with learning disabilities.

The latest report of the Learning Disabilities Mortality Review, run by the University of Bristol, was published on Friday last week.

The report found that there have been failings in learning disability deaths, and there were "significant concerns" about the care received by those with learning disabilities.

The report has made 189 recommendations so far.

Select Committee
Parliament

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Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes and senior members of her Home Office team take their seats in front of the Home Affairs committee.

Committee Chair and Labour MP Yvette Cooper asks Ms Nokes who will be leading the internal review into the Windrush scandal.

The Prime Minister announced the inquiry last week.

Ms Nokes says that no name has yet been decided, but emphasises it is important to the Home Office that a "thorough inquiry" take place.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt tells MPs that 65,000 letters have been sent out to those affected by the breast cancer screening programme computer error last week.

He adds that the helpline created by the Department for Health has received 14,000 calls. He says that the department is giving advice and support to those affected.

Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth says the helpline is being run by Serco, with workers at the call centre only have one hour's worth of training.

Mr Hunt says the helpline "was set up at very short notice," and the helpline is just one part of the support available.

House of Lords
Parliament

Peers are commencing the sixth and final day of report-stage debate on the EU Withdrawal Bill, external, which repeals the European Communities Act 1972 and writes EU law into UK law ahead of Brexit.

Report stage is when changes discussed earlier in the bill's passage are usually made - either through amendments brought forward by the government or forced on them through a vote.

The Bishop of Leeds introduces an amendment designed to facilitate future UK co-operation in EU agencies, with the aim of making it clear that nothing in the bill prevents the replication of future EU law in domestic law or the continued participation of the UK in EU agencies.

He says the amendment seeks to "acknowledge the uncertainty ahead, and the size and potential costs of the journey on which we have embarked" and "give some element of shape to what now seems formless and void".

Image source, HoL

Select Committee
Parliament

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Conservative MP Douglas Ross raises the fact that the Prisons Inspectorate never uncovered any of the behaviour highlighted in the Panorama documentary, and that it was left to an undercover reporter to find out the details.

Mr Ross suggests that detainees have little confidence in the inspection system.

Mr Clarke tells the committee the Inspectorate "can never be 100% confident" that nothing has been missed, but reassures MPs that "detainees have knowledge and confidence in our independence".

House of Lords
Parliament

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Crossbencher Baroness Hayman asks how many overseas doctors recruited to work in the NHS have been refused visas to enter the UK in the last 12 months.

Visas for 100 Indian doctors were recently refused. The doctors had been recruited as part of a long-running scheme in the North West which supplies junior doctors to more than 30 NHS trusts.

Baroness Hayman says that according to NHS Employers, there are at least 400 cases of qualified doctors from overseas offered jobs in the UK who have not been allowed in.

She asks "what possible logic can there be" for this situation.

Home Office Minister Baroness Williams of Trafford says no application for a medical practitioner role on the occupation shortage list has been refused.

Giving visas to those not on the shortage list would risk "pushing out" those needed more urgently, she adds.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Conservative Anne Marie Morris asks what comparative assessment has been made of the health and social care needs of rural and urban area.

Health Minister Jackie Doyle-Price says that different needs are taken into consideration by the government.

She adds that ministers are consulting with the Local Government Association to help tackle the health needs of rural communities.

Ms Marie Morris says the new National Centre for Health and Rural Care should identify specific challenges in rural areas.

Ms Doyle-Price replies that the Centre will look at four areas: data, research, technology and "workforce and learning". It will help "improve the quality of life for all rural people," she adds.

Select Committee
Parliament

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Labour MP Stephen Doughty asks the witnesses about the decision "snuck out" last week revealing that G4S had been granted a contract for another two years to run Brook House.

The matter will shortly be raised in an urgent question in the House of Commons.

Chief Inspector Peter Clarke says the Inspectorate is "almost exclusively" focused on "outputs and outcomes", rather than "inputs".

Inspections team leader Mr Singh Bhui admits his team has not been back to Brook House since the Panorama programme first aired last September.

Select Committee
Parliament

Select Committee
Parliament

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Hindpal Singh Bhui, inspection team leader at HM Inspector of Prisons, raises concerns about Home Office decision-making on asylum claims.

Mr Singh Bhui says there are currently 400 people detained in prisons who have committed no crime.

Both witnesses tell the committee that there should be a time limit on immigration detention.

House of Lords
Parliament

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Conservative Baroness Neville-Rolfe asks if people will still be able to download and watch programmes such as Coronation Street and EastEnders abroad after Brexit.

Culture Minister Lord Ashton of Hyde says he's not sure, but it's "not the highest on the government's priority list".

Select Committee
Parliament

Committee Chair and Labour MP Yvette Cooper opens the session by asking the witnesses what "most concerns" them about the operation of immigration detention at the moment.

Chief Inspector of Prisons Peter Clarke highlights "the uncertainty and distress" felt by many detainees because of the "lack of clarity about what the future holds".

Image source, HoC

House of Commons
Parliament

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The SNP's Lisa Cameron asks what is being done for people suffering with mental health problems to access help for housing, debt and employment.

Health Minister Jackie Doyle-Price says the department is working across government, and is investing £39m.

She adds that the government has added a requirement for the NHS to report those at risk of homelessness to local authorities.

Dr Cameron says a quarter of those in problem debt have mental health problems. She adds that eight out of ten mental health practitioners say they have less time to deliver clinical care.

Ms Doyle-Price says problem debt can be a symptom and a problem of mental ill health. She tells MPs the government is doing more to "signpost" those with mental health problems to debt advice services.

Ross McEwan tells MPs he recognises customer anger but he runs a commercial operation.

House of Commons
Parliament

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Labour's Mike Gapes asks what is being done to improve access to social care for those living with unmet social care needs.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt says that the health and social care systems are "inextricably linked". New plans will be set out in a government green paper, he adds.

Mr Gapes says 1.2m older people have unmet social care needs, and that greater integration between the health and social care sectors would lead to more free beds for those who need it.

Mr Hunt calls this a "very wise suggestion".

He points out that Mr Gapes's local authority of Redbridge has the highest satisfaction for social care users and is number four for satisfaction reported by carers.

House of Lords
Parliament

After question time, peers get started on the sixth and final day of report-stage debate on the EU Withdrawal Bill, external, which repeals the European Communities Act 1972 and writes EU law into UK law ahead of Brexit.

Report stage is when changes discussed earlier in the bill's passage are usually made - either through amendments brought forward by the government or forced on them through a vote.

Key amendments coming up today include:

• Amendment 93 on facilitating future UK co-operation in EU agencies
• Amendment 95, removing the government's fixed exit day
• Amendment 70, giving the Lords the power to refer statutory instruments back to the Commons
• Amendment 93ZA on negotiating continued membership of the European Economic Area, and its corresponding agreements

House of Commons
Parliament

The Commons kicks off at 2:30pm today with Health and Social Care questions. Then, there are two urgent questions for ministers to answer:

The first is on the Learning Disabilities Mortality Review, then a second on the decision to extend G4S’s contract to run two immigration removal centres at Gatwick Airport.

They will then turn their attention to the remaining stages of the Secure Tenancies (Victims of Domestic Abuse) Bill, external, which aims to protect the tenancy rights of people who have to move to avoid an abusive partner.

Finally, there will be consideration of Lords amendments to the Nuclear Safeguards Bill, external.

Select Committee
Parliament

The Home Affairs committee opened an inquiry into the running of Brook House immigration removal centre, near Gatwick Airport, in September last year.

A BBC Panorama investigation highlighted serious issues at Brook House, including endemic drug taking, allegations of assault, under-staffing and attempted suicides among detainees.

Six employees were subsequently dismissed and an independent inquiry was set up by G4S.

The committee has decided to broaden the inquiry to assess the extent to which such issues are systemic in the immigration detention system.

This afternoon's evidence session will also include questions on the Windrush scandal.

Select Committee
Parliament

Shortly, the Home Affairs committee will hear evidence as part of its inquiry into immigration detention.

At 2.30pm the commmittee will hear from:

• Chief Inspector of Prisons Peter Clarke
• Hindpal Singh Bhui, inspection team leader at HM Inspector of Prisons

And then at 3.30 pm:

• Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes
• Hugh Ind, Director General of Immigration Enforcement at the Home Office
• Sir Philip Rutnam, Permanent Secretary at the Home Office