Monday Volume 696 7 June 2021 No. 12 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Monday 7 June 2021 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2021 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 647 7 JUNE 2021 648 The Secretary of State for the Home Department House of Commons (Priti Patel): In December, I overhauled the Windrush compensation scheme to pay people more money more Monday 7 June 2021 quickly; that has now taken place. We have now paid six times more than the total amount paid previously. That The House met at half-past Two o’clock means that we have offered almost £30 million in compensation, of which £20.4 million has been paid to approximately 687 claimants. PRAYERS Matt Western [V]: I heard what the Secretary of State [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] said, but the recent National Audit Office report into Virtual participation in proceedings commenced (Orders, the Windrush compensation scheme that was published 4 June and 30 December 2020). on 21 May stated that just 4% of the 15,000 people who [NB: [V] denotes a Member participating virtually.] may be eligible for the scheme had received payments—way below the numbers forecast and a small fraction of the total expected payout. I have constituents in Warwick and Leamington who have been patiently awaiting Oral Answers to Questions compensation for almost 18 months. Given that the process takes an extraordinary 15 steps and an average of 154 staff hours, will the Secretary of State detail how HOME DEPARTMENT many full-time time caseworkers are dealing with the compensation scheme, and how many caseworkers she The Secretary of State was asked— estimates are required to expedite this scheme in the next two years? Covid-19 Restrictions: Large Gatherings Priti Patel: First, it is important to reflect on how the scheme has fundamentally changed since December. I Damien Moore (Southport) (Con): What steps she is have already highlighted the levels of payment and the taking to tackle large gatherings that breach covid-19 speed at which the claims are being dealt with. It is restrictions. [901000] important to recognise that the changes I put in place in The Secretary of State for the Home Department December have had an immediate effect; within six (Priti Patel): We continue to work closely with the weeks of making the changes we had offered more in police to provide them with the powers, support and terms of payout and compensation payments than were resources they need to ensure compliance with the made in the first 19 months of the scheme. I say openly coronavirus regulations. Wehave quadrupled the penalties to the hon. Gentleman and all Members of the House for those attending illegal indoor gatherings of more who have constituents who are awaiting claims: provide than 15 people in England, and have created a fine me with the details and I will look into those cases. regime to ensure that we can absolutely enforce the The fact of the matter is that we have been reaching regulations and that people are following the rules. out to those who are entitled to compensation. We are working across the board. We have overhauled the Damien Moore: Despite clear guidance on large team; we have more caseworkers than ever. Another gatherings last month, hundreds of cars and spectators £9 million has been offered to claimants, and we are descended on my Southport constituency for an illegal awaiting responses from those individuals. car meet-up that involved cars travelling at excessive speeds. Will my right hon. Friend do everything she can Kate Osamor [V]: “Sitting in Limbo”—a drama about to ensure that these events are stopped and that the my constituent Anthony Bryan, who had his life turned organisers of such events receive the maximum penalty? upside down by the Windrush scandal—won a BAFTA yesterday. At the time of its release, the Home Secretary Priti Patel: My hon. Friend is absolutely right; these rushed to meet Anthony and told him that he would be breaches are serious, as are some of the practices that given a voice. Yet it was not until two days ago—18 months we have seen with illegal car rallies. He will understand after he made his claim—that Anthony finally received that the policing powers and the operational decisions an offer of compensation. Will the Home Secretary tell on how these rallies are tackled are very much with the us how long the hundreds of others like Anthony will chief constable and the police and crime commissioner, have to remain in limbo before the Home Office gets its but of course the police have the necessary powers. act together? There are also road traffic offences that can and should be applied when they are committed. I am sorry to say Priti Patel: If the hon. Lady heard my earlier remarks, that we have seen far too many of these rallies recently she will have heard that fundamental reform of the and they are in breach of the covid regulations. Windrush compensation scheme has taken place. She Windrush Compensation Scheme will also recognise that when the scheme first launched, it was put together very quickly, but in consultation Matt Western (Warwick and Leamington) (Lab): What with members of the Windrush generation and progress her Department has made on disbursing payments representatives from the community. She asked me how through the Windrush compensation scheme. [901001] long it takes for people to be paid. Due to the changes that I have put in place, it now takes an average of three Kate Osamor (Edmonton) (Lab/Co-op): What progress weeks from receipt of an acceptance to payment. Finally, her Department has made on disbursing payments through I am delighted to hear that the hon. Lady’s constituent the Windrush compensation scheme. [901013] has finally received the payment that he deserves. 649 Oral Answers 7 JUNE 2021 Oral Answers 650 Police Officers: Harm in the Line of Duty when they did so. Happily, we saw a number of significant sentences handed out for that particular offence and the James Daly (Bury North) (Con): What steps her courts dealt with them quickly. But there is always Department is taking to protect police officers from much more that we can do. Under the police covenant, harm in the line of duty. [901002] which again the hon. Lady voted against, one of the key planks of the work that we will be doing is looking at The Minister for Crime and Policing (Kit Malthouse): safety, welfare and support for police officers. The Government are completely committed to ensuring that our brave police officers receive the support and Foreign National Offenders protection they deserve. We have proposed legislation to enshrine in law a police covenant and to double the Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con): What steps her maximum sentence for assaults on emergency workers. Department is taking to remove foreign national offenders We also continue to invest in direct support to the police from the UK. [901003] through the National Police Wellbeing Service. James Daly: I welcome the commitments this The Secretary of State for the Home Department Government have made to cut crime and to get more (Priti Patel): Foreign national offenders who abuse our police on to our streets. Does my hon. Friend agree that hospitality by committing crime absolutely should be it is vital that our police have the tools to tackle violent deported and removed from the United Kingdom, and crime and antisocial behaviour in Bury, Ramsbottom, our determination and resolve is to do exactly that. Since Tottington, and throughout the country? January 2019, we have removed nearly 8,000 foreign national offenders, and our new plan for immigration Kit Malthouse: I know from conversations with my will make it easier for us to deport those who harm hon. Friend that he is a powerful supporter of the others and have no right to stay in the United Kingdom. police, particularly in his own constituency, and he wants more of his constituents to meet more of the Bob Blackman [V]: I thank my right hon. Friend for police officers who are being recruited into his local her very firm position on removing people from the UK force at some rate of knots. While it is true that having who have no legal status to be here and indeed abuse the police officers will make a huge difference, so will our hospitality. Can she confirm that the proposed giving them exactly the kind of tools that he has talked one-stop-shop appeals process will reduce the number to me about in the past to do their job, as will the of baseless claims that continue to frustrate our courts—and support of Members of Parliament such as him. Police indeed, I am sure, all those involved in the Home Office officers out on the frontline doing an incredibly difficult who wish to deport these foreign criminals who have no and challenging job need to know that we stand with place here in our society? them in defending them and promoting them. Priti Patel: My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I have Sarah Jones (Croydon Central) (Lab) [V]: The latest already referred to our new plan for immigration, which figures from the National Police Chiefs Council show will reform the system to bring in a one-stop shop to that on this Government’s watch, assaults on police tackle the endless appeals that come forward and also officers have been rising since 2015 and there has been a the various claims that prevent us from removing foreign 26% increase in assaults on emergency workers in the national offenders.