Committee calls for evidence for two inquiries
20 Jan 2021 11:23 AM
The Home Affairs Committee calls for evidence for its Home Office preparedness for Covid-19 and post-transition management of the border inquiries.
Supplementary call for evidence: Home Office preparedness for Covid-19
In March 2020 the Home Affairs Committee launched an inquiry into Home Office preparedness for covid-19. Between April and August it reported on different aspects of Home Office policy and operations during the first phase of the pandemic. It has also published the Government responses to its conclusions and recommendations.
The Committee invites further written evidence on the Home Office’s ongoing response to the pandemic across the following areas:
- Policing;
- Domestic abuse and child abuse;
- Online harms;
- Immigration and visas;
- Institutional accommodation;
- Management of the border.
Please note that submissions do not need to address all these issues. Within these themes witnesses are asked to consider whether the Home Office and its associated bodies (including providers of privately-run Home Office functions) have learned lessons and improved the policy and operational response as the pandemic evolves.
Decisions about publishing evidence anonymously, or about accepting but not publishing evidence, are made by the Committee. If you would like to ask the Committee to accept your submission anonymously (meaning it will be published but without your name), or confidentially (meaning it won't be published at all), please say at the start of your evidence which of these you want to request, and tell us why. This lets the Committee know what you would like but the final decision will be taken by the Committee.
Submissions should be received by 12 noon on Thursday 4 February 2021.
Call for evidence – post-transition management of the border
The Committee wishes to invite written evidence to support its ongoing scrutiny of the Home Office’s management of the border following the UK’s exit from the EU.
This inquiry will examine the impact of changes in operation at the UK’s borders after the UK left the EU single market at the start of 2021. It will examine the effectiveness of the Government’s new Border Operation Model, what risks exist to the smooth operation of the border over the next year, and how well the UK’s security has been considered in the design of new border systems and processes.
Written evidence is invited on the following questions. Please note that submissions do not need to address all these issues:
- The effectiveness of the Border Operating Model, and its alignment with the provisions of the negotiated agreement between the UK and EU;
- The effectiveness of guidance provided by the Government to border officials, airport/port operators, hauliers and others directly engaged with the operation of the border;
- Adequacy of resources provided by the Government in support of new border management requirements;
- Risks to the effective operation of the border over the coming 12 months and how these might be mitigated, including impacts associated with covid-19;
- The impact of changes at the border upon crime and/or security;
- Lessons arising for the Home Office from the short-term closure of the border with France in December 2020, and the extent and effectiveness of contingency planning by the Home Office and other stakeholders for future delays at the UK border.
Decisions about publishing evidence anonymously, or about accepting but not publishing evidence, are made by the Committee. If you would like to ask the Committee to accept your submission anonymously (meaning it will be published but without your name), or confidentially (meaning it won't be published at all), please say at the start of your evidence which of these you want to request, and tell us why. This lets the Committee know what you would like but the final decision will be taken by the Committee.
Submissions should be received by 12 noon on Thursday 4 February 2021.
Further information