The Government has set up a scheme to compensate those affected by the Windrush scandal. This briefing explains the scheme and considers criticisms of it so far.
Windrush Compensation Scheme (272 KB , PDF)
On 6 May 2020, the House of Lords is due to hold a debate on the Windrush compensation scheme.
In late 2017, the Guardian published a series of articles drawing attention to certain immigration cases. They highlighted the cases of longstanding UK residents who were facing deportation because of difficulties proving their lawful immigration status. Over the following months, continued coverage told stories of individuals who had lost jobs and homes, as well as their access to healthcare and the welfare state, because of these issues. The group affected is often referred to as the Windrush generation, and as a result the problem became known as the Windrush scandal.
In April 2018, the Government acknowledged that members of the Windrush generation, and other Commonwealth citizens, had been treated unfairly. To address the issues, in April 2019 it announced the Windrush compensation scheme in addition to other actions. The Government announced several changes to the scheme in February and March this year.
The scheme will be funded under provisions of the Windrush Compensation Scheme (Expenditure) Bill, which completed its parliamentary stages on 21 April 2020 and is currently waiting royal assent. Until the bill becomes law, a ministerial direction is providing authority for payments.
Opposition parties have welcomed the idea of compensation for Windrush victims. However, some MPs and Peers have argued the scheme has several problems. In addition, both the Guardian and compensation recipients have been critical. Issues raised include:
In March 2020, Wendy Williams published her independent Windrush Lessons Learned Review. The Home Office commissioned the review to provide an independent assessment of the events leading up to the Windrush scandal (particularly from 2008 to March 2018) and identify key lessons for the department. She found that despite the Home Office being taken by surprise, Windrush was “foreseeable and avoidable”. Wendy Williams made 30 recommendations.
Windrush Compensation Scheme (272 KB , PDF)
In the autumn budget the chancellor announced changes to inheritance tax reliefs. From April 2026, taxes would apply to agricultural assets over £1mn (or up to £3mn in certain circumstances). The government has said this would just affect the wealthiest landowners and disincentivise buying agricultural land to avoid tax. Farming groups have argued the policy is a threat to the future of family farming and the UK's food security.
The Public Authority Algorithmic and Automated Decision-Making Systems Bill [HL] aims to regulate the usage of algorithmic and automated decision-making systems across the public sector, making the use of such systems more transparent and fair, and mitigating against the risks arising from such technologies such as bias and discrimination. It is a private member’s bill introduced by Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat). It is due to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 13 December 2024.
![Public Authority Algorithmic and Automated Decision-Making Systems Bill [HL]: HL Bill 27 of 2024–25](https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/content/uploads/sites/2/2020/01/Government-VIGS-568x426.jpg)
The government recently announced an independent review of physician and anaesthesia associates to be led by Professor Gillian Leng. This announcement followed a debate about the use of the roles in the NHS and concerns raised by some stakeholders about patient safety. The review has been widely welcomed by stakeholders as a way to move the debate forward.
