Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the (1) shortest, (2) longest, and (3) average, amount of time taken by Arts Council England to process requests to support global talent visa endorsement applications in each of the past five years.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
This data is not held by the Home Office or Arts Council as information regarding disability is not requested by the Home Office as part of the application process.
Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps Arts Council England is taking to ensure that its endorsement criteria for the global talent visa comply with the provisions relating to disability in the Equality Act 2010.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
This data is not held by the Home Office or Arts Council as information regarding disability is not requested by the Home Office as part of the application process.
Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when Arts Council England last reviewed the endorsement criteria for the global talent visa; and what revisions were made as a result of that review.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
This data is not held by the Home Office or Arts Council as information regarding disability is not requested by the Home Office as part of the application process.
Asked by: Lord Shinkwin (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much was spent by Arts Council England to process requests to support global talent visa endorsement applications in each of the past five years.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
This data is not held by the Home Office or Arts Council as information regarding disability is not requested by the Home Office as part of the application process.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consideration is given to police advice and crime data when determining the suitability of properties for dispersed asylum accommodation.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Since 2022, the Home Office has adopted a policy of Full Dispersal, which works to ensure that Asylum accommodation is equitably distributed across the country and that a small number of Local Authorities are not unduly burdened. The Asylum Accommodation plans were developed in an evidence based and deliverable manner and are underpinned by an indexing model which considers several social factors, including crime rates, levels of homelessness and availability of GPs and Dentists.
Development of the plans was informed by feedback provided by local authorities, Strategic Migration Partners (SMPs) the Local Government Association as well as other Government Departments. Details of the Asylum Accommodation Plans are shared with nominated local authority officials and progress is routinely monitored within regular official forums jointly attended by Local Authority, Home Office, accommodation providers and SMPs colleagues.
The Home Office and its accommodation providers operate a robust consultation process, which not only ensures that local authorities are aware of all ongoing procurement activity of Dispersed Accommodation in their respective areas, but also allows them to share local expertise and intelligence, including information from statutory partners such as police, at the earliest opportunity to inform procurement.
Our accommodation providers ensure that consultation with local authorities is carried out in accordance with the requirements and standards set out in the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts. At all times, the Home Office maintains oversight of procurement and consultation to ensure effective and appropriate delivery, in line with expected standards and requirements.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance is issued to accommodation providers on consultation with local authorities during the postcode check process.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Since 2022, the Home Office has adopted a policy of Full Dispersal, which works to ensure that Asylum accommodation is equitably distributed across the country and that a small number of Local Authorities are not unduly burdened. The Asylum Accommodation plans were developed in an evidence based and deliverable manner and are underpinned by an indexing model which considers several social factors, including crime rates, levels of homelessness and availability of GPs and Dentists.
Development of the plans was informed by feedback provided by local authorities, Strategic Migration Partners (SMPs) the Local Government Association as well as other Government Departments. Details of the Asylum Accommodation Plans are shared with nominated local authority officials and progress is routinely monitored within regular official forums jointly attended by Local Authority, Home Office, accommodation providers and SMPs colleagues.
The Home Office and its accommodation providers operate a robust consultation process, which not only ensures that local authorities are aware of all ongoing procurement activity of Dispersed Accommodation in their respective areas, but also allows them to share local expertise and intelligence, including information from statutory partners such as police, at the earliest opportunity to inform procurement.
Our accommodation providers ensure that consultation with local authorities is carried out in accordance with the requirements and standards set out in the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts. At all times, the Home Office maintains oversight of procurement and consultation to ensure effective and appropriate delivery, in line with expected standards and requirements.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consultation local authorities are provided with in the development and review of their local Asylum Accommodation Plans.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Since 2022, the Home Office has adopted a policy of Full Dispersal, which works to ensure that Asylum accommodation is equitably distributed across the country and that a small number of Local Authorities are not unduly burdened. The Asylum Accommodation plans were developed in an evidence based and deliverable manner and are underpinned by an indexing model which considers several social factors, including crime rates, levels of homelessness and availability of GPs and Dentists.
Development of the plans was informed by feedback provided by local authorities, Strategic Migration Partners (SMPs) the Local Government Association as well as other Government Departments. Details of the Asylum Accommodation Plans are shared with nominated local authority officials and progress is routinely monitored within regular official forums jointly attended by Local Authority, Home Office, accommodation providers and SMPs colleagues.
The Home Office and its accommodation providers operate a robust consultation process, which not only ensures that local authorities are aware of all ongoing procurement activity of Dispersed Accommodation in their respective areas, but also allows them to share local expertise and intelligence, including information from statutory partners such as police, at the earliest opportunity to inform procurement.
Our accommodation providers ensure that consultation with local authorities is carried out in accordance with the requirements and standards set out in the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts. At all times, the Home Office maintains oversight of procurement and consultation to ensure effective and appropriate delivery, in line with expected standards and requirements.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number and administrative cost of applications for leave to remain per annum that will result from the earned settlement proposals.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The public consultation on ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’ ran for 12 weeks and closed on 12 February 2026. We are now reviewing and analysing all responses received. This analysis will help inform the development of the final earned settlement model.
Once the final model has been decided, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly. As with all significant policy changes, the proposals will be subject to both an economic impact assessment and equality impact assessment.
The Home Office publishes the fees charged and the estimated unit cost of processing immigration and nationality applications on Gov.UK. This can be reviewed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-fees-transparency-data.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many girls are currently listed as missing, broken down by local authority.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office does not hold this data centrally.
Information about current missing persons incidents is held by individual police forces.
The National Crime Agency’s UK Missing Persons Unit holds the national database for all missing incidents that are unresolved after 72hours, allowing the police to have access to missing persons information across force boundaries. In addition, annual missing persons statistics, broken down to police force level, are published by the National Crime Agency’s Missing Person’s Unit in its annual data report which can be found here: Downloads - National Crime Agency
Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with the Scottish Government on community safety and child welfare in connection with the proposed use of Cameron Barracks to accommodate asylum seekers.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Initial engagement with Police Scotland and Highland Council on the proposed use of Cameron Barracks to accommodate asylum seekers took place in early October 2025. Engagement with Police Scotland, Highland Council and other statutory partners continues regularly via an Operational Working Group and through bi-lateral conversations.
As we have previously confirmed to all partners, the safety and security of local communities around the site, the staff who work there and those accommodated on the site are of the utmost importance, and a specialist and experienced provider of security services would be permanently on site 24/7 if the site were to be used as asylum accommodation.
If the site were to be used as asylum accommodation, we would work closely and routinely with Police Scotland Highlands Division to ensure appropriate security arrangements were in place for the safety and security of the asylum seekers and the wider community.
If the Home Office decides to proceed with using Cameron Barracks as asylum accommodation, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) would not be involved in the day to day running or security of the site. Any decisions regarding military police or other MOD activity in the surrounding area are solely for the MOD, and it would not be appropriate for the Home Office to comment on their operational posture.