Asked by: Lord Ahmed (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the changes in the rates of incidence of domestic violence and rape between 2005 and 2015.
Answered by Lord Bates
This government is committed to tackling violence against women and girls. We want victims to have the confidence to report these crimes, knowing they will get the support they need and that everything will be done to bring offenders to justice.
The 2014/15 Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) estimates that 6.1% of adults aged 16 to 59 experienced any form of domestic abuse in the last year, down from 8.9% in the 2004/05 survey. While the latest estimate is not statistically significantly different from recent years, it is the lowest since these questions were first asked in 2004/05.
The 2014/15 CSEW also estimates that 0.3% of adults aged 16 to 59 had been a victim of rape (including attempts) in the last year. Due to the low number of respondents to the survey that have been a victim of this crime, it is not possible to say whether this estimate differs from surveys conducted in other years. However, prevalence of less serious sexual assault has fallen from 2.3% in the 2004/05 CSEW to 1.5% in the 2014/15 survey.
Data from the CSEW cannot be disaggregated by ethnicity, nor by the relationship between the perpetrator and the victim.
Asked by: Lord Ahmed (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the incidence of domestic violence and rape against wives from Asia, and whether in making that assessment they have identified any trend.
Answered by Lord Bates
This government is committed to tackling violence against women and girls. We want victims to have the confidence to report these crimes, knowing they will get the support they need and that everything will be done to bring offenders to justice.
The 2014/15 Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) estimates that 6.1% of adults aged 16 to 59 experienced any form of domestic abuse in the last year, down from 8.9% in the 2004/05 survey. While the latest estimate is not statistically significantly different from recent years, it is the lowest since these questions were first asked in 2004/05.
The 2014/15 CSEW also estimates that 0.3% of adults aged 16 to 59 had been a victim of rape (including attempts) in the last year. Due to the low number of respondents to the survey that have been a victim of this crime, it is not possible to say whether this estimate differs from surveys conducted in other years. However, prevalence of less serious sexual assault has fallen from 2.3% in the 2004/05 CSEW to 1.5% in the 2014/15 survey.
Data from the CSEW cannot be disaggregated by ethnicity, nor by the relationship between the perpetrator and the victim.
Asked by: Lord Ahmed (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many overseas wives have joined their families in the UK between January 2014 and December 2015.
Answered by Lord Bates
From January 2014 to September 2015 there were 35,990* spousal visas issued to females. We are not able to provide figures from October to December 2015 as visa figures for this period have not yet been published.
*Figure rounded to the nearest 5.
Asked by: Lord Ahmed (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what percentage of visitor visas from (1) Pakistan, (2) India, (3) Bangladesh, and (4) China, were rejected in each of the last two years.
Answered by Lord Bates
The information requested is provided in the table below.
Entry clearance visitor visa cases resolved by nationality (including dependants) | ||||||||
Year | Nationality | Applications | Cases Resolved | of which: | ||||
Granted | % | Refused | % | Withdrawn or lapsed | ||||
2013 | Pakistan | 85,749 | 88,901 | 61,578 | 69% | 27,102 | 30% | 27315 |
2014 | Pakistan | 87,541 | 89,709 | 57,117 | 64% | 32,332 | 36% | 32560 |
2013 | India | 352,740 | 354,262 | 316,911 | 89% | 36,510 | 10% | 37312 |
2014 | India | 352,880 | 354,184 | 319,804 | 90% | 33,647 | 9% | 34344 |
2013 | Bangladesh | 25,089 | 25,842 | 18,107 | 70% | 7,588 | 29% | 7734 |
2014 | Bangladesh | 24,153 | 24,516 | 16,027 | 65% | 8,420 | 34% | 8484 |
2013 | China | 303,746 | 303,668 | 291,826 | 96% | 11,305 | 4% | 11821 |
2014 | China | 338,847 | 340,064 | 327,349 | 96% | 12,250 | 4% | 12687 |
Notes: Data on visa grants and refusals may relate to applications made in an earlier period. For this reason the grant and refusal rates are calculated as proportions of the total resolved cases in each year, not the total applications. | ||||||||
Source:Immigration Statistics April-June 2015, Home Office, tables vi_01_q, and corresponding datasets. | ||||||||
The latest quarterly Home Office immigration statistics on entry clearance visas are published in ‘Immigration Statistics, April-June 2015’, available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-statistics
Asked by: Lord Ahmed (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many visa applications were made by visitors from (1) Pakistan, (2) India, (3) Bangladesh, and (4) China, in each of the last two years, and what was the total success rate for each category in each year.
Answered by Lord Bates
The information requested is provided in the attached table.
Entry clearance visitor visa cases resolved by nationality (including dependants) | ||||||||
Year | Nationality | Applications | Cases Resolved | of which: | ||||
Granted | % | Refused | % | Withdrawn or lapsed | ||||
2013 | Pakistan | 85,749 | 88,901 | 61,578 | 69% | 27,102 | 30% | 27315 |
2014 | Pakistan | 87,541 | 89,709 | 57,117 | 64% | 32,332 | 36% | 32560 |
2013 | India | 352,740 | 354,262 | 316,911 | 89% | 36,510 | 10% | 37312 |
2014 | India | 352,880 | 354,184 | 319,804 | 90% | 33,647 | 9% | 34344 |
2013 | Bangladesh | 25,089 | 25,842 | 18,107 | 70% | 7,588 | 29% | 7734 |
2014 | Bangladesh | 24,153 | 24,516 | 16,027 | 65% | 8,420 | 34% | 8484 |
2013 | China | 303,746 | 303,668 | 291,826 | 96% | 11,305 | 4% | 11821 |
2014 | China | 338,847 | 340,064 | 327,349 | 96% | 12,250 | 4% | 12687 |
Notes: Data on visa grants and refusals may relate to applications made in an earlier period. For this reason the grant and refusal rates are calculated as proportions of the total resolved cases in each year, not the total applications. | ||||||||
Source:Immigration Statistics April-June 2015, Home Office, tables vi_01_q, and corresponding datasets. | ||||||||
The latest quarterly Home Office immigration statistics on entry clearance visas are published in ‘Immigration Statistics, April-June 2015’, available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-statistics
Asked by: Lord Ahmed (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have received any communications regarding a demonstration planned by the Awaaz Network against the visit to London by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Answered by Lord Bates
The operational policing of protests and demonstrations are principally a matter for Chief Officers of each force in England and Wales. As is the case with visits of this nature, careful plans have been put in place to ensure the safety and security of the visit by the Prime Minister of India, in discussion with the Indian High Commission. The right to peaceful protest is guaranteed under UK law and we respect protesters’ rights to express their views peacefully. As part of the planning for the visit the police will have assessed any issues which could give rise to public disorder and will have factored this into their planning accordingly.
Asked by: Lord Ahmed (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether there are any tensions within the South Asian community in the UK due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to London.
Answered by Lord Bates
The operational policing of protests and demonstrations are principally a matter for Chief Officers of each force in England and Wales. As is the case with visits of this nature, careful plans have been put in place to ensure the safety and security of the visit by the Prime Minister of India, in discussion with the Indian High Commission. The right to peaceful protest is guaranteed under UK law and we respect protesters’ rights to express their views peacefully. As part of the planning for the visit the police will have assessed any issues which could give rise to public disorder and will have factored this into their planning accordingly.
Asked by: Lord Ahmed (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made any assessment of whether there are tensions between the British Pakistani/Kashmiri community and the British Indian/Hindu community in (1) London, and (2) Leicester.
Answered by Lord Bates
The operational policing of protests and demonstrations are principally a matter for Chief Officers of each force in England and Wales. As is the case with visits of this nature, careful plans have been put in place to ensure the safety and security of the visit by the Prime Minister of India, in discussion with the Indian High Commission. The right to peaceful protest is guaranteed under UK law and we respect protesters’ rights to express their views peacefully. As part of the planning for the visit the police will have assessed any issues which could give rise to public disorder and will have factored this into their planning accordingly.
Asked by: Lord Ahmed (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the current waiting time for processing of (1) Spouse Visas, (2) Visitor Visas, (3) Student Visas and (4) Entrepreneur Visas.
Answered by Lord Bates
The average global processing time for the period July 2014 to June 2015 and the most recent data – which covers the month of June 2015 - on global processing times for spouse, visitor, student and entrepreneur visas are set out in the table below.
Type | Category | Average processing time | Average processing time |
Non-Settlement | Visit | 7 | 7 |
Non-Settlement | Student | 6 | 8 |
Non-Settlement | T1 Entrepreneur | 11 | 11 |
Settlement | Spouse | 35 | 54 |
Asked by: Lord Ahmed (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government which categories of United Kingdom visa application processes are outsourced; which companies have been given the right to process those applications; and whether those companies have been provided with guidance in relation to religious and cultural sensitivities.
Answered by Lord Bates
UKVI has two suppliers, VFS and Teleperformance, who are contracted to run UK Visa Application Centres (VACs) overseas. Their role is to capture visa applicants’ biometrics and forward their visa application documentation to the Home Office run Decision Making Centres (DMCs). Once Home Office staff have decided an application, the decision is returned to the customer via the suppliers. The suppliers have no role in visa decision making.
VACs are generally staffed and managed by local nationals, so staff should be aware of any local cultural and religious sensitivities. Where local sensitivities require special arrangements, such as ensuring that there are female as well as male security guards or privacy when capturing biometrics, UKVI ensure the arrangements are in place by setting out requirements in the contract, providing guidance and training and through inspection visits.