Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf.

Since 2015, the following equipment has been paid for out of Parliamentary funds:

• 501 Members have a laptop

• 365 Members have a desktop

• 186 printers have been provided to Members’ offices

• 65 Members have been provided a printer at home.

Members are entitled to an allowance of two devices out of a choice of either a desktop (on estate installation only), a laptop or an iPad. These allowance options are flexible depending on accessibility requirements. Printers issued for onsite use are provided in addition to this and are usually assigned to an office space rather than a specific Member. The 186 printers in Members’ offices includes larger printers in shared offices and smaller printers in offices occupied by one Member.

In June 2020 as a temporary measure the Services Committee agreed to reimburse Members buying a printer for home use, for up to the value of £200. This was reviewed in light of changes to COVID guidelines and came to an end in September 2021 except for those members eligible to participate in proceedings virtually. During the time the scheme ran, 65 members claimed back the cost of a printer at home and a total of 99 Members were reimbursed for printer consumables for home printing during this period. PDS did previously provide printers to members for home use, this offer was stopped by the Information Committee in 2015. It is likely however, that very few, if any of these devices are still functioning, as these devices have surpassed their useful lifespan and are no longer supported by the manufacturer.

Members are entitled to claim a daily allowance and certain travel expenses as detailed in the Guide to Financial Support for Members, which is available on the intranet. No financial assistance is specifically made available for those members who sponsor passes for secretarial or research staff.

These allowances were last available to Members in 2010 when they were valued as follows:

• Day Subsistence - £86.50

• Overnight Subsistence – £174.00

• Office costs – £75.00

Applying the relevant rates of inflation the values today would be:

• Day Subsistence - £123.50

• Overnight Subsistence – £249.00

• Office costs – £108.00

The table below shows the number of members of the House who attended the Chamber and/or Grand Committee for each sitting day in September and October 2021. All attendance figures are provisional for up to three months and may be corrected in that time.

The table below shows the number of members who voted in each division in September and October 2021.

The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf.

All external physical correspondence received by Parliament is security screened off site before being brought to the estate. Appropriate cyber-security measures are in place to protect the Parliamentary network from malicious e-mails and spam.

Members are able to specify how they wish to receive internal and external correspondence including delivery to pigeon holes, member desks or Prince’s Chamber and the option of forwarding to external addresses. Member preferences can be treated as temporary or permanent arrangements and can be varied between sitting and non-sitting days.

Internal and External mailboxes are located across the estate for members sending correspondence, with stationery available from Peers’ Lobby or Millbank House Reception on request.

There are also a number of arrangements available to help members with parliamentary business more widely, including responding to correspondence:

• Sponsorship of passes for members’ staff: members may apply for up to three passes for secretarial or research support staff.
• IT support: Digital Services available to members to help them manage their correspondence include the provision of Microsoft Office 365, which includes email and Teams (for telephony and videoconferencing), and file storage within their Parliamentary Network Accounts. One-to-one digital coaching sessions are available to members; these are tailored to suit the specific requirements of the individual member and can be used to focus on making the most of these tools. Members are also provided with an IT allowance, which, as well as an iPhone, entitles them to choose between two different devices out of a desktop, laptop, or iPad. Members are also entitled to a printer provided by PDS, and are expected to share this where they occupy an office with other members, with printer consumables provided by the Attendants’ office.
• The Library: the library offers a range of research and information services, resources and products to members in support of their parliamentary work.

It would not be appropriate for the Government to comment further while the National Crime Agency investigation is ongoing.

UK Government Ministers regularly speak to Ministers in the Devolved Administrations on a wide range of areas. It is vital that engagement takes place across the UK on the challenges that we face together, such as our recovery from COVID-19, supporting the NHS and protecting jobs across the UK. The UK Government reports quarterly on our intergovernmental engagement and activity with the Devolved Administrations and will continue this practice in line with our commitments to transparency and accountability.

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have, therefore, asked the Authority to respond.

Professor Sir Ian Diamond | National Statistician

The Rt Hon. the Lord Foulkes of Cumnock

House of Lords

London

SW1A 0PW

20 April 2021

Dear Lord Foulkes,

As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking how many non-Irish EU citizens over the age of 65 are estimated to live in (1) Scotland, (2) Wales, (3) Northern Ireland, and (4) England (HL14730).

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) have estimated from data gathered by the Annual Population Survey that the numbers of non-Irish EU citizens over the age of 65 living in the countries of the UK are as shown in Table 1 below. This has been published on the ONS website[1].

Table 1, Annual Population Survey estimates of non-Irish EU nationals, aged 65 and over, residing in the UK, by UK country, July 2019 to June 2020, in thousands

Source: ONS

Yours sincerely,

Professor Sir Ian Diamond

[1]https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/internationalmigration/adhocs/13146annualpopulationsurveyestimatesofnonirisheunationalsaged65andoverresidingintheukbyukcountryjuly2019tojune2020

These remain matters for the Scottish Government. I would refer the noble Lord to the Deputy First Minister’s public statement of 23 March, which sets out that “The Scottish Government will carefully consider the recommendations from the Committee, alongside the other two review reports, in order to put improvements and an implementation plan in place.”

As with civil servants who support HM Government, the Civil Service in Scotland is accountable to Ministers in the Scottish Government and those Ministers are in turn accountable to the Scottish Parliament.

This is a matter for the Scottish Government. There is an ongoing process to consider these issues in the Scottish Parliament. It would be premature and inappropriate to speculate on further action that may be taken until that process has concluded.

Journalists play a vital role in our society and must be free at all times to do their jobs without fear of violence. The Minister for Media and Data made this clear recently when he signed the public statement issued by the National Union of Journalists, calling for the freedom of the press to be respected and protected. As he said, “Journalism is a bedrock of democracy and those who are keeping our communities informed and holding the powerful to account must not be intimidated or threatened as they carry out their work. We stand with journalists and will do all we can to support them in doing their jobs without fear or favour."

Plans for the National Committee and the National Action Plan for the Safety of Journalists are currently being developed, but have been necessarily delayed as the government turns its attention to supporting newspapers through the current Covid-19 crisis. However, the committee and the action plan remain priorities for us and we hope to be able to make an announcement soon.

The Global Index, released by Reporters Without Borders on 21 April, showed press freedom improved very slightly around the world in 2019. While this is welcome news, the threat to free media remains very concerning, and the overall trend is downwards. There has been a rise in the suppression of media freedom by authoritarian regimes. Online threats to journalists have also increased, including through governments imposing blanket shut-downs and misinformation being used to target journalists. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated an already alarming situation. There are examples of states introducing disproportionate restrictions, silencing debate and abusing journalists. Some states and non-state actors are seizing the chance to propagate disinformation. Funding and advertising revenue has been significantly reduced, causing publications to close and journalists to be laid off. Without action, much of the media on which our democratic systems and values depend risks becoming another victim of the pandemic.

The UK press is among the most respected and free in the world. The government recognises press freedom is fundamental to a healthy democracy and strongly supports it. We are working to support a sustainable future for quality journalism in the UK through the government’s response to the Cairncross Review, so that it can continue to hold government and others to account.

These efforts have increased as we work to support the continued provision of news through the COVID-19 crisis. The government has ensured that the press is able to carry out their essential function at this critical time, designating them as key workers for the purpose of access to educational places, and making sure that newspaper deliveries can continue. The Government has also maximised the advertising we are placing in national and regional newspapers at this critical period, in order to use their powerful, familiar voices and reach on the government’s COVID-19 public information campaign.

The government has previously announced its intention to convene a National Committee and devise a National Action Plan for the Safety of Journalists. We remain committed to this goal.

The BBC and the government continue to discuss the national Coronavirus situation.

The BBC’s priority over the coming period will be to do everything it can to serve the nation at this uniquely challenging time. As the national broadcaster, the BBC has a vital role to play in supplying information to the public in the weeks and months ahead.

The future of the over 75 concession and the costs of the concession are matters for the BBC following the passage of the Digital Economy Act 2017.

Recognising the exceptional circumstances, the BBC Board has decided to change the start date of the new policy. We will bring this into force on 1 August and the BBC will keep the issue under review as the situation continues to evolve.

The BBC’s priority over the coming period will be to do everything it can to serve the nation at this uniquely challenging time. As the national broadcaster, the BBC has a vital role to play in supplying information to the public in the weeks and months ahead.

The future of the over 75 concession and the costs of the concession are matters for the BBC following the passage of the Digital Economy Act 2017.

Recognising the exceptional circumstances, the BBC Board decided to change the start date of its new policy. The current plan is to now bring it into place on 1 August. However, the government welcomes the BBC’s decision to keep the issue under review as the situation continues to evolve.

The Department of Health and Social Care is responsible for the government's response to COVID-19 and any assessment of the number of people over 75 years old who could be confined to their homes due to COVID-19. Although careful and scientific consideration is being given to all policy options, no final decisions have been taken over interventions that would require this.

The future of the over 75 licence fee concession is a matter for the BBC from 1 June 2020. This reform was subject to public discussion and debated extensively during the passage of the Digital Economy Act 2017 through Parliament.

However, the BBC and the government have been discussing the national Coronavirus situation. Changes to the TV licence for people aged over 75 had been due to come into effect on 1 June. But during this time we do not want anyone to be worried about any potential change.

The BBC’s priority over the coming period will be to do everything it can to serve the nation at this uniquely challenging time. As the national broadcaster, the BBC has a vital role to play in supplying information to the public in the weeks and months ahead.

Recognising the exceptional circumstances, the BBC Board has therefore decided to change the start date of the new policy. The current plan is to now bring it into place on 1 August and the BBC will keep the issue under review as the situation continues to evolve.

Prime Minister’s Trade Envoys are drawn from both Houses and across the political spectrum. They are chosen based on relevant skills and experience required to undertake the role. This experience can be related to their assigned market or UK industry knowledge, or their Government-to-Government experience, as well as willingness and an ability to undertake some international travel.

The trade envoy role is voluntary. No remuneration is paid to trade envoys. The Department for International Trade meets the cost of travel and subsistence when trade envoys travel overseas, as well as any other incidental costs incurred by the trade envoys when they fulfil their role.

We estimate that by the end of April 2021 the air transport sector (airlines, airports and related services) will have benefitted from around £7bn of government support since the start of the pandemic.

This includes more than £2bn through the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF) and we estimate that the air transport sector will have received around £1bn in support through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) up to the end of April 2021.

We have guaranteed loans to airlines through the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (£25m) and we expect to pay out around £80m in grants to commercial airports and ground handlers by the end of the financial year, through the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (AGOSS).

Further cross-economy measures are also available to businesses in the aviation sector. Since the start of this year (2021) £3.4bn of loans have been partially supported through export development guarantees. This includes a £1.4bn loan facility for easyJet, and a £2bn loan facility for British Airways, which will be largely guaranteed by UK Export Finance.

The Chancellor has announced the renewal of the scheme to help airports and ground operators with their fixed costs, with additional grants of up to £4m between April and September, an extension of furlough payments to September, and an online jobs market matching aviation employees with thousands of vacancies.

We estimate that by the end of April 2021 the air transport sector (airlines, airports and related services) will have benefitted from around £7bn of government support since the start of the pandemic.

This includes more than £2bn through the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF) and we estimate that the air transport sector will have received around £1bn in support through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) up to the end of April 2021.

We have guaranteed loans to airlines through the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (£25m) and we expect to pay out around £80m in grants to commercial airports and ground handlers by the end of the financial year, through the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (AGOSS).

Further cross-economy measures are also available to businesses in the aviation sector. Since the start of this year (2021) £3.4bn of loans have been partially supported through export development guarantees. This includes a £1.4bn loan facility for easyJet, and a £2bn loan facility for British Airways, which will be largely guaranteed by UK Export Finance.

The Chancellor has announced the renewal of the scheme to help airports and ground operators with their fixed costs, with additional grants of up to £4m between April and September, an extension of furlough payments to September, and an online jobs market matching aviation employees with thousands of vacancies.

We estimate that by the end of April 2021 the air transport sector (airlines, airports and related services) will have benefitted from around £7bn of government support since the start of the pandemic.

This includes more than £2bn through the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF) and we estimate that the air transport sector will have received around £1bn in support through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) up to the end of April 2021.

We have guaranteed loans to airlines through the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (£25m) and we expect to pay out around £80m in grants to commercial airports and ground handlers by the end of the financial year, through the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (AGOSS).

Further cross-economy measures are also available to businesses in the aviation sector. Since the start of this year (2021) £3.4bn of loans have been partially supported through export development guarantees. This includes a £1.4bn loan facility for easyJet, and a £2bn loan facility for British Airways, which will be largely guaranteed by UK Export Finance.

The Chancellor has announced the renewal of the scheme to help airports and ground operators with their fixed costs, with additional grants of up to £4m between April and September, an extension of furlough payments to September, and an online jobs market matching aviation employees with thousands of vacancies.

From 1 July 2021, EEA and Swiss citizens will be required to have immigration status to carry on living and working in the UK and to access non-contributory benefits in the UK.

EEA and Swiss citizens who were living in the UK by 31 December 2020, and their family members, need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme by 30 June 2021.

DWP are working closely with the Home Office and other government departments to ensure we are using all available resources to engage with groups who need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS).

Support for applicants who need it remains available, including from the network of 72 organisations across the UK grant-funded by the Home Office to help vulnerable people apply to the EUSS.

Those who have made an application to the EU Settlement Scheme, but have yet to receive an immigration status before the deadline, will continue to receive benefits as long as they satisfy the entitlement conditions for that benefit.

Where an EEA or Swiss citizen, who was resident here before the end of the transition period, has reasonable grounds for missing the EU Settlement Scheme application deadline, they will be given a further opportunity to apply.

The Government is committed to ensuring that disabled people can play a full role in society, with a manifesto commitment to publish a National Strategy for Disabled People. All equality and discrimination laws and obligations continue to apply during the Coronavirus pandemic. We worked with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to transcribe gov.uk pages on general coronavirus guidelines and financial advice into spoken word formats. This guidance is available on RNIB phone lines. This ensures that visually impaired people without access to the internet are able to receive the same advice as sighted people with internet access.

We recognise that some people with disabilities face particular difficulty in social distancing, or are impacted by the reaction of others to their inability to socially distance. We are considering how we ensure that disabled people are able to socially distance in order to protect themselves from Coronavirus and from adverse attention from people who perceive that they are not adhering to guidelines on social distancing.

The Government is committed to ensuring that disabled people can play a full role in society, with a manifesto commitment to publish a National Strategy for Disabled People. All equality and discrimination laws and obligations continue to apply during the Coronavirus pandemic. We worked with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to transcribe gov.uk pages on general coronavirus guidelines and financial advice into spoken word formats. This guidance is available on RNIB phone lines. This ensures that visually impaired people without access to the internet are able to receive the same advice as sighted people with internet access.

We recognise that some people with disabilities face particular difficulty in social distancing, or are impacted by the reaction of others to their inability to socially distance. We are considering how we ensure that disabled people are able to socially distance in order to protect themselves from Coronavirus and from adverse attention from people who perceive that they are not adhering to guidelines on social distancing.

The white paper commits to incentivise the supply of supported housing, including housing-with-care and integrated retirement communities through the Care and Support Specialised Housing Fund, with £213 million available over the next three years. This is alongside a new £300 million investment to connect housing with health and care, increase the supply of supported housing and local expenditure on services for those in supported housing.

We will work with local authorities, housing providers and others to design and establish this new investment. Further detail on how this will be targeted and the impact we expect to deliver will be made available as it develops. We are engaging with stakeholders from the private and social sectors, including the Associated Retirement Community Operators, to inform future cross-Government action to stimulate a specialist housing market. This includes considering the merits of different engagement and delivery models, including proposals for a cross-Government taskforce.

The white paper commits to incentivise the supply of supported housing, including housing-with-care and integrated retirement communities through the Care and Support Specialised Housing Fund, with £213 million available over the next three years. This is alongside a new £300 million investment to connect housing with health and care, increase the supply of supported housing and local expenditure on services for those in supported housing.

We will work with local authorities, housing providers and others to design and establish this new investment. Further detail on how this will be targeted and the impact we expect to deliver will be made available as it develops. We are engaging with stakeholders from the private and social sectors, including the Associated Retirement Community Operators, to inform future cross-Government action to stimulate a specialist housing market. This includes considering the merits of different engagement and delivery models, including proposals for a cross-Government taskforce.

The white paper commits to incentivise the supply of supported housing, including housing-with-care and integrated retirement communities through the Care and Support Specialised Housing Fund, with £213 million available over the next three years. This is alongside a new £300 million investment to connect housing with health and care, increase the supply of supported housing and local expenditure on services for those in supported housing.

We will work with local authorities, housing providers and others to design and establish this new investment. Further detail on how this will be targeted and the impact we expect to deliver will be made available as it develops. We are engaging with stakeholders from the private and social sectors, including the Associated Retirement Community Operators, to inform future cross-Government action to stimulate a specialist housing market. This includes considering the merits of different engagement and delivery models, including proposals for a cross-Government taskforce.

The white paper commits to incentivise the supply of supported housing, including housing-with-care and integrated retirement communities through the Care and Support Specialised Housing Fund, with £213 million available over the next three years. This is alongside a new £300 million investment to connect housing with health and care, increase the supply of supported housing and local expenditure on services for those in supported housing.

We will work with local authorities, housing providers and others to design and establish this new investment. Further detail on how this will be targeted and the impact we expect to deliver will be made available as it develops. We are engaging with stakeholders from the private and social sectors, including the Associated Retirement Community Operators, to inform future cross-Government action to stimulate a specialist housing market. This includes considering the merits of different engagement and delivery models, including proposals for a cross-Government taskforce.

Older women remain economically active, often in difficult, informal roles and driven by necessity. The unpaid contributions women make over their lifetime to the economy as carers are unrecognised, and their informal work is often invisible. As a result, many older women lack access to savings, pensions or other social protection. FCDO is investing in improving collection and use of disaggregated data (by sex, age and disability) to enable us to empower and include those who are too often invisible or face additional barriers to escaping poverty. We have led the way on the Inclusive Data Charter Action Plan and encouraging multilaterals such as the World bank and UN to collect disaggregated and inclusive data.

FCDO aims to improve outcomes for women and girls, including older women, through the new £19 million Gender-Responsive Social Protection programme, which is building the evidence base on what works and offering technical assistance to strengthen government and partners social protection investments. We are also supporting governments to provide social protection for older women, including in Uganda, where over 210,000 women are currently benefitting from a senior citizen grant through a programme delivered and funded in partnership with the Governments of Ireland and Uganda.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South Asia, UN and the Commonwealth, is the Minister responsible for policy on open societies and Minister Morton is responsible for gender and equalities, including the rights and needs of older people and people with disabilities.

The UK has a robust legislative framework which criminalises the financing of terrorism in all its forms. The Government regularly meets with the banking sector, regulators and non-profit organisations to identify, assess and understand the risk of terrorist financing and collaborate to respond to the risks that are identified, including producing appropriate guidance and best practice on risk mitigation measures.

The Home Secretary extended the proscription of Hamas to cover the organisation in its entirety in November 2021. The extension makes all of Hamas’ assets ‘terrorist property’, it also makes it illegal for people to be members or supporters of Hamas, with a maximum sentence of up to 14 years in prison and/or an unlimited fine. Hamas is also subject to an asset freeze under the Counter-Terrorism (International Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.

The investigation and prosecution of offences is a matter for the police and Crown Prosecution Service. It would be inappropriate for the Government to comment further on such matters

EEA citizens with settled or pre-settled status granted through the EU Settlement Scheme will evidence their right to rent digitally using the Home Office online service on GOV.UK, ‘prove your right to rent in England’.
https://www.gov.uk/prove-right-to-rent
Where the landlord has carried out checks, in the prescribed manner, on or before 30 June, there is no requirement to carry out retrospective checks or evict a tenant, as they have a continuous statutory excuse against liability for a civil penalty.
Where an EEA citizen has reasonable grounds for missing the EUSS application deadline, they will be given an opportunity to make a late application. Any EEA citizen encountered by Immigration Enforcement after 30 June 2021, who may be eligible to apply to the EUSS, will be issued with a notice which provides a further 28 days for the individual to submit their application.

The latest published information to the end of December 2020 shows 3,670 people over the age of 65, resident in Scotland, were granted settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) and a further 1,080 were granted pre-settled status, representing 98.5% of applications concluded for over 65s resident in Scotland. 20 applications were refused on eligibility or suitability grounds, 40 were withdrawn or void and less than 10 were invalid.

The latest figures can be found in table EUSS_04 on the Home Office’s ‘EU Settlement Scheme statistics’ web page available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/eu-settlement-scheme-quarterly-statistics-december-2020

The published figures for the EUSS refer specifically to applications made to the scheme and cannot be directly compared with Office for National Statistics estimates of the resident population of EU/EEA nationals in the UK. The published EUSS figures include non-EEA national family members, Irish nationals and eligible EEA citizens not resident in the UK, none of whom are usually included in ONS estimates of the resident EU/EEA national population.

Furthermore, the population estimates do not take account of people’s migration intentions and will include people who have come to the UK for a range of purposes, including some who have no intention to settle in the UK.

On 1 April 2021, the Home Office published non-exhaustive guidance on what constitutes reasonable grounds for missing the 30 June 2021 deadline for applications to the EUSS by those EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, and their family members, resident in the UK by the end of the transition period. This will underpin a flexible and pragmatic approach to considering late applications under the scheme, including in light of illness and disability issues.

The guidance can be found in ‘Making an application: deadline’ in ‘EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members’ at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-settlement-scheme-caseworker-guidance

The latest published information to the end of December 2020 shows 3,670 people over the age of 65, resident in Scotland, were granted settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) and a further 1,080 were granted pre-settled status, representing 98.5% of applications concluded for over 65s resident in Scotland. 20 applications were refused on eligibility or suitability grounds, 40 were withdrawn or void and less than 10 were invalid.

The latest figures can be found in table EUSS_04 on the Home Office’s ‘EU Settlement Scheme statistics’ web page available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/eu-settlement-scheme-quarterly-statistics-december-2020

The published figures for the EUSS refer specifically to applications made to the scheme and cannot be directly compared with Office for National Statistics estimates of the resident population of EU/EEA nationals in the UK. The published EUSS figures include non-EEA national family members, Irish nationals and eligible EEA citizens not resident in the UK, none of whom are usually included in ONS estimates of the resident EU/EEA national population.

Furthermore, the population estimates do not take account of people’s migration intentions and will include people who have come to the UK for a range of purposes, including some who have no intention to settle in the UK.

On 1 April 2021, the Home Office published non-exhaustive guidance on what constitutes reasonable grounds for missing the 30 June 2021 deadline for applications to the EUSS by those EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, and their family members, resident in the UK by the end of the transition period. This will underpin a flexible and pragmatic approach to considering late applications under the scheme, including in light of illness and disability issues.

The guidance can be found in ‘Making an application: deadline’ in ‘EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members’ at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-settlement-scheme-caseworker-guidance

The latest published information to the end of December 2020 shows 3,670 people over the age of 65, resident in Scotland, were granted settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) and a further 1,080 were granted pre-settled status, representing 98.5% of applications concluded for over 65s resident in Scotland. 20 applications were refused on eligibility or suitability grounds, 40 were withdrawn or void and less than 10 were invalid.

The latest figures can be found in table EUSS_04 on the Home Office’s ‘EU Settlement Scheme statistics’ web page available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/eu-settlement-scheme-quarterly-statistics-december-2020

The published figures for the EUSS refer specifically to applications made to the scheme and cannot be directly compared with Office for National Statistics estimates of the resident population of EU/EEA nationals in the UK. The published EUSS figures include non-EEA national family members, Irish nationals and eligible EEA citizens not resident in the UK, none of whom are usually included in ONS estimates of the resident EU/EEA national population.

Furthermore, the population estimates do not take account of people’s migration intentions and will include people who have come to the UK for a range of purposes, including some who have no intention to settle in the UK.

On 1 April 2021, the Home Office published non-exhaustive guidance on what constitutes reasonable grounds for missing the 30 June 2021 deadline for applications to the EUSS by those EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, and their family members, resident in the UK by the end of the transition period. This will underpin a flexible and pragmatic approach to considering late applications under the scheme, including in light of illness and disability issues.

The guidance can be found in ‘Making an application: deadline’ in ‘EU Settlement Scheme: EU, other EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members’ at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-settlement-scheme-caseworker-guidance