Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the accessibility to users with disabilities of new public access paths along rivers and canals.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government committed in its manifesto and the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 to create nine new National River Walks, one in each region of England, as part of our plans to improve responsible access to nature. In May 2026, this Government launched the first of these National River Walks, the Mersey Valley Way in Stockport, delivering improved accessibility along a 21.5km route, habitat restoration, new opportunities for access for diverse users, as well as extensive community engagement.
This Government will launch a competition to identify the next National River Walks later in 2026. They will be expected to deliver access which is multi-user, accommodating walking, wheeling, cycling and/or horse riding. An economic assessment of cost, benefits and value for money of the applications received will take place in accordance with the standard government process for the awarding of grant funding.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the economic case for improving access along (1) National River Walks, and (2) other waterways.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government committed in its manifesto and the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 to create nine new National River Walks, one in each region of England, as part of our plans to improve responsible access to nature. In May 2026, this Government launched the first of these National River Walks, the Mersey Valley Way in Stockport, delivering improved accessibility along a 21.5km route, habitat restoration, new opportunities for access for diverse users, as well as extensive community engagement.
This Government will launch a competition to identify the next National River Walks later in 2026. They will be expected to deliver access which is multi-user, accommodating walking, wheeling, cycling and/or horse riding. An economic assessment of cost, benefits and value for money of the applications received will take place in accordance with the standard government process for the awarding of grant funding.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) average cost, and (2) benefits, of new public access paths along rivers and canals.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government committed in its manifesto and the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 to create nine new National River Walks, one in each region of England, as part of our plans to improve responsible access to nature. In May 2026, this Government launched the first of these National River Walks, the Mersey Valley Way in Stockport, delivering improved accessibility along a 21.5km route, habitat restoration, new opportunities for access for diverse users, as well as extensive community engagement.
This Government will launch a competition to identify the next National River Walks later in 2026. They will be expected to deliver access which is multi-user, accommodating walking, wheeling, cycling and/or horse riding. An economic assessment of cost, benefits and value for money of the applications received will take place in accordance with the standard government process for the awarding of grant funding.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to facilitate the creation of paths along rivers and canals.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government committed in its manifesto and the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 to create nine new National River Walks, one in each region of England, as part of our plans to improve responsible access to nature. In May 2026, this Government launched the first of these National River Walks, the Mersey Valley Way in Stockport, delivering improved accessibility along a 21.5km route, habitat restoration, new opportunities for access for diverse users, as well as extensive community engagement.
This Government will launch a competition to identify the next National River Walks later in 2026. They will be expected to deliver access which is multi-user, accommodating walking, wheeling, cycling and/or horse riding. An economic assessment of cost, benefits and value for money of the applications received will take place in accordance with the standard government process for the awarding of grant funding.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to reopen resettlement programmes, humanitarian visas or family reunion.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The UK continues to welcome refugees and people in need through our global resettlement schemes, which include the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), Community Sponsorship and the Mandate Resettlement Scheme.
We are developing new capped sponsored refugee pathways across education, labour and community routes. This will ensure that there are routes available to support individuals in need of protection, but in a way that meets the need of UK communities.
During the suspension of Appendix Family Reunion, the Government is taking forward wider asylum and family reforms to place the system on a fairer, more controlled and sustainable footing. Further information on forthcoming changes will be set out in due course. In the meantime, other family routes remain available, including Appendix FM: Family Members, which was amended to allow applications from a partner and dependent children of a sponsor with protection status in the UK.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether work and study visas for refugees will only be available to those refugees who are assessed as in need of protection.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Restoring Order and Control policy statement set out how the Government would transform its approach to safe and legal routes. Alongside the new community sponsorship route, the Government committed to the creation of capped routes for refugee and displaced students to study in the UK, and for skilled refugees and displaced people to come to the UK for work.
Work is underway to operationalise these new routes and further details will be provided in due course.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to open new community sponsorship safe routes.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
In the Restoring Order and Control policy statement, the Government committed to launching new Safe and Legal routes. This includes the creation of a named sponsorship scheme to enable community groups to sponsor refugees and displaced persons.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to announce transitional arrangements for people who are awaiting the outcome of an asylum claim submitted before 2 March 2026.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The family reunion route was suspended to ease the pressures that local authorities and public services have been placed under due to the recent significant increase in people arriving under this route in recent years.
Outstanding applications will continue to be considered under the family reunion rules in place prior to the commencement of the suspension, including those that are at appeal.
During the suspension, the Government is taking forward wider asylum and family reforms to place the system on a fairer, controlled and sustainable footing. Further information on forthcoming changes will be set out in due course. In the meantime, other family routes remain available, including Appendix FM.
Those who claimed asylum or made further submissions before 2 March 2026, and who are eligible for protection, will receive 5 years’ permission to stay in accordance with the transitional arrangements included in the Immigration Rules laid on 5 March 2026.
We will encourage refugees to switch out of the Core Protection route wherever possible into a new, bespoke work and study route to access family reunion and settlement rights with new fees and conditions in accordance with the rules of that route.
Refugees granted refugee status or humanitarian protection (as well as those arriving under one of the UK’s resettlement schemes) have immediate access to the labour market and benefits, including employment support from Department for Work and Pensions work coaches. Unemployed refugees are eligible for full funding for English for Speakers of Other Languages learning.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how refugees on the core protection route will be supported to transition on to work and study visas.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The family reunion route was suspended to ease the pressures that local authorities and public services have been placed under due to the recent significant increase in people arriving under this route in recent years.
Outstanding applications will continue to be considered under the family reunion rules in place prior to the commencement of the suspension, including those that are at appeal.
During the suspension, the Government is taking forward wider asylum and family reforms to place the system on a fairer, controlled and sustainable footing. Further information on forthcoming changes will be set out in due course. In the meantime, other family routes remain available, including Appendix FM.
Those who claimed asylum or made further submissions before 2 March 2026, and who are eligible for protection, will receive 5 years’ permission to stay in accordance with the transitional arrangements included in the Immigration Rules laid on 5 March 2026.
We will encourage refugees to switch out of the Core Protection route wherever possible into a new, bespoke work and study route to access family reunion and settlement rights with new fees and conditions in accordance with the rules of that route.
Refugees granted refugee status or humanitarian protection (as well as those arriving under one of the UK’s resettlement schemes) have immediate access to the labour market and benefits, including employment support from Department for Work and Pensions work coaches. Unemployed refugees are eligible for full funding for English for Speakers of Other Languages learning.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to resume refugee family reunion.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The family reunion route was suspended to ease the pressures that local authorities and public services have been placed under due to the recent significant increase in people arriving under this route in recent years.
Outstanding applications will continue to be considered under the family reunion rules in place prior to the commencement of the suspension, including those that are at appeal.
During the suspension, the Government is taking forward wider asylum and family reforms to place the system on a fairer, controlled and sustainable footing. Further information on forthcoming changes will be set out in due course. In the meantime, other family routes remain available, including Appendix FM.
Those who claimed asylum or made further submissions before 2 March 2026, and who are eligible for protection, will receive 5 years’ permission to stay in accordance with the transitional arrangements included in the Immigration Rules laid on 5 March 2026.
We will encourage refugees to switch out of the Core Protection route wherever possible into a new, bespoke work and study route to access family reunion and settlement rights with new fees and conditions in accordance with the rules of that route.
Refugees granted refugee status or humanitarian protection (as well as those arriving under one of the UK’s resettlement schemes) have immediate access to the labour market and benefits, including employment support from Department for Work and Pensions work coaches. Unemployed refugees are eligible for full funding for English for Speakers of Other Languages learning.