To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
NHS and Social Services: Migrant Workers
Thursday 28th March 2019

Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure effective recruitment from EU and non-EU countries to meet demand for (a) NHS and (b) care workers after the UK leaves the EU.

Answered by Stephen Hammond

The Government recognises the need to be able to recruit effectively from abroad and the Immigration White Paper ‘The UK’s future skills-based immigration system’, published in December 2018, sets out the foundation for a single immigration system, where it is workers’ skills that matter, not where they come from.

This system will streamline the high-skilled visa route, by removing the Resident Labour Market Test and the Tier 2 Visa Cap. It will also include a new temporary immigration route for workers of all skill levels which will allow our social care sector to recruit care workers from abroad as we transition into the new system. The Home Office is undertaking a programme of engagement to discuss the proposed measures with colleagues across government and industry, to develop a future immigration system that works for the whole of the United Kingdom.

We also recognise the need to boost our domestic workforce as well. The NHS Long Term Plan sets out a vital strategic framework to ensure that, over the next ten years, the National Health Service will have the staff it needs so that nurses and doctors are working in a supportive culture that allows them to provide the expert compassionate care they are committed to providing.

Alongside this, the upcoming Social Care Green Paper will set out the Department’s proposals for reform of the sector to put it on a more sustainable future footing. This will include a vision for its workforce and proposals to boost recruitment and retention in the longer term.


Written Question
Migrant Workers: Nurses
Thursday 28th March 2019

Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Tier 2 visa salary exemption for nurses will (a) remain his policy after the UK leaves the EU and (b) be extended to EEA citizens.

Answered by Caroline Nokes

We have been clear that we want all EU nationals, including those working in the NHS and the care sector, to stay in the UK after we leave the EU.

In their report, EEA migration in the UK, the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) recommended maintaining the existing system of salary thresholds.

The Government has been clear that we will undertake an extensive programme of engagement with a wide range of stakeholders across the UK, including with the private, public and voluntary sector and local government, as well as industry representatives and individual businesses before taking a final decision on the level of salary thresholds.


Written Question
Migrant Workers: Social Workers
Thursday 28th March 2019

Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure that care workers from EU Member States can work in the UK after the UK leaves the EU.

Answered by Caroline Nokes

In December 2018, the Government set out its proposals in “the UK’s future Skills-based Immigration System” White Paper. The White Paper proposals include a new route for skilled workers which will be open to anyone at RQF level 3 and above, irrespective of where they are applying from. This route will not be capped allowing all of those who meet our requirements to come to the UK.


The White Paper also includes a transitional route for temporary workers which will be open to anyone from qualifying countries, wishing to fill posi-tions at any skill level, for up to 12 months. We do not intend to impose a cap on the number of people wishing to use the route.


Written Question
Fisheries: Treaties
Thursday 28th March 2019

Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Government will ratify the Agreement on Port State Measures To Prevent, Deter And Eliminate Illegal, Unreported And Unregulated Fishing.

Answered by Robert Goodwill

The UK Government and the European Council have reached political agreement on the text of a treaty on the withdrawal of the UK from the EU (“the Withdrawal Agreement”).

The UK is currently a Party to the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (PSMA) through its membership of the EU. In the event that the UK leaves the EU without the Withdrawal Agreement being approved and ratified, the PSMA would immediately cease to apply to the UK.

In this scenario, the UK would deposit its instrument of accession in time to ensure that the UK becomes a Contracting Party to the PSMA in its own right immediately upon its withdrawal from the EU.


Written Question
Metropolitan Police: Finance
Monday 18th March 2019

Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much of the £100m additional funding in 2019-20 to tackle serious violence will be allocated to the Metropolitan Police.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced on 13 March that an additional £100 million funding in 19/20 will help in the police’s immediate response to the rise in serious knife crime, enabling priority forces to immediately begin planning to put in place the additional capacity they need. The funding will also be invested in Violence Reduction Units, bringing together a range of agencies including health, education, social services and others, to develop a multi-agency approach in preventing serious violence altogether. It is important that we recognise that greater law enforcement on its own will not reduce serious violence and that we must continue to focus on prevention.

The majority of the investment will go towards supporting police forces where violent crime is impacting the most, to take immediate action to suppress the violence we are seeing, to make our streets safer. We are engaging with partners including the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and we are developing the criteria by which forces will receive this funding.


Written Question
Police: Finance
Monday 18th March 2019

Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how the £100m in additional funding for 2019-20 to tackle serious violence announced in the Spring Statement will be allocated to each police force.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced on 13 March that an additional £100 million funding in 19/20 will help in the police’s immediate response to the rise in serious knife crime, enabling priority forces to immediately begin planning to put in place the additional capacity they need. The funding will also be invested in Violence Reduction Units, bringing together a range of agencies including health, education, social services and others, to develop a multi-agency approach in preventing serious violence altogether. It is important that we recognise that greater law enforcement on its own will not reduce serious violence and that we must continue to focus on prevention.

The majority of the investment will go towards supporting police forces where violent crime is impacting the most, to take immediate action to suppress the violence we are seeing, to make our streets safer. We are engaging with partners including the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners and we are developing the criteria by which forces will receive this funding.


Written Question
Social Security Benefits: Disability
Thursday 21st February 2019

Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people of retirement age are in receipt of both industrial injuries disablement benefit and constant attendance allowance.

Answered by Sarah Newton

There were 1,040 people aged 65 or over who were in receipt of both Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit and Constant Attendance Allowance as of March 2018.

Source: Department for Work and Pensions 100% extract data.

Figures are rounded to the nearest 10


Written Question
Thailand: Ahmadiyya
Thursday 7th February 2019

Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has made representations to the Thai government on the arbitrary arrests of Ahmadi Muslim refugees.

Answered by Mark Field

We closely followed the October 2018 detention in Thailand of approximately 100 people, mainly from Pakistan, whom the Thai authorities considered illegal immigrants. This followed arrests and refoulment of Cambodian and Vietnamese nationals in August 2018.

On 2 November 2018, the Minister of State for the Commonwealth and UN, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, spoke to the Thai ambassador in London to raise our concerns over the detention of foreign nationals, including nationals of Pakistan, in Thailand. The British Embassy Bangkok also raised the issues with the Ministry of the Interior. We believe that the actions of the Thai authorities are not aimed at any specific group or groups, but apply to anyone whom they deem an illegal visa over-stayer. The UK has repeatedly urged Thailand to sign the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees. The UNHCR are working closely with the Royal Thai Government over asylum, resettlement issues, and improving conditions for genuine claimants, for example by giving them documentation that allows them to access services and protected them from persecution. We are also working with the Thai authorities to improve conditions of detention.


Written Question
Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence
Monday 28th January 2019

Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the timetable is for the ratification of the Istanbul Convention in full.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The Government signed the Istanbul Convention to signal the UK’s strong commitment to tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG). On 30 October 2018, in line with the requirements of the Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Ratification of Convention) Act 2017, we published a progress report which set out that, in most respects, the UK already complies with, or goes further than, the Convention requires. We have significantly strengthened the legislative framework; introduced new protective tools; and issued a range of guidance and support for frontline professionals.

We have always been clear on our commitment to ratifying the Convention. The Domestic Abuse Bill will be another step towards meeting that commitment by extending extraterritorial jurisdiction over offences required by the Convention which, for England and Wales, is the final legislative step necessary for ratification. We published the Domestic Abuse Bill in draft form for pre-legislative scrutiny on 21 January 2019.

As the criminal law and the majority of the areas covered by the Convention are devolved to Scotland and Northern Ireland, the Devolved Administrations are considering what legislative or other changes are necessary for compliance with the Convention in their territories. The Government liaises regularly with the Devolved Administrations on VAWG issues and we will continue working closely with the Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive.


Written Question
Tax Avoidance
Wednesday 23rd January 2019

Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure that members of the public can contribute to the review of the 2019 Loan Charge.

Answered by Mel Stride - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

The government chose to accept New Clause 26 during the passage of the Finance Bill, and will lay a report in line with the requirements of that New Clause no later than 30 March 2019. The report will include a comparison with the time limits for the recovery of lost tax relating to disguised remuneration loans.

The government also consulted extensively on the detail of the charge on disguised remuneration loans after it was announced at Budget 2016.