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
Refugees: Afghanistan
Tuesday 15th February 2022

Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 26 October 2021 (HL2952), how many unaccompanied Afghan minors with family links to the UK have been resettled in the UK since the Kabul airlift of August 2021; and how many are still in Qatar waiting to be resettled.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)

Further to the written answer of 26 October 2021, of the group of sixteen children with UK based relatives evacuated to Qatar from Afghanistan, none are now in Qatar. Seven children have been settled with their families in the US and of the remaining children, they are either being settled in the US as they have no family able to safely accommodate them in the UK or are awaiting further assessment from either US or UK local authorities ahead of a final decision on where they will stay permanently.


Written Question
Afghanistan: Children
Tuesday 26th October 2021

Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take in response to reports that unaccompanied minors with family links to the UK were recently evacuated from Afghanistan and are currently in temporary accommodation in Qatar.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)

The Home Office is aware of a group of unaccompanied Afghan minors with family links to the UK in Qatar and officials are working closely with UNICEF and the US State Department to ensure the most appropriate outcomes for these children.

Our priority is to ensure that the children will be safe and well cared for and to ensure any outcome is in the best interests of the children. Where it is deemed to be in the best interest of a child to come to the UK, suitable support arrangements will be made available.


Written Question
Visas: Sports
Monday 26th October 2020

Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government why the endorsement process for visa applicants for sports players, sports coaches, instructors and officials is operated exclusively by sports’ governing bodies and not sports clubs.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)

The provisions within the Immigration Rules for both Tier 2 (Sportsperson) and Tier 5 (Creative and Sporting) will continue in the future immigration system. These routes will be amended to accommodate applications from elite sportspersons and coaches from the European Economic Area and Switzerland, along with those from the rest of the world, from 1 January 2021.

The UK Government does not have any plans to include clergy, sportspersons, coaches, instructors or officials under the new Skilled Worker route. The current provisions of Tier 2 (Ministers of Religion) and Tier 5 (Religious Workers) for clergy, and Tier 2 (Sportsperson) and Tier 5 (Creative and Sporting) for sportspeople, are dedicated routes for such activities.

The UK’s immigration arrangements for professional sportspersons seek to strike a balance between ensuring that UK sports can access top-end talent that will enhance sport in the UK, whilst at the same time protecting opportunities for resident players and supporting grassroots sport. The Government works with Sports Governing Bodies to set bespoke criteria, with every sport’s criteria reviewed annually, ensuring that it continues to meet the changing needs of the individual sport. The success of UK sports clearly demonstrates that this system is one which works well.

The system of endorsement is operated by the Sports Governing Bodies to ensure that an objective assessment is made of each individual sportsperson. Individual clubs are asked to fulfil their sponsorship duties, in a dual-level of assurance.


Written Question
Visas: Sports Competitors and Young People
Monday 26th October 2020

Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the endorsement requirements published on the websites of sports’ governing bodies for visas under the points-based immigration system ensure that playing opportunities for (1) resident sportspeople, and (2) youth development, are protected as required under Immigration Rules.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)

The provisions within the Immigration Rules for both Tier 2 (Sportsperson) and Tier 5 (Creative and Sporting) will continue in the future immigration system. These routes will be amended to accommodate applications from elite sportspersons and coaches from the European Economic Area and Switzerland, along with those from the rest of the world, from 1 January 2021.

The UK Government does not have any plans to include clergy, sportspersons, coaches, instructors or officials under the new Skilled Worker route. The current provisions of Tier 2 (Ministers of Religion) and Tier 5 (Religious Workers) for clergy, and Tier 2 (Sportsperson) and Tier 5 (Creative and Sporting) for sportspeople, are dedicated routes for such activities.

The UK’s immigration arrangements for professional sportspersons seek to strike a balance between ensuring that UK sports can access top-end talent that will enhance sport in the UK, whilst at the same time protecting opportunities for resident players and supporting grassroots sport. The Government works with Sports Governing Bodies to set bespoke criteria, with every sport’s criteria reviewed annually, ensuring that it continues to meet the changing needs of the individual sport. The success of UK sports clearly demonstrates that this system is one which works well.

The system of endorsement is operated by the Sports Governing Bodies to ensure that an objective assessment is made of each individual sportsperson. Individual clubs are asked to fulfil their sponsorship duties, in a dual-level of assurance.


Written Question
Skilled Workers: Clergy and Sports
Monday 26th October 2020

Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to include (1) clergy, (2) sports players, and (3) sports coaches, instructors and officials, as classified under the Standard Occupational Codes system, in their new proposed definition of a skilled worker.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)

The provisions within the Immigration Rules for both Tier 2 (Sportsperson) and Tier 5 (Creative and Sporting) will continue in the future immigration system. These routes will be amended to accommodate applications from elite sportspersons and coaches from the European Economic Area and Switzerland, along with those from the rest of the world, from 1 January 2021.

The UK Government does not have any plans to include clergy, sportspersons, coaches, instructors or officials under the new Skilled Worker route. The current provisions of Tier 2 (Ministers of Religion) and Tier 5 (Religious Workers) for clergy, and Tier 2 (Sportsperson) and Tier 5 (Creative and Sporting) for sportspeople, are dedicated routes for such activities.

The UK’s immigration arrangements for professional sportspersons seek to strike a balance between ensuring that UK sports can access top-end talent that will enhance sport in the UK, whilst at the same time protecting opportunities for resident players and supporting grassroots sport. The Government works with Sports Governing Bodies to set bespoke criteria, with every sport’s criteria reviewed annually, ensuring that it continues to meet the changing needs of the individual sport. The success of UK sports clearly demonstrates that this system is one which works well.

The system of endorsement is operated by the Sports Governing Bodies to ensure that an objective assessment is made of each individual sportsperson. Individual clubs are asked to fulfil their sponsorship duties, in a dual-level of assurance.


Written Question
Visas: Sports Competitors
Monday 26th October 2020

Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to retain the Sportsperson visa (Tier 2) standard under the new Immigration Rules to be adopted from 1 January 2021.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)

The provisions within the Immigration Rules for both Tier 2 (Sportsperson) and Tier 5 (Creative and Sporting) will continue in the future immigration system. These routes will be amended to accommodate applications from elite sportspersons and coaches from the European Economic Area and Switzerland, along with those from the rest of the world, from 1 January 2021.

The UK Government does not have any plans to include clergy, sportspersons, coaches, instructors or officials under the new Skilled Worker route. The current provisions of Tier 2 (Ministers of Religion) and Tier 5 (Religious Workers) for clergy, and Tier 2 (Sportsperson) and Tier 5 (Creative and Sporting) for sportspeople, are dedicated routes for such activities.

The UK’s immigration arrangements for professional sportspersons seek to strike a balance between ensuring that UK sports can access top-end talent that will enhance sport in the UK, whilst at the same time protecting opportunities for resident players and supporting grassroots sport. The Government works with Sports Governing Bodies to set bespoke criteria, with every sport’s criteria reviewed annually, ensuring that it continues to meet the changing needs of the individual sport. The success of UK sports clearly demonstrates that this system is one which works well.

The system of endorsement is operated by the Sports Governing Bodies to ensure that an objective assessment is made of each individual sportsperson. Individual clubs are asked to fulfil their sponsorship duties, in a dual-level of assurance.


Written Question
Immigration: Sports Competitors
Monday 26th October 2020

Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to set out changes to the UK points-based immigration system as it applies to sportspeople.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)

The provisions within the Immigration Rules for both Tier 2 (Sportsperson) and Tier 5 (Creative and Sporting) will continue in the future immigration system. These routes will be amended to accommodate applications from elite sportspersons and coaches from the European Economic Area and Switzerland, along with those from the rest of the world, from 1 January 2021.

The UK Government does not have any plans to include clergy, sportspersons, coaches, instructors or officials under the new Skilled Worker route. The current provisions of Tier 2 (Ministers of Religion) and Tier 5 (Religious Workers) for clergy, and Tier 2 (Sportsperson) and Tier 5 (Creative and Sporting) for sportspeople, are dedicated routes for such activities.

The UK’s immigration arrangements for professional sportspersons seek to strike a balance between ensuring that UK sports can access top-end talent that will enhance sport in the UK, whilst at the same time protecting opportunities for resident players and supporting grassroots sport. The Government works with Sports Governing Bodies to set bespoke criteria, with every sport’s criteria reviewed annually, ensuring that it continues to meet the changing needs of the individual sport. The success of UK sports clearly demonstrates that this system is one which works well.

The system of endorsement is operated by the Sports Governing Bodies to ensure that an objective assessment is made of each individual sportsperson. Individual clubs are asked to fulfil their sponsorship duties, in a dual-level of assurance.


Written Question
Visas: Skilled Workers
Wednesday 1st July 2020

Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice they have provided to sponsored workers currently not in the UK and unable to return due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and what plans they have to take account of COVID-19 travel restrictions when calculating the number of days that a Tier 2 visa applicant has been outside of the UK.

Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)

The Government has published a range of immigration information for those affected by COVID, including those sponsored to work in the UK. COVID immigration information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-immigration-and-borders.

The Government will not penalise individuals affected by issues relating to COVID which are beyond their control. Whilst cases will need to be considered on a case by case basis, we will not penalise people who have been outside of the UK for longer than normally permitted where the absence is as a result of COVID travel restrictions, at the point at which they come to apply for a new visa or indefinite leave to remain.


Written Question
Tickets: Touting
Tuesday 12th April 2016

Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Baroness Neville-Rolfe on 9 July 2015 (HL Deb, col 243), what action the City of London Police and Action Fraud have taken to enforce the ticket touting controls set out in the Consumer Rights Act 2015; and what action is being taken in cases where the law is being broken.

Answered by Lord Keen of Elie

The City of London Police is working closely with the Society of Ticketing Agents and Retailers and is actively part of a number of initiatives they are taking to raise standards within the ticketing industry. They are also engaging directly with organisers of major ticketing events in an attempt to stop ticketing touts obtaining tickets on a large scale and proactively search for new websites set up to sell tickets which are in high demand. The City of London Police is also actively engaged with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in their review of secondary ticketing platforms.

All ticketing fraud reports received through Action Fraud, where viable lines of enquiry can be identified and links between cases can be seen, are disseminated by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau to the local police force for investigation.