Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what analysis they carried out of the 3,700 reports related to gig ticket fraud made to Action Fraud in 2024, and what action they have taken to respond to those reports.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are committed to tackling all types of fraud, including online ticket fraud, and holding those who profit from it to account.
As of 17 March 2025, as part of its enforcement of the Online Safety Act, Ofcom’s illegal harm duties are now in force. Ofcom will now start assessing platforms’ compliance with their new obligations under the Act and will launch enforcement action where they uncover concerns. This includes making sure that in-scope companies take proactive measures to stop fraudulent content appearing on their platforms, and remove fraudulent material quickly when they become aware of it. This includes criminals offering fake or fraudulent tickets via these platforms and services.
Furthermore, the Government’s Stop! Think Fraud campaign is improving public messaging and making it easier for the public to recognise fraud and take steps to protect themselves, their family and friends.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to take action against the creation of fake profiles or websites that closely resemble legitimate ticket vendors or event pages; and if so, what measures they plan to implement, and when.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are committed to tackling all types of fraud, including online ticket fraud, and holding those who profit from it to account.
As of 17 March 2025, as part of its enforcement of the Online Safety Act, Ofcom’s illegal harm duties are now in force. Ofcom will now start assessing platforms’ compliance with their new obligations under the Act and will launch enforcement action where they uncover concerns. This includes making sure that in-scope companies take proactive measures to stop fraudulent content appearing on their platforms, and remove fraudulent material quickly when they become aware of it. This includes criminals offering fake or fraudulent tickets via these platforms and services.
Furthermore, the Government’s Stop! Think Fraud campaign is improving public messaging and making it easier for the public to recognise fraud and take steps to protect themselves, their family and friends.
Asked by: Lord Moynihan (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to introduce legislation to tackle online ticket fraud in the secondary market, and whether they plan to combat ticket scams as part of a wider effort to tackle online fraud.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are committed to tackling all types of fraud, including online ticket fraud, and holding those who profit from it to account.
As of 17 March 2025, as part of its enforcement of the Online Safety Act, Ofcom’s illegal harm duties are now in force. Ofcom will now start assessing platforms’ compliance with their new obligations under the Act and will launch enforcement action where they uncover concerns. This includes making sure that in-scope companies take proactive measures to stop fraudulent content appearing on their platforms, and remove fraudulent material quickly when they become aware of it. This includes criminals offering fake or fraudulent tickets via these platforms and services.
Furthermore, the Government’s Stop! Think Fraud campaign is improving public messaging and making it easier for the public to recognise fraud and take steps to protect themselves, their family and friends.
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 - Shadow Chief Whip (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.
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 - Shadow Chief Whip (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.
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 - Shadow Chief Whip (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.
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 - Shadow Chief Whip (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.
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 - Shadow Chief Whip (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.
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 - Shadow Chief Whip (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.
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 - Shadow Chief Whip (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.