Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he plans to ensure that overseas care workers are exempt from the Tier 2 visa £30,000 salary cap and able to work in the UK; and if he will make a statement.
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.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure access by non-UK non-seasonal workers to the agri-food sector after UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
I refer the Honourable Member to the response that I gave to a question from the Honourable Member for Darlington on 22 October (180695).
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the re-introduction of a Tier 3 visa category to support domestic food and meat production after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The Government recognises the valuable contribution that overseas workers make to the UK economy and to our society. We are currently developing options for the future system which will be designed to work in the national interest.
On the 18 September, the Migration Advisory Committee published their final report on the current patterns of EEA migration into the UK. We are carefully considering their fourteen recommendations. We plan to publish a White Paper setting out more detail on the future arrangements later in the Autumn.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) decisions on, and (b) grants of, applications for refugee family reunion were made at (i) Istanbul Clearance, (ii) Amman Clearance, (iii) Pretoria Clearance and (iv) Sheffield Decision Making Centre in 2017.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Statistics on refugee family reunion can be found in Home Office Asylum tables volume 5, table as_21_q –
Information can also be found in the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration report: A re-inspection of the family reunion process, focusing on applications received at the Amman Entry Clearance Decision Making Centre:
UK Visas and Immigration are currently in the process of consolidating Family Reunion applications so that decision making is carried out by one specialist team based in the UK.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, from which countries are applications for refugee family reunion designated to be decided by the Sheffield Decision Making Centre.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Statistics on refugee family reunion can be found in Home Office Asylum tables volume 5, table as_21_q –
Information can also be found in the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration report: A re-inspection of the family reunion process, focusing on applications received at the Amman Entry Clearance Decision Making Centre:
UK Visas and Immigration are currently in the process of consolidating Family Reunion applications so that decision making is carried out by one specialist team based in the UK.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration's report, A re-inspection of the family reunion process, focusing on applications received at the Amman Entry Clearance Decision Making Centre, published on 5 September 2018, for what reason the proportion of refugee family reunion applications being decided at the Sheffield Decision Making Centre has increased.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Statistics on refugee family reunion can be found in Home Office Asylum tables volume 5, table as_21_q –
Information can also be found in the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration report: A re-inspection of the family reunion process, focusing on applications received at the Amman Entry Clearance Decision Making Centre:
UK Visas and Immigration are currently in the process of consolidating Family Reunion applications so that decision making is carried out by one specialist team based in the UK.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department makes payments to private companies for (a) each person in custody and detention and (b) each person deported in relation to immigration cases.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The Department makes payments to private sector companies for the provision of contractually defined services. In the case of immigration detention facilities payment covers a holistic range of services for the operation, management and maintenance of those facilities.
A private sector company is also contracted for a range of services to support the removal of individuals from the UK (including deportation). This includes the staffing short-term holding facilities at ports and reporting centres and the provision of escorting and medical staff to escort individuals to the port of departure or a destination country.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what payments his Department has made to private companies for (a) keeping people in custody and detention and (b) deporting people in relation to immigration cases in each of the last five years.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The Home Office uses private companies to provide detention facilities for immigration purposes, as well for the provision of escorting and travel services in relation to Removals.
The operating costs for each of these contracts is commercially confidential and public disclosure would prejudice the commercial interests of the Home Office and its suppliers. However, the Home Office publishes payments in excess of £25K on its website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/home-office-spending
The data available on the link above covers the period up to the end of January 2017. Further transparency spend data will be uploaded to this web address by July 2018.
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which private companies are involved in the (a) detention and (b) deportation of people (i) deemed to be and (ii) under suspicion of being in the UK illegally.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Escorting deportation: Mitie Care and Custody
Detention: G4S (Brook House and Tinsley House Gatwick IRC’s), Mitie Care and Custody (Heathrow IRC and Campsfield House IRC), Geo (Dungavel IRC, Scotland), Serco (Yarlswood IRC).
Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for leave to enter or remain in the UK under paragraph 319V of the Immigration Rules were (a) received, (b) resolved, (c) granted and (d) refused in each of the last three years.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The specific data requested is not available.