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
Asylum
Tuesday 25th April 2023

Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 17 April to Question 175523 on Asylum, how many asylum applications were awaiting processing in June 2010.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on asylum applications awaiting initial decision can be found in table Asy_D03 of the ‘asylum and resettlement detailed datasets’. The latest data covers the period from June 2010 to December 2022.


Written Question
Asylum
Monday 17th April 2023

Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum applications were awaiting processing in (a) June 2010 and (b) December 2022.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on asylum applications awaiting initial decision can be found in table Asy_D03 of the ‘asylum and resettlement detailed datasets’. The latest data relates to December 2022.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.


Written Question
Home Office: Disclosure of Information
Wednesday 19th October 2022

Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many subject access requests her Department has (a) received and (b) responded to within the statutory limit in the last five years.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

The Department has received 145,591 valid subject access requests in the last five years (01/01/2018 to 31/12/2021) and 112,686 were responded to within the statutory time limit.

This is unpublished data from internal management information systems which could be subject to change, alteration or deletion once quality assured.


Written Question
Passports: Biometrics
Wednesday 13th July 2022

Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of British passports that will require additional biometric details before the EU requires ETIAS for a visa waiver.

Answered by Kevin Foster

The British passport is compliant with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO 9303) on international passport standards so there are no plans to make changes.


Written Question
UK Visas and Immigration: Telephone Services
Wednesday 8th June 2022

Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will increase levels of staffing on UKVI passport hotline following the widespread delays experienced by customers.

Answered by Kevin Foster

HM Passport Office staff have been deployed to support MP Account Management staff, and answer passport-related enquiries to the Home Office’s dedicated MP’s hotline. For the most urgent cases, HM Passport Office staff are also available to conduct in-person passport surgeries at Portcullis House.

We have seen a significant increase in call volumes to the MP enquiry line in recent weeks linked to passport applications situation and the Ukraine situation.

As a result of this we have worked to increase staffing across the MP enquiry line, but more specifically on the HMPO and Ukraine options. We now have up to 25 dedicated HMPO staff available to take calls currently. Additionally we have up to 20 dedicated Ukraine call handlers who will be ready to take calls in the coming days. This will mean from next week there will 4 times more staff operating the enquiry line compared to the beginning of May.

MPs also can contact the Home Office via the MPs Urgent Enquiries inbox or in person at the Portcullis House walk-in hub.


Written Question
UK Visas and Immigration: Telephone Services
Wednesday 1st June 2022

Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to increase staffing levels on the dedicated advice line for hon. Members at UK Visas and Immigration in the context of widespread delays experienced by customers.

Answered by Kevin Foster

We have seen significant increase in call volumes to the MP enquiry line in recent weeks linked to the situation in Ukraine and to passport applications.

As a result of this we have worked to increase staffing across the MP enquiry line, but more specifically on the HMPO and Ukraine options. We expect to have up to 25 dedicated HMPO and up to 20 dedicated Ukraine call handlers available to take calls.

MP’s can also contact the Home Office via the MP’s Urgent Enquiries inbox or in person at the Portcullis House walk-in hub.


Written Question
Passports: Applications
Thursday 26th May 2022

Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to improve the time taken to process passport applications.

Answered by Kevin Foster

Ahead of unrestricted international travel returning, HM Passport Office prepared extensively to serve an unprecedented number of customers, with 9.5 million British passport applications forecasted throughout 2022.

These preparations have ensured that passport applications can be processed in higher numbers than ever before. This was demonstrated in March and April 2022 when HM Passport Office achieved a record monthly high by completing the processing of approximately two million applications.

Ministers continue to meet regularly with officials to monitor performance, and to explore further options that will help to ensure that people receive their passports in good time.


Written Question
Passports: Applications
Tuesday 26th April 2022

Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that her Department processes passport applications on time and resolves delays as swiftly as possible.

Answered by Kevin Foster

Due to COVID-19, over 5 million people delayed applying for a British passport in 2020 and 2021.

In March 2022 HM Passport Office decided over one million passport applications, the highest recorded in any month to date.

Since April 2021 British passport applicants have been advised to allow up to ten weeks to get their passport. However, HM Passport Office seeks to ensure its customers receive their passport as quickly as possible and is working alongside its suppliers to develop further ways to maximise its ability to cope with an unprecedented level of demand.

HM Passport Office has already deployed a range of tried and tested contingency arrangements, which includes the increasing of resources through recruitment and enabling the flexing of resources from across the Home Office and other government departments.

In addition, technical solutions, such as its latest digital application system, mean more passport applications are securely processed with fewer manual interventions, enabling them to be processed more quickly.


Written Question
Nowzad: Afghanistan
Monday 21st March 2022

Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much the evacuation of Nowzad cost the Government in expenditure of time and money.

Answered by Kevin Foster

The evacuation from Afghanistan under Operation Pitting from 14 August to 29 August was organised and controlled by the Ministry of Defence.


Written Question
Refugees: Afghanistan
Thursday 30th September 2021

Asked by: Chris Bryant (Labour - Rhondda)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many additional staff her Department has deployed to countries neighbouring Afghanistan to process Afghans fleeing Afghanistan.

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

The Home Office uses a “hub and spoke” model for all overseas visa applications whereby applications made at Visa Application Centres across the globe are routed electronically into regional hubs, including in the UK.

We will be able to meet any increase in demand through redirecting applications and redeploying staff to relevant decision making centres where required. We have not needed to deploy any additional staff to countries neighbouring Afghanistan but will keep this under review.