Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2023 to Question 190790 on Visas: Foreign Investment in UK, for what reason her assessment of the impact of the assessment of the tier one investor visa scheme was different to that provided in the Answer of 7 June 2023 to Question 188255 on Visas: Foreign Investment in UK.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The question presented (190790) specifically asked for details as to what the poor economic outcomes of the Tier 1 (Investor) route were, which is why the reply of 30 June drew particular attention to the findings of the Migration Advisory Committee’s previous report into the operation of the route. That reply appears to have been incomplete and should have added that there is little evidence that this type of passive investment programme offers an effective model for delivering material value to the UK economy.
Notwithstanding the closure of the Tier 1 Investor visa, the UK retains a strong immigration visa offer that supports inward investment into the UK. We have a world leading offer to ensure that overseas businesses that wish to expand into the UK market and need to transfer key personnel in order to do so can obtain work visas for that purpose, this is the type of visa programme that really matters to those making serious and impactful investments in the UK, and the sort of programme that creates real jobs and opportunities for UK citizens and it is here therefore that this government has focused its efforts.
Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 29 June 2023 to Question 190610 on Private Rented Housing: Surveys, if he will publish the 2022 English Private Landlord Survey.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The English Private Landlord Survey is a biennial survey, with the most recent in 2021.
Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 7 June to Question 188255 on Visas: Foreign Investment in UK, what the poor economic outcomes of the tier 1 investor visa scheme were.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Migration Advisory Committee’s 2014 inquiry found that it had marginal economic benefits to the UK economy, and there is little evidence.
Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to ensure pre legislative scrutiny of the proposed Renters Reform Bill.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Renters (Reform) Bill was introduced on 17 May 2023. Ahead of introduction, we undertook comprehensive consultation with stakeholders from across the sector and published the 'A Fairer Private Rented Sector' White Paper which outlined our reforms. The Bill will undergo legislative scrutiny during its passage through Parliament and we will continue to work closely with stakeholders.
Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 24 April to Question 177791 on Private Rented Housing: Sales, if he will take steps to ensure that data collected from the next English Private Landlord Survey informs the drafting of the Renters Reform Bill.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Government introduced the Renters (Reform) Bill to Parliament on 17 May 2023.
The department's main source of data on private landlords is the English Private Landlord Survey. The most recent 2021 English Private Landlord Survey, alongside a range of other data, is used to support policy development.
Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to commission an updated English Private Landlord Survey.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Government introduced the Renters (Reform) Bill to Parliament on 17 May 2023.
The department's main source of data on private landlords is the English Private Landlord Survey. The most recent 2021 English Private Landlord Survey, alongside a range of other data, is used to support policy development.
Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of granting deep sea mining licences on deep sea marine life.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The UK is continuing to develop a better understanding of the impacts of deep-sea mining. Through Government sponsorship of academic research and existing exploration licences, over 70 peer-reviewed publications supporting a greater understanding of environmental issues have already been produced, with more to come. We have also commissioned an independent evidence review into the potential risks and benefits of deep-sea mining, and this has been published in line with our commitment to transparency and developing the global evidence base in relation to deep-sea mining.
Further and detailed environmental impact assessments would be required in advance of any exploitation licence being issued by the UK.
Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress she has made on moving asylum seekers from unsuitable temporary hotel accommodation; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Home Office aims to end the use of hotels and move asylum seekers to less expensive and more suitable accommodation.
To support this, we are bringing into use large disused military’s sites and vessels, which will provide adequate, safe, and secure, non-detained accommodation for asylum seekers.
Additionally, the funding for dispersal accommodation has changed; for existing dispersed accommodation and beds in hotels, the government will provide local authorities with a one off retrospective £750 payment for each asylum seeker in Home Office accommodation on the 1 of April 2023; up from £250 last year. Furthermore, a new pilot will be introduced to offer local authorities an additional one off payment of up to £3,000 for new dispersal beds which are brought on and occupied quickly.
The Home Office are also making more efficient use of existing hotels. By asking people to share rooms, where it’s appropriate to do so, we’ve found an additional 11,500 places which will save taxpayers an extra £250 million a year.
Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress his Department has made on implementing the new liberty protection safeguards process.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The implementation of the Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS) has been delayed beyond this Parliament.
Asked by: Christopher Pincher (Independent - Tamworth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of reintroducing the tier one investor visa scheme for entry to the UK.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Tier 1 (Investor) route was closed in February 2022 because the programme offered a route of entry to people whose wealth had been obtained through illicit means, was vulnerable to fraud and delivered poor economic outcomes.
We have seen no evidence to suggest there was any error in this original assessment and the direction of travel has been for other comparator countries to announce the closure of their equivalent programmes citing similar findings.
There are no plans to reintroduce the route.