Asked by: Corri Wilson (Scottish National Party - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to reinstate the right to appeal visa decisions.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Government has no plans to reinstate the right to appeal visit visa decisions.
Asked by: Corri Wilson (Scottish National Party - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will review the application process for visit visas to ensure the requirements are as clear as possible; and if she will make it her policy to include additional questions on the financial support of applicants and the family ties applicants retain in their home states.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The visit visa application form already includes questions about an applicant’s personal and financial circumstances. There is also a section where an applicant can provide any other information that they may feel is relevant to their application.
However, the Home Office is continuously working to refine and improve the products and services on offer to customers, and keeps the efficiency and effectiveness of the visa application process under regular review. Recent improvements include the launch of a new online application route for visitors, and the expansion of priority visa services.
Asked by: Corri Wilson (Scottish National Party - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on reviewing the process for visit visa applications.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The UK provides an excellent visa service, with application points in over 300 countries around the world.
The Home Office is continuously working to refine and improve the products and services on offer to customers, and keeps the efficiency and effectiveness of the visa application process under regular review.
Recent improvements include the launch of a new online application route for visitors, and the expansion of priority visa services.
Asked by: Corri Wilson (Scottish National Party - Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress she has made on plans to bring forward legislative proposals to support firefighters who joined the Firefighters Pension Scheme 1992 before the age of 20 who were required to continue paying pension contributions beyond the maximum entitlement before drawing their pension.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The Government has brought forward legislative amendments to the 1992 Firefighters’ Pension Scheme to address this issue in England, which came into force on 30 September 2016. These amendments ensure that a firefighter who accrues maximum pensionable service in the scheme will be entitled to a pension contributions holiday until they reach the age of 50.
The provision applies retrospectively to 1 December 2006 and affected firefighters may be entitled to a refund of some of their contributions. Fire and Rescue Authorities are expected to make the majority of those refund payments by the end of March 2017.
The Devolved Administrations have responsibility for firefighters’ pension schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.