Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how often police helicopters were used and at what cost to the public purse during the Extinction Rebellion protests from 31 August to 11 September 2020.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The management of protests, including the tactics they use; their cost; and their resourcing, is an operational matter for the police.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the hon. Member for Perth and North Perthshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will subscribe to (a) Standing Committee debates, (b) Public Bill Committee debates and (c) the Official Report of (i) the House of Commons and (ii) the House of Lords produced by Public Information Online; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Pete Wishart
The Commission has no plans to subscribe to the resources referred to which are part of the Public information Online service.
The Commons Library provides a wide range of commercial information databases and online resources to support the work of Members and their staff and in making decisions on which services to subscribe to it is guided by the importance of ensuring value for money and the need to make the most effective use of the funding the House provides. Consequently, as all the Parliamentary information contained in Public Information Online is already available in the Library, either in printed or online form, and is readily accessible to Members, it has previously concluded that a subscription to this service is not necessary. The Library also provides a skilled team of knowledgeable staff who can assist members and their teams in finding and accessing this information if they should experience any difficulties.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many marmosets are currently housed at DSTL, Porton Down for use in scientific experiments.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The annual publication of annual statistics on the use of animals in scientific research in Great Britain is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/724611/annual-statistics-scientific-procedures-living-animals-2017.pdf.
Data are available on the number of procedures by species of the animal and for what purpose, and also the number of animals used for the first time in procedures and by purpose. The data show that in 2017 there were 166 procedures on marmosets and tamarins, and 110 marmosets and tamarins used for the first time in procedures.
Data are not collected on the numbers of animals housed at individual establishments.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) marmosets and (b) tamarins were used in scientific procedures at (a) Porton Down and (b) other premises licenced by the Government in 2017.
Answered by Ben Wallace
The annual publication of annual statistics on the use of animals in scientific research in Great Britain is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/724611/annual-statistics-scientific-procedures-living-animals-2017.pdf.
Data are available on the number of procedures by species of the animal and for what purpose, and also the number of animals used for the first time in procedures and by purpose. The data show that in 2017 there were 166 procedures on marmosets and tamarins, and 110 marmosets and tamarins used for the first time in procedures.
Data are not collected on the numbers of animals housed at individual establishments.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of minimum unit pricing for alcohol.
Answered by Sarah Newton
Public Health England's evidence review of the public health burden of alcohol and the cost-effectiveness of alcohol control policies presents strong international evidence to show that price-based interventions can be effective in reducing levels of consumption and the harms associated with alcohol.
The introduction of Minimum Unit Pricing remains under review pending the outcome of the legal case between the Scotch Whisky Association and the Scottish Government, and the impact of any implementation of this policy in Scotland.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle people trafficking.
Answered by Sarah Newton
Tackling human trafficking and modern slavery remains a top priority for this government. The Modern Slavery Act 2015 provides law enforcement agencies the tools to tackle trafficking and modern slavery. In July, the Prime Minister announced a new taskforce to accelerate progress. The PM also pledged £33.5m of development assistance funding to tackle slavery in countries from where we know victims are regularly trafficked to the UK.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the effect on employment in Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust of proposals that Tier 2 visa immigrants from outside the European Economic Area must be earning £35,000 or more to qualify for UK indefinite leave to remain; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The Government announced in 2012 that from 6 April 2016 Tier 2 visa holders who apply for settlement in the UK will be required to meet a minimum annual salary requirement of £35,000. PhD level roles and those in shortage will be exempt from the £35,000 threshold. The Home Office published a full impact assessment on the changes to Tier 2 settlement rules when they were laid before Parliament on 15 March 2012. This included the potential effect on nurses. The impact assessment is available on the gov.uk website at:
Healthcare occupations, including paramedics, radiographers, and doctors working in emergency medicine, are included on the Shortage Occupation List.
On 15 October, the Home Secretary announced that nurses will be added to the list on a temporary basis, pending a full review by the independent Migration Advisory Committee. As workers are exempt from the settlement pay threshold if they are in a role that is or has been on the shortage occupation list at any time while they have been sponsored to do that role, all nurses currently sponsored in Tier 2 will be exempt from the £35,000 threshold when they apply for settlement. The Home Office has not made any assessment of the impact of the policy specifically on employment in Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the potential effect on nurses from the Philippines working in the NHS of proposals that Tier 2 visa immigrants from outside the European Economic Area must be earning £35,000 or more to qualify for indefinite leave to remain in the UK; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The Government announced in 2012 that from 6 April 2016 Tier 2 visa holders who apply for settlement in the UK will be required to meet a minimum annual salary requirement of £35,000. PhD level roles and those in shortage will be exempt from the £35,000 threshold. The Home Office published a full impact assessment on the changes to Tier 2 settlement rules when they were laid before Parliament on 15 March 2012. This included the potential effect on nurses. The impact assessment is available on the gov.uk website at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/117957/impact-assessment-tier2.pdf.
On 15 October, the Home Secretary announced that nurses will be added to the list on a temporary basis, pending a full review by the independent Migration Advisory Committee. This will ease pressure on the NHS at a time when the Government is introducing tough new controls on costly agency spending. It will help the NHS improve continuity of care for patients, invest in the frontline and maintain safe staffing levels. The Home Office has not made any assessment of the impact of the policy specifically on nurses from the Philippines working in the NHS.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent representations she has received on proposals that Tier 2 visa immigrants from outside the European Economic Area must be earning £35,000 or more to qualify for indefinite leave to remain in the UK; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The Home Office has received various representations on the £35,000 settlement threshold for Tier 2 (the skilled worker category) since it was announced in 2012.
The Government announced in 2012 that from 6 April 2016 Tier 2 visa holders who apply for settlement in the UK will be required to meet a minimum annual salary requirement of £35,000. Prior to the announcement, both the Home Office and the independent Migrant Advisory Committee carried out a consultation on the changes. PhD level roles and those in shortage will be exempt from the £35,000 threshold.
The Home Office published a full impact assessment on the changes to Tier 2 settlement rules when they were laid before Parliament on 15 March 2012, which includes details of relevant consultation. The impact assessment is available on the gov.uk website at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/117957/impact-assessment-tier2.pdf.
Asked by: David Amess (Conservative - Southend West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many nurses from the Philippines have been recruited to work in the NHS under Tier 2 visas in each year since 2010; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The table below shows the number of Certificates of Sponsorship for employment as a nurse that were used in applications from Filipino nationals for Tier 2 entry clearance visas:
2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 (to 30 June) |
505 | 148 | 175 | 374 | 726 | 346 |
The figures above include applications sponsored by all Tier 2 employers, including the NHS. The cost of obtaining figures for nurses sponsored by NHS employers would be disproportionate.
Additionally, the number of Certificates of Sponsorship used in entry clearance applications may not directly correlate with the number of Filipino national nurses recruited to work in the United Kingdom under Tier 2. For example, an individual may have used their Certificate of Sponsorship in an unsuccessful visa application, or may subsequently have decided against taking up a post.