Oral Answers to Questions

Deidre Brock Excerpts

Thursday 27th June 2019 Commons Chamber

[Carol Monaghan (Glasgow North West) (SNP)]

6. What recent discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on the effectiveness of the EU settlement scheme.

[Deidre Brock (Edinburgh North and Leith) (SNP)]

17. What recent discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on the effectiveness of the EU settlement scheme.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (Mr Robin Walker)]

I have regular discussions with Home Office Ministers regarding the EU settlement scheme. The scheme is operating well, and I am pleased that more than 800,000 applications have been received, and that almost 700,000 people have already been granted settled status.

[Mr Walker]

The hon. Lady is right to point to those important bilateral agreements. We want to secure more of those, but the Government have no plans to change the register. It is the responsibility of Cabinet Office Ministers to look at the domestic franchise, and they have assured me that they have no plans to change that in the foreseeable future.

[Deidre Brock]

There is no back button on the app. I have been told of a citizen who mistakenly clicked to send a hard copy rather than completing online. When he tried to remedy that, the app told him that his application was withdrawn, and that he would have to wait three months to reapply. When will the Government admit that this “computer says no” system is an embarrassment, dump it, and restore some dignity to these citizens?

[Mr Walker]

The hon. Lady raises a specific case, and if she would like to write to me about it, I would be happy to take it up with colleagues at the Home Office and ensure it is looked into. The numbers suggest that the scheme is working well, and that the vast majority of people are being granted settled status quickly. Of course, if it is not working properly in particular cases, we need to look into those and solve them. This scheme is about helping people to prove their status and allowing them to stay, and that is what we want it to do.