Oral Answers to Questions

Elliot Colburn Excerpts

Monday 18th July 2022 Commons Chamber

[Jeff Smith (Manchester, Withington) (Lab)]

10. What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the effectiveness of the Afghan relocations and assistance policy.

[Elliot Colburn (Carshalton and Wallington) (Con)]

14. What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the effectiveness of the Afghan relocations and assistance policy.

[The Minister of State, Ministry of Defence (James Heappey)]

The Afghan relocations and assistance policy scheme has had more than 100,000 applications. Although I appreciation the desperation of many who apply, the reality is that staff numbers and even names of those who worked with us in Helmand are being shared, so it is hard to identify individual applicants. To that end—the entitlement is bound; we know who worked for us— last week, I engaged a number of non-governmental organisations and charities to help us find the people on the list of those who actually worked with us, so that we can bring them to the front of the queue and get them out as quickly as possible.

--- Later in debate ---

[James Heappey]

I think the hon. Gentleman might realise that I have answered that question in my original answer. We think that there are about 2,000 principals—people who actually worked with us—yet to bring out. Rather than going through tens of thousands of applications, we are asking those with networks in-country to help us find those 2,000 people on the list. We have the capacity and the routes to bring them out. The challenge is finding them when a huge number of applications are gaming the system, with dozens of applications coming in on the same staff number, which should be the individual identifier.

[Elliot Colburn]

I thank the MOD’s Afghan relocation team who are working tirelessly to identify and process the huge number of applications including friends and relatives of Carshalton and Wallington residents. How many individuals have made it to the UK under the ARAP scheme since Operation Pitting concluded?

[James Heappey]

A total of 9,962 people have come out under ARAP, 2,984 of whom have come out since Op Pitting.