Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 6 September 2022 to Question 42040 on Passports: Fees and Charges, when she plans to provide a substantive response to this question.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The data requested is not held in a reportable format and could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that the qualifications of Ukrainians who reside in the UK under resettlement schemes are recognised in the UK.
Answered by Andrea Jenkyns
The UK National Information Centre for the recognition and evaluation of international qualifications and skills (ENIC) provides expert advice on the comparability of international qualifications at all levels of education with those of the UK, on behalf of the government. ENIC maintains an extensive database of international qualifications and education systems, including for Ukraine, and is fully prepared to assess and advise on the comparability of Ukrainian and other refugees’ qualifications.
Organisations and individuals can apply for a Statement of Comparability through the standard UK ENIC portal. Within the portal, there is provision for individuals to be able to identify as refugees, which allows more flexibility for document submissions. Many organisations, including education institutions and employers, also subscribe to the UK ENIC service and use its database when assessing applications.
Higher education (HE) providers are autonomous institutions, independent from government, and they are responsible for their own admissions policies. The department has made clear to providers that they should be as flexible as possible when considering applications for students with difficult circumstances, such as those from Ukraine, and would encourage students to speak to their desired HE provider about their personal situation directly.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many upgrade fees have been paid for British Passport applications in (a) each financial year since 2019 and (b) since 1 April 2022.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Upgrades to urgent services are only required where an applicant needs a passport sooner than ten weeks.
For the small percentage of customers whose applications take longer than ten weeks, there is an expedited service at no additional cost to help ensure they receive their passport ahead of any planned travel.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
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 23 June 2022 to Question 21205 on Homes for Ukraine Scheme, if he will make a comparative assessment of the adequacy of the (a) Northern Ireland Executive and (b) his Department's scheme for payments to sponsors.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The department has agreed with each of the Devolved Administrations the mechanism for making "thank you" payments. The payments process will be reviewed on an ongoing basis based on data received including from English Councils and Devolved Administrations.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to Answer of 20 June to Question 18928, whether Government has secured any purchase options, subject to approval, of vaccines for under-5s.
Answered by George Freeman
The Government keeps the global vaccine picture under ongoing review and through its regular conversations with vaccine developers will explore supply options, should that become necessary.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
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 8 June 2022 to Question 8018, on Homes for Ukraine Scheme, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the arrangements in place for making payments to sponsors.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
In Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Executive will manage payments to sponsors.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many doses of (a) Pfizer and (b) Moderna Coronavirus Vaccines have been procured for under 5 year olds as of 15 June 2022.
Answered by George Freeman
There are no Covid-19 vaccines for under 5s currently approved for use in the UK, and as such we have not specifically procured vaccines for this cohort. The Government will continue monitoring developments and follow the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation going forward.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of issuing thank you payments under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Government is providing £10,500 funding per guest to support Ukrainian families under the Homes for Ukraine scheme. Councils provide guests with a £200 initial payment and guests are able to work, study and access benefits. The Government also provides a £350 optional “thank you” payment to recognise sponsors generous offer to accommodate people from Ukraine.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients have been (a) assessed at long covid clinics and (b) discharged since the creation of those clinics; and what treatments have been offered to those patients at those clinics.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
Between 5 July 2021 to 13 March 2022, 37,154 people have received a specialist assessment following referral to a post COVID-19 syndrome service. Clinics will assess and provide advice, where appropriate, for symptom management and onward referral. Where they would benefit, patients are also offered a course of rehabilitation. However, post COVID-19 syndrome is a new condition and our understanding continues to grow, including the appropriate treatments which should be offered. Data on onward referral pathways and discharge is not currently collected.
Asked by: Gavin Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party - Belfast East)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has plans to commission research into long covid and the presence of micro-clots in patients blood.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The Department is aware of clinical trials currently taking place internationally, which are researching possible links between the long term effects of COVID-19 and micro-clots. The Department will assess the impact of research findings as they emerge and update its guidance accordingly.
Through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and UK Research Institute (UKRI), over £50 million has been invested in research projects for post-COVID-19 syndrome to improve our understanding and treatment of the condition. While it is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics, the NIHR and UKRI welcome funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including the long term effects of COVID-19.