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Written Question
Visas: Palestinians
Wednesday 24th January 2024

Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a Palestinian Visa scheme based upon the Ukraine Visa scheme that allows those with family in the UK to be given safe passage.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

The UK Government is monitoring the situation in Israel and Gaza closely to ensure that it is able to respond appropriately.

We recognise that some people impacted by the events in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories may wish to join family in the UK. The Government is working with authorities across the region to facilitate the repatriation of British citizens and their family members who already hold permission to come to the UK.

There are currently no plans to introduce bespoke arrangements for people arriving from the region who do not hold permission to come to the UK.


Written Question
Migrants: Health Services
Thursday 14th December 2023

Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the draft Immigration (Health Charge) Amendment Order 2023, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed increase to the immigration health surcharge on affected people's ability to access health and care services.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

An Impact Assessment and an Equality Impact Assessment were both published alongside the draft Order.

Payment of the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is a mandatory visa requirement. It is paid by migrants applying to come to the UK for more than six months, and those who are already in the UK applying to extend their stay.

Payment of the IHS entitles migrants to access the NHS on broadly the same basis as a permanent UK resident for the duration of their visa, from the date their visa is granted.


Written Question
Immigration: Wales
Tuesday 12th December 2023

Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Oral Statement of 4 December 2023 on Legal Migration, Official Report, columns 41-43, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the changes to immigration rules announced in that Statement on the hospitality sector in Wales.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

Our Points Based System enables the Government to prioritise the skills and talent we need to help our economy grow and support our NHS, while encouraging investment in, and protecting, our own resident workforce. In arriving at this package of measures, we have been mindful of the need to balance the impacts on economic growth and the needs of the labour market.

The Government regularly considers policy proposals and the impacts these will have. The policy proposals do not directly discriminate against people on the basis of the protected characteristics, there may be some indirect impacts. We consider the measures to be proportionate means of achieving the legitimate aims of managing immigration, attracting high-skilled individuals, controlling our borders and protecting the UK taxpayer.


Written Question
Immigration: Wales
Tuesday 12th December 2023

Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of migration into Wales on Welsh (a) businesses and (b) economic growth.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

Our Points Based System enables the Government to prioritise the skills and talent we need to help our economy grow and support our NHS, while encouraging investment in, and protecting, our own resident workforce. In arriving at this package of measures, we have been mindful of the need to balance the impacts on economic growth and the needs of the labour market.

The Government regularly considers policy proposals and the impacts these will have. The policy proposals do not directly discriminate against people on the basis of the protected characteristics, there may be some indirect impacts. We consider the measures to be proportionate means of achieving the legitimate aims of managing immigration, attracting high-skilled individuals, controlling our borders and protecting the UK taxpayer.


Written Question
Immigration Controls: Wales
Tuesday 12th December 2023

Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Oral Statement of 4 December 2024 on Legal Migration, Official Report, column 41-43, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) visa changes and (b) new immigration rules on migration to each constituency in Wales.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

Our Points Based System enables the Government to prioritise the skills and talent we need to help our economy grow and support our NHS, while encouraging investment in, and protecting, our own resident workforce. In arriving at this package of measures, we have been mindful of the need to balance the impacts on economic growth and the needs of the labour market.

The Government regularly considers policy proposals and the impacts these will have. The policy proposals do not directly discriminate against people on the basis of the protected characteristics, there may be some indirect impacts. We consider the measures to be proportionate means of achieving the legitimate aims of managing immigration, attracting high-skilled individuals, controlling our borders and protecting the UK taxpayer.


Written Question
Immigration: Equality
Tuesday 12th December 2023

Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Oral Statement on 4 December 2023 on Legal Migration, Official Report, columns 41-43, if he will have discussions with the Secretary of State on the potential impact of those proposals on gender equality in levels of legal migration; and if he will undertake an equality impact assessment of the proposals.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

Our Points Based System enables the Government to prioritise the skills and talent we need to help our economy grow and support our NHS, while encouraging investment in, and protecting, our own resident workforce. In arriving at this package of measures, we have been mindful of the need to balance the impacts on economic growth and the needs of the labour market.

The Government regularly considers policy proposals and the impacts these will have. The policy proposals do not directly discriminate against people on the basis of the protected characteristics, there may be some indirect impacts. We consider the measures to be proportionate means of achieving the legitimate aims of managing immigration, attracting high-skilled individuals, controlling our borders and protecting the UK taxpayer.


Written Question
Migrant Workers: Seasonal Workers
Tuesday 12th December 2023

Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Oral Statement of 4 December 2023 on Legal Migration, Official Report, column 41-43, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the changes to (a) visa and (b) immigration rules on seasonal industries, broken down by industry.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

Our Points Based System enables the Government to prioritise the skills and talent we need to help our economy grow and support our NHS, while encouraging investment in, and protecting, our own resident workforce. In arriving at this package of measures, we have been mindful of the need to balance the impacts on economic growth and the needs of the labour market.

The Government regularly considers policy proposals and the impacts these will have. The policy proposals do not directly discriminate against people on the basis of the protected characteristics, there may be some indirect impacts. We consider the measures to be proportionate means of achieving the legitimate aims of managing immigration, attracting high-skilled individuals, controlling our borders and protecting the UK taxpayer.


Written Question
Hospitality Industry: Migrant Workers
Tuesday 12th December 2023

Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Oral Statement of 4 December 2023 on Legal Migration, Official Report, column 41-43, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the changes to (a) visa and (b) immigration rules on the hospitality industry.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

Our Points Based System enables the Government to prioritise the skills and talent we need to help our economy grow and support our NHS, while encouraging investment in, and protecting, our own resident workforce. In arriving at this package of measures, we have been mindful of the need to balance the impacts on economic growth and the needs of the labour market.

The Government regularly considers policy proposals and the impacts these will have. The policy proposals do not directly discriminate against people on the basis of the protected characteristics, there may be some indirect impacts. We consider the measures to be proportionate means of achieving the legitimate aims of managing immigration, attracting high-skilled individuals, controlling our borders and protecting the UK taxpayer.


Written Question
Immigration Controls: Women
Tuesday 12th December 2023

Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed (a) visa changes and (b) new immigration rules on women.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

Our Points Based System enables the Government to prioritise the skills and talent we need to help our economy grow and support our NHS, while encouraging investment in, and protecting, our own resident workforce. In arriving at this package of measures, we have been mindful of the need to balance the impacts on economic growth and the needs of the labour market.

The Government regularly considers policy proposals and the impacts these will have. The policy proposals do not directly discriminate against people on the basis of the protected characteristics, there may be some indirect impacts. We consider the measures to be proportionate means of achieving the legitimate aims of managing immigration, attracting high-skilled individuals, controlling our borders and protecting the UK taxpayer.


Written Question
Immigration: Wales
Tuesday 12th December 2023

Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Oral Statement of 4 December 2023 on Legal Migration, Official Report, columns 41-43, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the changes to immigration rules announced in that Statement on higher education institutions in Wales.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

Our Points Based System enables the Government to prioritise the skills and talent we need to help our economy grow and support our NHS, while encouraging investment in, and protecting, our own resident workforce. In arriving at this package of measures, we have been mindful of the need to balance the impacts on economic growth and the needs of the labour market.

The Government regularly considers policy proposals and the impacts these will have. The policy proposals do not directly discriminate against people on the basis of the protected characteristics, there may be some indirect impacts. We consider the measures to be proportionate means of achieving the legitimate aims of managing immigration, attracting high-skilled individuals, controlling our borders and protecting the UK taxpayer.