Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what meetings (a) she and (b) Ministers have had with Doug Gurr since 4 July 2024.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)
Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery
Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the increase to employers' National Insurance contributions on hospices.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
We have taken necessary decisions at the Autumn Budget, which enabled a £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department.
In December, we announced a £100 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices and an additional £26 million revenue funding for children’s hospices. The biggest investment in a generation for hospices.
The employer National Insurance contribution rise will be implemented in April 2025 and the Department will set out further details on allocation of funding for hospices in England for next year in due course, including through the NHS planning guidance.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the work for vehicle entry and exit in New Palace Yard is on (a) time and (b) budget.
Answered by Nick Smith
The most recently approved Business Case for the works in New Palace Yard anticipated a completion date of between October 2024 and March 2026. This range takes into account identified risks that may occur over the life span of the project, for example material shortages, unexpected discoveries during excavation, or unexpected events. The works are currently expected to complete in October 2025, which is within the approved range. The works are anticipated to complete within the overall budget set out in the Business Case.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will conduct modelling on the potential impact of increases in the use of (a) low carbon-emitting and (b) synthetic fuels by vehicles in the logistics sector on carbon emissions.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Low carbon fuels, including synthetics, are helping decarbonise the logistics sector and are supported by the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation. Any future policy decisions on the support for low carbon fuels in transport will be developed and informed by modelling potential impacts.
In the logistics sector, delivering net zero will require the adoption of zero emission vehicles and this is why we are turbocharging the rollout of zero emission HGVs and their charging and fuelling infrastructure through our Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator programme.
The logistics sector is vital to drive economic growth and achieve net zero and we are committed to working with the sector to achieve these aims.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of capacity on Chiltern Railways services.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department continues to work closely with Chiltern Railways to support the delivery of an improved passenger experience. In response to passenger demand and to reduce overcrowding, Chiltern periodically adjusts its timetable.
The Department is fully engaged with Chiltern’s fleet renewal programme. We are considering the option to procure additional trains to increase capacity, whilst ensuring value for money for the taxpayer.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to extend the deadline for registering for an e-Visa.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
There is no deadline for registering for a UKVI account to access an eVisa. Most BRPs expire on 31 December and we encourage all BRP holders to create a UKVI account before their BRP expires. If a person has not created an account by 31 December 2024, they will still be able to do so in 2025, using their expired BRP if needed.
eVisas are a key part of our Border Transformation and have been successfully used by over 6 million people in recent years.
The rollout of eVisas does not affect a person’s immigration status. Even where someone has not yet created a UKVI account, their eVisa is already available and employers and landlords can digitally check a person’s right to work status using the ‘Check a job applicant’s right to work’ and ‘Check a tenant’s right to rent in England’ services.
It is not possible to provide accurate figures on the number of people who have failed to complete the UKVI account registration process. These failures can be due to a number of reasons, including the user choosing to pause the process. Similarly, it is not possible to identify the proportion of people who may have experienced technical difficulties with the eVisa system itself rather than for another reason.
There have been 441 complaints relating to eVisas received by our Customer Complaints Team between 28 August 2024 and 15 December 2024, which is the most recent reporting period available. This number refers to all complaints relating to eVisas rather than just in relation to registering for a UKVI account.
Over 3.1 million people, mostly with BRPs, have successfully made the transition to eVisas from March to November this year. There are still a proportion of customers who have not yet signed up, and we would strongly encourage them to do so. We publish monthly statistics on the number of people who have created a UKVI account, the latest edition of which can be found at Online immigration status (eVisa): UKVI account creation data - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many registrations for an e-Visa have (a) failed to complete the process and (b) experienced technical difficulties.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
There is no deadline for registering for a UKVI account to access an eVisa. Most BRPs expire on 31 December and we encourage all BRP holders to create a UKVI account before their BRP expires. If a person has not created an account by 31 December 2024, they will still be able to do so in 2025, using their expired BRP if needed.
eVisas are a key part of our Border Transformation and have been successfully used by over 6 million people in recent years.
The rollout of eVisas does not affect a person’s immigration status. Even where someone has not yet created a UKVI account, their eVisa is already available and employers and landlords can digitally check a person’s right to work status using the ‘Check a job applicant’s right to work’ and ‘Check a tenant’s right to rent in England’ services.
It is not possible to provide accurate figures on the number of people who have failed to complete the UKVI account registration process. These failures can be due to a number of reasons, including the user choosing to pause the process. Similarly, it is not possible to identify the proportion of people who may have experienced technical difficulties with the eVisa system itself rather than for another reason.
There have been 441 complaints relating to eVisas received by our Customer Complaints Team between 28 August 2024 and 15 December 2024, which is the most recent reporting period available. This number refers to all complaints relating to eVisas rather than just in relation to registering for a UKVI account.
Over 3.1 million people, mostly with BRPs, have successfully made the transition to eVisas from March to November this year. There are still a proportion of customers who have not yet signed up, and we would strongly encourage them to do so. We publish monthly statistics on the number of people who have created a UKVI account, the latest edition of which can be found at Online immigration status (eVisa): UKVI account creation data - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of people with the right to remain in the UK have reported issues registering for an e-Visa.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
There is no deadline for registering for a UKVI account to access an eVisa. Most BRPs expire on 31 December and we encourage all BRP holders to create a UKVI account before their BRP expires. If a person has not created an account by 31 December 2024, they will still be able to do so in 2025, using their expired BRP if needed.
eVisas are a key part of our Border Transformation and have been successfully used by over 6 million people in recent years.
The rollout of eVisas does not affect a person’s immigration status. Even where someone has not yet created a UKVI account, their eVisa is already available and employers and landlords can digitally check a person’s right to work status using the ‘Check a job applicant’s right to work’ and ‘Check a tenant’s right to rent in England’ services.
It is not possible to provide accurate figures on the number of people who have failed to complete the UKVI account registration process. These failures can be due to a number of reasons, including the user choosing to pause the process. Similarly, it is not possible to identify the proportion of people who may have experienced technical difficulties with the eVisa system itself rather than for another reason.
There have been 441 complaints relating to eVisas received by our Customer Complaints Team between 28 August 2024 and 15 December 2024, which is the most recent reporting period available. This number refers to all complaints relating to eVisas rather than just in relation to registering for a UKVI account.
Over 3.1 million people, mostly with BRPs, have successfully made the transition to eVisas from March to November this year. There are still a proportion of customers who have not yet signed up, and we would strongly encourage them to do so. We publish monthly statistics on the number of people who have created a UKVI account, the latest edition of which can be found at Online immigration status (eVisa): UKVI account creation data - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many complaints her Department has received on systems for registering for an e-Visa.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
There is no deadline for registering for a UKVI account to access an eVisa. Most BRPs expire on 31 December and we encourage all BRP holders to create a UKVI account before their BRP expires. If a person has not created an account by 31 December 2024, they will still be able to do so in 2025, using their expired BRP if needed.
eVisas are a key part of our Border Transformation and have been successfully used by over 6 million people in recent years.
The rollout of eVisas does not affect a person’s immigration status. Even where someone has not yet created a UKVI account, their eVisa is already available and employers and landlords can digitally check a person’s right to work status using the ‘Check a job applicant’s right to work’ and ‘Check a tenant’s right to rent in England’ services.
It is not possible to provide accurate figures on the number of people who have failed to complete the UKVI account registration process. These failures can be due to a number of reasons, including the user choosing to pause the process. Similarly, it is not possible to identify the proportion of people who may have experienced technical difficulties with the eVisa system itself rather than for another reason.
There have been 441 complaints relating to eVisas received by our Customer Complaints Team between 28 August 2024 and 15 December 2024, which is the most recent reporting period available. This number refers to all complaints relating to eVisas rather than just in relation to registering for a UKVI account.
Over 3.1 million people, mostly with BRPs, have successfully made the transition to eVisas from March to November this year. There are still a proportion of customers who have not yet signed up, and we would strongly encourage them to do so. We publish monthly statistics on the number of people who have created a UKVI account, the latest edition of which can be found at Online immigration status (eVisa): UKVI account creation data - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Greg Smith (Conservative - Mid Buckinghamshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of people with the right to remain in the UK have registered for an e-Visa.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
There is no deadline for registering for a UKVI account to access an eVisa. Most BRPs expire on 31 December and we encourage all BRP holders to create a UKVI account before their BRP expires. If a person has not created an account by 31 December 2024, they will still be able to do so in 2025, using their expired BRP if needed.
eVisas are a key part of our Border Transformation and have been successfully used by over 6 million people in recent years.
The rollout of eVisas does not affect a person’s immigration status. Even where someone has not yet created a UKVI account, their eVisa is already available and employers and landlords can digitally check a person’s right to work status using the ‘Check a job applicant’s right to work’ and ‘Check a tenant’s right to rent in England’ services.
It is not possible to provide accurate figures on the number of people who have failed to complete the UKVI account registration process. These failures can be due to a number of reasons, including the user choosing to pause the process. Similarly, it is not possible to identify the proportion of people who may have experienced technical difficulties with the eVisa system itself rather than for another reason.
There have been 441 complaints relating to eVisas received by our Customer Complaints Team between 28 August 2024 and 15 December 2024, which is the most recent reporting period available. This number refers to all complaints relating to eVisas rather than just in relation to registering for a UKVI account.
Over 3.1 million people, mostly with BRPs, have successfully made the transition to eVisas from March to November this year. There are still a proportion of customers who have not yet signed up, and we would strongly encourage them to do so. We publish monthly statistics on the number of people who have created a UKVI account, the latest edition of which can be found at Online immigration status (eVisa): UKVI account creation data - GOV.UK.