Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in the context of no eligible prize holders having applied for her Department's fast-track Global Talent visa in the first six months of that scheme, what steps she is taking to help ensure that the immigration system is accessible to talented (a) scientists, (b) academics and (c) creatives at all stages of their career.
Answered by Kevin Foster
We have a very generous immigration offer, which enables talented scientists, academics and creatives to come to the UK through a number of different routes, including Global Talent, Skilled Worker, Creative and Temporary Worker Government Authorised Exchange (GAE) routes.
The new Points-Based System is working well, attracting the skills the UK needs, as demonstrated by the latest Immigration Statistics year end September 2021. Issuance of work visas across all routes is up on both 2020 and 2019 (pre-pandemic). Since launch, last year, the Global Talent route has seen a significant increase in applicants compared to the predecessor route, despite the impact of travel cause by the pandemic. The number of visas granted on this route has continued to grow from 422 between its launch in February 2020 to year end September 2020, to 1,709 applicants for the year ending September 2021.
We work closely with the endorsing bodies for the route, which include the country’s leading science bodies, to develop the route to ensure it continues to meet the sector’s needs. We ensure that the route makes it as easy as possible for those top scientists and academics coming to the UK, which is why we introduced the Prestigious Prizes pathway for those at the pinnacle of their career.
This was always intended to be for a very small number of those who may already use the Global Talent route. The only difference from the main route is the removal of the need to obtain endorsement for holders of prestigious prizes. Where individuals do not hold one of these prizes they continue to be able to use the wider route, which I am pleased to say they are doing so in strong numbers.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress she has made on her plans to direct police forces to record violent crimes motivated by hostility to a person’s sex.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
We have asked police forces, on an experimental basis, to record and identify any crimes of violence against the person, including stalking and harassment, and sexual offences where the victim perceives it to have been motivated by a hostility based on their sex .
Each new data requirement incurs an administrative burden on the police and needs close engagement with forces to ensure data recording is accurate and consistent.
We are in consultation with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and forces on how to take this forward.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the 2021-21 statistics on the use of stop and search powers will be published before the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill returns to the House.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
On Monday 25 October the Home Office took the decision to delay the publication of the annual ‘Police powers and procedures: Stop and search and arrests, England and Wales year ending 31 March 2021’ statistical bulletin. This decision was made to allow the Home Office extra time to quality assure new, more granular data on individual stop and search records.
This decision was made in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics and announced at the earliest possible point on GOV.UK. The announcement can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/police-powers-and-procedures-stop-and-search-and-arrests-england-and-wales-year-ending-31-march-2021
As set out in the announcement, the statistical bulletin will now be published on 18th November 2021 at 9:30am and will be available here: Police powers and procedures England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish a timetable for her Department's publication of the statistics on the use of stop and search powers in 2020-21.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
On Monday 25 October the Home Office took the decision to delay the publication of the annual ‘Police powers and procedures: Stop and search and arrests, England and Wales year ending 31 March 2021’ statistical bulletin. This decision was made to allow the Home Office extra time to quality assure new, more granular data on individual stop and search records.
This decision was made in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics and announced at the earliest possible point on GOV.UK. The announcement can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/police-powers-and-procedures-stop-and-search-and-arrests-england-and-wales-year-ending-31-march-2021
As set out in the announcement, the statistical bulletin will now be published on 18th November 2021 at 9:30am and will be available here: Police powers and procedures England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason her Department has not yet published statistics on the use of stop and search powers in 2020-21.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
On Monday 25 October the Home Office took the decision to delay the publication of the annual ‘Police powers and procedures: Stop and search and arrests, England and Wales year ending 31 March 2021’ statistical bulletin. This decision was made to allow the Home Office extra time to quality assure new, more granular data on individual stop and search records.
This decision was made in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics and announced at the earliest possible point on GOV.UK. The announcement can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/police-powers-and-procedures-stop-and-search-and-arrests-england-and-wales-year-ending-31-march-2021
As set out in the announcement, the statistical bulletin will now be published on 18th November 2021 at 9:30am and will be available here: Police powers and procedures England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to publish the full results of her Department’s public consultation on the Nationality and Borders Bill.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The New Plan for Immigration was open to people and organisations across the UK to share their views. The Government has published its findings, which can be found on the GOV.UK website: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/new-plan-for-immigration.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2021 to Question 57200 on Correspondence, what estimate she has made of the total number of items of correspondence from hon. Members (a) awaiting response and (b) awaiting response after the twenty day service standard has passed as at 8 November 2021.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Data about intake and performance in answering MP Correspondence are published quarterly and this includes data up to and including the end of quarter 2 – 2021 with the latest Quarter available at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/customer-service-operations-data-q2-2021
We are proposing the release of data for quarter 3 in due course.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she is having with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on staff shortages in the social care sector; and what steps she is taking to ease visa requirements for people applying to work in the social care sector.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Home Office Ministers and officials discuss a broad range of issues with a variety of stakeholders including other Government departments.
Senior care workers were added to the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) in April 2021, joining other key health and care occupations such as nurses, occupational therapists and social workers. The SOL enables skilled workers to come to the UK for a lower salary and provides for cheaper visa fees.
The introduction of the Health and Care visa in August 2020 made it quicker and cheaper for regulated health and care professionals – including Senior Care Workers - and their dependents to secure their visa.
In July, I commissioned the MAC to review the impact of ending free movement on the social care sector. The MAC have issued a call for evidence with stakeholders and we look forward to receiving their report in April 2022.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to improve its response times in replying to correspondence from hon. Members.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Department works to a target of responding to 95% of MPs written correspondence within 20 working days. Performance has been impacted by a very significant increase in the volume of correspondence received following the Afghanistan crisis.
The Department recognises it has not been able to meet its service standard in some cases, but has implemented an action plan, which includes recruiting additional staff, to clear backlogs and drive up performance.
Asked by: Helen Hayes (Labour - Dulwich and West Norwood)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to introduce safe and legal routes for refugees arriving to the UK.
Answered by Kevin Foster
As set out in the New Plan for Immigration, we will strengthen our safe and legal routes to the UK for refugees in need of protection.
The UK has a proud history of providing protection to those most in need. Overall, since 2015, we have resettled more than 25,000 refugees through safe and legal routes direct from regions of conflict and instability - around half of whom were children.
On 18 August 2021, the Prime Minister announced the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme will see up to 20,000 people at risk resettled to the UK, with 5,000 in the first year.
The UK will maintain its long-term commitment to continue to resettle refugees from around the globe as capacity allows, alongside a fair but firm asylum system.