Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the total number of hours staff in her Department spent on processing visa applications for Ukrainian refugees during the weeks commencing (a) 7, (b) 14, (c) 21 and (d) 28 March 2022.
Answered by Kevin Foster
We have received thousands of applications submitted to one of the fastest and largest visa programmes in UK history.
We are committed to ensuring our operational teams have the resources they need to run an efficient and effective system. We actively monitor workflows to ensure sufficient resources are in place to meet caseworking demand of the Ukraine Family Scheme and the Homes for Ukraine Scheme which we have launched in response to the refugee crisis.
The Home Office and the commercial provider operating our Visa Application Centres have surged staff across Europe to meet demand and UKVI staff in the UK are working seven days a week to process applications.
To capture the detailed information on staff numbers and hours worked would incur disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many self-isolation home visits took place in June 2021 for travellers returning from amber list countries under covid-19 travel restrictions.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Throughout the month of June, the service conducted up to 10,000 checks per day on non-exempt amber list arrivals.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many travellers returned from amber list countries in June 2021.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Home Office regularly publishes migration statistics, including the number of daily air passenger arrivals to the UK on gov.uk. The latest publication covers up to the end of April 2021 and can be found at:
Border Force transparency data: Q1 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has investigated the cause of the error whereby British citizens have incorrectly received letters urging them to apply for the EU Settlement Scheme; and whether the relevant databases have been updated to prevent that error from occurring again.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Government is using every possible channel to encourage everyone who is eligible for the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) to apply.
The Home Office is currently working with HMRC and DWP to encourage EU, EEA and Swiss citizens who receive benefits to apply to the EUSS if they have yet to do so. Letters are being sent out to encourage recipients to apply to the EUSS to protect their existing rights in the UK before the deadline of 30 June 2021.
In trying to reach as many people as possible, there may be a small number of instances where these letters are sent to recipients who are naturalised as a British citizen. The letter may also be received by a small number of individuals who have already applied to the EUSS, for example because they applied after the initial exercise with DWP or HMRC was completed, but before the letter was sent out. The letter makes clear anyone who is a British citizen or already has EUSS status does not need to take any action.
As of 30 April 2021, 4.9m grants of EUSS status have been made. The Home Office urges anyone eligible for the EUSS to apply before the 30 June deadline to ensure their rights are protected following the end of the grace period.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of trends in pet theft in 2020 and 2021; and what steps her Department is taking to tackle that crime.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Government recognises the distress pet theft causes will consider the evidence and what more could be done to prevent these cruel crimes. That is why we launched the Pet Theft Taskforce on 8 May. The Taskforce will:
Further information about the Pet Theft Taskforce, including its full terms of reference, can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/taskforce-launched-to-investigate-reported-rise-in-pet-thefts
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure that new immigration framework will enable the (a) health service and (b) social care sector to continue to recruit overseas staff when necessary.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The Government recognises the valuable contribution that international workers make to our important NHS and to the social care sector and we are determined to ensure that the future immigration system is efficient and able to respond to needs.
In December 2018, we set out our proposals for the future immigration system in “the UK’s future Skills-based Immigration System” White Paper. The White Paper proposals include a new route for skilled workers which will be open to anyone at RQF level 3 (A-Level and equivalent) and above, irrespective of where they are applying from. This route will not be capped and employers will not be required to carry out a Resident Labour Market Test for higher skilled roles.
The White Paper also includes, as a transitional measure, a route for temporary workers which will be open to anyone from qualifying countries, at any skill level, for up to 12 months. We do not intend to impose a cap on the number of people wishing to use this route.
The White Paper is the start of a new national conversation and we have launched a year-long engagement programme over 2019 to take the views of a range of stakeholders across the UK, including the health and social care sector. Informed by this engagement, we will take final decisions ahead of implementing the new system from January 2021.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to encourage cross-police force collaboration to tackle rural crime.
Answered by Nick Hurd
Collaboration is a key tool in helping the police become more responsive, more efficient and more effective at tackling crime. Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Constables now have a statutory duty to consider and review collaboration agreements with other forces. The Government, through the police transformation fund, has also invested in collaborative projects as well as funding to champion a better understanding of crime in rural areas.
The election of Police and Crime Commissioners has given communities, including those in rural areas, a strong voice in determining how police resources are allocated to tackle the crimes that matter most to them.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of Tier 4 visa applications was processed within 15 working days in the last 12 months.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Home Office publishes quarterly statistics on the processing of Tier 4 applications within 15 working days (the latest of which were published on 1 December 2016). Reports covering the last 12 months can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/search?q=international+operations+transparency+data&show_organisations_filter=true
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of administrative review appeals for a UK visa was processed within 28 working days in the last 12 months.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The number of Administrative Reviews for a UK visa processed within 28 days global is not included in published statistics.
Asked by: Julian Sturdy (Conservative - York Outer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of non-settlement visa applications was processed within 15 working days in the last 12 months.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The Home Office regularly publishes quarterly statistics on the processing of non-settlement visa applications within 15 working days (the latest of which were published on 1 December 2016).
Reports covering the last 12 months can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/search?q=international+operations+transparency+data&show_organisations_filter=true