Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce the time taken to reach a decision on the immigration status application of children born in the UK whose biometric enrolment has been completed; and what measures are in place to ensure that these children have access to (a) healthcare, (b) child benefits and (c) other essential services.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

There are a range of immigration routes through which children who are born in the UK may apply for and obtain Leave to Remain. Information about our service standards for specific immigration routes can be found at:

Customer service standards - GOV.UK.

An application only becomes valid, and the service standard period will only apply, once the application has been submitted, biometric enrolment (facial photograph and fingerprints) has been completed and all required information has been provided.

Access to healthcare, child benefits and other essential services are all matters for other Government Departments. However, the Home Office does facilitate access by departments to our digital immigration records to support their decision-making.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to introduce a (a) formal and (b) accessible complaints system for veterans when public bodies fail to meet their obligations under the Armed Forces Covenant.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) remains committed to supporting the Armed Forces Community under the Armed Forces Covenant. Work is currently underway to put the Covenant fully into law, meaning that the Legal Duty will apply across a broad range of policy areas and to Central Government, Devolved Governments and at a local level.

The MOD is considering its plans for implementation of the extended Duty, and this could include how the bodies subject to it are informed about their responsibilities and encouraged to comply.

Enquiries or complaints about Covenant signatories can be directed to the MOD via afcovenant@rfca.mod.uk, and organisations failing to meet their pledge may have their Covenant status reviewed. The MOD will continue to work with stakeholders to ensure these processes remain accessible and effective in holding public bodies accountable.

Found: because he was “driven by the plight of those suffering unnecessarily at the end of life”.84 Kevin McKenna

Found: because he was “driven by the plight of those suffering unnecessarily at the end of life”.84 Kevin McKenna