Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she is taking steps to provide community-based alternatives to immigration detention for women.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Department will keep under review the feasibility of alternatives to detention, taking account of effectiveness and cost efficiency, as part of our plans to transform the asylum and returns system.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of suspending refugee family reunion applications on (a) women, (b) children and (c) other vulnerable groups.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The suspension of the refugee family reunion route is temporary while the Government undertakes a full review and reform of the current family rules to ensure we have a fair and properly balanced system. In the meantime, those with protection status can use other family routes to sponsor a partner and child to come to the UK. Information relating these changes are published on gov.uk at Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 1298, 4 September 2025 - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help reduce the criminalisation of asylum-seeking survivors of violence against women and girls.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Asylum-seeking victims of VAWG must be treated as victims, first and foremost. We recognise the challenges asylum-seeking victims of VAWG can face and the VAWG Strategy will include more detail on our approach to criminalisation of victims of VAWG. It is vital that we get this right, and we are committed to publishing the Strategy as soon as possible.
We are committed to delivering an asylum process that is gender sensitive, building on the Government’s wider strategy to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG).
In addition, the Government provides support to migrant victims of VAWG through the Migrant Victims Domestic Abuse Concession (MVDAC) and works with sector leads on this group to ensure they are part of the broader strategy on VAWG.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of reducing the refugee move-on period to 28 days on levels of risk to women of (a) homelessness and (b) exposure to violence and abuse.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
From 1 September 2025, the Home Office has taken the decision to pause the 56 day move on period pilot for single adults in receipt of a positive asylum decision, with the exception of individuals who are pregnant, over the age of 65 or have a known/evidence disability, as defined by the 2010 Equality Act. All families and single adults that fall within the exception criteria granted asylum will continue to be given the 56-day pilot move on period until the end of December. We are committed to providing all our partners with appropriate notice of any further changes to the Move On period through our regular engagement forums and in writing.
We closely monitor the impact of all our policies, including the move on period, on the number and occupancy of asylum hotels, the overall costs of the asylum accommodation estate, the wider effect on local communities, and any pressures placed on local authorities and public amenities. We remain committed to working closely with our partners to identify improvements and make efficiencies in supporting newly recognised refugees move on from asylum accommodation. We are committed to keeping our partners informed through regular engagement.
This Government is also delivering a cross-government transformative approach to halve violence against women and girls, underpinned by a new VAWG strategy to be published this year.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to respond to the correspondence of 14 August 2025 from the hon. Member for Aberdeen North, reference ZA35390, CMS Reference: 121024945817 and 73911701.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Department aims to respond to all ministerial correspondences within 20 working days, but there may be instances where there is additional information needed that may cause delays.
The correspondence in question was sent to DWP Ministerial Correspondence team on 18 August. As it was in relation to a Child Maintenance Service (CMS) operational matter, it was directed to CMS to address. A response will be sent by 16 September 2025.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answers of 13 June 2025 to Questions (a) 57249, (b) 57250 and (c) 57251, how many departmental roles are based in Aberdeen; what additional roles are planned for the city following the establishment of the UK Energy Campus; and what his planned timeline is for establishing the Campus.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As of July 2025, there were 100 staff members based in Aberdeen, comprising a wide variety of roles within the department.
The development of the Aberdeen Energy Campus is in its initial stages. In line with the Cabinet Office Thematic Campus principles, we are looking to determine the most appropriate model for the location, working closely with other government departments and arms-length bodies. Additionally, departmental workforce strategy and business planning outcomes will play a significant role in shaping and influencing this process.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate her Department has made of the potential impact of the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill on levels of child poverty.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Department has published an updated assessment of the poverty impacts of the benefit changes announced at Spring Statement with revisions to reflect the proposed changes since tabled, which includes changes to Universal Credit. This estimates that there will be 50,000 fewer individuals in relative poverty after housing costs in 2029/30 as a result of the changes. This includes a reduction in poverty for both children and working age individuals.
The assessment is available at Spring statement social security changes – updated impact on poverty levels in Great Britain, July 2025 - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he plans to respond to the consultation on Building the North Sea’s Energy Future, which closed on 30 April 2025.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
DESNZ is currently analysing the responses received. We will publish a government response setting out our next steps in due course.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when her Department plans to respond to the consultation on the Oil and gas price mechanism, which closed on 28 May 2025.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The government is committed to providing long-term certainty to the oil and gas sector over the future fiscal regime. That is why the Oil and Gas Price Mechanism consultation, published on 5 March 2025, explored proposals for how the tax system should respond to unusually high prices after the Energy Profits Levy (EPL) ends in March 2030 (or sooner if the Energy Security Investment Mechanism or ESIM is triggered).
As the consultation window is now closed, responses from stakeholders are being reviewed. Next steps will be announced in due course.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) women-only and (b) family-only hotels staffed exclusively by women for female refugees.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration and asylum system under regular review, and works closely with our accommodation providers, the police and a range of other experts and stakeholders to provide the best possible safeguards for female asylum seekers against violence and abuse.