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Written Question
Visas: Robert Gordon University
Wednesday 6th March 2024

Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the potential economic impact on Robert Gordon University of the restrictions to student visa routes implemented on 1 January 2024.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

The Government will continue to strike the balance between reducing overall net migration, protecting the economic benefits that overseas students bring to the UK and ensuring that businesses have the skills they need. Those affected by changes made to the Student visa will predominantly be dependants of students who make a more limited contribution to the economy than students or those on work visas, minimising the impact on UK growth.

We have been successful in delivering our International Education Strategy goal of hosting 600,000 students per year by 2030, earlier than planned, and expect universities to be able to adapt to reduced dependant numbers.


Written Question
Visas: University of Aberdeen
Wednesday 6th March 2024

Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the potential economic impact on the University of Aberdeen of the restrictions to student visa routes implemented on 1 January 2024.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

The Government will continue to strike the balance between reducing overall net migration, protecting the economic benefits that overseas students bring to the UK and ensuring that businesses have the skills they need. Those affected by changes made to the Student visa will predominantly be dependants of students who make a more limited contribution to the economy than students or those on work visas, minimising the impact on UK growth.

We have been successful in delivering our International Education Strategy goal of hosting 600,000 students per year by 2030, earlier than planned, and expect universities to be able to adapt to reduced dependant numbers.


Written Question
Visas: Aberdeen
Wednesday 6th March 2024

Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the potential economic impact on Aberdeen City of the restrictions to student visa routes implemented on t January 2024.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

The Government will continue to strike the balance between reducing overall net migration, protecting the economic benefits that overseas students bring to the UK and ensuring that businesses have the skills they need. Those affected by changes made to the Student visa will predominantly be dependants of students who make a more limited contribution to the economy than students or those on work visas, minimising the impact on UK growth.

We have been successful in delivering our International Education Strategy goal of hosting 600,000 students per year by 2030, earlier than planned, and expect universities to be able to adapt to reduced dependant numbers.


Written Question
Offshore Industry: Skilled Workers
Thursday 29th February 2024

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, what steps her Department is taking to support effective collaboration between (a) employers and (b) education providers to help ensure an adequate pipeline of skilled (i) electrical maintenance, (ii) pipefitting and (iii) other workers in the oil and gas sector.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Government and industry are working collaboratively to train the existing workforce in England through programmes including Skills Bootcamps, Higher Technical Qualifications and apprenticeships. Government is working with trade associations like the Offshore Petroleum Industry Training Organization and the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board to encourage career pathways across the energy sector, including in offshore oil and gas.

The Government is developing a Green Jobs Plan for publication in the first half of 2024, which will provide the actions needed to ensure we have the skills within the UK workforce to deliver on the Government’s targets.


Written Question
Offshore Industry and Renewable Energy: Recruitment
Thursday 29th February 2024

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, what steps she is taking to encourage private investment in the (a) offshore oil and gas and (b) renewables sectors, in the context of private investment in the recruitment and development of personnel in those sectors.

Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Government is developing a Green Jobs Plan, which will provide the actions needed to ensure we have the skills within the UK workforce to deliver on the Government’s targets. Drawing on work by the Government convened Green Jobs Delivery Group, this will be published in the first half of 2024.

To support ongoing investment and protect the 200,000 jobs supported by the offshore oil and gas sector, Government has introduced the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill. Work is ongoing to enable workers to move between sectors, to protect jobs and to ensure skills, which are vital for the transition, are not lost.


Written Question
Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill
Tuesday 13th February 2024

Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the compatibility of the Civil Service Code with the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill.

Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

On 17 January 2024, there was an exchange of letters between the Cabinet Office and the Home Office regarding the future implementation of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill which set out draft guidance to the Civil Service.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-guidance-safety-of-rwanda-bill. Full guidance will be issued when the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum

and Immigration) Bill becomes law.


Written Question
Protective Clothing: Procurement
Tuesday 13th February 2024

Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the PPE High Priority Lane during the covid-19 pandemic, what recent steps he has taken to pursue contractual remedies to recover funding in instances where contracts failed to deliver.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The High Priority Lane prioritised offers of personal protective equipment (PPE), with all offers of PPE going through a structured, documented process regardless of the source of the offer.

The Department established a Contract Dissolution Team to maximise the value obtained from contracts for PPE. Where a contract has been found to have underperformed, or the PPE provided was not up to standard, the team will commence a process, up to and including legal action, to reach the best possible outcome for taxpayer’s money.

We cannot go into the detail of individual contracts at this stage while negotiations and other activities, including legal process, are on-going. Once all activity is complete, we will be able to release more information.


Written Question
PPE Medpro
Tuesday 13th February 2024

Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps she has taken to reclaim public funds provided to PPE MedPro.

Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department had been in a mediated process and protected conversations with PPE Medpro over a contested contract. The discussions did not prove fruitful, and the Department commenced the process of litigation by filing papers with the High Court on 19 December 2022. The Department cannot discuss active legal proceedings, although a Humble address covered this issue in January 2023, and notes were laid in both houses.


Written Question
Levelling Up Fund: Scotland
Monday 12th February 2024

Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which constituencies have been allocated funding from the Levelling Up Fund in Scotland.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

I refer the honourable Member to my answer to Question UIN11550 on 31 January 2024.


Written Question
Levelling Up Fund: Scotland
Monday 12th February 2024

Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which constituencies in Scotland have not been allocated funding from the Levelling Up Fund.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

I refer the honourable Member to my answer to Question UIN11550 on 31 January 2024.