Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Laurence Robertson and Robert Jenrick

Monday 22nd May 2023 Commons Chamber

[Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury) (Con)]

T2. For a long time, businesspeople in Africa have sometimes found it difficult to get visas for short visits to this country, because the system has been centralised and there are sometimes small errors on their application. Not only they but we lose business because of that situation, so will the Minister examine it to see what can be done to improve the system?

[The Minister for Immigration (Robert Jenrick)]

I would be happy to take a further look and to learn from my hon. Friend’s experience. I am pleased to say that UK Visas and Immigration is now processing all new visit visa applications within the service standard of 15 days, with 323,000 applications from those with African nationalities last year.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Laurence Robertson and Robert Jenrick

Monday 13th January 2020 Commons Chamber

[Robert Jenrick]

I would be very happy to meet the hon. Gentleman. The recommendations of the commission that we will publish shortly speak to all forms of housing, including co-operative housing and social housing, where, of course, there have been some fantastic examples of good-quality design, not least the RIBA award-winning new social homes in Norwich.

[Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury) (Con)]

The question refers to simplifying the planning system, but one of its many complications is that there is no standard methodology for calculating five-year land supply. Will the Government look at this and please address the problem pretty quickly?

[Robert Jenrick]

We will be giving that further thought. The Government are committed to bringing forward a new White Paper on planning reform. I will work closely with the Chancellor to draw up those proposals, and I would be very happy to speak with my hon. Friend and take his views as we do so.