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Written Question
Police: Pensions
Monday 4th March 2024

Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make (a) a comparative estimate of what the average projected pension of a police officer who retired in each year from 2015 to 2023 would have been before the introduction of the McCloud remedy and associated public service pension changes and (b) an estimate of the average discrepancy between (i) the pension being received by police officers as of 28 February 2024 and (ii) the pension police officers will be entitled to once the McCloud remedy and associated public service pension changes are fully implemented.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The information requested is not held centrally. The police pension schemes are locally administered by each police force, and the Home Office does not hold record level information.

Through the McCloud remedy, each eligible pension scheme member will make a personal choice, taking into account their own circumstances. Given this individual choice and associated complexities, it is not possible to assess the average impact for a member.

The 2015 police pension scheme is one of the most valuable available in the UK: backed by the taxpayer; index-linked; and offering guaranteed benefits on retirement, comparing very favourably to the typical private sector scheme.


Written Question
Police: Wales
Monday 4th March 2024

Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2024 to Question 14908 on Police: Wales, whether his Department has provided additional funding to each police force in Wales to implement the redesigned crown logo.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

Cabinet Office guidance advises organisations who want to update their branding to incorporate the redesigned Royal Crown to consider taking a low-cost approach and to avoid wastage wherever possible.

Implementation of items such as digital branding can be carried out without significant cost and there is no requirement to update physical items which should only be changed where necessary or at no or at low cost.

Based on the advice in this guidance the Home Office has not provided any additional funding to police forces.


Written Question
Visas: Gaza
Tuesday 12th December 2023

Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing a family reunification visa scheme for people in Gaza.

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

The UK government is monitoring the situation in Israel and Gaza closely to ensure that it is able to respond appropriately.

British citizens and those with settled status in the UK, together with their foreign national dependants may come to the UK provided that they have valid travel documents, and existing permission to enter or remain in the UK; or are non-visa nationals. They must also pass appropriate security checks.

The government allows individuals with protection status in the UK to sponsor their partner or children to stay with or join them here through their refugee family reunion policy, provided they formed part of the family unit before the sponsor fled their country of origin to seek protection. Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules also provides a route to enter the UK as the parent of a child who is in the UK.

Individuals who do not meet these criteria should apply for a visa to enable them to enter the UK in the normal way.

The Home Office has not considered establishing a separate resettlement route for Palestinians to come to the UK. Since 2015, over half a million people have been offered safe and legal routes into the UK. Our approach is considered in the round, rather than on a crisis-by-crisis basis.

UKVI is working closely with the FCDO in supporting family members of British nationals evacuated from Gaza who require a visa, signposting the necessary steps and expediting appointments at the Visa Application Centre.


Written Question
Visas: Families
Monday 11th December 2023

Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his Department's policy is on the applicability of the minimum income of £38,700 for family visas for people (a) with and (b) already applying for such a visa from Spring 2024.

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

The Government will set out any transitional provisions associated with the increase in the minimum income requirement in due course. Any applications already submitted will be considered in line with the existing policy.


Written Question
Visas: Families
Monday 11th December 2023

Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his Department's policy is on the applicability of the £38,700 skilled worker earnings threshold for people who are (a) in possession of and (b) already applying for a UK visa from Spring 2024.

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

The Government will set out transitional arrangements, in due course, for people issued Skilled Worker visas before the salary changes announced on 4 December 2023 come into force.


Written Question
Asylum: Boats and Military Bases
Monday 13th November 2023

Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to house (a) asylum seekers and (b) refugees who are (i) women and (ii) children on (A) barges and (B) military bases.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

The sites are or will be accommodating single adult male asylum seekers between the ages of 18 and 65.


Written Question
Asylum: Temporary Accommodation
Monday 13th November 2023

Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made a comparative assessment of potential risks to asylum seekers who are women across each type of accommodation used to house those asylum seekers in Wales.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

Across our estate there is an expectation that there will be mixed cohorts within our accommodation.

Some of our core Initial Accommodation may be configured to provide segregated areas specially for families and singles. Similarly in our Dispersed Accommodation there will be a mix of family properties and Houses of Multiple Occupation that are specifically for either males, females or mothers and babies.

Women with children who are in receipt of support are not required to share sleeping quarters with unrelated individuals of the opposite sex but may depending on the circumstances be placed in accommodation facilities that are used to house such individuals.

The Home Office has published the Asylum Support Contracts Safeguarding Framework at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-support-contracts-safeguarding-framework.

This framework sets out a joint, overarching approach, as well as the key controls and reporting mechanisms in place, across the AASC contracts, for safeguarding arrangements.


Written Question
Asylum: Temporary Accommodation
Monday 13th November 2023

Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what policies are in place to ensure the safety of asylum-seeking (a) women and (b) children in asylum accommodation.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

Across our estate there is an expectation that there will be mixed cohorts within our accommodation.

Some of our core Initial Accommodation may be configured to provide segregated areas specially for families and singles. Similarly in our Dispersed Accommodation there will be a mix of family properties and Houses of Multiple Occupation that are specifically for either males, females or mothers and babies.

Women with children who are in receipt of support are not required to share sleeping quarters with unrelated individuals of the opposite sex but may depending on the circumstances be placed in accommodation facilities that are used to house such individuals.

The Home Office has published the Asylum Support Contracts Safeguarding Framework at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-support-contracts-safeguarding-framework.

This framework sets out a joint, overarching approach, as well as the key controls and reporting mechanisms in place, across the AASC contracts, for safeguarding arrangements.


Written Question
Asylum: Temporary Accommodation
Monday 13th November 2023

Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's policy is on alternative accommodation for asylum seekers.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

We are committed to ensuring that destitute asylum seekers are housed in safe, habitable, and fit for purpose accommodation, and that they are treated with dignity whilst in our care.


Written Question
Visas: Applications
Thursday 26th October 2023

Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average (a) cost and (b) time taken was for the conclusion of a (i) spousal and (ii) skilled worker visa application in Wales in the most recent period for which data is available.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

We do not treat applications for those working or residing in Wales any differently to those residing in the UK and we are in service standard for straightforward cases across the named routes.

Visa fees transparency data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)