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 she will make an assessment of the adequacy of routes available to people in Gaza to join families in the UK.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Government is determined to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, rapidly increase aid, and the return of all hostages. The government is keeping all existing pathways under review in response to events.
We are assisting British nationals and other eligible people to leave Gaza, liaising closely with the Israeli and Egyptian authorities.
The current position is that Palestinians who wish to join family members in the UK can do so via the existing range of routes available to work, study or join family in the UK.
Any application for a UK visa will be assessed against the requirements of the Immigration Rules. Immediate family members of British citizens and those settled in the UK who wish to come and live in the UK can apply under one of the existing family visa routes.
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 she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a family reunification visa scheme for people in Gaza.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
Currently, Palestinians who wish to join family members in the UK can do so via the existing range of routes available.
Any application for a UK visa will be assessed against the requirements of the Immigration Rules. Immediate family members of British citizens and those settled in the UK who wish to come and live in the UK can apply under one of the existing family visa routes.
There are also routes available for dependants of those who are in the UK on a work or student route.
Individuals with protection status or settlement on a protection route may sponsor their partner or child (under 18), to join or stay with them in the UK, providing they formed part of the pre-flight family unit before the sponsor fled their country to seek protection.
When the visa application has been received, consideration will be given to compelling, compassionate and exceptional circumstances.
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 12 December 2023 to Question 5799 on Visas: Gaza, if he will make an updated assessment of the potential merits of establishing a family reunification visa scheme for people in Gaza.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
We keep all existing pathways in response to events under review. Our position remains that at present, there are no plans to create a new visa scheme for family members of British citizens and settled migrants affected by the security situation and the Home Office is not currently considering establishing a separate route for Palestinians to come to the UK.
Since my response of 12 December for Gaza, we have extended eligibility for consular assistance. Under our extended eligibility policy, we are assisting UK visa holders to leave Gaza if they have an immediate family member currently living in the UK and hold valid permission to enter or remain in the UK for longer than six months. Immediate family members of British citizens, and those settled in the UK, who wish to come and live in the UK, and do not have a current UK visa, can apply under one of the existing Family visa routes.
UKVI is working closely with the FCDO in supporting family members of British nationals to exit from Gaza who require a visa, signposting the necessary steps and expediting appointments at the Visa Application Centre.
Any application for a UK visa will be assessed against the requirements of the Immigration Rules and our suitability requirements. Consideration will be given to compelling, compassionate and exceptional circumstances raised and may be taken into account where certain requirements are not met.
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 recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of routes available to people in Gaza to join families in the UK.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
We keep all existing pathways in response to events under review. Our position remains that at present, there are no plans to create a new visa scheme for family members of British citizens and settled migrants affected by the security situation and the Home Office is not currently considering establishing a separate route for Palestinians to come to the UK.
Since my response of 12 December for Gaza, we have extended eligibility for consular assistance. Under our extended eligibility policy, we are assisting UK visa holders to leave Gaza if they have an immediate family member currently living in the UK and hold valid permission to enter or remain in the UK for longer than six months. Immediate family members of British citizens, and those settled in the UK, who wish to come and live in the UK, and do not have a current UK visa, can apply under one of the existing Family visa routes.
UKVI is working closely with the FCDO in supporting family members of British nationals to exit from Gaza who require a visa, signposting the necessary steps and expediting appointments at the Visa Application Centre.
Any application for a UK visa will be assessed against the requirements of the Immigration Rules and our suitability requirements. Consideration will be given to compelling, compassionate and exceptional circumstances raised and may be taken into account where certain requirements are not met.
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 recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of including HGV drivers as (a) an eligible occupation for a skilled worker visa and (b) on the immigration salary list.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
The occupation of HGV driver does not meet the requirements of the Skilled Worker visa route.
The Government intend to commission the Migration Advisory Committee to undertake a full review of the Immigration Salary List. The Government will carefully consider their recommendations once received, should they make one regarding HGV drivers.
The Government regularly monitors labour market data to review the labour needed in different sectors, however there are no plans to extend the scope of the Seasonal Worker route.
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 recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a seasonal visa scheme for qualified HGV drivers.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
The occupation of HGV driver does not meet the requirements of the Skilled Worker visa route.
The Government intend to commission the Migration Advisory Committee to undertake a full review of the Immigration Salary List. The Government will carefully consider their recommendations once received, should they make one regarding HGV drivers.
The Government regularly monitors labour market data to review the labour needed in different sectors, however there are no plans to extend the scope of the Seasonal Worker route.
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 an assessment of the effectiveness of the passport application process for adopted people who do not have access to parental birth records.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
His Majesty’s Passport Office engages with customers on a case-by-case basis where they tell us they are unable to obtain supporting documents, including adopted persons who are unable to access birth records.
Published HM Passport Office guidance provides advice to customers and passport examiners in considering these cases and what alternative evidence can be accepted when required.
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 - Shadow Home Secretary
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.
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 - Shadow Home Secretary
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.
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
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.