Asked by: Luke Myer (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the accessibility of (a) the Life in the UK Test and (b) naturalisation application costs for older spouses of British citizens on the route to settlement and citizenship; and what steps she is taking to ensure such applicants are not disadvantaged due to (i) age, (ii) language ability and (iii) financial circumstances.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
All applicants currently applying for citizenship are required to demonstrate Knowledge of Language and Life (KoLL) in the UK unless they are either aged under 18, aged 65 or over, or have a medical condition that prevents them from doing so.
Where someone cannot reasonably be expected to prepare for or pass the Life in the UK test on medical grounds, the requirement can be waived.
If a candidate needs assistance to access the test or needs special adjustments at a test centre, candidates can contact the provider of the tests to make arrangements, at no extra cost.
Asked by: Luke Myer (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to (a) reduce net migration and (b) promote social integration and community cohesion.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
I refer my Hon Friend to the Statement made by the Home Secretary on 12 May accompanying publication of the Government’s Immigration White Paper.
Asked by: Luke Myer (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to prevent the illegal use of off-road bikes.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.
On 25 February 2025, the Crime and Policing Bill was introduced in Parliament. The Bill includes proposals to give the police greater powers to clamp down on off-road bikes and other vehicles involved in anti-social behaviour, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing vehicles.
This will allow the police to quickly remove anti-social vehicles and send a clear message to antisocial drivers that their behaviour will not be tolerated.
Asked by: Luke Myer (Labour - Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has had recent discussions with the (a) Football Association and (b) Football Association of Wales on increasing the level of football clubs' contributions to policing costs at matches; and what steps she is taking to reduce the cost to the police of policing football matches.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are aware of the pressures that football policing places on police force budgets. We agree that large, highly-profitable businesses should make a reasonable contribution to the costs of policing their events and we are considering options for how to manage this in a fair and proportionate way going forward.