Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's review of the adults at risk in immigration detention policy, whether she has considered the potential merits of including (a) lesbian, (b) bisexual and (c) gay people on the list of indicators of risk.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
As part of the review of the adults at risk in immigration detention policy, I can confirm that officials have considered the merits of including lesbian, gay and bisexual people on the list of indicators of risk under the policy. In addition, written comments and representations from a number of organisations that represent lesbian, gay and bisexual people were provided to the Home Office further to external engagement on the review.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's Statement of 1 September 2025 on Borders and Asylum, Official Report, col 26, what steps she plans to take to tighten the test for asylum accommodation.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are reviewing our processes, policies and legislation to ensure that only those who need support receive it. We will set out reforms to the asylum system later this year in the Asylum Policy statement.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether (a) asylum seeking families, (b) asylum seeking unaccompanied minors and (c) all types of asylum seekers would be eligible for transfer from asylum hotels to military barracks.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office is firmly committed to ensuring that destitute asylum seekers are provided with safe, secure, and appropriate accommodation, and that they are treated with dignity throughout the asylum process.
Any requests to be accommodated in a particular location are considered under the Home Office Allocation of Asylum Accommodation Policy on a case-by-case basis, balancing the overarching principle that accommodation is offered on a ‘no choice basis’ against the strength of the exceptional circumstances.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, what assessment she has made on the potential impact of changes to the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain on people working (a) part-time and (b) on low wages.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
A technical annex has been published alongside the White Paper. It can be found in the following link: Restoring control over the immigration system: white paper - GOV.UK.
We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year and further details on the proposed scheme will be provided at that time.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain on people seeking to buy property in the UK.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
A technical annex has been published alongside the White Paper. It can be found in the following link: Restoring control over the immigration system: white paper - GOV.UK.
We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year and further details on the proposed scheme will be provided at that time.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed extension of the qualifying period for indefinite leave on levels of poverty in migrant communities.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
A technical annex has been published alongside the White Paper. It can be found in the following link: Restoring control over the immigration system: white paper - GOV.UK.
We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year and will provide details of how the scheme will work at that time.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the qualifying period for indefinite leave on families with British-born children.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We will reform our settlement and citizenship rules by expanding the Points-Based System and increasing the standard qualifying period for settlement to ten years.
Individuals will have the opportunity to reduce the qualifying period to settlement and citizenship based on contributions to the UK economy and society.
Paragraph 265 of the White Paper states that we will continue to offer a shorter pathway to settlement for non-UK dependants of British citizens of five years, provided they have remained compliant with the requirements of the relevant family route.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the error rate in asylum applications where decisions had an (a) automated and (b) AI-based element was between November 2024 and March 2025.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
No automated / AI tools were deployed in Asylum decision making between November 2024 and March 2025.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether asylum applicants are made aware of their right to (a) receive and (b) amend their transcript from their substantive interview.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Asylum claimants are advised throughout the interview process that they will receive a copy of their interview transcript, and are invited to make any clarifications that are required.
Asked by: Olivia Blake (Labour - Sheffield Hallam)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether data and imagery collected by Anduril Maritime Sentry Towers are used in asylum application decision-making.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The data and imagery collected by Anduril Maritime Sentry Towers are not used in asylum application decision-making.