Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average processing time was for Turkish Businessperson visa extension applications in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The latest data on ECAA matters is routinely published as part of UKVI Transparency data.
The most recent published data for outstanding ECCA applications can be found here: Visas and Citizenship data: Q3 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Under Visas and Citizenship Data, Tab VSI_03 includes the number of straightforward applications and non-straightforward applications which remained outstanding at the end of the last reported period.
Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average processing time was for Further Leave to Remain (Family and Private Life) applications in the latest period for which data is available.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The average processing times for Further Leave to Remain (Family and Private Life) applications are listed on the GOV.UK website at
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/visa-decision-waiting-times-applications-inside-the-uk
Customers applying for leave to remain as a spouse or partner (on the 5-year route to settlement), or as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner, will usually receive a decision on their application within 8 weeks.
There are no standard processing times for customers applying for leave to remain as a partner, parent or on the basis of private life (10-year routes to settlement or 5-year parent route to settlement). The average wait time for a decision is currently 11 months although there may be circumstances which result in some applications taking longer.
Current published data regarding all application routes can be found on the GOV.UK website at
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-and-protection-data-q2-2022
and at
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/managed-migration-datasets
Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)
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 the processing time for Family Visas.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Home Office had been prioritising Ukraine Visa Schemes applications in response to the humanitarian crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As such earlier this year the service standard for family entry clearance applications was changed from 60-days to 120-days as a direct result.
The bulk of resource has now returned to the route, along with an additional investment of new staff.
We are keeping the service standard level under review.
Visa decision waiting times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure all outstanding cost of living payments due to be paid are paid in full by the end of October 2022.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The first £326 Cost of Living Payment and the £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment have been paid automatically to those, who at the time, were eligible to receive it. However, there will continue to be cases where eligibility to a Cost of Living Payment has yet to be established due to an outstanding appeal decision for example. We will periodically make payments to people who have later been found to be eligible and have not yet received a payment. The payments will continue to be made automatically in the same way the qualifying benefit or tax credit is paid.
The second £324 Cost of Living Payment will be paid between the 8 and 23 November 2022 to those, who at the time, are eligible to receive it. The £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment will be paid with the normal Winter Fuel Payments from November 2022. The timetable for when Cost of Living Payments are made is published here: Cost of Living Payment - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The Department for Work and Pensions has published management information on the total number of means-tested benefit and Disability Cost of Living Payments made. As of 8 September 2022, 8,400,000 means-tested benefits Cost of Living Payments, first payment, had been made. As of 30 September 2022, 6,000,000 Disability Cost of Living Payments had been made. The information which will be updated as new payments are made can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cost-of-living-payment-management-information
Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many cost of living payments are outstanding and are due to be paid throughout October 2022.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The Department for Work and Pensions has published management information on the total number of means-tested benefit Cost of Living Payments made and disability Cost of Living Payments made. As of 8 September 2022, 8,400,000 means-tested benefits Cost of Living payments, first payment, had been made. As of 30 September 2022, 6,000,000 disability Cost of Living payments, first payment, had been made.
The information which will be updated as new payments can be found here:
Cost of Living Payment management information – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The timetable for when cost of living payments are made is published here: Cost of Living Payment – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
It is not possible to determine how many people are due a Cost of Living Payment, as entitlement may not have been established at the time the payments were made. We will periodically make payments to people who have later been found to be eligible and have not yet received a payment. The payments will continue to be made automatically in the same way the qualifying benefit or tax credit is paid.
Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the number of Cost-of-Living payments that have been missed and have resulted in mop-up payments having to be made.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
The As of 8 September 2022, 8,400,000 means-tested benefits Cost of Living payments had been made. As of 30 September 2022, 6,000,000 Disability Cost of Living Payments had been made. The information which will be updated as new payments are made can be found here:
Cost of Living Payment management information - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The timetable for when cost of living payments are made is published here: Cost of Living Payment - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
It is not possible to determine how many people are due a Cost-of-Living Payment, as entitlement may not have been established at the time the payments were made. We will periodically make payments to people who have later been found to be eligible and have not yet received a payment. The payments will continue to be made automatically in the same way the qualifying benefit or tax credit is paid.
Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants were assigned from (a) KY6 and (b) KY7 postcodes to the temporary Jobcentre in Kirkcaldy as part of her Department's Rapid Estate Expansion Programme in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
Ahead of the temporary Jobcentre in Kirkcaldy opening in March 2022, there were 240 Universal Credit claimants assigned from the KY7 postcode, and none from the KY6 postcode. Current information about the assignment of claimants from these postcodes is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.
Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that responses to Hazardous Substance Consent enquiries from planning authorities are delivered on time.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is a statutory consultee for Hazardous Substances Consent Applications. The assessments undertaken by HSE for each Hazardous Substance Consent Application are complex and underpin HSE’s statutory advice to Hazardous Substances Authorities. This advice is aimed at mitigating the effects of a major accident on the population around a major hazard site. In July 2012, as part of the government’s response to the Penfold Review, HSE agreed to deliver its Hazardous Substance Consent statutory advice to Hazardous Substance Authorities within 13-26 weeks of receiving a valid application. HSE continues to work to these agreed timeframes, which reflect the detailed assessment work needed.
HSE processes between 60 and 80 Hazardous Substance Consent applications a year. In 2020/21 (the last full year where data is available) HSE provided advice for 67% of the 61 Hazardous Substance Consent applications received within the 26 week deadline.
HSE meets regularly with Hazardous Substances Consent policy leads from England, Scotland and Wales. HSE understands that there are no current plans for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) or Devolved Administrations to amend Hazardous Substance Consent legislation to reflect the timescales agreed through the Penfold Review, however HSE will be publishing information on its website to advise applicants on the timescales involved. HSE has also produced a smart form to aid the submission of valid applications and is also recruiting to maintain its current numbers of specialist risk assessors, who undertake this expert assessment work.
Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what is the target time frame for the Health and Safety Executive to respond to hazardous substances consent enquiries from planning authorities; (a) how many and (b) what proportion of such enquiries were responded to within that time frame in the last 12 months; and of the enquiries that were not responded to within that time frame in the last 12 months, what was the average length of wait for a response.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is a statutory consultee for Hazardous Substances Consent Applications. The assessments undertaken by HSE for each Hazardous Substance Consent Application are complex and underpin HSE’s statutory advice to Hazardous Substances Authorities. This advice is aimed at mitigating the effects of a major accident on the population around a major hazard site. In July 2012, as part of the government’s response to the Penfold Review, HSE agreed to deliver its Hazardous Substance Consent statutory advice to Hazardous Substance Authorities within 13-26 weeks of receiving a valid application. HSE continues to work to these agreed timeframes, which reflect the detailed assessment work needed.
HSE processes between 60 and 80 Hazardous Substance Consent applications a year. In 2020/21 (the last full year where data is available) HSE provided advice for 67% of the 61 Hazardous Substance Consent applications received within the 26 week deadline.
HSE meets regularly with Hazardous Substances Consent policy leads from England, Scotland and Wales. HSE understands that there are no current plans for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) or Devolved Administrations to amend Hazardous Substance Consent legislation to reflect the timescales agreed through the Penfold Review, however HSE will be publishing information on its website to advise applicants on the timescales involved. HSE has also produced a smart form to aid the submission of valid applications and is also recruiting to maintain its current numbers of specialist risk assessors, who undertake this expert assessment work.
Asked by: Peter Grant (Scottish National Party - Glenrothes)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the calculation formula for child maintenance special expenses travel cost claims.
Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General
A parent may apply for a contact cost variation for certain travel and accommodation expenses that would reasonably be expected to incur in order to maintain regular contact with a qualifying child, provided they are at least £10.00 per week. This threshold avoids the administrative burden of handling applications that would have little or no effect on the maintenance calculation and the whole amount of the claim can be considered.