Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the cost to the NHS was of treatment provided to individuals recorded as asylum seekers who held a valid HC2 certificate in each year since 2020.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 20 June 2025 in response to Question 59410.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many individuals with refugee status were in receipt of a valid HC2 certificate on the latest date for which data is available.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 20 June 2025 in response to Question 59410.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether HC2 certificate holders are required to notify the NHS Business Services Authority of a change in immigration status.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 20 June 2025 in response to Question 59410.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what nationality data is held for individuals recorded as asylum seekers in receipt of a valid HC2 certificate.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 20 June 2025 in response to Question 59410.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many individuals recorded as asylum seekers were in receipt of a valid HC2 certificate on the latest date for which data is available.
Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 20 June 2025 in response to Question 59410.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what procedures her Department has to ensure that when a proposed Freedom of Information response is resubmitted for internal clearance its original request receipt date, previous clearance referral dates and applicable statutory deadline remain recorded and visible to those handling the case.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office manages Freedom of Information requests through the eCase case management system. eCase records the date a request is received, the applicable statutory deadline and activity relating to the handling of the case, including referrals to the Communications Directorate and special advisers as part of the Department's review processes. This information remains visible within the system, allowing case owners to track the progress and history of a case throughout its lifecycle
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the subject matter of a Freedom of Information request concerning (a) immigration, (b) visas and (c) asylum is a criterion for referral to (i) the Communications Directorate and (ii) special advisers; and if she will publish any subject-specific referral criteria.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
No. The subject matter of a Freedom of Information request is not, in itself, a criterion for referral to the Communications Directorate or special advisers. Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis and may be referred where appropriate. There is no automatic referral solely because a request concerns immigration, visas or asylum. The department has no current plans to publish its internal operational guidance on referral criteria.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department’s procedures permit special advisers to require that a proposed response to a Freedom of Information request is not issued pending their agreement, and which ministerial or official role has final responsibility for authorising disclosure.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Special advisers may be consulted as part of the Home Office's handling of Freedom of Information requests. Where a case has been referred as part of the Department's internal processes, the response would not normally be issued until that stage of the process has been completed. Consistent with Cabinet Office guidance, special advisers may provide advice but do not make decisions on whether information is released under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Final decisions on the application of the Act and the disclosure of information are taken in accordance with the Department's delegated decision-making arrangements and ordinarily rest with the responsible official, although ministers may have a decision-making role in specific circumstances, including for the purposes of section 36 of the Act.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what time limits apply to consideration of proposed Freedom of Information responses by (a) the Communications Directorate and (b) special advisers; and what escalation procedure applies where clearance remains outstanding as the applicable statutory response deadline approaches.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office's Freedom of Information guidance provides that the Communications Directorate will undertake an initial review of referred cases within two working days. For cases referred to special advisers, the Central FOI Team maintains oversight of outstanding referrals and provides a daily list of those cases approaching their statutory deadline. Where a case is approaching its statutory deadline, outstanding cases may be escalated with the Communications Directorate or, in the case of Special Adviser referrals, through the Central FOI Team.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will place in the Library a copy of her Department’s current operational guidance setting out the criteria for referring proposed Freedom of Information responses to (a) the Communications Directorate and (b) special advisers for clearance.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not currently intend to place this operational guidance in the library.
The guidance is an internal operational document used to support officials in the handling and review of Freedom of Information requests. It is intended for internal use and decisions on whether information should be disclosed continue to be taken on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000.