A Bill to make provision about the sale of fireworks; and for connected purposes.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made with the Secretary of State for Education of the potential impact of changes to the eligibility of people with student visas to bring dependents on enrolment numbers in higher education settings.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
A full economic Impact Assessment (IA) was produced relating to the potential impacts of changes to the eligibility of student visa holders to bring dependants. The IA is available at:
2023 changes to the student route and consequential changes to work routes: impact assessment (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Home Office also publish monthly statistics on visas issued (including those on study visas and their dependants). These statistics do not consider the extent to which the lower volumes relative to last year are attributable to the specific policy changes in question. The monthly statistics are available at:
Monthly monitoring of entry clearance visa applications - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons report into HMP Bedford, published in February 2024, what steps she is taking to improve conditions in HMP Bedford.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
HM Prison & Probation Service is committed to delivering sustained improvement in living conditions and performance across the prison estate, to promote a safe and secure environment that facilitates genuine rehabilitation. Since the publication of HM Inspectorate of Prison's latest report on the prison, HMP Bedford has prioritised the improvement of living conditions, by introducing a programme of cleaning, maintenance, pest control and decency checks.
The new Governor, appointed in February, is continuing to monitor performance at the prison to ensure sustained improvement.