Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average length of time asylum seeker families are spending in contingency accommodation is in (a) the UK and (b) Northern Ireland.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not publish information regarding the length of time spent in contingency accommodation by asylum seekers. This period of time is determined by a number of factors including overall demand and availability of dispersal accommodation as well as individual circumstances.
The Government is determined to restore order to the asylum system so that it operates swiftly, firmly and fairly. This includes identifying a range of options to reduce the use of hotels over time and ensuring efficiency and value for money across all accommodation arrangements.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department issues on whether people living in the UK on a Graduate visa can start a Master’s degree while waiting for a decision in relation to their application for a Family visa.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The UK government website has guidance on all our immigration rules and criteria, including the requirements of the Student route and the study conditions of the Graduate route: Visas and immigration - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill on (a) free movement within the Common Travel Area and (b) the land border.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Common Travel Area (CTA) supports the long-standing principle of free movement for British and Irish citizens between the UK, Ireland and the Crown Dependencies (Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man) and has been recognised in law since the 1920s.
In support of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement there is no hard border and no immigration controls between Northern Ireland and Ireland and as part of the wider CTA arrangements the UK does not operate routine immigration controls on journeys made within the CTA.
The details of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill and the assessment of the Bill’s impact will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on changes to the level of the baseline minimum salary for family visas for spouses and partners.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The new Home Secretary will decide on the future of current Home Office policies in due course. Any changes will be announced to Parliament.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on whether social care workers should be able to bring their dependents to the UK on their visa.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The new Home Secretary will decide on the future of current Home Office policies in due course. Any changes will be announced to Parliament in the normal way.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on changes to the level of the baseline minimum salary for Skilled Worker visas.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The new Home Secretary will decide on the future of current Home Office policies in due course. Any changes will be announced to Parliament in the normal way.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on the potential impact of the Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme on the tourism industry in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Government is in the process of reviewing a number of Home Office policies including this one and will make a decision in due course.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing an exemption to the Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme for tourists travelling from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Government is in the process of reviewing a number of Home Office policies including this one and will make a decision in due course.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the impact of Electronic Travel Authorisation on tourism in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) Great Britain.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Government is in the process of reviewing a number of Home Office policies including this one and will make a decision in due course.
Asked by: Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance - Lagan Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Seasonal Agricultural Workers scheme in Northern Ireland to include mushroom growers.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Seasonal Worker visa allows workers to come to the UK for up to six months in any twelve month period to pick both edible and ornamental crops (e.g. fruit and flower picking). The list of eligible occupations covered by the route already includes mushroom pickers, as set out in paragraph SAW4.1(f)(vi) of Appendix Temporary Work - Seasonal Worker of the Immigration Rules.