Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to this Oral Statement of 4 December 2023 on Legal Migration, Official Report, column 41, if he will publish the evidential basis that increasing the salary threshold for family visas will achieve its policy objectives.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Investigative work has been undertaken across Government to support decision making in this process; analysis will be published in due course.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 20 November 2023, Official Report, column 37, whether round three of Levelling Up funding for Northern Ireland will be allocated to (a) unsuccessful projects under round two and (b) new applications.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
In Northern Ireland, the Government is not proceeding with this round of the Levelling Up Fund at this time. In the context of the growing pressure on NI budgets it is right that UK Government should consider its approach to funding available for NI in the round. £30 million has been reserved for Northern Ireland from LUF 3. As part of our commitment to levelling up, we want to work with a restored Executive to find the best approach to supporting people in Northern Ireland, taking account of current budget pressures.
We will continue to work closely with projects and places in Northern Ireland that were awarded a total of £120 million in the first two rounds of the Fund and work with stakeholders on how best to level up communities in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 20 November 2023, Official Report, column 37, what his planned timescale is for the allocation of round three of Levelling Up funding for Northern Ireland.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
In Northern Ireland, the Government is not proceeding with this round of the Levelling Up Fund at this time. In the context of the growing pressure on NI budgets it is right that UK Government should consider its approach to funding available for NI in the round. £30 million has been reserved for Northern Ireland from LUF 3. As part of our commitment to levelling up, we want to work with a restored Executive to find the best approach to supporting people in Northern Ireland, taking account of current budget pressures.
We will continue to work closely with projects and places in Northern Ireland that were awarded a total of £120 million in the first two rounds of the Fund and work with stakeholders on how best to level up communities in Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many spouse visas were issued to people with incomes between £18,600 and £38,700 in (a) the UK and (b) Northern Ireland in 2022.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The number of spouse visas issued to people with incomes between £18,600 and £38,700 in (a) the UK and (b) Northern Ireland in 2022 does not form part of any current transparency data or migration statistics and is not published.
The transparency data does, however, include a range of processing data and the latest data can be found at: Migration transparency data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he plans to grant a further extension to the Ministerial Authorisation under the Equality Act 2010: Equality (arrangements for grants of leave to Ukrainian nationals).
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
We are considering options and any announcements will be made in due course.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Ukrainians received a leave outside the immigration rules stamp (a) in total across UK ports, (b) at Drumkeen House and (c) at Belfast International Airport since March 2022.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Ukraine scheme applicants who have travelled with a permission to travel letter, and some Ukrainians who have arrived at UK ports or attended Drumkeen House in Belfast, have received a leave outside the rules immigration stamp. Due to the nature of this process and how it is recorded, we are unable to provide an accurate breakdown of the information requested without incurring disproportionate cost.
The Ukraine schemes have welcomed or extended sanctuary in the UK to over 220,000 Ukrainians and their eligible family members. The latest statistics can be found here: Ukraine Family Scheme, Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine) and Ukraine Extension Scheme visa data – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the validity requirements for the Ukraine Extension Scheme set out in the Immigration Rules Appendix Ukraine Scheme, if he will amend the date by which applicants must have received permission to enter or stay in the UK from 16 November 2023 to May 2024.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The Ukraine Extension Scheme was established in March 2022 to enable Ukrainian nationals and their close family members already in the UK, with permission (or where that permission has recently expired), to remain in the UK. To qualify for permission under the UES a customer must either hold permission to be in the UK on or between 18 March 2022 and 16 November 2023 or have previously held permission to be in the UK which expired on or after 1 January 2022. Those who have been granted permission by 16 November 2023 will have until 16 May 2024 to submit an application under the UES.
We are keeping the need for a possible extension of permission to remain for those here on our Ukraine schemes under consistent review in line with the ongoing conflict.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Oral Statement of 4 December 2023 on Legal Migration, Official Report, column 41, what his Department's policy is on the additional household income threshold requirements per child in that household.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The revised minimum income requirement will be implemented in spring 2024.
The Government will set out any transitional provisions associated with this increase in January.
Any applications already submitted will be considered in line with the existing policy.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the deadlines for (a) eligibility for back payments and (b) all applications to the Victim Payments Board.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
The Victims Payments Regulations (2020) requires the Secretary of State to conduct a review and report on the operation of the scheme between August 2023 and August 2024. These issues - the possibility of extending the periods for backdating payments and for the submission of new applications - will be considered as part of this review. If the Hon Gentleman would like to make his case in correspondence, I will ensure his views are duly considered.
Asked by: Stephen Farry (Alliance - North Down)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will have discussions with international partners on the potential creation of (a) an international monitoring arrangement and (b) a peacekeeping presence through (i) the United Nations and (ii) an ad hoc arrangement to help support a ceasefire in Israel and Palestine.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We maintain regular contact with the United Nations on a full range of issues relating to conflict in Gaza. The FCDO is actively engaging with international partners and those operating on the ground to do all we can to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and support British nationals who wish to leave. The UK is supportive of limited and temporary cessations of hostilities as part of measures to facilitate the flow of life-saving humanitarian aid into Gaza. It is crucial that we capitalise on the hostage deal to allow as much food, water, medical supplies and fuel as possible to reach vulnerable civilians in Gaza. This pause should act as a confidence-building mechanism for future pauses, including those solely on humanitarian grounds. We will continue to use all the tools of British diplomacy and development to enhance the prospects of peace and stability in the region, working closely with our partners.