Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons hon. Members' telephone access to UK Visas and Immigration has been reduced.

The UKVI MP Account Management teams offered a reduced phone service from 11am -1.30pm and 2.00– 4pm since the beginning of summer recess to enable them to respond to an unprecedented increase in written enquiries from Members of Parliament. Hon. Members continue to be able to contact their MP Account Managers direct to raise urgent enquiries outside of these operating times.

Reducing the operational hours of the service has helped ensure that the teams continue to deliver a balanced level of service both on the phones and in writing. Records show that the teams are handling similar call volumes in the reduced operating hours.

From 10 October the phone service hours were increased to 11am to 4pm and they will continue to be reviewed weekly with a view to returning to the full service hours of 9am – 5pm.