Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will introduce a transition period for her Department's planned reduction in the number of English language test centres.

The new arrangements provide for immigration and nationality applicants to have their English language ability tested securely. The provision of test centres was planned to give appropriate coverage to meet anticipated customer demand, whilst allowing the Home Office to implement a robust audit regime. Managing demand across the network is a key requirement for the selected providers.

Transitional arrangements are in place to enable those who took tests at previous test centres before April 6 2015 to continue to use those tests in support of immigration applications until November. Additionally, individuals intending to apply for settlement and citizenship after November 2015 have been given more than six months’ notice that they will be required to take a Secure English Language Test.