Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make it his policy to exempt the BNO visa scheme from the proposed extension of the standard qualifying period for settlement.

The Government is committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK and those who may come here in future.

I welcomed the opportunity to listen to the views of Members in the recent 8th September Westminster Hall Debate on settlement.

We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year. All will be welcome to participate. We will provide details of how the scheme will work after that consultation.

We regularly engage with representatives of the Hong Kong diaspora in the UK on issues related to the BN(O) visa and will continue to do so.