Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the time taken to obtain national passports on the access by refugees to regulated professions; and what steps she plans to take to ensure that refugees with the right to work can access roles for which they are qualified.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Refugees do not automatically hold British nationality. Instead, they are typically granted refugee status or humanitarian protection, which allows them to live and work in the UK but does not confer British citizenship.
Refugees are not required to hold a British passport in order to work in the UK. Identity checks, including those for regulated professions, can be satisfied using alternative documentation such as a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP).
Where international travel is required for work purposes, refugees may apply for a Refugee Travel Document rather than a national passport.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has taken recent steps to review the level of consular support received abroad by British nationals with dual citizenship.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Information about the consular support available to British nationals overseas, and the criteria for such support, are set out on GOV.UK at the links below. This was last updated in August 2022 and there are no current plans to change it.
Consular assistance: how the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office provides support - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/consular-assistance-how-the-foreign-commonwealth-development-office-provides-support)
Who the FCDO can support abroad - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/who-the-fcdo-can-support-abroad)
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with local authorities regarding on the accumulation of Penalty Charge Notice related personal debts arising from the Mersey Gateway Bridge.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The operation of the Mersey Gateway crossings is the responsibility of Halton Borough Council. Over 97% of drivers using the two bridges pay the charge on time, and fewer than 0.5% neither pay on time nor the penalty charge within 42 days. It is a matter of fairness to the great majority of people who pay on time that the operator of the crossing seeks to collect the debt from those who do not do so. Anyone who receives a penalty charge should respond quickly, using the information on the notice.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to improve information sharing and communications with her Egyptian counterparts.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK and Egyptian Governments communicate regularly on a range of shared priorities, including our efforts to secure peace and humanitarian relief in Gaza and Sudan.
Asked by: Priti Patel (Conservative - Witham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has met with representatives of the Civil Military Coordination Center in Israel.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer I gave her on 6 January to Question 101358.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the impact of inflation on the projected costs of the West Yorkshire mass transit scheme following its delay.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government fully supports the Mayor of West Yorkshire’s ambition to deliver Mass Transit in the region, boosting connectivity and unlocking growth and opportunity for the people of West Yorkshire. That is why we have allocated funding for the project as part of West Yorkshire’s £2.1 billion Transport for City Regions funding between 2027 and 2032. I am pleased to confirm that Lord Hendy, Minister of State for Rail, will be working alongside the Mayor to support her in delivering the programme.
WYCA plan to submit their first business case for approval to the Government in 2026
As the body responsible for developing and delivering the project, it is for West Yorkshire Combined Authority to undertake any assessment of impacts on communities as the plans for mass transit develop.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what lessons her Department has learned from the cancellation of previous mass transit proposals in West Yorkshire when overseeing the current scheme.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government fully supports the Mayor of West Yorkshire’s ambition to deliver Mass Transit in the region, boosting connectivity and unlocking growth and opportunity for the people of West Yorkshire. That is why we have allocated funding for the project as part of West Yorkshire’s £2.1 billion Transport for City Regions funding between 2027 and 2032. I am pleased to confirm that Lord Hendy, Minister of State for Rail, will be working alongside the Mayor to support her in delivering the programme.
WYCA plan to submit their first business case for approval to the Government in 2026
As the body responsible for developing and delivering the project, it is for West Yorkshire Combined Authority to undertake any assessment of impacts on communities as the plans for mass transit develop.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of delaying the West Yorkshire mass transit scheme into the late 2030s on Bradford.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government fully supports the Mayor of West Yorkshire’s ambition to deliver Mass Transit in the region, boosting connectivity and unlocking growth and opportunity for the people of West Yorkshire. That is why we have allocated funding for the project as part of West Yorkshire’s £2.1 billion Transport for City Regions funding between 2027 and 2032. I am pleased to confirm that Lord Hendy, Minister of State for Rail, will be working alongside the Mayor to support her in delivering the programme.
WYCA plan to submit their first business case for approval to the Government in 2026
As the body responsible for developing and delivering the project, it is for West Yorkshire Combined Authority to undertake any assessment of impacts on communities as the plans for mass transit develop.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help ensure that the West Yorkshire mass transit scheme is delivered by the late 2030s.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government fully supports the Mayor of West Yorkshire’s ambition to deliver Mass Transit in the region, boosting connectivity and unlocking growth and opportunity for the people of West Yorkshire. That is why we have allocated funding for the project as part of West Yorkshire’s £2.1 billion Transport for City Regions funding between 2027 and 2032. I am pleased to confirm that Lord Hendy, Minister of State for Rail, will be working alongside the Mayor to support her in delivering the programme.
WYCA plan to submit their first business case for approval to the Government in 2026
As the body responsible for developing and delivering the project, it is for West Yorkshire Combined Authority to undertake any assessment of impacts on communities as the plans for mass transit develop.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the cost to the public purse of delaying the West Yorkshire mass transit scheme.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government fully supports the Mayor of West Yorkshire’s ambition to deliver Mass Transit in the region, boosting connectivity and unlocking growth and opportunity for the people of West Yorkshire. That is why we have allocated funding for the project as part of West Yorkshire’s £2.1 billion Transport for City Regions funding between 2027 and 2032. I am pleased to confirm that Lord Hendy, Minister of State for Rail, will be working alongside the Mayor to support her in delivering the programme.
WYCA plan to submit their first business case for approval to the Government in 2026
As the body responsible for developing and delivering the project, it is for West Yorkshire Combined Authority to undertake any assessment of impacts on communities as the plans for mass transit develop.