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1605652

	registered interest
	date	20/03/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Questionnaires
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the accessibility of (a) translators, (b) legal representatives and (c) other support networks for people completing the asylum questionnaire within the 20-day period.
	tabling member constituency	East Dunbartonshire
	tabling member printed	Amy Callaghan
	uin	169487
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/03/2023 answer text <p>The Streamlined Asylum Process is one way in which we will clear the backlog and policy guidance on this was published on 23 February 2023 <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/streamlined-asylum-processing" target="_blank">Streamlined asylum processing - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The asylum claim questionnaires are in English as is generally the case for immigration paperwork across the Department. If necessary, claimants can utilise legal representatives who can complete the questionnaire on their behalf. All asylum seekers are entitled to legal representation to support them, including with translation, through legal aid. Advice on obtaining a legal representative can be found on <a href="https://www.gov.uk/find-an-immigration-adviser" target="_blank">Find an immigration adviser: Search for an adviser - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a>. For those who are unable to return the questionnaire within 20 working days, a reminder will be sent to the claimant allowing a further 10-working days to complete and return it to the Home Office. A further extension can be requested where the timeframe cannot be met, for example because the claimant has serious medical conditions which is impacting their ability to respond to the questionnaire.</p><p>The intention of these questionnaires is to enable claimants to provide any further information about their claims after their initial screening interview upon arrival.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 28/03/2023 15:52:43 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	4770 label Biography information for Amy Callaghan

1504606

	registered interest
	date	05/09/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Rwanda
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on the potential impact of her policy of removing asylum seekers to Rwanda on the UK's international (a) human rights obligations and (b) reputation.
	tabling member constituency	East Dunbartonshire
	tabling member printed	Amy Callaghan
	uin	901278
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2022 answer text <p>This Government is committed to our migration Partnership with Rwanda, which will break the business model of criminal gangs, save lives and help to tackle the global migration crisis.</p><p>As with any policy, there have been discussions throughout its development. We are confident that the policy is fully compliant with our domestic and international legal and human rights obligations.</p> answering member constituency Clwyd South answering member printed Simon Baynes question first answered 05/09/2022 15:42:09 answering member 4800 label Biography information for Simon Baynes
	tabling member	4770 label Biography information for Amy Callaghan

1464228

	registered interest
	date	18/05/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Passports: Applications
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress her Department has made on clearing the backlog of passport applications; and whether she plans to make additional staff available to HM Passport Office to speed up processing times.
	tabling member constituency	East Dunbartonshire
	tabling member printed	Amy Callaghan
	uin	4697
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/05/2022 answer text <p>Ahead of unrestricted international travel returning, HM Passport Office prepared extensively to serve an unprecedented number of customers, with 9.5 million British passport applications forecasted throughout 2022.</p><p>These preparations, which include the recruitment of 500 additional staff since April 2021 and with plans in place to recruit a further 700 by this summer, have ensured that passport applications can be processed in higher numbers than ever before. This was demonstrated in March and April 2022 when HM Passport Office achieved a record monthly high by completing the processing of approximately two million applications.</p><p>Ministers continue to meet regularly with officials to monitor performance, and to explore further options that will help to ensure that people receive their passports in good time.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 26/05/2022 09:52:57 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster previous answer version 2241 answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4770 label Biography information for Amy Callaghan

1454841

	registered interest
	date	28/03/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Visas: Ukraine
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether Ukrainians on a seasonal work visa as of 28 March 2022 will have the same access to Government support schemes intended for Ukrainian refugees.
	tabling member constituency	East Dunbartonshire
	tabling member printed	Amy Callaghan
	uin	148394
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/04/2022 answer text <p>Ukrainians who are in the UK under the Seasonal Worker route are able to have their visa extended until 31 December 2022.</p><p> </p><p>Ukrainian seasonal workers who are an immediate or extended family member of a person in the UK who is a British citizen, settled in the UK, or who has certain types of limited leave may be eligible under the Ukraine Family Scheme if they were resident in Ukraine immediately before 1 January 2022. Full details of which can be found here: Apply for a Ukraine Family Scheme visa - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</p><p> </p><p>Ukrainian nationals who had permission to stay in the UK on 18 March 2022 (or those whose visa has recently expired) will be able to stay in the UK under the Ukraine Extension Scheme. Eligibility for permission to stay will include those who were in the UK before 18 March as seasonal workers.</p><p> </p><p>The Seasonal Worker route remains open to all nationalities wishing to take up work in the horticulture sector.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 05/04/2022 14:42:09 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4770 label Biography information for Amy Callaghan

1438910

	registered interest
	date	08/03/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Visas: Ukraine
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many additional support staff she plans to deploy at visa application centres in countries bordering Ukraine to support people and families of UK nationals with the visa application process.
	tabling member constituency	East Dunbartonshire
	tabling member printed	Amy Callaghan
	uin	136669
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2022 answer text <p>We are committed to ensuring our operational teams have the resources they need to run an efficient and effective system, and we actively monitor workflows to ensure sufficient resources are in place to meet demand, including from pressures relating to Ukraine.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Home Office and the commercial provider operating our Visa Application Centres have surged staff across Europe to meet demand, where we can offer over 13,000 appointments to visa applicants, and UKVI staff in the UK are working seven days a week to process applications.</p><p>As part of the Home Office’s commitment to make it easier for applicants to apply to our schemes, since 15 March Ukrainians with valid passports no longer need to go to a Visa Application Centre to give their biometrics before they come to the UK.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 31/03/2022 16:53:15 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4770 label Biography information for Amy Callaghan

1438912

	registered interest
	date	08/03/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Visas: Ukraine
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the UK Government is sending additional decision makers to Warsaw, Poland to deal with the backlog of visa applications in the wake of the Ukrainian refugee crisis; and what the current estimated waiting times are for processing applications from VAC in Poland.
	tabling member constituency	East Dunbartonshire
	tabling member printed	Amy Callaghan
	uin	136671
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2022 answer text <p>We are committed to ensuring our operational teams have the resources they need to run an efficient and effective system. We actively monitor workflows to ensure sufficient resources are in place to meet demand, including from pressures relating to Ukraine.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Home Office and the commercial provider operating our Visa Application Centres have surged staff across Europe to meet demand, where we can offer over 13,000 appointments to visa applicants, and UKVI staff in the UK are working seven days a week to process applications.</p><p>The Home Office continues to monitor its overall caseworking capacity for Ukrainian cases, including redeploying staff from other business areas or other Government Departments.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 31/03/2022 16:38:08 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4770 label Biography information for Amy Callaghan

1438909

	registered interest
	date	08/03/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Immigration: EU Countries
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she had made of the impact of surging decision makers and staff from other Government departments to tackle the influx of applications from Ukraine on processing times for EU Settlement Scheme travel permits from other EU countries.
	tabling member constituency	East Dunbartonshire
	tabling member printed	Amy Callaghan
	uin	136668
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2022 answer text <p>While the Home Office’s priority is on supporting individuals affected by the war in Ukraine, routine work continues on other visa routes, including the EU Settlement Scheme</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 23/03/2022 12:45:48 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster previous answer version 57357 answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4770 label Biography information for Amy Callaghan

1438911

	registered interest
	date	08/03/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Immigration: EU Countries
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's service delivery standard is for EU Settlement Scheme travel permits; and whether her Department has plans to expedite urgent applications.
	tabling member constituency	East Dunbartonshire
	tabling member printed	Amy Callaghan
	uin	136670
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2022 answer text <p>The published service standards for EEA and EUSS family permits and travel permits can be found at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/visa-decision-waiting-times-applications-outside-the-uk" target="_blank">Visa decision waiting times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p> </p><p>Which states:</p><p>You should get a decision within 3 weeks once you attend your appointment at the visa application centre, if you hold settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme and are applying for an <a href="https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families" target="_blank">EU Settlement Scheme travel permit</a> to travel to the UK to replace a lost or stolen residence card.</p><p> </p><p>Decisions are made in accordance with this service standard where possible.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 23/03/2022 12:47:58 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4770 label Biography information for Amy Callaghan

1438330

	registered interest
	date	07/03/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Refugees: Resettlement
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to introduce a longer-term global resettlement programme for refugees who wish to come to the UK.
	tabling member constituency	East Dunbartonshire
	tabling member printed	Amy Callaghan
	uin	135666
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/03/2022 answer text <p><em>The UK has a long history of supporting refugees in need of protection. </em><em>The UK continues to welcome vulnerable people through the existing global UK Resettlement Scheme, Mandate Resettlement Scheme, Community Sponsorship Scheme and Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme.</em></p><p><em>Since 2015, we have resettled more than 27,000 refugees through safe and legal routes direct from regions of conflict and instability; around half of whom were children.</em></p><p><em>In response to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the Home Office made several changes to the immigration system, including launching the Ukraine Family Scheme.</em></p><p><em>In addition, we are e</em><em>stablishing a humanitarian sponsorship pathway,</em> <em>led by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whereby Ukrainians who may not have family ties in the UK can be sponsored to come to the UK by willing and able individuals, businesses, or community organisations. There will be no numerical limit on this scheme, and we will welcome as many Ukrainians as wish to come and have matched sponsors.</em></p><p><em>Resettlement is only one strand of our international efforts helping refugees. It is complemented by the UK’s significant humanitarian aid programme and diplomatic efforts. We believe this approach is the best way to ensure the UK’s help has the greatest impact for the majority of refugees.</em></p><p><em>More information on existing resettlement schemes can be found in the published guidance </em><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/resettlement-policy-statement" target="_blank"><em>Resettlement: policy guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme" target="_blank"><em>Afghan citizens resettlement scheme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</em></a></p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 15/03/2022 17:41:45 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4770 label Biography information for Amy Callaghan

1418341

	registered interest
	date	31/01/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Passports: Photographs
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on passport photographs from people with white hair on a white background not being accepted; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing a default pastel background in passport photographs.
	tabling member constituency	East Dunbartonshire
	tabling member printed	Amy Callaghan
	uin	114939
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2022 answer text <p>Her Majesty’s Passport Office does not hold information on passport photographs from people with white hair on a white background not being accepted within the examination process.</p><p>HM Passport Office provides clear guidance on photo standards, which includes advice for taking digital passport photographs using a ‘plain light-coloured background’ and for paper photograph using a ‘plain cream or light grey background'. This guidance is available on GOV.UK<br></p><p><a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fphotos-for-passports&amp;data=04%7C01%7CIPSPQs%40hmpo.gov.uk%7Cdf4c0ba18ae34f319a4a08d9e57e8194%7Cf24d93ecb2914192a08af182245945c2%7C0%7C0%7C637793153757354994%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&amp;sdata=HGUakObAeyZERaBEZxbC6j6Ah8W6TGWhqNZeHqQXOm4%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Get a passport photo - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p><a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fphotos-for-passports%2Fphoto-requirements&amp;data=04%7C01%7CIPSPQs%40hmpo.gov.uk%7Cdf4c0ba18ae34f319a4a08d9e57e8194%7Cf24d93ecb2914192a08af182245945c2%7C0%7C0%7C637793153757354994%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&amp;sdata=co4%2FPuNTrQp2eX%2BqRkETNU1nbA38Gd0uuTYAWsX%2Fuxo%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Get a passport photo: Printed photos - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 07/02/2022 16:39:41 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4770 label Biography information for Amy Callaghan