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1473060

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many ECAA applicants awaiting a decision have been waiting for longer than the standard service provision as of 23 June 2022.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol North West
	tabling member printed	Darren Jones
	uin	24648
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2022 answer text <p>This information requested is routinely published as part of UKVI Transparency data.</p><p>The most recent published data for outstanding ECCA applications can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visas-and-citizenship-data-q1-2022" target="_blank">Visas and Citizenship data: Q1 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p>Under Visas and Citizenship Data, Tab VC_02 includes the number of straightforward applications and non-straightforward applications which remained outstanding at the end of the last reported period.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 01/07/2022 09:58:49 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster previous answer version 9885 answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4621 label Biography information for Darren Jones

1484191

	registered interest
	date	28/06/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	UK Visas and Immigration: Standards
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps her Department has taken to ensure all enquiries to UK Visa and Immigration are actioned and dealt with in a timely manner.
	tabling member constituency	Wolverhampton South West
	tabling member printed	Stuart Anderson
	uin	26845
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2022 answer text <p>For all visa application queries the public should call the Home Office customer helpline. The Home Office service standard is to answer 80% of calls within 30seconds.</p><p>Last week we answered 77% within 30 seconds with an average wait time of 1 minutes 9 seconds.</p><p>We continue to work with our service provider to regularly review their performance to ensure service standards are maintained. We are working with our service provider to increase the number of staff operating the customer helpline. It is envisaged this will enable the service standard to be met in the coming weeks.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 06/07/2022 13:40:40 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4742 label Biography information for Stuart Anderson

1472435

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Afghanistan and Ukraine: Refugees
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many refugees from (a) Ukraine and (b) Afghanistan have been settled in Bolton South East constituency since June 2020.
	tabling member constituency	Bolton South East
	tabling member printed	Yasmin Qureshi
	uin	23250
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2022 answer text <p>The UK has a long and proud history of welcoming those in need of protection, including recent arrivals from Ukraine and Afghanistan.</p><p>This government is working closely to provide those we welcome to our country with access to the support and services they need, including a place to live.</p><p>Data on the Homes for Ukraine and Ukraine Family Scheme, broken down by local authority, can be found at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ukraine-sponsorship-scheme-visa-data-by-country-upper-and-lower-tier-local-authority" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ukraine-sponsorship-scheme-visa-data-by-country-upper-and-lower-tier-local-authority</a></p><p>Data relating to local authorities who have pledged properties to Afghan families, through the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) is not currently available, but is expected to be included in future publications, in line with equivalent data for other resettlement schemes. The Home Office publishes data on resettlement at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release" target="_blank">Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release</a></p><p>Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data cover up to the end of March 2022.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 28/06/2022 11:37:46 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster previous answer version 9329 answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	3924 label Biography information for Yasmin Qureshi

1355890

	registered interest
	date	15/09/2021
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Afghanistan: Immigration
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) funding and (b) staff resources have been allocated to the 44 (0)2475 389980 number for non-UK passport holders in Afghanistan since it opened.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
	tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
	uin	50014
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/09/2021 answer text <p>Funding has been put in place to manage the contact to the helpline and facilitate the set up and staffing to manage this line. The volumes have been closely monitored in line with staffing and we are working on the final funding for this.</p><p>The department continue to closely monitor and review the volume of calls being made to the helpline; as the volumes have significantly reduced over the period since the line opened we have reviewed staffing in line with requirements. At its peak the line had up to 500 FTE staff available to be deployed.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 24/09/2021 11:56:44 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1453177

	registered interest
	date	22/03/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Afghanistan: Immigration
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Afghan nationals with UK visas who served (a) as interpreters and (b) in other locally employed staff roles have resettled in the UK as of 28 February 2022; and what steps her Department is taking to support those people and their families.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley East
	tabling member printed	Stephanie Peacock
	uin	144999
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/03/2022 answer text <p>Over 15,000 people were supported to come to the UK directly following the evacuation of Afghanistan, and a further 2,000 have since arrived. The Home Office will publish the number of people being offered protection under UK Resettlement programmes in its quarterly Immigration Statistics. The next publication will be in May 2022.</p><p>On 31 August, the Government announced ‘‘Operation Warm Welcome’’ to support those who have been relocated to the UK in accessing accommodation and the vital health, education, and support into employment they need to fully integrate into society.</p><p>Following their arrival into the UK, Afghan evacuees are provided with housing, support to access benefits or employment and additional wrap around support provided by local authorities plus:</p><ul><li>Healthcare support – providing £3 million of additional NHS funding, so Afghans arriving under ARAP can access healthcare and register with a GP.</li></ul><ul><li>Education support – making £12 million available to prioritise additional school places and enrol children as soon as possible.</li></ul><ul><li>Support into accommodation – providing £5 million for local authorities to provide housing.</li></ul><p>To harness the generosity of the British public and make sure those who want to help know where to turn, we have launched a new webpage, <a href="https://www.gov.uk/help-afghanistan" target="_blank">Help people who have come to the UK from Afghanistan: Ways you can help - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a> through which people can submit offers of support for people arriving from Afghanistan</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 29/03/2022 11:48:11 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4607 label Biography information for Stephanie Peacock

1388600

	registered interest
	date	16/12/2021
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Afghanistan: Visas
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to secure visas for the children of British Nationals who are still in Afghanistan.
	tabling member constituency	Hampstead and Kilburn
	tabling member printed	Tulip Siddiq
	uin	94451
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/01/2022 answer text <p>Family members of British citizens who were not called forward as part of Op Pitting will need to apply to come to the UK under the existing economic or family migration rules. <br> <br> They will be expected to meet the eligibility requirements of their chosen route, which includes paying relevant fees and charges, and providing biometrics. There is currently no option to give biometrics in Afghanistan</p><p><br> The British Embassy in Kabul has suspended in-country operations and all UK diplomatic and consular staff have been temporarily withdrawn. The UK is working with international partners to secure safe routes out of Afghanistan as soon as they become available, but while the security situation remains extremely volatile, we recommend people in Afghanistan do not make applications and pay application fees at this time as they will not be considered until biometrics are provided. Those Afghans who are outside of Afghanistan and able to get to a Visa Application Centre (VAC) to provide their biometrics are able to make an application in the usual way</p><p><br> If the child is a British national, we are not currently able to issue passports or Emergency Travel Documents in Afghanistan. To obtain an Emergency Travel Document, a family member would need to attend one of our Embassies and High Commissions in neighbouring countries, where face to face consular services are available to British nationals.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 06/01/2022 14:30:18 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster previous answer version 41448 answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4518 label Biography information for Tulip Siddiq

1436559

	registered interest
	date	28/02/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Seasonal Workers
	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 potential merits of implementing a visa scheme for seasonal workers to support the agricultural industry.
	tabling member constituency	Gravesham
	tabling member printed	Adam Holloway
	uin	131125
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2022 answer text <p>The Home Office already operates such an immigration route.</p><p>The Seasonal worker visa was introduced in March 2019. There are 30,000 visas available this year, but this will begin to taper down from 2023. The total allocation of places for 2022 can increase if needed but by no more than 10,000 places.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 31/03/2022 15:29:01 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster previous answer version 56216 answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	1522 label Biography information for Adam Holloway

1468925

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Seasonal Workers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to expand the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme.
	tabling member constituency	Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
	tabling member printed	Dr Dan Poulter
	uin	15228
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2022 answer text <p>On Monday 13<sup>th</sup> June, the government launched a new Food Strategy, which will seek to address challenges faced by the sector. Recognising the sector cannot sustainably rely on migrant labour, especially in light of global pressures elsewhere, the strategy sets out that Government will commission an independent review to tackle labour shortages in the food supply chain, considering the roles of automation, domestic labour and migration routes.</p><p> </p><p>To support the sector, the Government will release 10,000 additional visas for the seasonal worker visa route, with 2,000 of these going to the poultry sector for the eight-week period prior to Christmas. This is to cover the surge in demand for chicken, turkey and goose during the festive season and to ensure the smooth running of the food supply chain.</p><p> </p><p>The Government introduced the Points Based System in 2020 which is designed to attract the skills and expertise which the UK requires. Acting upon advice from the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), the Government broadened the skills threshold of the Skilled Worker route and introduced a lower salary threshold which, as modelling by the MAC suggests,<strong> strikes a reasonable balance between access to labour and controlling immigration</strong><strong>. </strong>The independent review’s consideration of the role of migration will therefore need to be with reference to the MAC’s advice. A number of roles in the food production sector are already eligible for a Skilled Worker visa.</p><p>For those roles in the sector which do not meet the threshold for the Skilled Worker route, there is the domestic labour market which includes UK workers and migrants with general work rights. The Government does not intend to introduce a route for those who do not meet the skills and salary threshold allowing recruitment at or near minimum wage.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster grouped question UIN 15229 question first answered 16/06/2022 16:19:31 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	3932 label Biography information for Dr Dan Poulter

1472199

	registered interest
	date	21/06/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Seasonal Workers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2022 to Question 15228 on Agriculture: Seasonal Workers, on what basis her Department decided what the duration of seasonal worker visas for poultry workers should be; if she will make an assessment of the impact of the duration of those visas on incentives for poultry workers to come to the UK; and what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on helping to ensure that (a) recruitment processes for poultry workers are safe and (b) poultry workers are protected by UK employment rights.
	tabling member constituency	Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
	tabling member printed	Dr Dan Poulter
	uin	22394
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2022 answer text <p>The Government will announce full details of how the detailed arrangements for poultry workers within the Seasonal Worker route will operate in due course. It will however operate along similar lines to the concession operated in 2021, supporting the sector for its seasonal peak in production in the run up to Christmas.</p><p>As with the core Seasonal Worker route, labour providers will be required to hold a sponsor licence and will be subject to the compliance arrangements for that route. Operators of the seasonal worker scheme must hold and retain relevant Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority licensing.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 28/06/2022 15:10:52 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	3932 label Biography information for Dr Dan Poulter

1490989

	registered interest
	date	20/07/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Agriculture: Seasonal Workers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether regulations or guidelines are in place to ensure that agricultural workers on the Seasonal Worker visa (a) are not expected to work in unsafe or dangerous conditions during extreme temperatures and (b) do not suffer from a loss of earnings in the event that weather extremes prevent them from working.
	tabling member constituency	Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East
	tabling member printed	Stuart C McDonald
	uin	40808
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2022 answer text <p>Agricultural workers on the Seasonal Worker visa enjoy the same rights and protections as settled workers in the UK.</p><p>Sponsors, and by extension the growers hosting these workers, also have a duty of care to their workers and are expected to comply with the sponsor guidance which requires them to give workers time off, proper breaks, and to ensure the workers’ work environment is safe and complies with relevant Health and Safety requirements. Non-compliance with the guidance could result in the revocation of their sponsor license.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 05/09/2022 08:56:51 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4393 label Biography information for Stuart C McDonald