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1241240

	registered interest
	date	07/10/2020
	answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
	answering dept id	17
	answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
	answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
	hansard heading	Coronavirus: Hospitality Industry
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Prime Minister's oral contribution of 22 September 2020, Official Report, Column 798, whether the evidential basis for the 10.00pm curfew was discussed at the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies prior to the decision to implement it.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	100346
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2020 answer text <p>The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) has provided expert strategic scientific advice to Government throughout the COVID-19 response.</p><p>SAGE has highlighted that alcohol consumption may increase risk of non-compliance with social distancing and that hospitality settings are associated with increased risk of transmission.</p> answering member constituency Mid Bedfordshire answering member printed Ms Nadine Dorries question first answered 23/10/2020 08:54:19 answering member 1481 label Biography information for Ms Nadine Dorries previous answer version 53703 answering member constituency Mid Bedfordshire answering member printed Ms Nadine Dorries answering member 1481 label Biography information for Ms Nadine Dorries
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1401395

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2022
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Coal: Mining
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Minister for Energy’s statement that coal has no part to play in future power generation in the Answer of 15 November 2021 to Question 69602, what discussions he has had with Welsh Ministers regarding plans to extend the Aberpergwm drift coalmine site; and if he will place a copy of that correspondence in the Library.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	100478
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2022 answer text <p>My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State met with the Welsh Government Minister for Climate Change in November 2021 and subsequently officials from the Department and the Welsh Government have met to discuss the licence for coal extraction held by Energybuild Limited in relation to Aberpergwm; an operational coal mine in Wales that produces high grade anthracite for industrial use.</p><p> </p><p>I am happy to place in the Libraries of the House a copy of my letter of 7 January 2022 to the Welsh Government Minister setting out the UK Government’s position.</p> answering member constituency Chelsea and Fulham answering member printed Greg Hands question first answered 18/01/2022 17:56:16 answering member 1526 label Biography information for Greg Hands
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1401540

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Refugees: Afghanistan
	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 Statement on 6 January 2022 on the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), Official Report, col. 185, if she will take steps to set up an ACRS implementation group (a) with the aim of ensuring the ACRS is run with an understanding by staff of Afghanistan’s particular (i) cultural, (ii) security (iii) gender concerns, and (b) to include the expertise of (iv) women from the region with knowledge of the (A) cultural, (B) socio-religious and (C) geopolitical context of Afghanistan and (v) people working on the ground with those in need of UK assistance; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	100479
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2022 answer text <p>The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) commenced on 6th January. The ACRS will provide up to 20,000 women, children and others at risk with a safe and legal route to resettle in the UK.</p><p>The first to be resettled under the new ACRS will be those already evacuated and in the UK. They include women’s rights activists, journalists, and prosecutors, as well as the Afghan families of British Nationals.</p><p>Due to the success of our emergency evacuation and the larger than anticipated number of people brought over to the UK, we will exceed our initial aim of 5,000 people resettled in the first year of the ACRS. There are around 6,500 people in the UK who have been brought to safety during and after the evacuation who are eligible for the ACRS.</p><p>British nationals who have a right of abode in the UK will not be resettled under the ACRS. However, we are supporting those British Nationals who have been assisted by Her Majesty’s Government to the UK.</p><p>In addition to those already in the UK, we are working with the UNHCR to receive referrals of vulnerable refugees in need of protection in year 1 of the ACRS, and we will continue to receive referrals to the scheme in coming years. In the first year we will also offer ACRS places to the most at-risk British Council and GardaWorld contractors, and Chevening alumni. Beyond the first year of the ACRS, we will work with international partners and NGOs to welcome referrals of wider groups of Afghans most at risk. There will not be an application process.</p><p>The ACRS provides those at risk with a route to safety through three distinct referral routes and has been designed with partners, including the UNHCR, with whom we are designing the referral route for refugees outside of Afghanistan.</p><p>The Government will continue to work with international partners to seek to facilitate the travel of those eligible for resettlement in the UK.</p><p>Family members of British citizens and settled persons who were not called forward during the evacuation of Afghanistan, or who have not been offered resettlement under the Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme, will need to apply to come to the UK under the existing economic or family migration and reunion rules. They will be expected to meet the eligibility requirements of their chosen route, which may include paying relevant fees and charges, and providing their biometrics.</p><p>The family Immigration Rules also allow a person to enter a spouse or partner visa if a couple have been in a relationship akin to marriage and have resided together for a two-year period prior to the application date. The two-year period does not have to be the immediate two years prior to the application date.</p><p>Information for those wishing to apply to enter or remain in the UK as a spouse or partner is available on GOV.UK at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/partner-spouse" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/partner-spouse</a></p><p>A full policy statement on this matter published on 13 September 2021 can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement-accessible-version" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement-accessible-version</a></p><p>Further information on the opening of the ARCS can be found in the Oral Statement <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/oral-statement-on-the-afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/oral-statement-on-the-afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins grouped question UIN 100480 100481 100482 100483 100484 100485 question first answered 18/01/2022 17:14:44 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1401541

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Refugees: Afghanistan
	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 Statement on 6 January 2022 on the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS), Official Report col. 185, how many (a) Afghan nationals who are already in the UK and (b) British nationals evacuated from Afghanistan (i) have been and (ii) will be resettled under ACRS.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	100480
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2022 answer text <p>The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) commenced on 6th January. The ACRS will provide up to 20,000 women, children and others at risk with a safe and legal route to resettle in the UK.</p><p>The first to be resettled under the new ACRS will be those already evacuated and in the UK. They include women’s rights activists, journalists, and prosecutors, as well as the Afghan families of British Nationals.</p><p>Due to the success of our emergency evacuation and the larger than anticipated number of people brought over to the UK, we will exceed our initial aim of 5,000 people resettled in the first year of the ACRS. There are around 6,500 people in the UK who have been brought to safety during and after the evacuation who are eligible for the ACRS.</p><p>British nationals who have a right of abode in the UK will not be resettled under the ACRS. However, we are supporting those British Nationals who have been assisted by Her Majesty’s Government to the UK.</p><p>In addition to those already in the UK, we are working with the UNHCR to receive referrals of vulnerable refugees in need of protection in year 1 of the ACRS, and we will continue to receive referrals to the scheme in coming years. In the first year we will also offer ACRS places to the most at-risk British Council and GardaWorld contractors, and Chevening alumni. Beyond the first year of the ACRS, we will work with international partners and NGOs to welcome referrals of wider groups of Afghans most at risk. There will not be an application process.</p><p>The ACRS provides those at risk with a route to safety through three distinct referral routes and has been designed with partners, including the UNHCR, with whom we are designing the referral route for refugees outside of Afghanistan.</p><p>The Government will continue to work with international partners to seek to facilitate the travel of those eligible for resettlement in the UK.</p><p>Family members of British citizens and settled persons who were not called forward during the evacuation of Afghanistan, or who have not been offered resettlement under the Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme, will need to apply to come to the UK under the existing economic or family migration and reunion rules. They will be expected to meet the eligibility requirements of their chosen route, which may include paying relevant fees and charges, and providing their biometrics.</p><p>The family Immigration Rules also allow a person to enter a spouse or partner visa if a couple have been in a relationship akin to marriage and have resided together for a two-year period prior to the application date. The two-year period does not have to be the immediate two years prior to the application date.</p><p>Information for those wishing to apply to enter or remain in the UK as a spouse or partner is available on GOV.UK at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/partner-spouse" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/partner-spouse</a></p><p>A full policy statement on this matter published on 13 September 2021 can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement-accessible-version" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement-accessible-version</a></p><p>Further information on the opening of the ARCS can be found in the Oral Statement <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/oral-statement-on-the-afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/oral-statement-on-the-afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins grouped question UIN 100479 100481 100482 100483 100484 100485 question first answered 18/01/2022 17:14:45 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1401542

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Refugees: Afghanistan
	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 Statement by the Minister for Afghan Resettlement on the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, 6 January 2022, Official Report, column 185, how many people currently outside of the UK the Government plans to resettle in the first year of that scheme.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	100481
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2022 answer text <p>The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) commenced on 6th January. The ACRS will provide up to 20,000 women, children and others at risk with a safe and legal route to resettle in the UK.</p><p>The first to be resettled under the new ACRS will be those already evacuated and in the UK. They include women’s rights activists, journalists, and prosecutors, as well as the Afghan families of British Nationals.</p><p>Due to the success of our emergency evacuation and the larger than anticipated number of people brought over to the UK, we will exceed our initial aim of 5,000 people resettled in the first year of the ACRS. There are around 6,500 people in the UK who have been brought to safety during and after the evacuation who are eligible for the ACRS.</p><p>British nationals who have a right of abode in the UK will not be resettled under the ACRS. However, we are supporting those British Nationals who have been assisted by Her Majesty’s Government to the UK.</p><p>In addition to those already in the UK, we are working with the UNHCR to receive referrals of vulnerable refugees in need of protection in year 1 of the ACRS, and we will continue to receive referrals to the scheme in coming years. In the first year we will also offer ACRS places to the most at-risk British Council and GardaWorld contractors, and Chevening alumni. Beyond the first year of the ACRS, we will work with international partners and NGOs to welcome referrals of wider groups of Afghans most at risk. There will not be an application process.</p><p>The ACRS provides those at risk with a route to safety through three distinct referral routes and has been designed with partners, including the UNHCR, with whom we are designing the referral route for refugees outside of Afghanistan.</p><p>The Government will continue to work with international partners to seek to facilitate the travel of those eligible for resettlement in the UK.</p><p>Family members of British citizens and settled persons who were not called forward during the evacuation of Afghanistan, or who have not been offered resettlement under the Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme, will need to apply to come to the UK under the existing economic or family migration and reunion rules. They will be expected to meet the eligibility requirements of their chosen route, which may include paying relevant fees and charges, and providing their biometrics.</p><p>The family Immigration Rules also allow a person to enter a spouse or partner visa if a couple have been in a relationship akin to marriage and have resided together for a two-year period prior to the application date. The two-year period does not have to be the immediate two years prior to the application date.</p><p>Information for those wishing to apply to enter or remain in the UK as a spouse or partner is available on GOV.UK at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/partner-spouse" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/partner-spouse</a></p><p>A full policy statement on this matter published on 13 September 2021 can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement-accessible-version" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement-accessible-version</a></p><p>Further information on the opening of the ARCS can be found in the Oral Statement <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/oral-statement-on-the-afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/oral-statement-on-the-afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins grouped question UIN 100479 100480 100482 100483 100484 100485 question first answered 18/01/2022 17:14:45 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1401543

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Refugees: Afghanistan
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, from what date does the first year of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme start.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	100482
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2022 answer text <p>The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) commenced on 6th January. The ACRS will provide up to 20,000 women, children and others at risk with a safe and legal route to resettle in the UK.</p><p>The first to be resettled under the new ACRS will be those already evacuated and in the UK. They include women’s rights activists, journalists, and prosecutors, as well as the Afghan families of British Nationals.</p><p>Due to the success of our emergency evacuation and the larger than anticipated number of people brought over to the UK, we will exceed our initial aim of 5,000 people resettled in the first year of the ACRS. There are around 6,500 people in the UK who have been brought to safety during and after the evacuation who are eligible for the ACRS.</p><p>British nationals who have a right of abode in the UK will not be resettled under the ACRS. However, we are supporting those British Nationals who have been assisted by Her Majesty’s Government to the UK.</p><p>In addition to those already in the UK, we are working with the UNHCR to receive referrals of vulnerable refugees in need of protection in year 1 of the ACRS, and we will continue to receive referrals to the scheme in coming years. In the first year we will also offer ACRS places to the most at-risk British Council and GardaWorld contractors, and Chevening alumni. Beyond the first year of the ACRS, we will work with international partners and NGOs to welcome referrals of wider groups of Afghans most at risk. There will not be an application process.</p><p>The ACRS provides those at risk with a route to safety through three distinct referral routes and has been designed with partners, including the UNHCR, with whom we are designing the referral route for refugees outside of Afghanistan.</p><p>The Government will continue to work with international partners to seek to facilitate the travel of those eligible for resettlement in the UK.</p><p>Family members of British citizens and settled persons who were not called forward during the evacuation of Afghanistan, or who have not been offered resettlement under the Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme, will need to apply to come to the UK under the existing economic or family migration and reunion rules. They will be expected to meet the eligibility requirements of their chosen route, which may include paying relevant fees and charges, and providing their biometrics.</p><p>The family Immigration Rules also allow a person to enter a spouse or partner visa if a couple have been in a relationship akin to marriage and have resided together for a two-year period prior to the application date. The two-year period does not have to be the immediate two years prior to the application date.</p><p>Information for those wishing to apply to enter or remain in the UK as a spouse or partner is available on GOV.UK at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/partner-spouse" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/partner-spouse</a></p><p>A full policy statement on this matter published on 13 September 2021 can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement-accessible-version" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement-accessible-version</a></p><p>Further information on the opening of the ARCS can be found in the Oral Statement <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/oral-statement-on-the-afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/oral-statement-on-the-afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins grouped question UIN 100479 100480 100481 100483 100484 100485 question first answered 18/01/2022 17:14:45 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1401544

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Refugees: Afghanistan
	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 Statement by the Minister for Afghan Resettlement on the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, 6 January 2022, Official Report, column 185, how Afghan nationals at risk, who are not Chevening alumni or British Council or GardaWorld contractors, can ensure their details are recorded and considered for the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme as part of the third referral pathway from within Afghanistan; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	100483
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2022 answer text <p>The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) commenced on 6th January. The ACRS will provide up to 20,000 women, children and others at risk with a safe and legal route to resettle in the UK.</p><p>The first to be resettled under the new ACRS will be those already evacuated and in the UK. They include women’s rights activists, journalists, and prosecutors, as well as the Afghan families of British Nationals.</p><p>Due to the success of our emergency evacuation and the larger than anticipated number of people brought over to the UK, we will exceed our initial aim of 5,000 people resettled in the first year of the ACRS. There are around 6,500 people in the UK who have been brought to safety during and after the evacuation who are eligible for the ACRS.</p><p>British nationals who have a right of abode in the UK will not be resettled under the ACRS. However, we are supporting those British Nationals who have been assisted by Her Majesty’s Government to the UK.</p><p>In addition to those already in the UK, we are working with the UNHCR to receive referrals of vulnerable refugees in need of protection in year 1 of the ACRS, and we will continue to receive referrals to the scheme in coming years. In the first year we will also offer ACRS places to the most at-risk British Council and GardaWorld contractors, and Chevening alumni. Beyond the first year of the ACRS, we will work with international partners and NGOs to welcome referrals of wider groups of Afghans most at risk. There will not be an application process.</p><p>The ACRS provides those at risk with a route to safety through three distinct referral routes and has been designed with partners, including the UNHCR, with whom we are designing the referral route for refugees outside of Afghanistan.</p><p>The Government will continue to work with international partners to seek to facilitate the travel of those eligible for resettlement in the UK.</p><p>Family members of British citizens and settled persons who were not called forward during the evacuation of Afghanistan, or who have not been offered resettlement under the Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme, will need to apply to come to the UK under the existing economic or family migration and reunion rules. They will be expected to meet the eligibility requirements of their chosen route, which may include paying relevant fees and charges, and providing their biometrics.</p><p>The family Immigration Rules also allow a person to enter a spouse or partner visa if a couple have been in a relationship akin to marriage and have resided together for a two-year period prior to the application date. The two-year period does not have to be the immediate two years prior to the application date.</p><p>Information for those wishing to apply to enter or remain in the UK as a spouse or partner is available on GOV.UK at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/partner-spouse" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/partner-spouse</a></p><p>A full policy statement on this matter published on 13 September 2021 can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement-accessible-version" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement-accessible-version</a></p><p>Further information on the opening of the ARCS can be found in the Oral Statement <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/oral-statement-on-the-afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/oral-statement-on-the-afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins grouped question UIN 100479 100480 100481 100482 100484 100485 question first answered 18/01/2022 17:14:45 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1401545

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Refugees: Afghanistan
	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 Statement by the Minister for Afghan Resettlement on the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, 6 January 2022, Official Report, column 185, whether discussions are taking place with (a) Qatar, (b) Pakistan, (c) other third-party countries to facilitate safe passage from Afghanistan to the UK for (i) Chevening Scholars and (ii) British Council and GardaWorld contractors; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	100484
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2022 answer text <p>The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) commenced on 6th January. The ACRS will provide up to 20,000 women, children and others at risk with a safe and legal route to resettle in the UK.</p><p>The first to be resettled under the new ACRS will be those already evacuated and in the UK. They include women’s rights activists, journalists, and prosecutors, as well as the Afghan families of British Nationals.</p><p>Due to the success of our emergency evacuation and the larger than anticipated number of people brought over to the UK, we will exceed our initial aim of 5,000 people resettled in the first year of the ACRS. There are around 6,500 people in the UK who have been brought to safety during and after the evacuation who are eligible for the ACRS.</p><p>British nationals who have a right of abode in the UK will not be resettled under the ACRS. However, we are supporting those British Nationals who have been assisted by Her Majesty’s Government to the UK.</p><p>In addition to those already in the UK, we are working with the UNHCR to receive referrals of vulnerable refugees in need of protection in year 1 of the ACRS, and we will continue to receive referrals to the scheme in coming years. In the first year we will also offer ACRS places to the most at-risk British Council and GardaWorld contractors, and Chevening alumni. Beyond the first year of the ACRS, we will work with international partners and NGOs to welcome referrals of wider groups of Afghans most at risk. There will not be an application process.</p><p>The ACRS provides those at risk with a route to safety through three distinct referral routes and has been designed with partners, including the UNHCR, with whom we are designing the referral route for refugees outside of Afghanistan.</p><p>The Government will continue to work with international partners to seek to facilitate the travel of those eligible for resettlement in the UK.</p><p>Family members of British citizens and settled persons who were not called forward during the evacuation of Afghanistan, or who have not been offered resettlement under the Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme, will need to apply to come to the UK under the existing economic or family migration and reunion rules. They will be expected to meet the eligibility requirements of their chosen route, which may include paying relevant fees and charges, and providing their biometrics.</p><p>The family Immigration Rules also allow a person to enter a spouse or partner visa if a couple have been in a relationship akin to marriage and have resided together for a two-year period prior to the application date. The two-year period does not have to be the immediate two years prior to the application date.</p><p>Information for those wishing to apply to enter or remain in the UK as a spouse or partner is available on GOV.UK at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/partner-spouse" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/partner-spouse</a></p><p>A full policy statement on this matter published on 13 September 2021 can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement-accessible-version" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement-accessible-version</a></p><p>Further information on the opening of the ARCS can be found in the Oral Statement <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/oral-statement-on-the-afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/oral-statement-on-the-afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins grouped question UIN 100479 100480 100481 100482 100483 100485 question first answered 18/01/2022 17:14:45 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1401546

	registered interest
	date	10/01/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Refugees: Afghanistan
	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 Statement by the Minister for Afghan Resettlement on the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme, 6 January 2022, Official Report, column 185, what measures will she put in place to ensure that undocumented Afghan national family members of British nationals in third countries, can make family member visa applications without delay; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	100485
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2022 answer text <p>The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) commenced on 6th January. The ACRS will provide up to 20,000 women, children and others at risk with a safe and legal route to resettle in the UK.</p><p>The first to be resettled under the new ACRS will be those already evacuated and in the UK. They include women’s rights activists, journalists, and prosecutors, as well as the Afghan families of British Nationals.</p><p>Due to the success of our emergency evacuation and the larger than anticipated number of people brought over to the UK, we will exceed our initial aim of 5,000 people resettled in the first year of the ACRS. There are around 6,500 people in the UK who have been brought to safety during and after the evacuation who are eligible for the ACRS.</p><p>British nationals who have a right of abode in the UK will not be resettled under the ACRS. However, we are supporting those British Nationals who have been assisted by Her Majesty’s Government to the UK.</p><p>In addition to those already in the UK, we are working with the UNHCR to receive referrals of vulnerable refugees in need of protection in year 1 of the ACRS, and we will continue to receive referrals to the scheme in coming years. In the first year we will also offer ACRS places to the most at-risk British Council and GardaWorld contractors, and Chevening alumni. Beyond the first year of the ACRS, we will work with international partners and NGOs to welcome referrals of wider groups of Afghans most at risk. There will not be an application process.</p><p>The ACRS provides those at risk with a route to safety through three distinct referral routes and has been designed with partners, including the UNHCR, with whom we are designing the referral route for refugees outside of Afghanistan.</p><p>The Government will continue to work with international partners to seek to facilitate the travel of those eligible for resettlement in the UK.</p><p>Family members of British citizens and settled persons who were not called forward during the evacuation of Afghanistan, or who have not been offered resettlement under the Afghan Citizens’ Resettlement Scheme, will need to apply to come to the UK under the existing economic or family migration and reunion rules. They will be expected to meet the eligibility requirements of their chosen route, which may include paying relevant fees and charges, and providing their biometrics.</p><p>The family Immigration Rules also allow a person to enter a spouse or partner visa if a couple have been in a relationship akin to marriage and have resided together for a two-year period prior to the application date. The two-year period does not have to be the immediate two years prior to the application date.</p><p>Information for those wishing to apply to enter or remain in the UK as a spouse or partner is available on GOV.UK at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/partner-spouse" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa/partner-spouse</a></p><p>A full policy statement on this matter published on 13 September 2021 can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement-accessible-version" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement-accessible-version</a></p><p>Further information on the opening of the ARCS can be found in the Oral Statement <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/oral-statement-on-the-afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/oral-statement-on-the-afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins grouped question UIN 100479 100480 100481 100482 100483 100484 question first answered 18/01/2022 17:14:45 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1682976

	registered interest
	date	17/01/2024
	answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept id	13
	answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
	hansard heading	Horticulture: Peat
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the press release entitled Sale of horticultural peat to be banned in move to protect England’s precious peatlands, published on 17 August 2022, on what date the commitment to ban the sale of peat for use in the amateur gardening sector will come into effect.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	10077
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/01/2024 answer text <p>In August 2022 we announced that we would ban the sale of peat for use in amateur gardening; we remain committed to this and plan to legislate when Parliamentary time allows. It remains our policy that we intend to legislate to restrict, and ultimately ban, the sale of peat and peat containing products. We have seen a significant reduction in peat use, due to the demand for peat-free growing media from an increasingly environmentally aware public.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 25/01/2024 16:59:00 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas