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1194143

	registered interest
	date	11/05/2020
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Females: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	What steps she is taking to ensure that her Department’s response to the covid-19 outbreak does not disadvantage women.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	902419
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>The government is committed to ensuring that the services and benefits it offers works for everyone including women, as we tackle the Covid 19 crisis. This Government has invested over £6.5bn in strengthening the safety net overall, including making changes to the benefits system to ensure claimants receive the support they need. Notably Universal Credit claimants, and people receiving Working Tax Credits, are receiving an increase in the standard rate of up to £1040 per year for the next 12 months, additional to the uprating announced in November 2019.</p><p>Local Housing Allowance rates for Universal Credit and Housing Benefit claimants have also been increased.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 11/05/2020 16:21:20 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1127387

	registered interest
	date	20/05/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	National Security
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	What recent assessment she has made of the effect of the UK leaving the EU on the UK’s ability to tackle (a) hybrid and (b) cyber-enabled threats.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	910982
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2019 answer text <p>The Government takes hybrid and cyber threats very seriously, and we are strengthening the UK’s defences against increasingly sophisticated attacks. This includes assessing how we will tackle these threats once we have left the EU.</p><p> </p><p>The security partnership agreed between the UK and the EU sets out the broadest and most comprehensive agreement between the EU and a third country.</p> answering member constituency Portsmouth North answering member printed Penny Mordaunt question first answered 20/05/2019 16:38:38 answering member 4017 label Biography information for Penny Mordaunt
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1287830

	registered interest
	date	22/02/2021
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	UK Shared Prosperity Fund
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	What progress he has made on the Shared Prosperity Fund.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	912411
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/02/2021 answer text <p>The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) will help to level up and create opportunity across the UK.</p><p>The November 2020 Spending Review set out the main strategic elements of the UKSPF in the Heads of Terms.</p><p>The Government will publish a UK-wide investment framework in 2021 and confirm multiyear funding profiles at the next Spending Review.</p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Luke Hall question first answered 22/02/2021 17:59:06 answering member 4450 label Biography information for Luke Hall
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1136140

	registered interest
	date	01/07/2019
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Drugs: Facebook
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	What information the Government holds on the sale of illegal drugs through private groups on Facebook; and if he will ensure that Facebook tackles that practice.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	911741
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2019 answer text <p>The government does not hold this information</p><p><br>A robust law enforcement response is a fundamental part of the government's drug strategy and we are taking coordinated action to tackle illegal drugs alongside associated criminal activity. Law enforcement agencies continue to work with internet service providers to shut down UK-based websites found to be committing offences such as selling drugs controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.</p><p>The government has been clear that more needs to be done to tackle online harms, including sale of illegal goods. That is why the Government published the Online Harms White Paper, which sets out our plans for world-leading legislation to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online and hold companies to account for tackling a wide range of online harms.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 08/07/2019 15:33:15 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1715842

	registered interest
	date	03/05/2024
	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, which private companies have been contracted by his Department to provide services to the (a) UK government and (b) Rwandan government, to assist in the delivery of the processes outlined in the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	24781
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2024 answer text <p>The Department uses a number of suppliers to undertake detention and returns activity, MEDP being a workstream within this area. The key suppliers that will be involved with MEDP will be:</p><p>Mitie Care and Custody Ltd – via the immigration escorting contract <a href="https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/8e94f338-6049-48f7-8b82-9dea24af8857?p=1" target="_blank">https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/8e94f338-6049-48f7-8b82-9dea24af8857?p=1</a>.</p><p>CWT – via the immigration travel service contract. <a href="https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/36f67d6d-2b26-4ecb-88c6-41291aa8af37?origin=SearchResults&amp;p=1" target="_blank">https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/notice/36f67d6d-2b26-4ecb-88c6-41291aa8af37?origin=SearchResults&amp;p=1</a>.</p><p>Services provided to the Rwandan Government by private companies are for the Government of Rwanda to procure.</p> answering member constituency Mid Dorset and North Poole answering member printed Michael Tomlinson question first answered 14/05/2024 14:22:25 answering member 4497 label Biography information for Michael Tomlinson
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1359836

	registered interest
	date	15/10/2021
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Migrant Workers: Clothing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government plans to add the garment industry to the Shortage Occupation List.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	57099
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2021 answer text <p>The Skilled Worker route already contains several eligible occupations from this sector, such as weavers, upholsterers, tailors and dressmakers subject to salary and language requirements being met. An occupation at RQF3 or above does not need to be on the Shortage Occupation List to qualify for recruitment under the Skilled Worker Route.</p><p>In their last call for evidence the independent Migration Advisory Committee received evidence from several stakeholders from the garment industry, but they concluded this evidence did not warrant occupations from this sector being added onto the SOL. We will also not be creating more general routes allowing recruitment at or near the minimum wage into this sector via immigration as an alternative to investing in UK based staff and offering them rewarding packages of terms and conditions.</p><p>More generally those business facing recruitment issues should, in the first instance, engage with the Department for Work and Pensions about the support they can offer in seeking recruits and supporting training.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 22/10/2021 16:37:36 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster previous answer version 26365 answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1465764

	registered interest
	date	25/05/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Refugees: Hotels and Rented Housing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made a comparative assessment of the cost of housing refugees in (a) hotels and (b) rented accommodation; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of housing more refugees in rented accommodation.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	9037
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2022 answer text <p>The Home Office has not made a comparative assessment of the cost of housing asylum seekers in either hotels or in rented accommodation on the basis that hotel accommodation is and always has been contingency accommodation where we are unable to procure sufficient Dispersed Accommodation to meet our statutory obligation. Whilst we are working to reduce our use of hotels, we must continue to ensure there is sufficient capacity in the system to meet our obligations.</p><p> </p><p>That is why we wrote to all Local Authorities on 13 April 2022 to set out plans for Full Dispersal. This will reduce and then eliminate the use of hotels for asylum seekers by moving to a full dispersal model for asylum accommodation.</p><p> </p><p>We will achieve this through three key interventions:</p><p> </p><p>1. To reduce and eliminate the use of hotels for asylum seekers by moving to a full dispersal model for asylum accommodation. This will mean expanding our existing approach of using private rental sector housing to all local authority areas across England, Scotland and Wales.</p><p> </p><p>2. We are committed to working with local authorities to move to a fairer distribution of asylum seekers and have launched an informal consultation with local government to inform how this model will work across England, Scotland and Wales and within regions and nations. The consultation will explore how asylum dispersal can better take account of the impact of other protection based immigration on local authorities, including resettlement and the care of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children.</p><p>.</p><p>3. Providing specific funding to recognise the existing contribution of local authorities and for new dispersed accommodation. We will continue to work with local government to capture and evaluate data to understand the impact of asylum dispersal on local authorities going forward.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 10/06/2022 12:54:37 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1689441

	registered interest
	date	16/02/2024
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Payments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has made an assessment of the impact of weekly payments to asylum seekers in catered accommodation being under £10 on their ability to access cash.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	14340
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2024 answer text <p>The Home Office has a legal obligation to meet the essential living needs of destitute asylum seekers. Support is usually provided in the form of accommodation and a weekly allowance loaded onto a payment card called an Aspen card, which can be used to make purchases from retail outlets.</p><p>Individuals living in catered accommodation are issued a reduced weekly payment to cover essential living items that are not met by their accommodation provider, such as clothing and travel.</p><p>The level of allowance is reviewed each year to ensure it covers an individual's essential living needs. Following the 2023 review, allowances have increased for many supported individuals including pregnant women and young children.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 26/02/2024 17:14:50 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1675916

	registered interest
	date	06/12/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Marriage
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the prevalence of arranged marriages in the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	5595
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/12/2023 answer text <p>The Government has not made a recent assessment on the prevalence of arranged marriages in the UK.</p><p> </p><p>In an arranged marriage the families take a leading role in choosing the marriage partner, but the marriage is entered into freely by both parties.</p><p> </p><p>This is in contrast to a forced marriage, where one or both people do not or cannot consent to the marriage and pressure or abuse is used to force them into the marriage.</p><p> </p><p>It is also a forced marriage when anything is done to make someone marry before they turn 18, even if there is no pressure or abuse.</p><p> </p><p>More information on forced marriage can be found here - <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/forced-marriage" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/forced-marriage</a></p> answering member constituency Newbury answering member printed Laura Farris question first answered 19/12/2023 10:03:00 answering member 4826 label Biography information for Laura Farris
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1642665

	registered interest
	date	07/06/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Refugees: Consumer Goods
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department provides basic toiletries as standard to refugees in her Department's care.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	188319
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2023 answer text <p>Basic toiletries are considered an essential need for asylum seekers in receipt of asylum support. These are either provided directly by our accommodation providers under the AASC contract, or individuals can purchase the items with their weekly subsistence rate, which is currently £45 for those in self-catered or dispersal accommodation. Part of this allowance is intended for toiletries.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 16/06/2023 11:12:06 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1489665

	registered interest
	date	15/07/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Temporary Accommodation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department makes an assessment of the (a) location and (b) cost of temporary accommodation when determining the order in which asylum seekers in that accommodation are given interviews.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	37513
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/07/2022 answer text <p>The Home Office do not make an assessment of the location or cost of temporary accommodation when determining the order in which asylum seekers are given interviews; our usual tasking priorities are followed.</p><p>We are currently concentrating on deciding older claims, cases with acute vulnerability and those in receipt of the greatest level of support, including Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children. Additionally, we are prioritising cases where an individual has already received a decision, but a reconsideration is required.</p><p> </p><p>Asylum Operations have also introduced a digital interviewing capability as part of the wider Home Office digital transformation programme. This enables us to maximise our capacity to conduct interviews in locations across the UK and progress cases in a more efficient and cost-effective way.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 28/07/2022 10:22:31 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1490189

	registered interest
	date	18/07/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Refugees: Temporary Accommodation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of a scheme allowing refugees to temporarily stay with members of the public while awaiting permanent dispersal.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	38699
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/08/2022 answer text <p>For those claiming asylum in the UK, we support and house those would otherwise be destitute whilst they await a decision on their claim.</p><p> </p><p>We have no plans to house those who require our accommodation in this way with members of the public. Where someone is then subsequently granted refugee status, whilst in the United Kingdom, we would provide advice to them on onward accommodation and Local Authorities would provide housing advice and support.</p><p> </p><p>For those who are granted refugee status abroad and then resettled in the UK, our Community Sponsorship Scheme enables civil society - including friends, charities and faith groups - to directly support families through both our UK Resettlement Scheme and now the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme. Those brought to the UK under Community Sponsorship must have accommodation arranged in advance.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 26/08/2022 15:31:14 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1663752

	registered interest
	date	13/10/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Applications
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made (a) a comparative assessment of the speed of processing asylum claims for (i) her Department's existing method and (ii) alternative methods and (b) an assessment of the efficiency of alternative methods taken by other nations.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	201605
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2023 answer text <p>We have taken immediate action to speed up asylum processing whilst maintaining the integrity of the system. This includes simplifying guidance and streamlining processes. We have also introduced shorter, focussed interviews, making the interview process more efficient.</p><p>The asylum backlog of legacy cases had fallen by over 35,000 cases, between the end of November 2022 and the end of August 2023, and has continued to fall since the last publication of statistics.</p><p>Information on the legacy backlog is published online in the IMB_02 Tab of the data table regarding Statistics relating to the Illegal Migration Act - GOV.UK (<a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2F&amp;data=05%7C01%7CMark.McLaughlin2%40homeoffice.gov.uk%7C13fafc2fb7e04b123d6308dbce3cef89%7Cf24d93ecb2914192a08af182245945c2%7C0%7C0%7C638330533328633817%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=S6SmN5XuJffLuwEqfIL%2BQbqt84HF93ZEckLz%2BayoJOw%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">www.gov.uk(opens in a new tab)</a>). This data is provisional and has not been cleansed to remove duplicates.</p><p>In the year ending June 2023, there were 23,702 initial decisions made on asylum applications, 61% more than in the previous year. This is in part due to an increase in the number of asylum decision makers employed by the Home Office.</p><p>We are confident that with increased capacity and improved efficiency this will help deliver further significant output over the coming months.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 23/10/2023 15:10:48 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1679528

	registered interest
	date	05/01/2024
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Visas: Married People
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has made an estimate of the number of women on spousal visas that have been a victim of (a) domestic abuse and (b) modern slavery.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	8034
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2024 answer text <p>The number of women on spousal visas that have been a victim of domestic abuse and modern slavery does not form part of any current transparency data or migration statistics and is not published.</p><p><br> The transparency data does, however, include a range of processing data and the latest data can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/migration-transparency-data#uk-visas-and-immigration(opens%20in%20a%20new%20tab)" target="_blank">Migration transparency data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a>.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 15/01/2024 17:10:05 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

58094

	registered interest
	date	04/06/2014
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Sovereignty: Scotland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any UK citizens would involuntarily lose resident citizenship as a result of Scottish independence.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	Eric Joyce
	uin	198712
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>In the event of a vote for independence, decisions about UK citizenship would <br>rest with the UK Government; the basis for entitlement to Scottish citizenship <br>would be for the government of an independent Scottish state to decide.<br><br>The UK has historically been tolerant of plural nationalities, and therefore it <br>is likely that it would be possible for an individual to hold both British and <br>Scottish citizenship. However, under current rules British citizens living <br>outside the UK cannot pass their British nationality on more than one <br>generation. So, the children of British citizens living in an independent <br>Scotland would be British citizens, but their children and subsequent <br>generations would not be.<br><br>The government of the continuing UK would also need to consider whether all <br>British citizens living in Scotland could retain their British citizenship upon <br>independence. This cannot be guaranteed and could be dependent on any residence <br>requirements or proof of affinity to the continuing UK. It is not possible to <br>predict now what the decision of a future government of the continuing UK might <br>be in this area.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Staffordshire Moorlands answering member printed Karen Bradley question first answered 23/06/2014 11:31:23 answering member 4110 label Biography information for Dame Karen Bradley
	tabling member	603 label Biography information for Eric Joyce

1489689

	registered interest
	date	15/07/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Sexual Offences
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether a framework is in place to ensure that the police meet the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences target of reaching a charging decision within 30 days of beginning work on a sexual assault case.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	37514
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2022 answer text <p>Protecting women and girls from violence and supporting victims and survivors of sexual violence is a key priority for this Government.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>In June 2021, we published the End-to-End Rape Review Report and Action Plan. The action plan outlined a robust programme of work to achieve a significant improvement in the way the criminal justice system responds to rape and sexual offences against adults.</p><p> </p><p>Our stated ambition in the Rape Review is to more than double the volume of adult rape cases reaching court over the Parliament, and we are using the Criminal Justice System (CJS) Delivery Dashboards to monitor progress towards this ambition.</p><p> </p><p>On 16 June, we published our second six-monthly Rape Review Progress Update and third national CJS Delivery Dashboard. There are no set targets for the police on timeliness, but the Dashboard showed that in the year to December 2021 the median days from offence recording to the police charging an offender was 374, which was a reduction of 29 from 403 days in the years to June and September 2021.</p><p> </p><p>The Rape Review Progress Update also outlined progress that has been made on key actions to improve the police’s response to adult rape in the year since the Rape Review, including:</p><ul><li>The Home Office is providing £6.65m in 2021-3 to support the expansion into a further 14 police forces of Operation Soteria, which will develop a new national operating model for the investigation of rape for police forces to adopt by June 2023. The Crown Prosecution Service will also expand Operation Soteria into the corresponding areas to those 14 police force areas.</li><li>Running a public consultation on police requests for third-party material, which can sometimes be unnecessary and disproportionate; and</li></ul><p>Continuing to make progress towards the target of recruiting 20,000 additional police officers by March 2023. As of March 2022, the Home Office had supported the recruitment of 13,578 police officers, and in 2022/3 we have allocated £550m to achieve the target of 20,000 officers by March 2023.</p> answering member constituency Derby North answering member printed Amanda Solloway question first answered 22/07/2022 16:20:10 answering member 4372 label Biography information for Amanda Solloway
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

754699

	registered interest
	date	20/07/2017
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Fruit: Migrant Workers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether EU nationals who work in the UK soft fruit sector will be able to continue to work in the UK after the UK leaves the EU.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	6779
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2017 answer text <p>The Government’s policy paper (Cm 9464), which was laid before Parliament on 26 June, sets out our proposals for enabling European Union citizens residing in the UK before a specified cut off date (to be confirmed, but between 29 March 2017 and exit) to continue to live and work here. After five years’ continuous residence, they will be able to apply for UK settled status. There are no plans to differentiate according to work sector.</p><p>The details of the new scheme will be subject to negotiations. We will publish further detail on the specifics of the new application process, including detailed eligibility criteria and requirements, in due course.</p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 05/09/2017 15:53:10 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1686710

	registered interest
	date	01/02/2024
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Personal Care Services: Organised Crime and Undocumented Migrants
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle the use of barber shops as fronts for (a) organised crime and (b) illegal immigration.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	12561
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2024 answer text <p>The Government is committed to tackling the threat from Serious and Organised Crime (SOC) and immigration related criminality. It has recently published a new SOC strategy that commits to reducing SOC in the UK by disrupting and dismantling organised crime groups and networks operating in and against the UK.</p><p>The National Crime Agency (NCA), Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) network, Border Force and law enforcement partners have specialised intelligence and investigative teams that are deployed across the full range of SOC threats, including illicit finance, fraud, money laundering, and immigration crime, to bring offenders to justice.</p><p>National, regional and local operational activity is always prioritised by law enforcement according to the threat, risk and harm posed.</p><p>This Government has increased NCA funding by more than 40% since 2019 to support the development of essential capabilities needed to tackle the full range of SOC threats.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 07/02/2024 15:37:50 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1490191

	registered interest
	date	18/07/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Mental Health
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to protect the mental health of vulnerable asylum seekers.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	38700
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/07/2022 answer text <p>Asylum seekers have full access to the NHS upon arrival in the UK.</p><p>All Home Office staff and contractors engaging with asylum seekers are trained to adopt a risk-based approach towards potential indications of vulnerability and to refer relevant cases onto the Safeguarding Hub, a dedicated resource assigned to identifying and safeguarding vulnerable asylum seekers.</p><p>The Safeguarding Hub works closely with the statutory agencies to signpost vulnerable customers for support with their health and social care needs.</p><p>The Government is planning to provide an additional £2.3 billion a year for mental health services by 2023/24, the largest increase in mental health funding in NHS history.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 25/07/2022 14:37:01 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1469796

	registered interest
	date	13/06/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Applications
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to reduce the amount of time it takes to process asylum visa applications.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	16995
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/06/2022 answer text <p>To help reduce the amount of time it takes to process asylum applications we are investing in a programme of transformation and business improvement initiatives to speed up and simplify our processes, reduce the time people spend in the asylum system and decrease the number of people who are awaiting an interview or decision.</p><p> </p><p>These initiatives include conducting shorter, more focused interviews or omitting interviews where it is appropriate to do so, streamlining decision templates and focusing on improving quality to ensure decisions are right first time. We have introduced specialist Decision Making Units, providing greater ownership and management of cohorts of asylum cases. Additionally, we have extensive ongoing recruitment and training plans in place, including career progression options to aid the retention of staff.</p><p> </p><p>We are continuing to develop existing and new technology to help build on recent improvements such as digital interviewing and move away from a paper-based system. We are streamlining and digitising the case working process to enable more effective workflow, appointment booking and decision-making.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 21/06/2022 16:33:57 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1606607

	registered interest
	date	22/03/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Drugs: Misuse
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the impact of the Misuse of Drug Act 1971 on the criminal justice system.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	904357
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/03/2023 answer text <p>No recent assessment has been made. Assessments are made on a case by case basis as individual drugs or drug harms are identified.</p><p>Drug Legislation forms part of our wider approach to preventing drug misuse alongside prevention and education, supporting treatment and recovery, and tackling the supply of illicit drugs.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 28/03/2023 15:49:14 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1202297

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2020
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Fraud: Telephone Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information his Department holds on the number of people who have lost money through telephone scams in each of the last five years in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland and (c) Falkirk constituency.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	58002
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/07/2020 answer text <p>Victims of fraud and cyber-crime in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are encouraged to report these crimes directly to a centralised reporting centre called Action Fraud. Fraud victims in Scotland also reported crimes directly into Action Fraud until December 2019, when Police Scotland decided that victims should report incidents directly to them, via their 101 service. These reports are now recorded separately from Action Fraud data.</p><p> </p><p>Action Fraud does not categorise fraud reports by the mode in which the fraud was conducted. Fraud can often encompass several different methods of communication, so it may not necessarily be clear to the victim what the primary vector for this kind of criminal attack was. Victim locations are only recorded when sufficient information is provided. For these reasons, the data requested is not held centrally.</p> answering member constituency Old Bexley and Sidcup answering member printed James Brokenshire question first answered 16/07/2020 11:34:37 answering member 1530 label Biography information for James Brokenshire
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1469798

	registered interest
	date	13/06/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Housing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her target date is for the completion of her full dispersal accommodation plan for asylum seekers.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	16996
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/06/2022 answer text <p>On 13 April the Minister for Safe and Legal Migration announced the Home Office would move, with immediate effect, to a policy of full dispersal for the procurement asylum accommodation. We are working in partnership with local authorities to develop full dispersal plans down to a region/nation level. Whilst these plans are being developed procurement under this policy has commenced and any properties procured during the interim period will be accounted for in region/nations plans. This process is being informed by the informal consultation which was launched on 9 May and closes on 1 July.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 21/06/2022 16:43:31 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1461939

	registered interest
	date	11/05/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	HM Passport Office: Standards
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what comparative assessment she has made of the efficiency of each HM Passport Office branch for processing passport applications and renewals; and what steps her Department is taking to improve efficiency in branches that are comparatively less efficient.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	821
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2022 answer text <p>Due to differences in some of the work undertaken at individual passport offices, such as more complex international work, productivity will vary at a local level. However, Her Majesty’s Passport Office has a range of tried and tested arrangements in place to monitor performance at local and national level, which helps to ensure that there is no disparity in the handling of like-for-like cases across each site.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 19/05/2022 16:33:44 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1463057

	registered interest
	date	16/05/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Visas: Russia
	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 has made of the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Russian citizens who are in the process of applying for UK Visas.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	2526
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/06/2022 answer text <p>Part of the government’s response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been to issue more than 107,000 visas to Ukrainians seeking to come to the UK under the Ukraine Family Scheme and the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme. This has inevitably had an impact on visa applications from other nationalities coming through normal visa routes.</p><p>As a result of the current conflict in Ukraine, applications from Russian nationals to enter the United Kingdom are subject to additional checks. Russia is also subject to sanctions which may impact on the ability of individuals to pay for certain services and a visa will not be granted if the purpose of the travel to the UK would be in breach of them.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 08/06/2022 15:18:34 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster previous answer version 2781 answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1503533

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Sexual Offences
	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 22 July 2022 to Question 37514 on Sexual Offences, whether (a) incentives and (b) penalties exist to encourage police departments to meet the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences target of reaching a charging decision within 30 days of beginning work on a sexual assault case.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	45225
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/09/2022 answer text <p>Protecting women and girls from violence and supporting victims and survivors of sexual violence is a key priority for this Government, and we expect cases to be dealt with sensitively and effectively. In June 2021, we published the End-to-End Rape Review Report and Action Plan which outlined a robust programme of work that aims to achieve a significant improvement in the way the criminal justice system responds to rape and sexual offences against adults.</p><p>As set out in the Rape Review, our ambition is to more than double the volume of adult rape cases reaching court over the Parliament, and we are using the Criminal Justice System (CJS) Delivery Dashboards to monitor progress towards this ambition.</p><p>There are no set targets for the police on timeliness. The published crime outcomes data shows that for all sexual offences the median days for a charge outcome to be assigned in 21/22 was 261 days, down from 268 days in 20/21. For all rape, the median days for a charge outcome to be assigned in 21/22 was 467 days compared to 465 days in 20/21.</p> answering member constituency Derby North answering member printed Amanda Solloway question first answered 06/09/2022 15:52:13 answering member 4372 label Biography information for Amanda Solloway
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1472580

	registered interest
	date	22/06/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Refugees: Hotels
	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 10 June 2022 to Question 9037 on Refugees: Hotels and Rented Housing, with reference to refugees being accommodated in hotels, whether her Department has set a target for the (a) number of asylum seekers to be hosted in hotels at any one time and (b) date for completing any necessary reduction to meet that target.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	23322
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2022 answer text <p>The Home Office does not have a target for the number of asylum seekers who should be housed in hotels.</p><p>Our aim is to eliminate the use of hotel accommodation as contingency accommodation and we are working with Local Authorities and our Commercial Partners to do so.</p><p>This includes moving to a system of full dispersal covering all local authority areas in England, Wales and Scotland, as opposed to the previous position where many, including 31 out of 32 local authority areas in Scotland, did not take part in the dispersal accommodation system.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 01/07/2022 10:17:59 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1402700

	registered interest
	date	13/01/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Coronavirus: Vaccination
	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 take steps to add further exemptions to her Department's absence policy to include absence related to reactions and side effects caused by covid-19 booster vaccination.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	103570
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/01/2022 answer text <p>There is an existing exemption in our attendance management policy covering the acute phase of Covid infection.</p><p>For absences relating to reactions to, or side effects from, Covid vaccination (which are likely to be of short duration), managers are encouraged to take a sympathetic approach under the normal provisions of our attendance management policy. We have no plans to introduce an exemption covering reactions to Covid vaccinations.</p> answering member constituency Redditch answering member printed Rachel Maclean question first answered 21/01/2022 12:33:02 answering member 4668 label Biography information for Rachel Maclean
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

732678

	registered interest
	date	26/06/2017
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Immigration: Married People
	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 review immigration rules for spouse visas.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	1189
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2017 answer text <p>The Supreme Court has upheld the lawfulness of the English language and minimum income requirements of the Immigration Rules for spouse visas. The requirements prevent burdens on the taxpayer and promote integration.</p><p>The Supreme Court agrees that they strike a fair balance between the interests of those wishing to sponsor a non-European Economic Area national spouse to settle in the UK and of the community in general.</p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 29/06/2017 14:43:29 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1463065

	registered interest
	date	16/05/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Visas: Russia
	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 it her policy to expedite UK visas for Russian men who have been conscripted into the Russian military against their will and whom are morally opposed to war.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	2527
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/06/2022 answer text <p>The government has no plans to expedite visas for Russian nationals subject to conscription in the military.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 08/06/2022 07:43:03 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster previous answer version 2780 answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1503794

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Passports: Surrogacy
	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 it her policy to expedite British surrogacy babies' passports who are born overseas in the context of enabling them to be vaccinated and cared for by their family in a timely way.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	45514
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/09/2022 answer text <p>His Majesty’s Passport Office provides significant support to the commissioning parents of surrogate babies. In all applications, especially where there are safety concerns, HM Passport Office works in conjunction with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to prioritise the processing of applications, and to issue Emergency Travel Documents for travel to a safe location once checks have been satisfactorily completed.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 20/09/2022 15:26:14 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1602368

	registered interest
	date	08/03/2023
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Migrant Workers: Clothing
	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 extending eligibility for the global talent visa to include (a) designers, (b) fashion photographers, (c) stylists, (d) fashion journalists and (e) other professionals in the fashion industry.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	161319
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/03/2023 answer text <p>The Global Talent visa route utilises the expertise of six endorsing bodies to set criteria for applicants looking to apply as a leading talent or someone with the potential to be a leading talent in their respective fields.</p><p>On behalf of Arts Council England, the endorsing body for arts and culture, the British Fashion Council consider applications from individuals looking to be endorsed within the field of fashion design. Any expansion of the criteria to cover a wider range of roles within the fashion industry would be requested via our endorsing bodies – as the experts in their field – to consider and escalate to the Home Office if appropriate.</p><p>We continue to work closely with the endorsing bodies to ensure that the route is working for their sectors and that the UK is attracting and retaining highly talented individuals in science, research, digital technology and arts and culture.</p><p>There are a range of other visa routes open to applicants, that cater for professions within the fashion design industry.</p> answering member constituency Newark answering member printed Robert Jenrick question first answered 13/03/2023 13:23:16 answering member 4320 label Biography information for Robert Jenrick
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1685865

	registered interest
	date	30/01/2024
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Visas: Fees and Charges
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing reduced fee tiers of visa payments for individuals with contributory ties with the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	12088
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2024 answer text <p>There are currently no plans to introduce fee tiers. It is the Home Office’s policy that fees should generally be charged consistently across customer groups in order to support the overall funding of the migration and borders system.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 07/02/2024 10:06:09 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1381066

	registered interest
	date	22/11/2021
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Immigration: Afghanistan
	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 ensure the equity of her Department's decisions to grant indefinite leave to remain to Afghans and spouses of British citizens.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	79404
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/11/2021 answer text <p>All decisions to grant indefinite leave to those evacuated from Afghanistan, including the spouses of British citizens, are taken on an individual basis and with consideration to the specific circumstances of the case.</p><p>These cohorts are treated more generously than other family members of British citizens because of the unique circumstances of the evacuation, alongside the need to quickly move people to safety without being able to assess their ability to meet the normal Immigration Rules.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 30/11/2021 11:22:24 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1359278

	registered interest
	date	15/10/2021
	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: Protective Clothing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Health and Social Care, whether the Government undertook a modern slavery impact assessment before procuring PPE overseas in the context of evidence of modern slavery in PPE supply chains in Malaysia and China.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	56359
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2021 answer text <p>The Government uses standard contracts, which include clauses on modern slavery. Labour standards are a part of the NHS Supply Chain Coordination Limited framework suppliers contract award process.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 22/10/2021 11:50:35 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

934702

	registered interest
	date	04/07/2018
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	State Retirement Pensions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the report, The impact of state pension reforms on people with guaranteed minimum pensions, published by the National Audit Office in March 2016, what steps her Department has taken to identify people with guaranteed minimum pensions affected by the introduction of the new State Pension; and what guidance her Department has issued to affected people to help them make informed decisions on their future pension arrangements.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	160779
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2018 answer text <p>The impact of recent pension reforms on people who were contracted out of the additional pension system (and therefore have an entitlement to a guaranteed minimum pension as part of their private pension provision) is dependent on personal circumstances, and there are a multitude of scenarios which can result in a range of different outcomes, both positive and negative. It is not, therefore, practical for government to give general advice to this group; and nor is it an effective use of resources to issue personalised advice to everyone in this situation. The best way for someone who is has been contracted out to find out their state pension provision, and therefore plan their overall later life finances, is to use the ‘Check your state pension’ service.</p><p>The forecasts contained in the Check your State Pension service, as far as is practical, take all impacts into account for an individual when determining their state pension entitlement. Since February 2016, over nine million Check your State Pension forecasts have been viewed.</p><p>In the paper ‘New State Pension: impact on an individual’s pension entitlement – longer term effects’ published by the Department on 14 January 2016, we said:</p><p><em>The final group potentially affected by changes in uprating mechanisms are those who have been contracted-out of the additional pension system at some point in their working life. This is particularly the case where people were contracted-out between 1978/79 and 1987/88. Under the current system these people are awarded an amount of SERPS which is uprated by CPI once in payment. A contracted-out deduction is also made to account for the fact they paid a lower rate of National Insurance, which reduces the amount of SERPS they receive. The individual receives a broadly equivalent amount to the contracted-out deduction of Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP) which is paid by the scheme. There is no requirement on schemes under general occupational pensions and social security legislation to uprate GMPs accrued between 1978/79 and 1987/88. Therefore under the current State Pension system contracted-out deductions relating to this period are not uprated. Since SERPs is uprated by CPI, the amount of SERPS received after a contracting-out deduction is made can grow over time. This complex arrangement will end under the new State Pension system and could lead to some people getting a lower notional outcome.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><p><em>However, there are two key factors that offset these potential notional losses. Firstly, this group will be highly likely to benefit from more of their pension being uprated by the triple lock as explained above. Secondly, people with periods of contracting-out on their National Insurance record are likely to be able to build additional qualifying years from 2016/17 which will add 1/35th of the full nSP amount to the amount they receive, up to the full rate.</em></p><p>We have reformed the system to replace it with a simpler one for the future which allows people a clear idea early in their careers of what the state will provide, so they can make their own additional savings plans. www.gov.uk/check-state-pension</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 10/07/2018 15:11:37 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1519163

	registered interest
	date	10/10/2022
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Right to Buy Scheme
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Prime Minister announcement on Right to buy scheme extension on 9 June, what assessments he has made of the potential merits of allowing Housing Benefit to be counted towards mortgage costs.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	59139
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/10/2022 answer text <p>Since the announcement on the 9 June, the department has begun looking at changing welfare rules so that people who receive housing support can use their benefit towards mortgage payments for a new mortgage instead of on rent.</p><p> </p><p>Further consideration of the merits of changing welfare rules to support homeownership will be completed as the policy is developed in line with steers from the new administration.</p><p> </p><p>A full equalities impact assessment will also be carried out in due course, and before any legislation is laid with the House.</p> answering member constituency Brentwood and Ongar answering member printed Alex Burghart question first answered 18/10/2022 13:12:16 answering member 4613 label Biography information for Alex Burghart
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1244841

	registered interest
	date	20/10/2020
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Children: Maintenance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to paying parents who receive income from rental property being required to pay more in child maintenance payments as a result of changes in the calculation of their gross income, if she will make a make an assessment of (a) the equity of that policy, (b) the effect of those changes on the amount affected individuals are required to pay and (b) the effect on paying parents affected by those circumstances.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	106380
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2020 answer text <p>We believe that both parents have a financial responsibility to contribute towards the cost of bringing up their child. The calculation represents an amount of money that is broadly similar to the amount that a paying parent would spend on the child if they were still living with them.</p><p> </p><p>Variations of a Child Maintenance calculation can be requested on grounds of unearned income; such as rental income from property or land, where the paying parent receives unearned income of at least £2,500 a year. This amount is then included in the gross income figure used to calculate the amount of maintenance owed.</p><p> </p><p>As landlords can claim tax relief for certain costs linked to their properties, the rental income used in the calculation is usually net of HMRC allowable expenses (i.e. mortgages, maintenance of the property, rent, ground rent and service charges).</p><p> </p><p>The Service runs through broad rules set out in child support legislation. The statutory scheme aims to provide the best overall outcome and protect the welfare of all of its clients.</p> answering member constituency Mid Sussex answering member printed Mims Davies question first answered 23/10/2020 13:18:11 answering member 4513 label Biography information for Mims Davies
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1693757

	registered interest
	date	05/03/2024
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Pension Protection Fund
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to Q339 of the evidence given by the Minister for Pensions to the Work and Pensions Committee on 10 January 2024, HC144, whether the Minister has had recent discussions with representatives of the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) on indexation of pre-1997 contributions; and when he next plans to meet with PPF representatives.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	17095
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/03/2024 answer text <p>I meet regularly with the Pensions Protection Fund and have discussed pre-97 Pensions Protection Fund indexation with them. The most recent meeting was on 7th March 2024.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 12/03/2024 14:05:17 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1681770

	registered interest
	date	12/01/2024
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Bereavement Support Payment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department plans to make unmarried long-term childless couples eligible for Bereavement Support Payment.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	9351
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2024 answer text <p>Bereavement Support Payment is currently only available to those who are married, in a cohabiting relationship with dependent children, or in a civil partnership. We currently have no plans to change the eligibility criteria for Bereavement Support Payment.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 22/01/2024 15:45:17 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

758867

	registered interest
	date	07/09/2017
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Department for Work and Pensions: Cycle to Work Scheme
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent progress his Department has made on the implementation of the Government's Cycle to Work scheme for his Department's employees.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	9389
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/09/2017 answer text <p>The Department for Work and Pensions already makes provision for our employees through an advance of salary to purchase a bicycle and safety equipment and retailer discounts, which are available via our employee discount scheme.</p><p>We are currently working with a supplier with the intention of implementing a DWP Cycle to Work scheme by the end of this financial year.</p> answering member constituency Gosport answering member printed Caroline Dinenage question first answered 12/09/2017 15:35:31 answering member 4008 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Dinenage
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1519448

	registered interest
	date	10/10/2022
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Mortgages: Housing Benefits
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on the policy proposals announced on 9 June 2022 for Housing Benefit to be counted towards the costs of a mortgage in reforms of the housing market.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	59856
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/10/2022 answer text <p>The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has not yet met with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to discuss this policy.</p> answering member constituency Brentwood and Ongar answering member printed Alex Burghart question first answered 18/10/2022 13:26:23 answering member 4613 label Biography information for Alex Burghart
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

347763

	registered interest
	date	01/06/2015
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Welfare to Work: Scotland
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what organisation his Department has awarded contracts or sub contracts to for the provision of welfare to work programmes in Scotland in each year since 2010.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	548
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2015 answer text <p /> <p>Details of all contracts with a value of £10,000 or over are published on Contractfinder as part of the Government’s transparency agenda.</p><p> </p><p>The information requested can be found at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/" target="_blank">https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk</a></p> answering member constituency Witham answering member printed Priti Patel question first answered 04/06/2015 14:53:48 answering member 4066 label Biography information for Priti Patel
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1519162

	registered interest
	date	10/10/2022
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Social Security Benefits: Disability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessments she has made of the adequacy of disability benefits in supporting constituents with mortgage repayments.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	59136
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/10/2022 answer text <p>Support for homeowners in receipt of income-related benefits, including disabled people on those benefits, is available in the form of Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI), an interest-bearing loan offered at the same rate it was as a benefit.</p><p> </p><p>SMI provides support for homeowners who are unable to meet their mortgage repayments due to illness, unemployment or other personal crisis or income shocks.</p><p> </p><p>The primary purpose of SMI is to help people meet their existing mortgage commitments so that they can stay in their homes without fear of repossession.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Claire Coutinho question first answered 19/10/2022 11:36:41 answering member 4806 label Biography information for Claire Coutinho
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1105758

	registered interest
	date	27/03/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Work Capability Assessment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of whether Maximus is meeting the SC12 and SC13 targets in schedule 2.2 of the Health and Disability Assessment Services contract; and whether the Government collates data from individual assessment centres on those targets.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	237797
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/04/2019 answer text <p>The supplier aims to deliver quality assessments as efficiently as possible. Our priority is to ensure that claimants who attend an assessment centre are seen and the supplier is achieving the SC1<ins class="ministerial">3</ins><del class="ministerial">2</del> target which measures the percentage of claimants sent home unseen. Currently, more people are waiting longer in assessment centres than we would like; the supplier is currently just below the SC1<ins class="ministerial">2</ins><del class="ministerial">3</del> target level which measures waiting times in assessment centres. SC12 and SC13 are national contractual service levels, but the Department does monitor performance at assessment centre-level. We are working closely with the supplier to improve waiting times for more claimants while ensuring the length of the assessment meets the individual claimant’s needs and claimants who attend for an assessment are seen.</p> answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson question first answered 04/04/2019 13:46:25 question first ministerially corrected 29/04/2019 16:36:42 answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson previous answer version 112078 answering member constituency North Swindon answering member printed Justin Tomlinson answering member 4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1469606

	registered interest
	date	13/06/2022
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Employment and Support Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of not providing supplementary fuel payments to people who receive Contributory Employment and Support Allowance on those claimants.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	16994
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/06/2022 answer text <p>Winter Fuel Payments are an age-related payment payable to those who have reached state pension age. The payment provides reassurance to older customers that Government help is available during the winter months to help with their energy bills. This winter 2022/23 winter fuel payments will be increased by £300 and households with someone of state pension age and under 80 will receive £500 and households with someone aged 80 or over will receive £600.</p><p> </p><p>Cold Weather Payments are made to people in receipt of certain income-related benefits. People who receive contribution-based benefits, such as contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance, are not eligible for Cold Weather Payments. This is because the Cold Weather Payment scheme was specifically designed to target the most vulnerable people in society, by providing help with additional heating costs during periods of severe weather. The Government firmly believes that the fairest way of managing this is by linking eligibility to income-related benefits, as this ensures that public funds are used in the most effective way possible.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 20/06/2022 14:21:50 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1420277

	registered interest
	date	07/02/2022
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Social Security Benefits: Cost of Living
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the sufficiency of legacy benefits in supporting constituents with rising fuel costs and costs of living; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of backdating the £20 uplift to those who were ineligible.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	119651
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/02/2022 answer text <p>The uplift to Universal Credit was a temporary measure. We have no plans to complete an assessment of backdating it.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 11/02/2022 14:43:34 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1487347

	registered interest
	date	07/07/2022
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Carer's Allowance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of (a) the carer's allowance earnings cap on people looking to accept a wider range of employment and (b) her Department's policy of immediately terminating that benefit in the event that someone breaches the income cap through (i) receipt of a tax rebate and (ii) other genuine means.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	32568
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/07/2022 answer text <p>The Carer’s Allowance weekly earnings limit is designed to allow carers to combine their caring responsibilities with some paid employment where they can. It is set at a level that aims to encourage those who give up full time work in order to undertake caring responsibilities, to maintain a link with the labour market through part time work.</p><p> </p><p>The £132 limit, which has increased by around a third since 2010, is a net figure which is the figure left once any Income Tax, National Insurance contributions and other allowable payments and expenses are deducted from met earnings. So some people can earn more than £132 a week gross and still retain Carer’s Allowance.</p><p> </p><p>When calculating earnings for Carer’s Allowance purposes, any amount by way of a refund of income tax is disregarded.</p><p> </p><p>Once earnings exceed £132 a week (or on a weekly average where possible for those with fluctuating earnings) then there is no longer an entitlement to Carer’s Allowance and it will cease.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 12/07/2022 15:22:00 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1400050

	registered interest
	date	05/01/2022
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	Housing: Medical Equipment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of financial support available to people who operate and require the use of medical equipment within their homes.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	98328
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2022 answer text <p>We are committed to supporting disabled people and people with health conditions to realise their potential and live independently. Dedicated financial support for equipment at home is available to some disabled people and can be explored through <a href="https://www.gov.uk/apply-home-equipment-for-disabled" target="_blank">Apply for equipment for your home if you're disabled - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a> or <a href="https://www.gov.uk/financial-help-disabled" target="_blank">Financial help if you're disabled - GOV.UK</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The Department recognises the extra costs disabled people can face in their everyday lives. Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment are intended to help with these extra costs. Claimants are able to use their benefit according to their own priorities. These benefits are tax-free, non-contributory and are uprated annually in line with inflation. They are paid in addition to other benefits which someone may be able to receive.</p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 12/01/2022 12:33:27 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally

1078451

	registered interest
	date	27/02/2019
	answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
	answering dept id	29
	answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
	answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
	hansard heading	State Retirement Pensions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 4 July 2018 to Question 160779, how many (a) men and (b) women in private sector pensions schemes were contracted-out between 1978-79 and 1987-88; and how many of those (i) men and (ii) women (A) have reached state retirement age since the introduction of the single tier pension and (B) are still to reach state retirement age.
	tabling member constituency	Falkirk
	tabling member printed	John McNally
	uin	226688
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/03/2019 answer text <p>Under the old State Pension, there was a basic State Pension, based on the number of years of employment, and an earnings-related element (additional State Pension). From 1978 until April 2016 it was possible for employees and employers to contract-out of the additional State Pension (SERPS and, from 6 April 2002, State Second Pension) on condition that the employer provided a pension of, at least, a statutory minimum.</p><p> </p><p>Prior to 1988 contracting-out was restricted to Defined Benefit schemes and there was no individual choice. Until April 2012 it was possible to contract-out by joining a Defined Contribution workplace pension scheme or a personal pension scheme which met certain conditions instead. Contracting-out for salary-related Defined Benefit schemes remained open until 5 April 2016. Contracted-out through a salary-related workplace pension scheme meant that the employee and employer paid lower National Insurance contributions and, in doing so, the employee would receive a lower (or no) additional State Pension. However, they would be receiving a workplace pension instead.</p><p> </p><p>An individual’s basic State Pension is not affected. Separate rules apply if an individual is a member of a salary-related pension scheme before 6 April 1997. These rights, known as the Guaranteed Minimum Pension, cannot be taken before age 65 (men) or 60 (women). Contracting-out finally ended on 6 April 2016, and this means that all employees now pay the same rate of NI.</p><p> </p><p>The specific information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 07/03/2019 11:11:00 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
	tabling member	4424 label Biography information for John McNally