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1357154

registered interest
date	21/09/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Immigration
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to provide access to free support for vulnerable individuals with pre-settled status to assist them in switching to settled status.
tabling member constituency	Midlothian
tabling member printed	Owen Thompson
uin	52546
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/09/2021 answer text <p>Since April 2019 we have awarded £17 million in grant funding to a network of 72 organisations, who provide a wide range of invaluable support across the UK, ensuring those vulnerable and most at-risk continue to get the help they need.</p><p>We committed a further £4.5 million of grant funding for the period 1 April 2021 to 30 September 2021 to fund the current network of 72 organisations to continue to provide a range of support across the UK well beyond the 30 June deadline. We are committed to making sure everybody eligible for the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) can apply for the status they deserve, including those who are vulnerable or need extra support. This support is also available to those with Pre-Settled Status applying for Settled Status.</p><p>We are currently in consultation with the Grant-funded Network (GFN) to continue this support from 01 October 2021 – 31 March 2022.</p><p>We intend to issue reminders to people granted pre-settled status to apply for settled status before their pre-settled status expires if they have not already done so. We will set out the arrangements for this in due course.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 29/09/2021 12:02:52 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4482 label Biography information for Owen Thompson

1357155

registered interest
date	21/09/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Immigration
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 plans to take to remind people with pre-settled status to switch to settled status when necessary to do so.
tabling member constituency	Midlothian
tabling member printed	Owen Thompson
uin	52547
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/09/2021 answer text <p>Since the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) opened in March 2019, the Home Office has undertaken a broad range of communications and stakeholder engagement activity to encourage EU, EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members to apply for status under the EUSS. Extensive, and regularly updated information, factsheets and leaflets on the EUSS (including pre-settled to settled status conversion) have also been made available on GOV.UK. Stakeholders, including the Grant Funded Network of 72 organisations, have also been provided with regular updates, including on considerations for pre-settled status holders.</p><p>As of 30 June 2021, the Home Office had granted 206,490 applications for settled status from pre-settled status holders.</p><p>The Home Office also continues to communicate with EUSS status holders with information relevant to their status, including pre-settled to settled status applications. This currently includes an email exercise to all EUSS status holders, being sent throughout late September to October 2021 with reminders on key information, including pre-settled to settled status conversion.</p><p>When a person is granted pre-settled status, they also receive notification of what pre-settled status means, including the option to apply for settled status as soon as they qualify for it. This will generally be once they have completed five years’ continuous residence in the UK. Pre-settled status holders’ online UK Visas and Immigration account also provides key information on what a status holder can do in the UK, explains they can apply for settled status once they have lived continuously in the UK for five years and provides a link to GOV.UK with further information on how to do so.</p><p>The Home Office intends to provide individual pre-settled status holders with a timely reminder to apply for settled status before their pre-settled status expires. We will set out the arrangements for this in due course.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 29/09/2021 11:56:25 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4482 label Biography information for Owen Thompson

1357158

registered interest
date	21/09/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Immigration: EU Nationals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of applications to the EU Settlement Scheme have been successful; and how many and what proportion of those submitted before the June deadline have received their Certificate of Application to date.
tabling member constituency	Midlothian
tabling member printed	Owen Thompson
uin	52548
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/09/2021 answer text <p>The Home Office publishes data on the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) in the ‘<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/eu-settlement-scheme-statistics" target="_blank">EU Settlement Scheme statistics</a>’.</p><p>The latest published information on EUSS applications concluded to 31 August 2021, by outcome type, can be found in the table on the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/eu-settlement-scheme-statistics" target="_blank">EU Settlement Scheme statistics collection</a> page on GOV.UK.</p><p>The data requested on Certificates of Application is not available. Where a person who applied to the EUSS by the 30 June 2021 deadline has not yet received a Certificate of Application, they can rely on the Home Office letter or email acknowledging their application to confirm they have made an in-time application.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 29/09/2021 11:52:52 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4482 label Biography information for Owen Thompson

1357179

registered interest
date	21/09/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Migrant Workers: Food
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 implications for her policies of the food and drink sector's proposal for a covid recovery visa scheme.
tabling member constituency	Gravesham
tabling member printed	Adam Holloway
uin	52436
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/10/2021 answer text <p>The Points Based System already provides for a range of roles in the food and drink sector, including roles such as Butchers, subject to the rules and requirements of the system being met, including on salary.</p><p>Beyond the Points Based Systems, employers can recruit those with general work rights including the millions of people who have been granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme, those who have arrived via our settlement route for British National (Overseas) normally resident in Hong Kong and their households, those who have arrived via a family visa and those in the UK under our Youth Mobility Schemes. They have full access to the UK labour market and are free to work in the UK and can undertake any role.</p><p>But recognising the extraordinary circumstances facing businesses currently, Government is providing visas as a time-limited, temporary measure for the food sector until longer term measures to improve the supply of skills domestically. start to have an impact. This includes visas for up to:</p><p>• 4,700 HGV food drivers who will be able to arrive from late October and leave by 28 February 2022 and;</p><p>• 5,500 poultry workers will arrive from late October and stay up until 31 December 2021.</p><p>However we must see long-term solutions delivered by employers through improved testing and hiring, with better pay and working conditions, as immigration routes do not provide a guarantee of being able to recruit in a competitive global market for skilled workers.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 11/10/2021 16:11:12 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	1522 label Biography information for Adam Holloway

1357184

registered interest
date	21/09/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Visas: British Students Abroad
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what financial and practical support her Department is putting in place to support students applying for visas to study abroad.
tabling member constituency	Portsmouth South
tabling member printed	Stephen Morgan
uin	52589
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/09/2021 answer text <p>The Home Office only has responsibility for UK visa policy in relation to those who wish to study in the UK.</p><p>The matter of financial and practical support available for outgoing UK students is for the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 29/09/2021 12:04:43 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan

1356772

registered interest
date	20/09/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Immigration Controls: Marriage
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether a British citizen seeking to bring a fiancé to the UK is required to provide proof that the couple have previously met in person.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	51592
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/09/2021 answer text <p>A British citizen who wishes to sponsor their foreign national fiancé or proposed civil partner to enter the UK and reside here permanently under the family Immigration Rules must provide evidence to confirm the couple have met in person.</p><p>Further guidance on the fiancé or proposed civil partner visa can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fiancees-set01/fiancees-set01#set114-what-to-do-after-an-initial-refusal-on-the-grounds-of-not-having-met" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fiancees-set01/fiancees-set01#set114-what-to-do-after-an-initial-refusal-on-the-grounds-of-not-having-met</a></p><p>A British citizen who does not wish to reside permanently in the UK with their fiancé can apply for them to enter as a visitor to conduct their wedding. There are no specific provisions under the visitor Rules for the couple to have met in person prior to their application. However, the couple will be expected to prove their relationship is genuine, which having not met in person may call into doubt, however each case is considered based on its individual circumstances.</p><p>Further information on the marriage visitor Rules can be found here:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-v-visitor" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-v-visitor</a></p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 28/09/2021 12:45:49 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

1356778

registered interest
date	20/09/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Migrant Workers: Hospitality Industry
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of introducing a covid recovery visa for the hospitality sector.
tabling member constituency	Oxford West and Abingdon
tabling member printed	Layla Moran
uin	51821
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/09/2021 answer text <p>Home Office Ministers and officials meet with a broad range of stakeholders including various sectors and other Government departments. The Government position remains we will not be introducing a short-term visa route such as the ‘Covid recovery visa’ as has been suggested.</p><p>Most of the solutions are likely to be driven by industry, with a big push towards improving pay, conditions and diversity needed, rather than turning to the Home Office for immigration policy changes as an alternative to doing this. Employers with recruitment issues should therefore engage with the Department for Work and Pensions about the support they can provide in recruiting from the UK Labour Market,</p><p>The Points Based System does provide for occupations within the agri-food sector, including butchers, a range of poultry roles and fishmongers, subject to the requirements of the system – including English language and salary – being met. An occupation does not need to be on the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) to be sponsored for a Skilled Worker visa</p><p>Beyond the Points Based System, there is the existing UK labour market, which includes those who come to the UK through our Youth Mobility Schemes (which we are looking to expand), our new British National (Overseas) visa for those from Hong Kong, dependants of those arriving under the expanded skilled worker route, as well as over 6 million applications under the EU Settlement Scheme and those who arrive through family routes, who all have access to the UK labour market.</p><p>As a transitional measure, to help farm businesses adjust to changes to the UK labour market, the Seasonal Workers Pilot was extended into this year with 30,000 visas available. Decisions on the future of the pilot will be taken in due course, following evaluation of the scheme.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster grouped question UIN 51822 question first answered 28/09/2021 12:43:52 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4656 label Biography information for Layla Moran

1356782

registered interest
date	20/09/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Migrant Workers: Food
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the shortage occupation list, what discussions she has had with stakeholders in the food and drink sector on labour shortages in the food supply chain; and what steps she is taking to resolve those shortages in the short term.
tabling member constituency	Oxford West and Abingdon
tabling member printed	Layla Moran
uin	51822
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/09/2021 answer text <p>Home Office Ministers and officials meet with a broad range of stakeholders including various sectors and other Government departments. The Government position remains we will not be introducing a short-term visa route such as the ‘Covid recovery visa’ as has been suggested.</p><p>Most of the solutions are likely to be driven by industry, with a big push towards improving pay, conditions and diversity needed, rather than turning to the Home Office for immigration policy changes as an alternative to doing this. Employers with recruitment issues should therefore engage with the Department for Work and Pensions about the support they can provide in recruiting from the UK Labour Market,</p><p>The Points Based System does provide for occupations within the agri-food sector, including butchers, a range of poultry roles and fishmongers, subject to the requirements of the system – including English language and salary – being met. An occupation does not need to be on the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) to be sponsored for a Skilled Worker visa</p><p>Beyond the Points Based System, there is the existing UK labour market, which includes those who come to the UK through our Youth Mobility Schemes (which we are looking to expand), our new British National (Overseas) visa for those from Hong Kong, dependants of those arriving under the expanded skilled worker route, as well as over 6 million applications under the EU Settlement Scheme and those who arrive through family routes, who all have access to the UK labour market.</p><p>As a transitional measure, to help farm businesses adjust to changes to the UK labour market, the Seasonal Workers Pilot was extended into this year with 30,000 visas available. Decisions on the future of the pilot will be taken in due course, following evaluation of the scheme.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster grouped question UIN 51821 question first answered 28/09/2021 12:43:52 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4656 label Biography information for Layla Moran

1356798

registered interest
date	20/09/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Home Office: Greek Islands
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the reason was for (a) her visit to the construction site of the Multi Purpose Reception and Identification Centre (MPRIC) on the island of Samos, Greece in August 2021 and (b) the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State's visit to the MPRIC construction site in May 2021; and whether her Department plans to construct a similar facility in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Enfield, Southgate
tabling member printed	Bambos Charalambous
uin	51802
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/09/2021 answer text <p>We regularly engage with Greek ministers and senior officials on the challenges presented by the migration situation in Greece. This includes fact finding visits, to better understand and assess the approach being taken by the Greek Government in its response to the challenge from illegal migration.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 23/09/2021 16:50:51 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4610 label Biography information for Bambos Charalambous

1356818

registered interest
date	20/09/2021
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Youth Mobility Scheme: EU Countries
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending the Youth Mobility Visa to the EU to help tackle skills shortages in certain industries in the UK.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	51761
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/09/2021 answer text <p>Our Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) agreements provide a valuable route for mutual cultural exchange and are not simply a one-way route for recruiting cheaper labour from overseas. We will therefore not add nations to the YMS route unilaterally.</p><p>We are open to negotiating YMS arrangements with other countries and territories, including the EU or nations within it. However, as each YMS is subject to a bilateral, reciprocal agreement which also provides benefit to UK Nationals, with the detail negotiated and agreed between the relevant parties, we are unable to disclose the status of ongoing negotiations with partner countries as they occur.</p><p>Further details of additional YMS agreements will be announced once they are concluded.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 28/09/2021 12:51:06 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell