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<p>(a) Staffing levels in the MP Account Management team have increased by 20% over
the last 6 months and recruitment is continuing, with additional staff joining over
the coming weeks.</p><p> </p><p>(b) A recovery plan is in place which will lead to
incremental improvements in service standards over the coming 5 months with a return
to 20 day service standard by March 2023.</p><p> </p><p>(c) The Home Office had been
prioritising Ukraine Visa Schemes applications in response to the humanitarian crisis
caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Staff from other government departments,
including DWP and HMRC, have been surged into the department to help with Ukraine
work and enable normal visa routes to return to normal service levels in due course.</p><p>To
help reduce the number of outstanding claims for protection we are investing in a
programme of transformation and business improvement initiatives that will 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>We
have extensive ongoing recruitment plans in place and are actively increasing the
number of asylum decision makers. Additionally we have career progression options
that will aid the retention of staff.</p>
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