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1454841

registered interest
date	28/03/2022
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Visas: Ukraine
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether Ukrainians on a seasonal work visa as of 28 March 2022 will have the same access to Government support schemes intended for Ukrainian refugees.
tabling member constituency	East Dunbartonshire
tabling member printed	Amy Callaghan
uin	148394
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/04/2022 answer text <p>Ukrainians who are in the UK under the Seasonal Worker route are able to have their visa extended until 31 December 2022.</p><p> </p><p>Ukrainian seasonal workers who are an immediate or extended family member of a person in the UK who is a British citizen, settled in the UK, or who has certain types of limited leave may be eligible under the Ukraine Family Scheme if they were resident in Ukraine immediately before 1 January 2022. Full details of which can be found here: Apply for a Ukraine Family Scheme visa - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</p><p> </p><p>Ukrainian nationals who had permission to stay in the UK on 18 March 2022 (or those whose visa has recently expired) will be able to stay in the UK under the Ukraine Extension Scheme. Eligibility for permission to stay will include those who were in the UK before 18 March as seasonal workers.</p><p> </p><p>The Seasonal Worker route remains open to all nationalities wishing to take up work in the horticulture sector.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 05/04/2022 14:42:09 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4770 label Biography information for Amy Callaghan

1438909

registered interest
date	08/03/2022
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Immigration: 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 had made of the impact of surging decision makers and staff from other Government departments to tackle the influx of applications from Ukraine on processing times for EU Settlement Scheme travel permits from other EU countries.
tabling member constituency	East Dunbartonshire
tabling member printed	Amy Callaghan
uin	136668
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2022 answer text <p>While the Home Office’s priority is on supporting individuals affected by the war in Ukraine, routine work continues on other visa routes, including the EU Settlement Scheme</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 23/03/2022 12:45:48 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster previous answer version 57357 answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4770 label Biography information for Amy Callaghan

1438910

registered interest
date	08/03/2022
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Visas: Ukraine
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many additional support staff she plans to deploy at visa application centres in countries bordering Ukraine to support people and families of UK nationals with the visa application process.
tabling member constituency	East Dunbartonshire
tabling member printed	Amy Callaghan
uin	136669
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2022 answer text <p>We are committed to ensuring our operational teams have the resources they need to run an efficient and effective system, and we actively monitor workflows to ensure sufficient resources are in place to meet demand, including from pressures relating to Ukraine.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Home Office and the commercial provider operating our Visa Application Centres have surged staff across Europe to meet demand, where we can offer over 13,000 appointments to visa applicants, and UKVI staff in the UK are working seven days a week to process applications.</p><p>As part of the Home Office’s commitment to make it easier for applicants to apply to our schemes, since 15 March Ukrainians with valid passports no longer need to go to a Visa Application Centre to give their biometrics before they come to the UK.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 31/03/2022 16:53:15 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4770 label Biography information for Amy Callaghan

1438911

registered interest
date	08/03/2022
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Immigration: 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 her Department's service delivery standard is for EU Settlement Scheme travel permits; and whether her Department has plans to expedite urgent applications.
tabling member constituency	East Dunbartonshire
tabling member printed	Amy Callaghan
uin	136670
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2022 answer text <p>The published service standards for EEA and EUSS family permits and travel permits can be found at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/visa-decision-waiting-times-applications-outside-the-uk" target="_blank">Visa decision waiting times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p> </p><p>Which states:</p><p>You should get a decision within 3 weeks once you attend your appointment at the visa application centre, if you hold settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme and are applying for an <a href="https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families" target="_blank">EU Settlement Scheme travel permit</a> to travel to the UK to replace a lost or stolen residence card.</p><p> </p><p>Decisions are made in accordance with this service standard where possible.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 23/03/2022 12:47:58 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4770 label Biography information for Amy Callaghan

1438912

registered interest
date	08/03/2022
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Visas: Ukraine
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the UK Government is sending additional decision makers to Warsaw, Poland to deal with the backlog of visa applications in the wake of the Ukrainian refugee crisis; and what the current estimated waiting times are for processing applications from VAC in Poland.
tabling member constituency	East Dunbartonshire
tabling member printed	Amy Callaghan
uin	136671
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2022 answer text <p>We are committed to ensuring our operational teams have the resources they need to run an efficient and effective system. We actively monitor workflows to ensure sufficient resources are in place to meet demand, including from pressures relating to Ukraine.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Home Office and the commercial provider operating our Visa Application Centres have surged staff across Europe to meet demand, where we can offer over 13,000 appointments to visa applicants, and UKVI staff in the UK are working seven days a week to process applications.</p><p>The Home Office continues to monitor its overall caseworking capacity for Ukrainian cases, including redeploying staff from other business areas or other Government Departments.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 31/03/2022 16:38:08 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4770 label Biography information for Amy Callaghan

1438330

registered interest
date	07/03/2022
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Refugees: Resettlement
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 introduce a longer-term global resettlement programme for refugees who wish to come to the UK.
tabling member constituency	East Dunbartonshire
tabling member printed	Amy Callaghan
uin	135666
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/03/2022 answer text <p><em>The UK has a long history of supporting refugees in need of protection. </em><em>The UK continues to welcome vulnerable people through the existing global UK Resettlement Scheme, Mandate Resettlement Scheme, Community Sponsorship Scheme and Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme.</em></p><p><em>Since 2015, we have resettled more than 27,000 refugees through safe and legal routes direct from regions of conflict and instability; around half of whom were children.</em></p><p><em>In response to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the Home Office made several changes to the immigration system, including launching the Ukraine Family Scheme.</em></p><p><em>In addition, we are e</em><em>stablishing a humanitarian sponsorship pathway,</em> <em>led by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whereby Ukrainians who may not have family ties in the UK can be sponsored to come to the UK by willing and able individuals, businesses, or community organisations. There will be no numerical limit on this scheme, and we will welcome as many Ukrainians as wish to come and have matched sponsors.</em></p><p><em>Resettlement is only one strand of our international efforts helping refugees. It is complemented by the UK’s significant humanitarian aid programme and diplomatic efforts. We believe this approach is the best way to ensure the UK’s help has the greatest impact for the majority of refugees.</em></p><p><em>More information on existing resettlement schemes can be found in the published guidance </em><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/resettlement-policy-statement" target="_blank"><em>Resettlement: policy guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme" target="_blank"><em>Afghan citizens resettlement scheme - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</em></a></p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 15/03/2022 17:41:45 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4770 label Biography information for Amy Callaghan

1435317

registered interest
date	24/02/2022
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: Medical Treatments
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has plans to procure and roll out (a) AstraZeneca's Evusheld and (b) other preventative treatments, for those in the clinically extremely vulnerable group and immunosuppressed people, as remaining covid-19 restrictions are lifted.
tabling member constituency	East Dunbartonshire
tabling member printed	Amy Callaghan
uin	129255
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/03/2022 answer text <p>Evusheld is not currently authorised for use in the United Kingdom. The Government continues to monitor a range of products, including Evusheld. However, negotiations with companies are commercially sensitive.</p><p>The RAPID C-19 collaboration has enabled active multi-agency oversight of national and international trial evidence for COVID-19 therapies as it emerges, both in potential treatment and prophylactic indications. Where material evidence is identified, this has enabled the rapid formation and implementation of UK wide clinical access policies. To date, the evidence has most strongly supported treatment use, although the evidence around prophylactic use will continue to be reviewed.</p><p>There are currently two routes to accessing treatments for COVID-19 for non-hospitalised patients in England with 1.3 million of the highest risk patients eligible directly for monoclonal antibody sotrovimab and antiviral drugs molnupiravir, Paxlovid and Remdesivir. In addition, over 20 million people are eligible for the antiviral molnupiravir through the PANORAMIC national study run by the University of Oxford. These treatments are used to prevent progression to severe disease and hospitalisation.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Erewash answering member printed Maggie Throup question first answered 02/03/2022 10:55:16 answering member 4447 label Biography information for Maggie Throup
tabling member	4770 label Biography information for Amy Callaghan

1434856

registered interest
date	23/02/2022
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	Universal Credit: Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether any support in addition to the energy bill rebate will be made available to disabled universal credit claimants.
tabling member constituency	East Dunbartonshire
tabling member printed	Amy Callaghan
uin	128450
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/03/2022 answer text <p>This Government is committed to supporting people on lower incomes through a range of measures, including by spending around £59 billion on people with disabilities and health conditions in 2021/22, which will increase by £3.5 billion to over £62 billion in 2022/23.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>We have announced our new package of measures worth £9.1bn in 2022-23 to protect the majority of households from half of the forecast £700 rise in energy bills. Alongside this, we are providing £12 billion of support over this financial year and next to ease cost of living pressures, including help for working families, low-income households and the most vulnerable.</p> answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith question first answered 01/03/2022 14:27:52 answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith previous answer version 53973 answering member constituency Norwich North answering member printed Chloe Smith answering member 1609 label Biography information for Chloe Smith
tabling member	4770 label Biography information for Amy Callaghan

1418341

registered interest
date	31/01/2022
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Passports: Photographs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on passport photographs from people with white hair on a white background not being accepted; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing a default pastel background in passport photographs.
tabling member constituency	East Dunbartonshire
tabling member printed	Amy Callaghan
uin	114939
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2022 answer text <p>Her Majesty’s Passport Office does not hold information on passport photographs from people with white hair on a white background not being accepted within the examination process.</p><p>HM Passport Office provides clear guidance on photo standards, which includes advice for taking digital passport photographs using a ‘plain light-coloured background’ and for paper photograph using a ‘plain cream or light grey background'. This guidance is available on GOV.UK<br></p><p><a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fphotos-for-passports&amp;data=04%7C01%7CIPSPQs%40hmpo.gov.uk%7Cdf4c0ba18ae34f319a4a08d9e57e8194%7Cf24d93ecb2914192a08af182245945c2%7C0%7C0%7C637793153757354994%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&amp;sdata=HGUakObAeyZERaBEZxbC6j6Ah8W6TGWhqNZeHqQXOm4%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Get a passport photo - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p><p><a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gov.uk%2Fphotos-for-passports%2Fphoto-requirements&amp;data=04%7C01%7CIPSPQs%40hmpo.gov.uk%7Cdf4c0ba18ae34f319a4a08d9e57e8194%7Cf24d93ecb2914192a08af182245945c2%7C0%7C0%7C637793153757354994%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&amp;sdata=co4%2FPuNTrQp2eX%2BqRkETNU1nbA38Gd0uuTYAWsX%2Fuxo%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">Get a passport photo: Printed photos - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a></p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 07/02/2022 16:39:41 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
tabling member	4770 label Biography information for Amy Callaghan

1418365

registered interest
date	31/01/2022
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Cost of Living: British National (Overseas)
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to review worldwide subsistence rates set by HMRC used by British overseas workers to cover living costs in line with local inflation rates.
tabling member constituency	East Dunbartonshire
tabling member printed	Amy Callaghan
uin	114940
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/02/2022 answer text <p>The Overseas Scale Rates guidance was last updated in February 2019 and applied from 6 April 2019.</p><p> </p><p>The published rates are designed to reflect the average cost of subsistence, including local taxes and gratuities, when staying overseas. It is possible these rates will increase and fall as they do not consider fluctuations in currency exchange rates. Employers can use the rates to pay or reimburse employees’ allowable travel expenses free of tax and National Insurance contributions without checking an employee’s receipts. Employers can also reimburse employee’s actual expenses, but they must check the employee’s receipts.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, if an employee spends more than the amount their employer pays, they can claim tax relief on the difference. Therefore, it is not necessary to review the rates at this time.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 07/02/2022 16:14:37 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4770 label Biography information for Amy Callaghan