Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label previous answer version answering member constituency answering member printed answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1201957

	registered interest
	date	09/06/2020
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	British Nationality: Assessments
	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 covid-19 outbreak and pursuant to the Answer of 20 May 2020 to Question 47382, how long will applications for indefinite leave to remain in the UK be held to allow applicants to complete a life in the UK test, once testing resumes.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
	tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
	uin	57247
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2020 answer text <p>Individuals can continue to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain and their application will be held until testing resumes, with their existing leave continuing until their application is decided.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 17/06/2020 15:10:43 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady

1223753

	registered interest
	date	13/07/2020
	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, whether time spent outside the UK as a result of the covid-19 pandemic will qualify for the important reason exemption from the requirement for continuous residence in the UK to qualify for settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
	tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
	uin	72971
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/07/2020 answer text <p>In line with the EU law rights protected by the Withdrawal Agreement, the EU Settlement Scheme permits an applicant to have an absence (or absences) from the UK of up to six months in any 12-month period. It also allows for a single absence of up to 12 months in the period of five years’ continuous residence generally required for settled status under the scheme where that absence is for an important reason.</p><p> </p><p>This includes serious illness and would cover, for example, absence required by being quarantined to protect public health.</p><p> </p><p>Further guidance for applicants to the scheme who have been affected by illness or travel restrictions due to Covid-19 will be published shortly.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster grouped question UIN 72970 question first answered 24/07/2020 11:02:23 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady

1452174

	registered interest
	date	17/03/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Refugees: Afghanistan
	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 an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Homes for Ukraine scheme to provide the same (a) support and (b) rights to people feeling violence in Afghanistan.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
	tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
	uin	142014
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/03/2022 answer text <p>Since 2015, we have resettled more than 27,000 refugees through safe and legal routes directly from regions of conflict and instability - more than any other European country. Every conflict and threat situation is unique and requires a unique and tailored response.</p><p> </p><p>In response to the Afghanistan crisis, this Government helped over 15,000 people to safety in the largest and fastest emergency evacuation in recent history, W have also continued to bring people to the UK, with around 1,500 people helped to enter since the evacuation. This UK Government has two schemes to facilitate resettlement in the United Kingdom of Afghan nationals at risk: the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) commenced on 6 January, providing up to 20,000 women, children and others at risk with a safe and legal route to resettle in the UK. Those resettled through the ARAP and ACRS receive fee-free indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK.</p><p> </p><p>The Government maintains a constant review of all resettlement schemes to enable a flexible response.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 24/03/2022 15:55:13 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady

1223752

	registered interest
	date	13/07/2020
	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, whether it is her Department's policy that time spent outside the UK as a result of quarantine measures imposed in response to the covid-19 pandemic is counted against continuous residence in the UK for the purposes of the EU Settlement Scheme.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
	tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
	uin	72970
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/07/2020 answer text <p>In line with the EU law rights protected by the Withdrawal Agreement, the EU Settlement Scheme permits an applicant to have an absence (or absences) from the UK of up to six months in any 12-month period. It also allows for a single absence of up to 12 months in the period of five years’ continuous residence generally required for settled status under the scheme where that absence is for an important reason.</p><p> </p><p>This includes serious illness and would cover, for example, absence required by being quarantined to protect public health.</p><p> </p><p>Further guidance for applicants to the scheme who have been affected by illness or travel restrictions due to Covid-19 will be published shortly.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster grouped question UIN 72971 question first answered 24/07/2020 11:02:23 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady

1434746

	registered interest
	date	23/02/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Refugees: Ukraine
	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 put measures in place to receive potential refugees fleeing conflict in Ukraine.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
	tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
	uin	128310
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/04/2022 answer text <p>The Government has taken significant steps to support Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion.</p><p>First, we have introduced a fee-free, bespoke Ukraine Family Scheme. The route allows both the immediate family members (spouse, civil partner, durable partner, minor children) and extended family members (parent, grandparent, adult children, grandchildren, siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, in laws and their immediate family) to join their relatives in the UK. The UK-based sponsoring relative must be a British citizen, a person who is present and settled in the UK (including those with settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme), a person in the UK with refugee leave or with humanitarian protection or an EEA or Swiss national in the UK with limited leave under Appendix EU (pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme). This route was launched on 4 March.</p><p>We have also launched the Homes for Ukraine scheme on 18 March. The scheme is fee-free and allows Ukrainians with no family ties to the UK to be sponsored to come to the UK. Ukrainians arriving in the UK under this scheme will be granted leave to remain for three years, and can work, and access benefits and public services, giving them certainty and securing their future in the country.</p><p>This bespoke sponsor route will help Ukrainians who have sadly been forced to flee their homes. It will allow sponsors, such as communities, private sponsors or local authorities, to bring people to the UK. They will be able to work and the sponsor would provide housing and integration support.</p><p>We are working closely with devolved governments and local authorities to ensure individuals and organisations who want to sponsor an individual or family can volunteer to do so, who will then be matched with Ukrainians in need.</p><p>We will keep our support under constant review.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 05/04/2022 13:38:33 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster previous answer version 55121 answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady

1454128

	registered interest
	date	24/03/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Development Aid: Ukraine
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any of Department’s spending in response to the Ukraine crisis will be accounted for as Official Development Assistance.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
	tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
	uin	146658
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2022 answer text <p>The UK has now pledged around £400m of ODA grant aid (counted as part of the 0.5% Gross National Income) for economic and humanitarian support in response to the crisis, to help ensure the continued running of vital services for Ukrainians and contribute to the international humanitarian response.</p><p>The Home Office have launched the Ukraine Family Scheme which allows applicants to join family members or extend their stay in the UK. The Home Office is working closely with departments across government on the design and funding of these new routes, this includes ODA eligibility.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 19/04/2022 15:57:28 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady

1224476

	registered interest
	date	14/07/2020
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	British Nationality: Ceremonies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when citizenship ceremonies will resume across the UK as covid-19 lockdown restrictions are eased.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
	tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
	uin	73880
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/08/2020 answer text <p>It is for each Local Authority to determine when they will be able to resume Citizenship Ceremonies in line with current government advice relating to social distancing and public safety.</p><p>A small trial of remote ‘virtual ceremonies’ has recently taken place successfully and further work is now being done to make these more widely available.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 11/08/2020 11:47:56 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady

1491075

	registered interest
	date	20/07/2022
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Passports: Delivery Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the service delivery standards are for the companies contracted by her Department to deliver passports to applicants; and what recent assessment she has made of whether those standards have been met.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
	tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
	uin	40831
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/09/2022 answer text <p>The service delivery standards and recent performance against these are as per below:</p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="3"><p><strong>Fed Ex</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>SLA Description</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Target</strong></p></td><td><p><strong> Performance June 2022</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>24-hour delivery (Urgent services)</p></td><td><p>99.75%</p></td><td><p>99.83%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>48-hour delivery (Standard service)</p></td><td><p>99.75%</p></td><td><p>99.76%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="3"><p><strong>DHL UK</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>SLA Description</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Target</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Performance June 2022</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Attempted delivery within 2 working days after collection, for addresses in mainland UK.</p></td><td><p>99.75%</p></td><td><p>99.93%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Attempted delivery within 3 working days after collection, for addresses in all other UK locations.</p></td><td><p>99.5%</p></td><td><p>99.96%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4"><p><strong>DHL Global Forwarding (International)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><p><strong>SLA description</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Target</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Performance May 2022</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Dispatched packages that delivery/redelivery was attempted to the correct address and within the timeframe agreed.</p></td><td colspan="2"><p>99.75%</p></td><td><p>99.96%</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 05/09/2022 09:49:07 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady

1366143

	registered interest
	date	04/11/2021
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Asylum: Translation Services
	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 make sure each individual applying for asylum in the UK has access to adequate translation services to support (a) their application and (b) communications with her Department.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
	tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
	uin	69638
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2021 answer text <p>The Home Office Interpreter Language Services Unit (ILSU) delivers interpreting and translation services for most immigration customers. ILSU manages a database of 1,759 freelance interpreters as well as a commercial contract with TheBigWord for interpreting and documents translating. ILSU provides interpreters for 191 languages, including dialects.</p><p> </p><p>ILSU arranges appointments, manages invoices and payments and has a quality assurance role to ensure reliability and to ensure the level of interpretation and translation is consistently high. ILSU works with other commercial providers and public sector bodies which provide interpreters and linguists (as well as the <a href="https://gbr01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nrpsi.org.uk%2F&amp;data=04%7C01%7CKeith.Newby%40homeoffice.gov.uk%7Cec6c1ac677a446412d1908d9a5ef4b99%7Cf24d93ecb2914192a08af182245945c2%7C0%7C0%7C637723269440859862%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=U1lIMoUHbJ7cuid%2BXW9%2BwOzLxZCff8smemMVOybPgAk%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">National Register of Public Service Interpreters</a>) to ensure the best sector-wide standards are applied.</p><p> </p><p>As with other Home Office contracts, ILSU works with commercial specialists to ensure contracted service are cost effective, and delivered to a high standard, with in-built quality measures. These contracts are reviewed annually.</p><p> </p><p>ILSU operates tight quality control processes on interview appointments both internally and externally, whether face-to-face or by video. These measures include close management of interpreters through a dedicated team (recruitment, security, training and qualifications), virtual interviewing enablement training and mentoring, mandatory interviewer feedback forms, frequent dip surveys, and risk analysis and checking.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 17/11/2021 09:16:28 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady

1277661

	registered interest
	date	18/01/2021
	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, what steps she is taking to ensure that the digital record of an EU citizen's settled status in the UK is protected against data loss.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
	tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
	uin	139047
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/01/2021 answer text <p>Immigration decisions - and the rights and conditions which flow from those decisions - have been recorded digitally by the Home Office since the turn of the century and maintaining digital records of immigration status is not a new concept.</p><p>The following safeguards are in place to protect this data from accidental or deliberate loss:</p><ul><li>the data in the central repository for immigration data is copied across three different data centres (or ‘availability zones’ within the Home Office cloud service provider’s region), which prevents any loss of data in the event of a catastrophic failure to one of those data centres. As a further precaution, the data is also copied across the Home Office cloud service provider’s regions which prevents any loss of data in the event of a catastrophic failure to an entire region</li><li>data is modelled in such a way it allows accidental deletions to be undone and a full audit maintained to allow a rollback due to accidental corruption</li><li>frequent backups of immigration data are carried out to act as a point in time snapshot if there is ever a need to refer back in time</li><li>robust security controls are in place to protect personal data against unauthorised access and only those who need access to perform their job are granted. Security and background checks are performed on all staff in these roles to further mitigate the risk there may be a deliberate attempt to corrupt or delete the data.</li></ul><p>The Home Office will also look to apply any lessons learnt from the recent issues affecting the PNC to the ongoing management of immigration data, including digital records of immigration status.</p> answering member constituency Torbay answering member printed Kevin Foster question first answered 21/01/2021 14:55:45 answering member 4451 label Biography information for Kevin Foster
	tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady