{ "format" : "linked-data-api", "version" : "0.2", "result" : {"_about" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?tablingMemberPrinted.=Stephen+Timms&answeringDeptId=1", "definition" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/meta/answeredquestions.text?tablingMemberPrinted.=Stephen+Timms&answeringDeptId=1", "extendedMetadataVersion" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?tablingMemberPrinted.=Stephen+Timms&answeringDeptId=1&_metadata=all", "first" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?tablingMemberPrinted.=Stephen+Timms&_page=0&answeringDeptId=1", "hasPart" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?tablingMemberPrinted.=Stephen+Timms&answeringDeptId=1", "isPartOf" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?tablingMemberPrinted.=Stephen+Timms&answeringDeptId=1", "items" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1467189", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1467189/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

There are no plans to allow applicants for the bereaved partner concession to make a fee waiver request. However, we keep the Immigration Rules and guidance under review and make changes when appropriate.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4451", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kevin Foster"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Torbay"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kevin Foster"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-06-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-06-08T16:30:01.537Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-06-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Immigration: Fees and Charges"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to allow applicants for the bereaved partner concession to make a fee waiver request; and if she will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/163", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Ham"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Stephen Timms"} ], "uin" : "11538"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1464166", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1464166/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

In response to Recommendation 2 of the Windrush Lessons Learned Review, Wendy Williams returned to the Department in September 2021 to review our progress in implementing the recommendations of that Review and the commitments we made in the Comprehensive Improvement Plan. Her Progress Update was published in March this year.<\/p>

Wendy concludes there is no doubt the Department has risen to the challenge she set for us, and she acknowledges there are several areas where very good progress has been made. Wendy also rightly holds us to account where we have not made sufficient progress. We know there is more to do.<\/p>

The progress update does not include new recommendations and we will continue to drive forward progress on Wendy\u2019s original 30 recommendations. Having laid the foundations for radical change in the department and a total transformation of culture, we are committed to delivering long-lasting and meaningful improvements.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4451", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kevin Foster"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Torbay"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kevin Foster"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-05-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "previousAnswerVersion" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1464166/answer/previousversion/2242", "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4451", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kevin Foster"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Torbay"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kevin Foster"} } , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-05-24T09:23:25.32Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-05-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Windrush Lessons Learned Review"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to publish a response to the recommendations made in the report by Wendy Williams entitled Windrush Lessons Learned Review: progress update, published on 31 March 2022.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/163", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Ham"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Stephen Timms"} ], "uin" : "4455"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1461813", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1461813/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

Due to the cross cutting nature across the department, the cost would be disproportionate due to manual trawl required.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4451", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kevin Foster"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Torbay"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kevin Foster"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-05-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "580"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-05-23T13:18:55.273Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-05-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Immigration: Finance"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people held valid leave to remain from which the No Recourse to Public Funds condition had been lifted at the most recent date for which data is available, irrespective of whether the person\u2019s first recorded leave was in-country or out-of-country; and of those people how many (i) were main applicants, (ii) were dependants and (iii) held visas in each category.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/163", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Ham"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Stephen Timms"} ], "uin" : "579"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1461814", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1461814/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

Due to the cross cutting nature across the department, the cost would be disproportionate due to manual trawl required.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4451", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kevin Foster"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Torbay"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kevin Foster"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-05-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "579"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-05-23T13:18:55.337Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-05-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Immigration"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people held valid leave to remain at the most recent date for which data is available, irrespective of whether the person\u2019s first recorded leave was in-country or out-of-country; and of those people how many (i) were main applicants, (ii) were dependants and (iii) held visas in each category.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/163", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Ham"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Stephen Timms"} ], "uin" : "580"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1461519", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1461519/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

The Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) license was most recently raised on 10 February 2022, during the annual UK-India Home Affairs Dialogue, co-chaired by Home Office Permanent Secretary, Sir Matthew Rycroft, and Indian Home Secretary Bhalla. The Permanent Secretary addressed the difficulties that some NGOs in India have faced due to the enforcement of the FCRA, which is impacting both on the work we are funding and the work of UK-headquartered global NGOs in India.<\/p>

<\/p>

The British High Commissioner to India also met with the CEO of Oxfam India on 14 January to understand their concerns and offer support. We continue to monitor developments related to the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, especially impacts on UK Government-funded programmes in India, and the work of British NGOs in India.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4451", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kevin Foster"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Torbay"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kevin Foster"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-05-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-05-17T13:11:29.497Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-05-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Oxfam: India"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with her Indian counterpart on the Indian Government's decision to refuse the renewal of Oxfam India\u2019s Foreign Contribution Regulation Act license.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/163", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Ham"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Stephen Timms"} ], "uin" : "27"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1455851", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1455851/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

Those applying to come to the UK from Afghanistan using the Appendix FM route can apply for an overseas fee waiver.<\/p>

The guidance for the discretion to waive a fee from overseas is being revised and is not currently operational. We expect to publish the new guidance by the Summer of 2022. The delay in publishing the new guidance has been caused by the need to develop a new online application system to meet the additional requirements of the affordability test for overseas applicants.<\/p>

An applicant can still apply for a fee waiver, but their application will be put on hold pending the revised guidance. Consideration will be given as to whether the need to travel to the UK is urgent, and if so, the fee waiver application will be assessed. Each urgent case will be considered on its individual merits.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4451", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kevin Foster"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Torbay"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kevin Foster"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-04-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-04-20T08:49:35.943Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Home Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-03-30", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Visas: Afghanistan"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of offering a fee-waiver to people applying to come to the UK from Afghanistan using the Appendix FM route.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/163", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "East Ham"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Stephen Timms"} ], "uin" : "150070"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1455030", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1455030/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 established the UK as the first country in the world to require businesses to report annually on steps taken to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains.<\/p>

Organisations are currently required to ensure their statement has been approved by the board, signed by a director, and is available via the homepage of their website (if they have one). Organisations are required to produce a modern slavery statement to report on their financial year (not the calendar year) and our statutory guidance states that they should publish a statement within 6 months of their financial year end. Therefore, statements covering activity throughout the year 2021 may not have been published yet as organisations have up to 6 months after the end of their 2021/2022 financial year to publish their statement.<\/p>

Historically compliance with section 54 has been high, but we continue to push for higher compliance rates. In 2019, the Home Office contracted the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) to undertake an audit of compliance with Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The audit was concluded in January 2020 with data accurate up to this point. The high-level findings of this audit were published on 17 September 2020 in the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner\u2019s annual report (available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-anti-slavery-commissioners-annual-report-2019-to-2020<\/a>).<\/p>

To further drive compliance with section 54, the Government response to the Transparency in Supply Chains consultation<\/a>, published on 22 September 2020, committed to taking forwards an ambitious package of measures to strengthen the Act\u2019s transparency legislation, including:<\/p>