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1690023

registered interest
date	19/02/2024
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Infected Blood Inquiry
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what factors determined the timing of his Department's announcement on the expert group to provide technical advice on compensation for the Government's response to the Infected Blood Inquiry on 18 December 2023.
tabling member constituency	Edinburgh North and Leith
tabling member printed	Deidre Brock
uin	14602
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/02/2024 answer text <p>I refer you to my response to PQ 14436 on the appointment process for the Chair. The same process was followed for appointing the clinical experts. Browne Jacobson LLP secured the contract to provide legal advice via Direct Award. Details of the legal firm contract award were published on Contracts Finder on 7 February.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Government has moved as quickly as possible to ensure that it has access to the technical expertise necessary to inform its decision-making in relation to the Infected Blood Inquiry recommendations on compensation. The expert group formally began work on 22 January. The names of the other members of the expert group will not be disclosed to safeguard their privacy and ability to continue their frontline work while advising on Government policy.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>As their work relates to the formulation and development of Government policy, their advice, evidence and methodologies as well as the minutes and agendas of their meetings will not be published.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Government is considering all recommendations of the Second Interim Report alongside the recommendations of Sir Robert Francis’s Compensation Framework Study, and the advice from the expert group will inform this. The purpose of the expert group is to provide technical assistance in understanding how the Inquiry’s recommendations could work in practice. The Government is committed to engaging with the community and updating Parliament on progress of the Government response to the Infected Blood Inquiry as appropriate.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Government has committed to responding to the Infected Blood Inquiry’s Final Report and this response will be informed by the advice of the expert group.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen grouped question UIN 14603 14604 14605 14606 14607 14608 14609 14610 question first answered 27/02/2024 10:41:35 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
tabling member	4417 label Biography information for Deidre Brock

1690024

registered interest
date	19/02/2024
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Infected Blood Inquiry
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the decision was taken to set up an the expert group to provide technical advice on compensation for the Government's response to the Infected Blood Inquiry.
tabling member constituency	Edinburgh North and Leith
tabling member printed	Deidre Brock
uin	14603
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/02/2024 answer text <p>I refer you to my response to PQ 14436 on the appointment process for the Chair. The same process was followed for appointing the clinical experts. Browne Jacobson LLP secured the contract to provide legal advice via Direct Award. Details of the legal firm contract award were published on Contracts Finder on 7 February.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Government has moved as quickly as possible to ensure that it has access to the technical expertise necessary to inform its decision-making in relation to the Infected Blood Inquiry recommendations on compensation. The expert group formally began work on 22 January. The names of the other members of the expert group will not be disclosed to safeguard their privacy and ability to continue their frontline work while advising on Government policy.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>As their work relates to the formulation and development of Government policy, their advice, evidence and methodologies as well as the minutes and agendas of their meetings will not be published.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Government is considering all recommendations of the Second Interim Report alongside the recommendations of Sir Robert Francis’s Compensation Framework Study, and the advice from the expert group will inform this. The purpose of the expert group is to provide technical assistance in understanding how the Inquiry’s recommendations could work in practice. The Government is committed to engaging with the community and updating Parliament on progress of the Government response to the Infected Blood Inquiry as appropriate.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Government has committed to responding to the Infected Blood Inquiry’s Final Report and this response will be informed by the advice of the expert group.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen grouped question UIN 14602 14604 14605 14606 14607 14608 14609 14610 question first answered 27/02/2024 10:41:35 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
tabling member	4417 label Biography information for Deidre Brock

1690025

registered interest
date	19/02/2024
answering body	Cabinet Office
answering dept id	53
answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
hansard heading	Infected Blood Inquiry
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what consultative appointment process he used to select the (a) chair and (b) members of the expert group to provide technical advice on compensation for the Government's response to the Infected Blood Inquiry.
tabling member constituency	Edinburgh North and Leith
tabling member printed	Deidre Brock
uin	14604
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/02/2024 answer text <p>I refer you to my response to PQ 14436 on the appointment process for the Chair. The same process was followed for appointing the clinical experts. Browne Jacobson LLP secured the contract to provide legal advice via Direct Award. Details of the legal firm contract award were published on Contracts Finder on 7 February.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Government has moved as quickly as possible to ensure that it has access to the technical expertise necessary to inform its decision-making in relation to the Infected Blood Inquiry recommendations on compensation. The expert group formally began work on 22 January. The names of the other members of the expert group will not be disclosed to safeguard their privacy and ability to continue their frontline work while advising on Government policy.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>As their work relates to the formulation and development of Government policy, their advice, evidence and methodologies as well as the minutes and agendas of their meetings will not be published.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Government is considering all recommendations of the Second Interim Report alongside the recommendations of Sir Robert Francis’s Compensation Framework Study, and the advice from the expert group will inform this. The purpose of the expert group is to provide technical assistance in understanding how the Inquiry’s recommendations could work in practice. The Government is committed to engaging with the community and updating Parliament on progress of the Government response to the Infected Blood Inquiry as appropriate.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Government has committed to responding to the Infected Blood Inquiry’s Final Report and this response will be informed by the advice of the expert group.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Salisbury answering member printed John Glen grouped question UIN 14602 14603 14605 14606 14607 14608 14609 14610 question first answered 27/02/2024 10:41:35 answering member 4051 label Biography information for John Glen
tabling member	4417 label Biography information for Deidre Brock

1689234

registered interest
date	16/02/2024
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Visas: Graduates
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Migration Advisory Committee will begin work on the Graduate visa review.
tabling member constituency	Edinburgh North and Leith
tabling member printed	Deidre Brock
uin	14160
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2024 answer text <p>The Migration Advisory Committee have not yet been commissioned to review the Graduate route.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 26/02/2024 17:17:39 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4417 label Biography information for Deidre Brock

1689235

registered interest
date	16/02/2024
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Visas: Married People
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans to announce the start date of the new minimum income threshold for spouse visas of £34,500.
tabling member constituency	Edinburgh North and Leith
tabling member printed	Deidre Brock
uin	14161
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2024 answer text <p>From 11 April 2024, we will raise the minimum income threshold for family visas to £29,000, that is the 25<sup>th</sup> percentile of earnings for jobs which are eligible for Skilled Worker visas. We will incrementally increase the threshold, moving to the 40<sup>th</sup> percentile (currently £34,500), and finally to the 50<sup>th</sup> percentile (currently £38,700, and the level at which the General Skilled Worker threshold is set) by early 2025. The dates of these changes will be set out in due course.</p><p> </p><p>We have reviewed the Reunite Families Report published on 18 December 2023. We will add the findings to our evidence base when formulating future reviews into family immigration policies, including the Minimum Income Requirement.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove grouped question UIN 14173 question first answered 26/02/2024 17:17:25 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4417 label Biography information for Deidre Brock

1689247

registered interest
date	16/02/2024
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Visas: Families
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of Reunite Families UK's report entitled UK family migration rules: spouse / partner migration rules: an initial findings report examining the mental health impact of the rules on children and families, published on 18 December 2023.
tabling member constituency	Edinburgh North and Leith
tabling member printed	Deidre Brock
uin	14173
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2024 answer text <p>From 11 April 2024, we will raise the minimum income threshold for family visas to £29,000, that is the 25<sup>th</sup> percentile of earnings for jobs which are eligible for Skilled Worker visas. We will incrementally increase the threshold, moving to the 40<sup>th</sup> percentile (currently £34,500), and finally to the 50<sup>th</sup> percentile (currently £38,700, and the level at which the General Skilled Worker threshold is set) by early 2025. The dates of these changes will be set out in due course.</p><p> </p><p>We have reviewed the Reunite Families Report published on 18 December 2023. We will add the findings to our evidence base when formulating future reviews into family immigration policies, including the Minimum Income Requirement.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove grouped question UIN 14161 question first answered 26/02/2024 17:17:25 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4417 label Biography information for Deidre Brock

1687420

registered interest
date	05/02/2024
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum: Employment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of replacing the Shortage Occupation List with the Immigration Salary List on the number of asylum seekers who are eligible to work who are in employment.
tabling member constituency	Edinburgh North and Leith
tabling member printed	Deidre Brock
uin	13049
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2024 answer text <p>The Home Secretary has commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to carry out a rapid review of the new Immigration Salary List (ISL) in time for its implementation in the Spring Immigration Rules. The MAC is due to report on 23 February, at which point the Government will consider its recommendations carefully. We will keep the list under regular review and the MAC will carry out a fuller review later in the year.</p><p> </p><p>The introduction of the ISL will not undermine our policy that asylum claims by an individual applying for permission to work must still be outstanding for 12 months or more and any resulting changes to the policy will be announced in due course.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 13/02/2024 15:00:34 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4417 label Biography information for Deidre Brock

1686837

registered interest
date	01/02/2024
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Asylum: Employment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing an asylum right to work pilot on asylum seekers.
tabling member constituency	Edinburgh North and Leith
tabling member printed	Deidre Brock
uin	12606
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2024 answer text <p>Asylum seekers cannot work unless they have had their asylum claim outstanding for 12 months or more, through no fault of their own. Those who apply and are granted permission to work after 12 months are restricted to applying for jobs on the Shortage Occupation List (SOL). This is based on expert advice from the independent Migration Advisory Committee.</p><p>Our current policy approach on permission to work is longstanding and there are no plans to make changes, other than aligning it with the upcoming Immigration Salary List, which replaces the SOL. It is important that we distinguish between individuals who need protection and those seeking to work here who can apply for a work visa under the Immigration Rules. The Government has always been clear that asylum seekers do not need to make perilous journeys in order to seek employment in the UK.</p><p>Unrestricted access to employment could act as an incentive for more migrants to choose to come here illegally; leading to further dangerous journeys across the Channel and supporting the business model of evil people smugglers, rather than claim asylum in the first safe country they reach.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 09/02/2024 16:15:22 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
tabling member	4417 label Biography information for Deidre Brock

1685551

registered interest
date	29/01/2024
answering body	Scotland Office
answering dept id	2
answering dept short name	Scotland
answering dept sort name	Scotland
hansard heading	Scotland Office: Publicity
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much his Department spent on public information campaigns promoting Government policies in the (a) 2021-22 and (b) 2022-23 financial years; and how much it has spent on such campaigns in the 2023-24 financial year as of 29 January 2024.
tabling member constituency	Edinburgh North and Leith
tabling member printed	Deidre Brock
uin	11807
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2024 answer text <p>The Office has spent the following on social media platforms to support UK Government policies and information campaigns in Scotland:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Amount (£)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>23-24 (to date)</strong></p></td><td><p>17,725</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>22-23</strong></p></td><td><p>49,893</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>21-22</strong></p></td><td><p>39,818</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Dumfries and Galloway answering member printed Mr Alister Jack question first answered 05/02/2024 14:49:37 answering member 4619 label Biography information for Mr Alister Jack
tabling member	4417 label Biography information for Deidre Brock

1685579

registered interest
date	29/01/2024
answering body	Scotland Office
answering dept id	2
answering dept short name	Scotland
answering dept sort name	Scotland
hansard heading	Scotland Office: Information Officers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much his Department has spent on communications staff in the (a) 2022-23 financial year and (b) 2023-24 financial year as of 29 January 2024.
tabling member constituency	Edinburgh North and Leith
tabling member printed	Deidre Brock
uin	11808
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2024 answer text <p>Expenditure on communications staffing costs, including employer’s pensions and national insurance contributions, but excluding any VAT where applicable, was:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Amount (£)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>23-24 (to end Dec 23)</strong></p></td><td><p>1,081,263</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>22-23</strong></p></td><td><p>1,166,270</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Dumfries and Galloway answering member printed Mr Alister Jack question first answered 05/02/2024 14:50:31 answering member 4619 label Biography information for Mr Alister Jack
tabling member	4417 label Biography information for Deidre Brock