theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
wrans/answers2025-07-15 conversation_44
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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James MacCleary:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department plans to enter into alternative dispute resolution following confirmation of the Judicial Review into the reasons the Government decided not to pay compensation to women born in the 1950s impacted by her Department's maladministration of State Pension age changes. \p Torsten Bell: The government has apologised for the maladministration and committed to learning the lessons from the investigation. The decision not to set up a compensation scheme is now subject to live litigation and the High Court has granted permission for a full hearing.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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John McDonnell:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of women born in the 1950s who have died since 17 December 2024. \p Torsten Bell: The Department has no such assessment.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what comparative assessment she has made of the level of spending as a proportion of GDP on the state pension (a) other European nations, (b) other developed economies and (c) the UK. \p Torsten Bell: It is difficult to make comprehensive direct comparisons between different countries’ spending on State Pensions as a proportion of GDP because there are many fundamental differences in the types of system and the wider social and economic contexts. There are many factors to take into account such as different tax systems, cost of living, access to occupational pensions and their taxation treatment plus the availability of healthcare free at the point of use, other social security benefits and the provision of services and goods free to pensioners or at concessionary rates.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Richard Tice:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much was paid in State Pension to people not born in the United Kingdom in (a) the most recent year for which data is available and (b) in each of the previous five years. \p Torsten Bell: The Department does not hold information on the country of birth of individuals in receipt of the State Pension. State Pension eligibility is determined by an individual’s National Insurance record.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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James Naish:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Pensions Regulator has issued guidance to trustees on the (a) financial and (b) reputational risks of holding equities in Hong Kong-listed companies named in overseas sanctions orders for human rights violations. \p Torsten Bell: The Pensions Regulator does not give investment advice, including on ethical grounds. It has not published specific guidance on these matters.

HMG offers Overseas Business Risk information for UK businesses on political, economic and security risks when trading overseas.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Dr Beccy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Government response to the Child Maintenance: Improving the collection and transfer of payments consultation, published on 23 June 2025, what her planned timetable is for publishing further information on next steps. \p Andrew Western: Primary legislation is required to make the change to remove Direct Pay and reform the collection fee structure, meaning these changes will be subject to detailed parliamentary scrutiny. Our intention is to implement these changes as soon as parliamentary time allows.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Neil Duncan-Jordan:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to Universal Credit on poverty levels. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Department has published an updated assessment of the poverty impacts of the benefit changes announced at Spring Statement with revisions to reflect the proposed changes since tabled, which includes changes to Universal Credit. The assessment is available at Spring statement social security changes – updated impact on poverty levels in Great Britain, July 2025 - GOV.UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of mandating in-person appointments for personal independent payment assessments. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Department is committed to assessing people as quickly as possible to ensure they receive the support they are entitled to in a timely manner.

Where there is sufficient available evidence, assessments are done by paper-based review, without the need for a formal consultation. If an in-person consultation is required this is completed either face-to-face, via telephone or via video call.

We announced in the Pathways to Work Green Paper our intention to increase the number of face-to-face assessments, while preserving alternative health assessment channels to meet the specific needs of people who require them, for example as a reasonable adjustment. We are committed to continuing a multi-channel assessment service approach to meet the obligations of the Equality Act 2010.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time is to process a Personal Independence Payment appeal in South Holland and the Deepings constituency. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The average time to process a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) appeal for all PIP appeals in the South Holland and The Deepings constituency, since PIP was introduced, can be found in table 1 below.

Table 1: The mean and median time to process an appeal from time of registration to the time of appeal clearance in weeks

Mean appeal processing time (weeks)

Median appeal processing time (weeks)

23

19

Source: PIP Administrative data

Notes:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Siân Berry:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the list of professionals who have been given approved third-party status for the purpose of certifying claims under the non-consensual conception exception to the two-child limit; whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of expanding that list to include more third-party professionals; and if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her Department's policies of the report by Dr Rebecca Hewer entitled The Rape Clause - How Health and Social Care Professionals Administer the Non-Consensual Conception Exception to the Two-Child Limit, published on 5 May 2025. \p Sir Stephen Timms: There are currently no plans to make these assessments. The non-consensual exception looks to protect UC child element entitlement for those children conceived non-consensually. The Department recognises the sensitivities surrounding disclosure that a child was likely born of non-consensual conception and has carefully designed processes to reflect this, including the use of a third-party model. Approved third parties have been chosen owing to their positions that already support individuals in sensitive circumstances. These are healthcare professionals, specialist support workers from an approved organisation listed on GOV.UK, or registered social workers.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Siân Berry:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the provisions of the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill on eligibility for Personal Independence Payment on the ability of people who are (a) experiencing and (b) at risk of homelessness to secure (i) housing and (ii) employment. \p Sir Stephen Timms: As I set out in the House of Commons on 1 July 2025, the Government has listened to the concerns raised by Members from across the House about the proposed changes to Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

Clause 5 of the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill would have amended the legal framework underpinning PIP assessments, specifically by implementing a new requirement that claimants must score a minimum of four points in at least one daily living activity to be eligible for the daily living component of PIP.

In light of the concerns raised, I confirmed during the debate that we are going to remove clause 5 from the Bill in Committee. (Hansard, 1 July, col 219)

Any changes to PIP eligibility will come after a comprehensive review of the benefit, which I shall lead, co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, clinicians, experts, MPs and other stakeholders, so a wide range of views and voices are heard. This review aims to ensure that the PIP assessment is fair and fit for the future.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Dr Beccy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of administrative capacity to manage the volume of transitions from Employment and Support Allowance to Universal Credit; and what steps she is taking to ensure that vulnerable claimants do not experience prolonged delays or shortfalls in payment due to outstanding actions as a result of these transitions. \p Sir Stephen Timms: Adequate resourcing for the transition is an important priority for the department.

The department has identified a small number of cases where the payments due have not all been paid in full in the first assessment period, due to delays in the process. The problem has been addressed by introducing additional automation, and increasing the resources to deal with these cases. DWP has also enhanced the identity verification identity process, reducing the requirement for customers to attend the office or receive a home visit.

We have robust plans in place to support the safe migration of cases onto UC. We will continue to monitor the position on these cases carefully through to the end of the migration activity, responding quickly if difficulties arise.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Richard Tice:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much was paid in (a) Universal Credit, (b) Disability Living Allowance and (c) Personal Independence Payment to people who were not British citizens in each of the last five years. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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James Naish:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of (a) anonymised CVs and (b) name-blind recruitment on diversity outcomes in Government departments. \p Georgia Gould: As set out in the Civil Service People Plan 2024 - 2027, we are committed to ensuring we attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds to create a modern Civil Service.

Anonymous CVs and name-blind recruitment, which are already used widely across the civil service, limit the impact that bias may have on recruitment, so that candidates are judged on the skills and experience they have outlined.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when (a) was the most recent and (b) is the next scheduled meeting of the George Cross Committee. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: The most recent George Cross Committee meeting took place on Thursday 13 March 2025. We do not release the dates of committee meetings ahead of time. This ensures minimising the chance of lobbying of committee members.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Tracy Gilbert:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is planning to take to (a) consult further with the infected blood community and (b) involve that community in the development of the Government's response to the Infected Blood Inquiry. \p Nick Thomas-Symonds: This Government is committed to engaging openly and transparently, and taking on board feedback from the infected blood community. The Cabinet Office regularly engages with over 30 key representatives and organisations in the community. I have met with a number of these representatives several times and will continue to do so.

The Government will consider the Infected Blood Inquiry’s Additional Report carefully, and respond in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Bob Blackman:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the beer and pub sector’s contribution to employment for 16- to 24-year-olds. \p Georgia Gould: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 7th July is attached.

Letter from the National Statistician (pdf, 97.9KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether Departments are required to report on the origin of food purchased through public procurement contracts. \p Georgia Gould: Departments are not currently required to report on the origin of food served in their canteens. In January the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced that the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs would be undertaking a review of public sector food procurement to better understand what food the public sector buys and where it comes from. As part of this review, the Government will be reviewing food provenance across all public sector settings, including Government departments.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 54812 on Government Departments: media, what guidance is issued by the Government Communication Service on the procurement of external public relations companies. \p Georgia Gould: The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) provides a framework agreement that enables contracting authorities to access suppliers who provide services in this area. As with any procurement through established framework agreements, CCS provides guidance to ensure any procurement is conducted in compliance with UK procurement regulations. Guidance can be found on the CCS webpage: https://www.crowncommercial.gov.uk/agreements/RM6125.

Individual contracting authorities are responsible for their own procurement processes under this framework agreement. Any campaign spending of £100,000 or more must go through the Government Communication Service’s advertising, marketing and communications (AMC) spend control process. Guidance is available at the following link: https://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/guidance/marketing/delivering-government-campaigns/professional-assurance/
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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James Naish:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that suppliers (a) linked to forced labour in Xinjiang and (b) named in allied sanctions lists are excluded from public procurement frameworks. \p Georgia Gould: The UK Government is committed to tackling human rights abuses including modern slavery and human trafficking in public supply chains.

On 24 February 2025 the Procurement Act came into force, providing contracting authorities with stronger powers to exclude suppliers from public procurements where there is compelling evidence of modern slavery within their supply chains. Contracting authorities are encouraged to review a wide range of information on suppliers when seeking to determine whether an exclusion ground applies, including sanction lists.

The Act’s new debarment powers also enable us to take stronger and broader action in relation to supplier misconduct which we will use, where appropriate, to effectively hold organisations to account.

The Cabinet Office has, in addition, published extensive risk-based policy and guidance for commercial teams to tackle labour rights abuses in UK and global supply chains.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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James Naish:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent evaluation his Department has made of the adequacy of the Disability Confident scheme’s conversion rate from interview to appointment for disabled applicants across government departments. \p Georgia Gould: The purpose of the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) is to ensure that disabled candidates are given a fair opportunity to demonstrate their skills at interview. Of those who applied for a vacancy using the Civil Service Jobs website in the approximately five year period 2019-2024:

c.13% of applicants applied under the DCS

c.12% of candidates who were invited to interview had applied under DCS

c.9% of applicants who were successful at interview had applied under DCS

The Department for Work and Pensions is continuing to explore whether any reforms to the criteria for DCS are needed.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the UK Statistics Authority and Cabinet Office response to the Devereux Review, published on 26 June 2025, what plans he has to publish a response to each recommendation of the Devereux Review. \p Georgia Gould: The UK Statistics Authority and Cabinet Office response to the Devereux Review was published on 26 June. A further announcement was made on 7 July regarding the timeline for appointing new leadership to both the UK Statistics Authority and the Office for National Statistics.

While there are no plans to publish further responses, additional updates may be announced as and when deemed appropriate.

The Government welcomes the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee's inquiry into the UK Statistics Authority, launched earlier this year, and looks forward to engaging with the Committee.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Vikki Slade:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much funding was allocated for preparations for the 2031 census in each of the past three financial years. \p Georgia Gould: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Question of 3rd July is attached.

Letter from the National Statistician (pdf, 106.2KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Esther McVey:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 19 June 2025 to Question 58984 on Information Commissioner's Office: Wilmslow, what (a) consultations and (b) impact assessments his Department carried out before approving the decision to relocate the Information Commissioner's Office. \p Georgia Gould: The Office of Government Property was satisfied that the relocation to the proposed new offices better suited the requirements of the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) based on the information provided and our engagement with the Government Property Agency.

It also understood that the ICO had undertaken the relevant external consultation and impact assessments needed to assess the relocation options.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Callum Anderson:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what governance structures he has put in place to oversee the cross-government implementation of the UK Government Resilience Action Plan. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: The UK Government Resilience Action Plan is underpinned by well-established Cabinet Office governance structures, including the National Security Council (Resilience), which oversee the implementation and delivery of resilience matters across UK government.

The action plan announced new assurance measures to raise resilience standards across government, refreshed expectations for Lead Government Departments will clarify roles and responsibilities, and the UK Resilience Academy will convene expert panels to scrutinise government plans and preparedness for whole-system civil emergencies.

The Cabinet Office will continue to report on resilience progress with an annual statement to Parliament on resilience.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Callum Anderson:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that resilience (a) standards and (b) benchmarks are applied consistently across government departments. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: The UK Government Resilience Action Plan is underpinned by well-established Cabinet Office governance structures, including the National Security Council (Resilience), which oversee the implementation and delivery of resilience matters across UK government.

The action plan announced new assurance measures to raise resilience standards across government, refreshed expectations for Lead Government Departments will clarify roles and responsibilities, and the UK Resilience Academy will convene expert panels to scrutinise government plans and preparedness for whole-system civil emergencies.

The Cabinet Office will continue to report on resilience progress with an annual statement to Parliament on resilience.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to page 185 of the report entitled Census 2021: General report for England and Wales, published on 21 June 2025, which local authorities had a confidence interval of (a) up to 5%, (b) up to 6% and (c) 6% or more. \p Georgia Gould: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 10th July is attached.

Letter from the National Statistician (pdf, 108.7KB)
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2025 to Question 62084 on Government Departments: Procurement, which public bodies have undertaken expenditure through framework RM6125 since 4 July 2024. \p Georgia Gould: Information on individual contracts, including any agreed through a Crown Commercial Service framework, are publicly available on Contracts Finder at the following link: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk. Contracts Finder provides information about contracts worth over £12,000 (including VAT) with the government and its agencies.

It is the responsibility of the relevant contracting authority to upload contract information on Contracts Finder.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Callum Anderson:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the role of local resilience forums are in delivering the objectives of the UK Government Resilience Action Plan. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: The UK government recognises the foundational importance of Local Resilience Forums to our national resilience. The Resilience Action Plan sets out our plans to strengthen the public sector resilience system through the roll-out of further data to support local partners to plan for and respond to risks more effectively.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Callum Anderson:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what criteria the Cabinet Office uses to prioritise national risks within the Government Resilience Framework. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: The UK Government Resilience Action Plan takes an ‘all hazards’ approach, focusing on improving the general resilience of the nation to all risks, and investing in common systems and tools to respond. The wide range of specific risks the government plans for are continually assessed in the National Security Risk Assessment, which now operates on a dynamic model and incorporates challenge through a refreshed Expert Advisory Programme.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 1 July 2025 to Question 62339 on Aviation, which Departments have used the Airbus A321-253NX with registration G-OATW. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: Since assuming the registration G-OATW in October 2023, the aircraft has been chartered under various contracts with other government departments to support their official business. However, this data is not held by the Cabinet Office, as each department is responsible for its own contracting arrangements.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 30 June 2025 to Question 62771 on Cabinet Office: Maray Restaurant, if he will publish that invoice. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: In line with the approach of successive administrations, Government Procurement Card spend data over £500 is declared in relevant transparency publications.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the UK-France Nuclear Steering Group will be convened; and who the participants will be. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: The UK France Nuclear Steering Group will be chaired by the Presidency of the Republic on the French side and by the Cabinet Office on the UK side. It will include participants from other Ministries and organisations as required. The first meeting will take place in the autumn.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Steff Aquarone:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the publication entitled UK Government Resilience Action Plan published on 8 July 2025, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the adequacy of emergency alert systems in rural areas with (a) poor and (b) no mobile signal. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: Emergency Alerts are broadcast through mobile phone masts, and will be received by phones connected to the targeted masts. 95% of the UK landmass has 4G/5G coverage.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is continuing to work with the UK telecommunications industry to deliver 4G and 5G mobile connectivity to places where there is limited or no coverage.

Emergency alerts are part of a collection of warning and informing systems that we use in the UK for emergency response scenarios. Other methods include local sirens and knocking door-to-door when safe, as well as providing advice through media such as TV and radio.
wrans/answers2025-07-15 conversation_78
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of abolishing the Office for Equality and Opportunity. \p Ms Abena Oppong-Asare: There are no plans of this kind. This Government is proudly ensuring that everyone has equality of opportunity through its Opportunity Mission.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the guidance entitled Civil Service 2024/2025 External Expenditure on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, published on 30 May 2025, what the Cross-Civil Service Pride funding was spent on; and which suppliers were used. \p Georgia Gould: The £8,500 funding listed in the data published on 30 May 2025 was the maximum approved budget. The current spend is £7,395. This money supported staff to participate in a number of Pride events across the UK.

Naming supplier organisations may breach commercial agreements between the department and suppliers. All purchasing followed Cabinet Office guidance appropriate to the level of spend.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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James Naish:To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to improve accessibility for disabled candidates seeking employment in the public sector. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The Government is fully committed to the Equality Act 2010 (the Act), which protects disabled people from discrimination in the workplace. The Act prohibits direct and indirect disability discrimination and requires employers - including those in the public sector - to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees and applicants who meet the Act’s definition of disability, to ensure that they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to their non-disabled colleagues.

The reasonable adjustment duty on employers requires them to make adjustments to any element of a job, job application or interview process, whether on an anticipatory basis or at the request of the disabled person.

The failure of an employer to make reasonable adjustments for a disabled employee or job seeker, or discounting a job application simply because the applicant is disabled could amount to direct disability discrimination under the Act.

The Act recognises the need to strike a balance between the needs of disabled people and the interests of employers. What is ‘reasonable’ will vary from one situation to another. This is because factors like the practicability and cost of making the reasonable adjustment, and the resources available to different employers will be different. It will therefore be for the courts to decide, in the event of a claim of alleged disability discrimination, and on a case-by-case basis, what reasonable adjustments should be made.

It is a matter for individual public sector employers as to how they ensure compliance with their legal obligations under the Act, but many will be subject to the Act’s Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), which requires public authorities, and those carrying out public functions, to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination (including on grounds of disability), advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between different people. The duty to have “due regard” obliges a public authority to consider the equality aims set out in the duty when exercising its functions, like taking decisions, and then to decide what weight to accord to them. Public authorities place themselves at greater legal risk if they do not interpret the law correctly.

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) provides authoritative and impartial advice free to employees or employers in relation to employment discrimination issues via their website. and telephone helpline xx-xxxx-xxxx or text relay service 18001 0300 123 1100. You can access the website here: http://www.acas.org.uk. Acas also provides employees and employers with Early Conciliation to help them resolve/settle their workplace dispute without going to court.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Sir John Whittingdale:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many visas were issued to citizens of the Russian Federation to visit the UK in each of the last five years. \p Seema Malhotra: The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visas by nationality and visa type in the Immigration system statistics publication. Data on visas issued are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the ‘detailed entry clearance dataset’. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates up to the end of March 2025.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-15 conversation_82

Peter Prinsley:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consultation her Department undertook on the potential impact of changes to the skilled worker route on the supply of (a) dental hygienists and (b) dental nurses. \p Seema Malhotra: On 12 May, we published our Immigration White Paper ‘Restoring Control over the Immigration System’, outlining our future approach to legal migration routes. The first set of immigration rules giving effect to the policies in the White Paper was published on 1 July, including raising the skills threshold to RQF 6 and we will publish an impact assessment of this change in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Zöe Franklin:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what systems are in place within (a) Border Force and (b) her Department to monitor the international procurement of poisons; and whether those systems are applied consistently across all countries. \p Seema Malhotra: We remain committed to stopping dangerous drugs – including poisons – from entering the country. Our Border Force Officers continue to work to stop illegal drugs by making more, higher-quantity seizures than in previous years, using advanced technology, data analytics, and greater intelligence, derived from close working relationships with police, the National Crime Agency, and international partners.

It would not be in the interest of national security to disclose specific systems in place, nor further information regarding intelligence gathering and sharing.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-15 conversation_84

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2025 to Question 58153 on Windrush Commissioner: Finance, what budget will be available to the Windrush Commissioner. \p Seema Malhotra: On 16 June, we announced that Reverend Clive Foster MBE had been appointed to be the new Windrush Commissioner. He started his role on 30 June.

Given this is a new appointment, we are discussing with the commissioner his priorities, his working arrangements and what he will need to support him in his role. Following these discussions, we will be in a position to produce a detailed budget, and will confirm this in the normal way in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-15 conversation_85

Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether (a) nursing staff and (b) allied health professionals will be exempt from planned changes to the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain. \p Seema Malhotra: We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year and further details on the proposed scheme will be provided at that time.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-15 conversation_86

Kate Osamor:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the absence of service standards on all applications under the (a) family and (b) private life routes on applicants accessing (i) work, (ii) healthcare and (c) education. \p Seema Malhotra: Family and private life applications based on exceptionality are not subject to a service standard, however we do update GOV.UK with our average processing times and information is available in the published transparency data around consideration times.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-15 conversation_87

Ayoub Khan:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has considered the merits of a Palestinian refugee visa scheme. \p Seema Malhotra: I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 13 March to Question 35970.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Kate Osamor:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has plans to introduce service standards for all applications for settlement made under the (a) family and (b) private life route. \p Seema Malhotra: Applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain based on Family or Private life will be decided within six months.

Full details of current service standards can be found here:

Settlement: customer service standards - GOV.UK
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-15 conversation_89

Kevin McKenna:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce the time taken to reach a decision on the immigration status application of children born in the UK whose biometric enrolment has been completed; and what measures are in place to ensure that these children have access to (a) healthcare, (b) child benefits and (c) other essential services. \p Seema Malhotra: There are a range of immigration routes through which children who are born in the UK may apply for and obtain Leave to Remain. Information about our service standards for specific immigration routes can be found at:

Customer service standards - GOV.UK.

An application only becomes valid, and the service standard period will only apply, once the application has been submitted, biometric enrolment (facial photograph and fingerprints) has been completed and all required information has been provided.

Access to healthcare, child benefits and other essential services are all matters for other Government Departments. However, the Home Office does facilitate access by departments to our digital immigration records to support their decision-making.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her plans to remove asylum seekers from hotel accommodation extends to (a) hostels and (b) other types of communal accommodation. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Home Office continues to work with a range of stakeholders to fulfil its legal obligations, whilst delivering on this Government’s commitment to reduce the overall cost of asylum accommodation, including ending the use of hotels by the end of this Parliament.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of small boat arrivals were (a) children, (b) babies and (c) women in the most recent period for which data is available. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Home Office publishes statistics on detected irregular arrivals to the UK in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on small boat arrivals by age group and sex is published in table Irr_D01 of the ‘Irregular migration to the UK detailed datasets’, with the latest data up to the end of March 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Carla Lockhart:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of immigration enforcement operations in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months. \p Dame Angela Eagle: UK wide enforcement of immigration law is critical to a functioning immigration system and effectively implementing the Government’s policies. As the public would expect, we continually review and evolve the different methods we use to prevent illegal migration, ensure compliance and enforce the UK’s immigration laws.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-15 conversation_93

David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2025 to Question 59362 on Asylum: Housing, whether local authorities have a veto on the use of specific properties for asylum accommodation. \p Dame Angela Eagle: I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 23 June to Question 59362.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of the information on gov.uk on the support available to asylum seekers. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Home Office keeps all its information pages under regular review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-15 conversation_95

David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2025 to Question 59362 on Asylum: Housing, if she will place a copy of the template Asylum Accommodation Service Contracts in the Library. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts are already published and available on Contracts Finder as follows:

Wales AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Wales - Contracts Finder

South AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract South - Contracts Finder

North West AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NW - Contracts Finder

Midlands & Eastern England AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract MEE - Contracts Finder

North East Yorks & Humber AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NEYH - Contracts Finder

Scotland AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Scotland - Contracts Finder

Northern Ireland AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NI - Contracts Finder
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

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Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of immigration officials that have been successfully prosecuted for committing (a) immigration and (b) bribery offences since 2020, broken down by nationality. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Since 1 January 2020 there have been four immigration officials successfully prosecuted for bribery and immigration offences following a Home Office investigation. Three of these officials were prosecuted for Immigration offences. One was prosecuted for Bribery and Immigration offences. Two individuals were dismissed, one resigned and the final staff member’s contract ended. Three of these were British and one was French.

In the ten proceeding years, there were 27 prosecutions for immigration, and one for bribery.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-15 conversation_97

Nick Timothy:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many immigration officials have been dismissed for committing (a) immigration and (b) bribery offences in each year since 2020, broken down by nationality. \p Dame Angela Eagle: Since 1 January 2020 there have been four immigration officials successfully prosecuted for bribery and immigration offences following a Home Office investigation. Three of these officials were prosecuted for Immigration offences. One was prosecuted for Bribery and Immigration offences. Two individuals were dismissed, one resigned and the final staff member’s contract ended. Three of these were British and one was French.

In the ten proceeding years, there were 27 prosecutions for immigration, and one for bribery.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-15 conversation_98

David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 30 May to Question 52625 on Travellers: Caravan Sites, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of unauthorised traveller encampments on operational policing, in the context of the High Court judgement of May 2024. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The judgment is being reviewed in detail. Engagement has taken place with the National Police Chiefs’ Council.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-15)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-07-15 conversation_99

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has any plans to upgrade cannabis to a class A controlled substance. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Government has no current plans to review the classification of cannabis.