theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has met with officials from the Westminster Foundation for Democracy since 4 July 2024. \p Catherine West: The Foreign Secretary has not met with officials from the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) since 4 July 2024, however the previous Minister of State for Development (Anneliese Dodds MP) met recently in February this year with the Chair, Yasmin Qureshi MP, and CEO, Anthony Smith of WFD. Senior Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) officials meet with WFD on a regular basis.
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Tom Morrison:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support his Department is providing to help protect Christians facing persecution in Nigeria. \p Catherine West: The UK Government is committed to upholding the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB). This includes advocating for the protections of all vulnerable communities including religious minorities through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora as well as raising FoRB bilaterally with the Government of Nigeria and other influential parties. The UK also supports programmes working to address the complex root causes of intercommunal violence in Nigeria through locally led peace-building efforts. This support aims to reduce intercommunal tensions by improving access to security and justice, and natural resource management in specific areas across northern Nigeria. In addition, the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership (SDP) works with Nigeria's security forces to tackle violence against all civilian communities, including those of different religious backgrounds and belief systems.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department's China audit will consider (a) Chinese debt relief for low income countries and (b) China's belt and road initiative. \p Catherine West: The China Audit will improve the UK's ability - both inside and outside of government - to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities China poses. The Audit will consider the UK's economic and security interests at home and overseas, and how those interests are impacted by China. The Government is determined to pursue a consistent, long term and strategic approach to managing the UK's relations with China.
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Tom Morrison:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Nigerian counterpart on the protection of Christian communities in Nigeria in light of reports of ongoing violence and persecution. \p Catherine West: The UK Government is committed to upholding the right to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). The UK Government regularly advocates for the protections of all vulnerable communities including religious minorities through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora as well as raising FoRB bilaterally with the Government of Nigeria and other influential parties. In his meeting with the Deputy Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives on 22 January, the Minister for Africa raised the importance of FoRB and resolving intercommunal conflict and tensions.
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Tom Morrison:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of reports of targeted attacks against Christians in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including the recent attack on a church in North Kivu; and what steps his Department is taking to help support religious freedom in that country. \p Catherine West: Recent attacks by IS-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), including on a church in North Kivu, are alarming and we are saddened by the loss of life. The ADF has been sanctioned by the UN since 2014. Protection of civilians, promotion of respect between different religious and non-religious groups, and human rights are priorities for the UK. The UK continues to work through UN bodies and other multilateral fora to promote and protect these rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). We recognise that when freedom of religion or belief is respected, communities can build trust and understanding, which in turn supports mutual prosperity and peace. The Foreign Secretary emphasised to President Tshisekedi on his visit to the region the need for immediate de-escalation and civilian protection.
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Tom Morrison:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) monitor and (b) respond to Christian persecution globally. \p Catherine West: The UK remains strongly committed to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all abroad. It is our firm opinion that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in.

We continue to monitor human rights, including FoRB, across the globe through our overseas network. We draw on a range of resources to support our monitoring, including the annual Open Doors report on Christian persecution.

We are championing the right to FoRB and promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our engagement in multilateral fora, our bilateral work, and our programme funding, including the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) John Bunyan Fund, a designated programme for FoRB-focused overseas projects. The appointment of David Smith MP as the Special Envoy for FoRB is a clear signal of the UK's ongoing commitment to these efforts. We will continue to monitor and respond to the issue of persecution of Christians globally on account of their faith, alongside the persecution of other groups.
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Blair McDougall:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what opportunities hon. Members will have to contribute to the review of the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance Guidance. \p Catherine West: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is currently reviewing the Government's guidance for Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) assessments. This is to ensure it remains fit for purpose and that the UK's overseas security and justice assistance aligns with the UK's human rights obligations and values, while increasing respect for the rule of law. The FCDO plans to engage with a wide range of civil society and other stakeholders as part of the review.
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Blair McDougall:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance Guidance prevents UK involvement in human rights abuses. \p Catherine West: The Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) assessment is an essential tool to ensure that the UK's overseas security and justice assistance meets our human rights and International Humanitarian Law (IHL) obligations, increases respect for the rule of law, and supports UK values. It is important that the skills and expertise we impart internationally are not used to cause harm. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is currently reviewing the Government's guidance for OSJA assessments so that it remains fit for purpose and captures emerging risks that could contribute to violations of human rights and IHL.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if the Government will ratify the agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction. \p Catherine West: The Government is completely committed to ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement, also known as the "High Seas Treaty" or "Global Ocean Treaty"), which is in line with our determination to reinvigorate the UK's wider international leadership on climate and nature. Legislation to implement the BBNJ Agreement will be introduced as soon as the legislative timetable allows.
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Brian Mathew:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, who has been appointed as Special Representatives for Nature and Climate; what their qualifications for these posts were; what their budget is; what their (a) aims and (b) objectives are; and whether any of these have been achieved. \p Catherine West: Rachel Kyte CMG and Ruth Davis OBE were appointed as the UK's Special Representatives for Climate and for Nature, respectively, on 21 October and 15 November.

Their biographies and objectives are set out at https://www.gov.uk/government/people/rachel-kyte and https://www.gov.uk/government/people/ruth-davis.

These roles are covered by wider Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) budgets. The Special Representatives have agreed priorities with departments, which are being implemented.
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Ellie Chowns:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Prime Minister's Oral Statement of 25 February 2025 on Defence and Security, Official Report, columns 631-634, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the reduction in the level of Official Development Assistance to 0.3% of gross national income on the UK's global reputation for supporting global action on climate change. \p Stephen Doughty: The Prime Minister has set out a new strategic vision for government spending on defence and security, and Official Development Assistance (ODA), including that the UK will continue to play a key role in tackling climate change. Detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review.
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Brendan O'Hara:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterparts on the right to return by Palestinians who have left Gaza since 7 October 2023. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: There must be no forced displacement of Palestinians, nor any reduction in the territory of the Gaza strip. Palestinian civilians, including those evacuated from northern Gaza, must be permitted to return to their communities and rebuild. Our position is clear - we want to see a negotiated two-state solution that guarantees security and stability for both the Israeli and Palestinian people, with a sovereign Palestinian state, which includes the West Bank and Gaza, alongside a safe and secure Israel.
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Mr James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much Official Development Assistance funding has been spent on countering extremism in Jordan in each of the last five years. \p Mr Hamish Falconer: Jordan has allocated no funding to Countering extremism in the last five years from neither an Intergrated Security Fund, nor a Counter Terrorism Programme Fund perspective.
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Joe Robertson:To ask the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will take steps to reinstate the round-robin feature for tabling written parliamentary questions. \p Nick Smith: The round-robin feature was disabled due to processing issues arising from its use. The Table Office is in discussion with the Parliamentary Digital Service about its reinstatement. This would require some technical enhancement and testing before the feature is made available in the live environment.
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Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) timeliness of the delivery of EHCPs. \p Georgia Gould: The department recognises that some parents have struggled to get the right support for their children, particularly through long and difficult education, health and care (EHC) plan processes. We know that even after fighting to secure a plan, support is not always necessarily guaranteed or delivered quickly enough.

The department wants to ensure that needs assessments are progressed promptly, and high-quality plans are issued quickly. This will provide children and young people with the support they need, when they need it.

Our priority is improving outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) so that they get the chance to achieve and thrive in their education.

Details of our intended approach to strengthening the SEND system will be set out in a schools white paper, which will be followed by a public consultation.
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Josh Babarinde:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average wait time is from initial assessment to an Education, Health, and Care Plan document being produced in East Sussex. \p Georgia Gould: Information on the number and percentage of education, health and care (EHC) plans issued within the statutory 20 week deadline, with and without statutory exceptions to that deadline applying, can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/8a52558d-1cb4-4f5d-7ddd-08dde95299cd.
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Gideon Amos:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the Review of Religious Education (a) considers a (i) broad and (ii) balanced range of (A) academic, (B) educational and (C) community perspectives and (b) is not disproportionately influenced by submissions from any single lobby. \p Georgia Gould: The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment review, chaired by Becky Francis CBE. The Review aims to ensure a rich, broad, inclusive and innovative curriculum that readies young people for life and work. The Review is being informed by evidence, data, and in close consultation with education professionals and other experts, parents, children and young people, employers, universities and trade unions. This includes over 7,000 responses to the public call for evidence and a range of research and polling.

The Review Group published its interim report in March 2025, which is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6821d69eced319d02c9060e3/Curriculum_and_Assessment_Review_interim_report.pdf.

The Group will publish its final report with recommendations, including recommendations for religious education, this autumn.​
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Alex Mayer:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of trends in the level of expenditure on special educational needs transport provision in England. \p Georgia Gould: I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard to the answer of 2 July 2025 to Question 62591.
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Edward Argar:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of pupils were receiving SEN support at school in Leicestershire in July 2025. \p Georgia Gould: The number and proportion of pupils receiving special educational needs support at schools in Leicestershire can be viewed in the table here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/5819b943-986a-45eb-62a4-08ddf03ad3ce.

The figures are from the January 2025 school census publication here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england/2024-25.
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Edward Argar:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of children with an education, health and care plan are in a mainstream setting in Leicestershire. \p Georgia Gould: The latest figures on education, health and care plans as of January 2025, including assessments, waiting times, and school settings, are available in the ‘Education, health and care plans’ publication. The full dataset can be accessed here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans/2025.
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Josh Babarinde:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to page one of the First Report of the Public Accounts Committee of Session 2024-25, Support for children and young people with special educational needs, HC 353, what steps her Department is taking to provide adequate funding to meet the level of high special educational needs forecasted in that report. \p Georgia Gould: The department is providing total high needs funding in England of over £12 billion in the 2025/26 financial year for children and young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Of that total high needs funding, East Sussex County Council is being allocated over £94 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant.

We are considering the funding required for future years and how it is to be allocated, following the conclusion of the recent spending review. Our objective is that future funding for SEND supports our plans for reforming the SEND system to boost children’s outcomes, which will be set out in further detail in a White Paper in the autumn.
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Laura Kyrke-Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will consider adding cheerleading as an approved (a) sport and (b) activity which can be assessed for GCSE Physical Education qualifications. \p Georgia Gould: Cheerleading was recognised as a sport by the Home Nations Sport Councils in December last year.

It is not part of the current GCSE activity list, which was last reviewed in 2018. The department and awarding organisations developed a set of five key considerations which were applied to each activity in order to ensure parity and rigour of assessment.

The government launched an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review for ages 5 to 18, led by Professor Becky Francis CBE. As part of this review, curriculum and assessment arrangements are being evaluated, including the full range of national curriculum subjects and most GCSEs. This will address the key barriers to pupil achievement and ensure all young people have access to high standards and future opportunities. The department is currently awaiting the outcomes of the Review.
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Jess Brown-Fuller:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department has made on tackling delays in processing valuations by the teachers' Pension Scheme; and whether her Department is taking steps to put special measures in place for teachers who are unable to finalise divorce settlements until these valuations are made. \p Georgia Gould: As at 4 September 2025, the number of unresolved cash equivalent transfer value (CETV) cases has been reduced to 433 from 3,062 at the end of October 2024. This includes recent CETV applications and as such there will always be a number of outstanding CETV cases at any given time.

The scheme administrator is now working through the most complex cases for members who have retired. These cases can currently only be processed clerically and the estimated calculation times are between 20 and 65 hours per case. Therefore, the department is funding IT changes for the scheme administrator that are expected to significantly reduce calculation times.

This issue remains a top priority for the department and the scheme administrator, and the above actions are currently expected to result in the delayed CETVs being fully cleared by spring 2026.
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Dr Simon Opher:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of Exchequer on adopting a stepped repayment system for student loans. \p Josh MacAlister: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education regularly engages with my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer on a range of matters, including higher education (HE) finance and funding. We are aiming to publish our plans for HE reform as part of the Post-16 Education and Skills Strategy White paper soon. As part of this, we will need to ensure that the student finance system is financially sustainable and works for students, taxpayers and the HE sector.
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Olivia Blake:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has any plans to increase the yearly income threshold for postgraduate student loans to above £21,000. \p Josh MacAlister: ​​The postgraduate loans schemes were introduced to help remove the financial barrier faced by those wishing to step up to achieve a postgraduate level qualification. They are part of the long-term commitment to make the UK more globally competitive by increasing the number of those with high level skills and knowledge. As part of the department’s ongoing work, we always consider a range of factors which can affect repayment thresholds and recognise the importance of ensuring that the system remains fair for borrowers, as well as being financially sustainable.

​The department will announce the postgraduate loan threshold applicable from 2026/2027 financial year in due course.
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Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the video games industry on the number of vocational qualifications for 16 to 18 year olds. \p Josh MacAlister: Students deserve high-quality qualifications that meet their needs. The department continues to develop and improve qualifications so that they meet the needs of students and employers.

The Digital Software Development T Level provides young people with the core knowledge and skills for a career in software production and design, including in games design and development.

We will consider how to continue to improve the quality of qualifications available to students, including on games design, in the light of the recommendations from the Curriculum and Assessment Review, and will engage with employers and sector organisations on this in due course. The Curriculum and Assessment Review will publish recommendations in autumn 2025.
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Ben Goldsborough:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to reduce the number of young people classed as NEET in South Norfolk constituency. \p Josh MacAlister: Local authorities have statutory duties to support young people into education and training, including identifying and helping those who are currently not in education, employment or training (NEET).

Under the September Guarantee, local authorities are required to ensure that all 16 and 17-year-olds receive an offer of a suitable place to continue in education or training. The government monitors NEET data and liaises with local authorities regarding their duty to track and support young people who are NEET, or are at risk of becoming NEET.

We have invested over £7.5 billion in 16 to 19 programme funding during the 2024/25 academic year. However, we are aware of the particular challenges around access to education and training in Norfolk which relate to the local provider market. Departmental officials are working closely with these local authorities to actively address the issues.
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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to publish an analysis of (a) Higher Education Statistics Agency and (b) Office for National Statistics data on graduate employment to inform higher education (i) curriculum and (ii) skills policy. \p Josh MacAlister: The department publishes employment and earnings outcomes of graduates and postgraduates each year, based on data collected by the Higher Education Statistics Authority, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, and the Department for Work and Pensions. The publication includes breakdowns by subject studied, as well as graduate characteristics, and detailed information about which industries graduates worked in after studying a particular subject and their movements between industries after graduation. The publication can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/leo-graduate-and-postgraduate-outcomes/2022-23#dataBlock-d7be0f33-0ec5-4b78-98ed-ba6f25dfb414-charts. This data has been available since 26 June 2025.

The department also publishes graduate labour market statistics. This publication uses data from the Office for National Statistics’ Labour Force Survey to compare employment and earnings outcomes between graduates, postgraduates and non-graduates. The publication can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/graduate-labour-markets/2024. This data has been available since 5 June 2025.

The department uses these publications as part of the evidence base to inform higher education and skills policy.
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Tom Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to support support students affected by (a) course closures and (b) redundancies at universities in financial deficit. \p Josh MacAlister: ​​The Office for Students (OfS), the independent regulator of higher education (HE) in England, monitors the financial health of providers to ensure it has an up to date understanding of the sustainability of the sector.

​Its latest report, published on 8 May 2025, highlighted a decline in financial performance across the sector in 2023/24, with 44% of institutions forecasting a deficit in 2024/25.

​The government recognises the financial pressures facing the sector and acknowledges that some providers are making difficult restructuring decisions to safeguard long-term sustainability. As autonomous institutions, universities must take appropriate financial decisions to remain viable. However, we expect providers to work with staff, using their knowledge and experience to help identify how best to operate efficiently. All efficiency measures taken by the sector should provide a better long-term future for staff, students and the country.

​
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Abtisam Mohamed:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the use of the Transparent Approach to Costing methodology by the higher education sector. \p Josh MacAlister: ​​The data collected using the Transparent Approach to Costing (TRAC) methodology is an important part of the evidence base, which the department uses to understand the financial sustainability of the higher education sector and the teaching of UK students who are publicly funded.

​The TRAC sector analysis, published annually by the Office for Students, was most recently used to support the strategic case for uplifting tuition fees for the 2025/26 academic year. This was set out in the regulatory impact assessment, published in January 2025 and accessible at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2025/40/pdfs/ukia_20250040_en.pdf.​

​The department continues to consider the interaction between TRAC and policy decisions in our policy development.
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Abtisam Mohamed:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the number of higher education institutions that are forecast to have a deficit in the 2024-25 financial year on the economy. \p Josh MacAlister: ​​The Office for Students (OfS), the independent regulator of higher education (HE) in England, monitors the financial health of providers to ensure it has an up-to-date understanding of the sustainability of the sector. Its latest report, published in May 2025, highlighted a decline in financial performance across the sector in 2023/24, with 44% of institutions forecasting a deficit in 2024/25. HE providers are independent from government and as such must continue to make the necessary and appropriate financial decisions to ensure their long-term sustainability.

​The department is committed to creating a secure future for our universities so that they can deliver for students, taxpayers, workers and the economy. To put the sector on a firmer financial footing, Professor Edward Peck has been appointed as substantive chair of the OfS to continue its focus on financial sustainability and increasing opportunities in HE. We also took the difficult decision to increase tuition fee limits by 3.1% in the 2025/26 academic year, in line with inflation.

​We will continue to work closely with the OfS and other relevant parties to understand the sector’s changing financial landscape.
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Mark Pritchard:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will provide additional training for teachers on supporting pupils with dyslexia. \p Georgia Gould: I refer the hon. Member for The Wrekin to the answer of 1 August 2025 to Question 61402.
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Jess Asato:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the report entitled Abuse of women runners: implications for the violence against women and girls policy agenda, published by the University of Manchester in November 2024, whether she plans to recognise women runners as a distinct group for purposes of the forthcoming Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy. \p Jess Phillips: This Government has been clear that the level of violence against women and girls (VAWG) in our country is intolerable, and we are treating it as the national emergency that it is. Everyone should both be and feel safe whilst going about their day-to-day lives - and we recognise the particular vulnerability that women runners may feel.

We will go further than before to deliver a cross-government transformative approach to halve VAWG in a decade, underpinned by a new VAWG strategy, which we are aiming to publish in September.

We are working across Government to use every tool available to target perpetrators and address the root causes of abuse and violence to keep all women safe.
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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to ensure that recovered life jackets are not re-entered into circulation for use in further crossings. \p Alex Norris: The majority of life jackets seized arrive in very poor condition and may be damaged during the recovery process, and are disposed of by Border Force’s approved contractors and, where appropriate, any suitable materials are recycled.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to respond to the correspondence of 5 August 2025 from the hon. Member for Newton Abbot, case reference MW09483. \p Alex Norris: The Minister of State for Border Security and Asylum responded on 17 September 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Olivia Blake:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether (a) asylum seeking families, (b) asylum seeking unaccompanied minors and (c) all types of asylum seekers would be eligible for transfer from asylum hotels to military barracks. \p Alex Norris: The Home Office is firmly committed to ensuring that destitute asylum seekers are provided with safe, secure, and appropriate accommodation, and that they are treated with dignity throughout the asylum process.

Any requests to be accommodated in a particular location are considered under the Home Office Allocation of Asylum Accommodation Policy on a case-by-case basis, balancing the overarching principle that accommodation is offered on a ‘no choice basis’ against the strength of the exceptional circumstances.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Olivia Blake:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's review of the adults at risk in immigration detention policy, whether she has considered the potential merits of including (a) lesbian, (b) bisexual and (c) gay people on the list of indicators of risk. \p Alex Norris: As part of the review of the adults at risk in immigration detention policy, I can confirm that officials have considered the merits of including lesbian, gay and bisexual people on the list of indicators of risk under the policy. In addition, written comments and representations from a number of organisations that represent lesbian, gay and bisexual people were provided to the Home Office further to external engagement on the review.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Olivia Blake:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's Statement of 1 September 2025 on Borders and Asylum, Official Report, col 26, what steps she plans to take to tighten the test for asylum accommodation. \p Alex Norris: We are reviewing our processes, policies and legislation to ensure that only those who need support receive it. We will set out reforms to the asylum system later this year in the Asylum Policy statement.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Louise Haigh:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that immigration rules do not prevent the relocation to the UK of high-profile creative artists in Afghanistan with links to the UK at risk under the Taliban. \p Mike Tapp: The UK has a proud history of providing protection for those fleeing war and persecution through our safe and legal routes. Since 2021, we have resettled over 34,500 individuals through the UK’s Afghan schemes.

Given the scale of global displacement, it is unfortunately not possible to offer a pathway to the UK for every person who needs it. The UK’s Afghan schemes were never intended to operate indefinitely, and, on 1 July 2025, the Government announced the closure of the schemes.

Afghans wishing to settle in the UK may apply through existing safe and legal routes for work, study and settlement.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Mr Calvin Bailey:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to launch its consultation on settlement policy. \p Mike Tapp: We will be consulting on the new settlement rules later this year. Following that, we will provide details of how this initiative will work.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Cat Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of linking salary requirements to NHS pay scales on overseas social workers with skilled worker visas employed by local authorities. \p Mike Tapp: We use Office for National Statistics (ONS) data to set salary requirements for occupations, except where a national pay scale exists. In the case of social workers, the NHS Agenda for Change is the only available national scale, as Local Authority rates vary. Using Agenda for Change means the salary requirements are lower than they would be if we used ONS data.

On 2 July we asked the independent Migration Advisory Committee to advise on future salary requirements for Skilled Worker visas. We look forward to receiving their recommendations in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Cat Smith:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many social workers are working in the UK on a (a) skilled workers visa and (b) health and care visa. \p Mike Tapp: The Home Office publishes data on sponsored work visas by occupation in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release. Data on grants of visas are published in table ‘Occ_D02’ of the ‘sponsored work visas by occupation and industry dataset. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. Data is from January 2021 up to the end of June 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Kate Osamor:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of British citizen children living in households subject to No Recourse to Public Funds. \p Mike Tapp: The No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) condition applies to the vast majority of adult temporary migrants in the UK and those without legal status, many of whom may not be in touch with the Home Office. Data on the children within migrant families is not routinely collected. However, the Home Office regularly engages with stakeholders via the NRPF forum which provides a platform to raise concerns and share experiences of those affected by the policy.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Victoria Collins:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support Palestinian students from Gaza who have been accepted onto UK university courses with (a) access to secure (i) English language testing (ii) visa processing and (b) other (A) administrative, (B) financial and (C) logistical travel requirements. \p Mike Tapp: The Government has outlined plans to support the departure from Gaza of a group of Chevening Scholars so they can take up university places in the UK in the Autumn for the 2025/26 academic year. We are extending this support to students in Gaza with full scholarships, meaning students who have their course fees and living costs fully funded by an official sponsor, as specified in the Immigration Rules.

For further information, please see the policy papers published by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the Department for Education, on 14 September 2025 and 15 September 2025 respectively, on GOV.UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Claire Hanna:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Labour Market Evidence Group plans to visit Northern Ireland to consult local businesses. \p Mike Tapp: The Labour Market Evidence Group (LMEG) is supporting the UK Government’s aim to rebalance UK labour market away from an over-reliance on international recruitment and towards domestic workers and ensuring that growth-driving sectors have access to the skilled workers they need now and into the future. LMEG has been established and is meeting regularly at working level with the first formal meeting of LMEG taking place on 29th July 2025. That meeting contained representatives from:

At the first meeting LMEG members agreed a workplan in collaboration with Devolved Governments including Northern Ireland Executive. This workplan will support LMEG’s ambition, as set out in the Immigration White Paper, of working together to gather and share evidence about the state of the workforce, training levels and participation in the domestic labour market, including at Devolved Government and regional levels.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Ben Goldsborough:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed changes to the Skilled Workers visa route on recruitment in (a) the biological sciences research sector, (b) universities and (c) the NHS. \p Mike Tapp: On 12 May, we published our Immigration White Paper, outlining our future approach to legal migration routes. We have now made Immigration Rules changes to bring the first of these reforms into effect.

It is our intention to publish an Impact Assessment (IA) at the earliest opportunity. A technical annex (www.gov.uk/government/publications/restoring-control-over-the-immigration-system-white-paper/restoring-control-over-the-immigration-system-technical-annex) was published alongside the Immigration White Paper setting out the impact of some of the key policy changes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Daisy Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a separate immigration desk system at the UK border for people who (a) live and work in the UK and (b) do not hold a UK passport. \p Mike Tapp: There are no proposed changes to airport queuing arrangements for any cohorts, including for non-British citizens who live and work in the UK, at the current time. We keep this under review to prioritise security, maintain fluidity and ensure we continue to run our border in the best interests of the UK whilst also considering capacity and availability of space at individual ports.

As set out in our Immigration White Paper, published May 2025, we are now moving to the next phase in our vision to revolutionise the UK border by using technology to make visible changes to security, flow and the passenger experience. We aim to do this through the piloting of new innovative technologies later this year and by continuing to explore options to expand the use of automation and eGates to more cohorts.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-10-17)

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Tim Farron:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied children were granted refugee family reunion visas in the year ending 30 June 2025. \p Mike Tapp: The Home Office publishes data on refugee family reunion in the 'Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release'. Data on refugee family reunion visa grants, by age group, is published in table Fam_D01 of the 'family reunion visa grants detailed datasets'. The latest data relate to June 2025.

In the year ending June 2025 11,641 children under the age of 18 were granted a family reunion visa - this figure includes both accompanied and unaccompanied children.

We do not publish data for the number of unaccompanied children who have been granted family reunion visas. Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the code of practice for statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data.