Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of allowing irregular migrants to make applications for asylum whilst still residing in (a) France and (b) Belgium.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

The UK has a proud record of providing protection for those who need it. However, there is no provision within our Immigration Rules for someone to be allowed to travel to the UK to seek asylum or temporary refuge. Whilst we sympathise with people in many difficult situations around the world, the capacity of the UK is not unlimited, and we could not possibly consider protection claims from the very large numbers of people overseas who might like to come here. Those in need of immediate protection should take the fastest route to safety and claim asylum in the first safe country they reach.

There are several powerful reasons why allowing migrants to make applications for asylum from France and Belgium is not a viable option and could actually lead to adverse consequences.

The responsibility for asylum seekers and refugees lies with the authorities of the country in which they are present in accordance with their international obligations – in this case France and Belgium. EU countries operate the Common European Asylum System; a framework of rules and procedures based on the full and inclusive application of the Refugee Convention. The aim of this system is not just to ensure fair and humane treatment of applicants for international protection, but also to discourage secondary movements of people once they have reached safety, acknowledging the many problems that such movements create. There is therefore no reason why an individual who is residing in France or Belgium and who needs protection should not make their claim in France or Belgium and certainly no reasons why they should make the perilous onward journey to the UK. France and Belgium are both safe countries, so the protection they seek is already available to them.

The UK processing asylum claims in France and Belgium would also have the potential to create more harm, and actually support the smugglers. Dangerous journeys and the work of the despicable smugglers are not just confined to routes across the Channel. Vulnerable people, if they have an incentive to aim for France or Belgium as a means of entering the UK, would be encouraged to make dangerous journeys across the Mediterranean and over land to France and Belgium. It would create a new pull factor, motivating people to again entrust themselves to smugglers. Even where they may avoid the danger of a small boat, we know from heart breaking experience that journeys over land, for example in the back of lorries, can be equally as perilous. We cannot, and must not, do anything which supports the smugglers’ business model.

Our focus is on helping people directly from regions of conflict and instability, and we believe that our resettlement programmes are the best way to provide much needed support. Between 2015 and September 2023, over half a million people were offered safe and legal routes into the UK.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to ensure that gambling firms support problem gamblers (a) to stop gambling and (b) into recovery.

Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Gambling White Paper set out a balanced and proportionate set of proposals to protect those at risk of experiencing gambling harm.

There are already a range of obligations on gambling operators to identify and prevent gambling-related harm, which can include signposting to sources of specialist support from organisations who deal with advice and treatment for harmful gambling. Following the white paper, we are introducing a range of new, proportionate controls to further protect vulnerable people from the practices and products which can drive harm. These include new light-touch, frictionless financial risk checks, a stake limit for online slots games, improvements to customer-led tools, and tougher restrictions on bonuses and direct marketing. These measures will be complemented by strengthened messaging about the risks associated with gambling. We are also introducing a new statutory levy paid by operators to fund research, prevention, and treatment of gambling-related harms so that people can access the right help when and where they need it.

We are working with the Gambling Commission and other stakeholders to bring these measures into force as quickly as possible, and have already held consultations on a number of important proposals so we can finalise details ahead of implementation.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 15 March 2024 to Question 18893 on Energy: Meters, whether her Department has had recent discussions with energy providers on the availability of technological solutions for households to replace radio teleswitching meters.

Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Smart meters are the natural technological solution to replace the Radio Teleswitching Service (RTS) and associated meters.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she has had with Royal Colleges on improving training to support (a) standards and (b) help with the impacts of caring for children in the context of Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

On 26 July 2023, the Department and NHS England participated in a round table with a range of stakeholders with an interest in Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC), including the Royal College of General Practitioners, Royal College of Nursing, and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, focusing on increasing awareness and impactful training to healthcare professionals and improving support to those affected by SUDC.

Healthcare regulators, such as the General Medical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council, are responsible for setting standards for undergraduate education, and medical Royal Colleges set the curriculum for postgraduate medical training.

NHS England provides a range of e-learning resources to help health professionals to support bereaved parents and families.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she has had with Royal Colleges on the (a) standards and (b) impacts of care on Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood.

Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

On 26 July 2023, the Department and NHS England participated in a round table with a range of stakeholders with an interest in Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC), including the Royal College of General Practitioners, Royal College of Nursing, and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, focusing on increasing awareness and impactful training to healthcare professionals and improving support to those affected by SUDC.

Healthcare regulators, such as the General Medical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council, are responsible for setting standards for undergraduate education, and medical Royal Colleges set the curriculum for postgraduate medical training.

NHS England provides a range of e-learning resources to help health professionals to support bereaved parents and families.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of including hospitality roles on the immigration salary list.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

The Government intend to commission the MAC to undertake a full review of the Immigration Salary List. The Government will carefully consider their recommendations once received.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the use of different economic forecasts by (a) the Bank of England and (b) the OBR on (i) monetary and (ii) fiscal decisions.

Answered by Bim Afolami - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Monetary policy is the responsibility of the independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Bank of England, so the government rightly does not comment on the conduct of monetary policy. The MPC publishes its forecasts on a quarterly basis to inform its monetary policy decisions.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is the UK government’s independent official forecaster and publishes economic and fiscal forecasts at least twice per year alongside fiscal events. The OBR provides independence, transparency and credibility via its assessment of the economic and fiscal position and as the official forecaster it is right that it is the basis for government fiscal policy decisions.

The MPC and the OBR have different responsibilities, so it is right that they produce their own forecasts. The MPC’s forecasts reflect policy announced by the government and fiscal assumptions from the OBR and HM Treasury.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of reinstating tax-free shopping for international visitors on the high street economy.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government published its next steps on tax-free shopping in the Spring Budget 2024 which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spring-budget-2024/spring-budget-2024-html.

The OBR published a review of the original 2020 costing of the withdrawal of tax-free shopping in the Economic and Fiscal Outlook on 6 March, with a follow up supplementary document published on 11 March, which is available here: https://obr.uk/docs/dlm_uploads/VAT-RES-costing-review.pdf

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of a regional system for issuing of Tier 2 Skilled Worker visas.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

The UK has a single immigration system which works for the whole of the UK. Adding different rules for different locations would introduce further complexity into the system and create frictions where workers move from one location to another.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the potential economic impact on the tourism industry of delays in the processing of Tier 2 visa licences.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

There are currently no delays in the processing of sponsor licence applications.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate his Department has made of the impact of ending tax-free shopping for international visitors on levels of spending by international visitors since 2020.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government published its next steps, in relation to tax-free shopping in the Spring Budget 2024 which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spring-budget-2024/spring-budget-2024-html.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment his Department has made of the impact of ending tax-free shopping for international visitors on levels of tourism since 2020.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

The government published its next steps, in relation to tax-free shopping in the Spring Budget 2024 which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spring-budget-2024/spring-budget-2024-html.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he is taking steps to ensure there are no delays to implementation of the final Infected Blood inquiry compensation report.

Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Ministerial colleagues and I, as well as officials in the Cabinet Office and relevant other Government Departments, are working closely to ensure effective design and implementation of the Government response to Inquiry, with regular meetings and engagement across Whitehall.

The Government is committed to responding to the recommendations made by Sir Brian Langstaff in full, after the publication of the final report. The Government has appointed an expert group to provide advice on recommendations regarding compensation, and we are bringing forward amendments to the Victims and Prisoners Bill at Report Stage in the Other Place to speed up the Government response to the Inquiry.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of removing minimum income thresholds for spouse/partner visas.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

We do not intend to remove the Minimum Income Requirement (MIR) for spouse / partner visas under Appendix FM to the Immigration Rules.

The purpose of the MIR, implemented in July 2012 along with other reforms of the family Immigration Rules, is to ensure family migrants are supported at a reasonable level so they do not become a burden on the taxpayer and they can participate sufficiently in everyday life to facilitate their integration into British society.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the permitted working hours criteria for Employment and Support Allowance.

Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

There are currently no plans to increase the permitted work hours limit. The ESA permitted work rules strike a balance between encouraging claimants to build their confidence, undertake some part-time paid work, and plan a gradual move to sustained employment, while continuing to receive benefit. The permitted work earnings limit is reviewed annually and uprated in line with the National Living Wage.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to implement the recommendations of the Second interim report of the Infected Blood inquiry on psychological services.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

A bespoke psychological support service for infected blood victims, commissioned by NHS England, is currently being developed, and is planned to go live in early summer 2024.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to page 22 of the Infected Blood Inquiry’s second Interim Report of the Infected Blood Inquiry, published on 5 April 2023, what steps his Department plans to take to help ensure (a) the independence of and (b) confidence in the arms length body.

Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

The victims of the scandal are at the forefront of my mind, and it is critical to ensure that any scheme works effectively for the victims. The Government will respond in full to Sir Brian Langstaff’s recommendations following the publication of the Inquiry’s final report. Additionally, we are tabling a Government amendment at Report Stage of the Victims and Prisoners Bill in the Other Place to fix technical deficiencies, while working in the spirit of Dame Diana Johnson’s amendment. The amendment is tabled with the intention of speeding up the implementation of the Government’s response to the Infected Blood Inquiry.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential reasons for skills shortages.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The workforce is more highly qualified than 15 years ago, but adult participation in further education has declined significantly. This has left us with a gap in higher technical skills: only 4% of young people achieve a qualification at higher technical level by 25 compared to 33% who get a degree or above. We know through our work with investors and businesses that we do not have enough technicians, engineers or health and social care professionals to meet our challenges. Therefore, the Government are investing an additional £3.8 billion into skills and further education over this Parliament to help workers develop the skills businesses need.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the number of weeks for which a person can undertake training and remain eligible for universal credit.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Work Coaches recommend options to customers to address skills barriers and provide support for them to access a wide range of provision. Which can include essential Maths, English and Digital Skills, and other vocational opportunities such as Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs).

Whilst periods of training are generally expected to be directly linked to customer’s work search goals, we have increased the amount of time Universal Credit customers in the All Work Related Requirements conditionality group can take part in full time, work-related training for up to 16 weeks in Great Britain.

Where a longer period of training is required to equip someone with the skills for work whilst also maintaining employment, other options are available including apprenticeships. Apprenticeships are designed by employers and open to learners of all ages, with vocational courses ranging from level 2 up to post-graduate qualifications.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of enabling transition between technologies when applying for Renewable Heat Incentive payments when a given technology is not feasible after technical review.

Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Non-Domestic and Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive schemes are closed to new applications. Therefore, the Government does not plan to make such an assessment, given that new applications can no longer be made to the schemes.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has had recent discussions with Ofgem on taking steps to ensure that energy companies use reputable contractors to meet their obligations under the ECO4 scheme.

Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Installations under ECO4 must be carried out by TrustMark registered and Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 2030 or Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) certified businesses, in accordance with PAS 2035. This ensures work is carried out by an installer who has demonstrated an appropriate level of skill and competence and minimises the risk of unintended consequences.

As the only Government endorsed quality scheme, TrustMark registered businesses are thoroughly vetted for technical competence, customer service, and good trading practices. TrustMark registered businesses must also provide an appropriate guarantee and be signed up to a dispute resolution process.

Inverness Rowing Club and the Junior Inter-Regional Regatta 2024

150th anniversary of Inverness Bowling Club

Mhairi Maclennan London Marathon success

Leith Croft Community Pavilion

20th anniversary of The Leither Magazine

Bombay Lounge restaurant in Midlothian, Curry Restaurant of the Year at Scottish Curry Awards 2024

Swagath Indian Restaurant and the Scottish Curry Awards 2024

Himalayan Dine Barrhead and the Scottish Curry Awards 2024

Gleniffer Thistle fundraising for Epilepsy Scotland

New Practice turns five years old

Scotland men’s cerebral palsy football team, world champions

RBS branch closures

Found: of Chester ) Dame Angela Eagle MP (Labour, Wallasey ) Stephen Hammond MP (Conservative, Wimbledon) Drew

Found: Q384 Drew Hendry: Good afternoon.

Found: of Chester ) Dame Angela Eagle MP (Labour, Wallasey ) Stephen Hammond MP (Conservative, Wimbledon) Drew

Found: of Chester ) Dame Angela Eagle MP (Labour, Wallasey ) Stephen Hammond MP (Conservative, Wimbledon) Drew