Asked by: Baroness Hamwee (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are considering converting the undercover policing inquiry from a statutory inquiry to a non-statutory inquiry; and if so, what relevance they consider the Public Office (Accountability) Bill to have to that consideration.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
A consultation on the future of the Undercover Policing Inquiry was launched on 16 July 2026.
No decisions have been made about the future of the Inquiry. Ministers will consider the consultation findings, including responses to an online consultation questionnaire, which closed on 20 September 2026, alongside other relevant considerations, before determining next steps.
Asked by: Baroness Hamwee (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the Public Office (Accountability) Bill will have an impact on the potential conversion of the Undercover Policing Inquiry from a statutory inquiry to a non-statutory inquiry.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
A consultation on the future of the Undercover Policing Inquiry was launched on 16 July 2026. No decisions have been made about the future of the Inquiry. Ministers will consider the consultation findings, including responses to an online consultation questionnaire, which closed on 20 September 2026, alongside other relevant considerations, before determining next steps.
Asked by: Baroness Hamwee (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to implement recommendation 6.5 of the Independent Sentencing Review, published on 22 May 2025, to commission a study on the impact and consequences of the assault on emergency workers legislation; and if so when; and if not, why not.
Answered by Lord Lemos - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Independent Sentencing Review (ISR) published its findings on 22 May 2025, and the previous Lord Chancellor welcomed the recommendations and accepted the majority of them in principle. The Sentencing Act takes forward many of the ISR recommendations and it received royal assent on 22 January. We are continuing to consider the ISR recommendations that do not require legislation, including recommendation 6.5.
Asked by: Baroness Hamwee (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many visa applications have been refused under the “visa brake” policy; and what assessment they have made of the number of applications that have not been made in light of the policy, in respect of each of (1) Afghanistan, (2) Cameroon, (3) Myanmar, and (4) Sudan, since the introduction of the policy.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Applications for visas on the affected routes from the affected nationalities are now being refused. The latest public immigration statistics show that visa applications for the affected routes and nationalities in Q2 2026 have on average fallen by over 90% compared to Q4 2025.
The visa brake for Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan will be reviewed by the Home Office after 18 months after imposition. This principally involves an assessment of the risk of future visa-linked asylum claims. It does not mean the visa brake will necessarily be lifted. The brake will only be lifted once the government assesses it appropriate to do so and it is clear that there has been a reduction in the risk of high proportions of visa-linked asylum claims recommencing on these routes from these nationalities.
Asked by: Baroness Hamwee (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they anticipate lifting the visa brake.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Applications for visas on the affected routes from the affected nationalities are now being refused. The latest public immigration statistics show that visa applications for the affected routes and nationalities in Q2 2026 have on average fallen by over 90% compared to Q4 2025.
The visa brake for Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan will be reviewed by the Home Office after 18 months after imposition. This principally involves an assessment of the risk of future visa-linked asylum claims. It does not mean the visa brake will necessarily be lifted. The brake will only be lifted once the government assesses it appropriate to do so and it is clear that there has been a reduction in the risk of high proportions of visa-linked asylum claims recommencing on these routes from these nationalities.
Asked by: Baroness Hamwee (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 15 July (HL1735), what steps they are taking to ensure compliance with regulations UK261 and to protect passengers lawfully resident in the UK with a valid digital-only eVisa who are denied boarding by airlines on the basis they are not adequately documented, and prevented from claiming compensation under the regulations due to airlines not following Home Office guidance on checking permission to travel to the UK.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Civil Aviation Authority is responsible for enforcing UK261. Whether compensation is payable where a passenger is denied boarding depends on the circumstances of the individual case. Passengers who consider that an airline has not complied with its obligations should first raise the matter with the airline and may then pursue the available redress arrangements.
Since 25 February 2026, all commercial aviation carriers flying directly to the UK have been integrated into the interactive Advance Passenger Information system and use it to verify passengers’ permission to travel to the UK. Over the last three years, the Home Office has worked extensively with carriers through direct communications, carrier forums and awareness sessions to support the transition to eVisas and minimise the risk of passengers being incorrectly denied boarding. The Home Office continues to engage closely with carriers to ensure they understand and correctly apply the processes for verifying a passenger's permission to travel, including the use of digital immigration status. Where a carrier is unable to confirm a person’s permission to travel, it can contact the UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub, which operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for advice and support.
eVisa holders are advised to keep their UKVI account up to date and ensure that the passport or travel document they intend to use is linked to their account. More than 11 million eVisas have been issued, and most people use them without issue.
Asked by: Baroness Hamwee (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that non-EU citizens with digital-only eVisas, lawfully resident in, and with permission to enter, the UK are recognised as having adequate documentation and are not denied boarding.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has engaged with international carriers on the use of eVisas through direct communications, carrier forums and awareness sessions, and continues to do so. Carriers can verify a passenger's permission to travel through digital checks against Home Office systems and have access to operational guidance and support.
The UK Carrier Support Hub operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to assist with status checks where required. eVisa holders are advised to keep their UKVI account up to date and ensure the passport or travel document they intend to use for travel is linked to their account. More than 10 million eVisas have been issued and most people use them with no issues.
Asked by: Baroness Hamwee (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government for what reason the testing and analysis of Facial Age Estimation technology did not begin on 2 February as anticipated in the tender for the relevant contract.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Facial Age Estimation (FAE) procurement outcome was delayed due to a testing and evaluation phase taking longer than originally anticipated.
This work has now concluded, and subject to the completion of a mandatory standstill period and contract signature, a formal contract award notice will be issued shortly.
Asked by: Baroness Hamwee (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have awarded a contract for facial age estimation technology for assessing the age of asylum seekers; and if so, which company that contract has been awarded to.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Information sought is withheld for reason of commercial sensitivities.
The procurement is now concluded, and we are preparing to inform bidders. A published contract award notice will follow thereafter.
Asked by: Baroness Hamwee (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 20 October 2025, what recent progress they have made in the testing of facial age estimation technology for assessing the age of asylum seekers.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
In the Government’s Immigration White Paper, published in May 2025, we committed to strengthening the age assessment process. As set out in the statement on Restoring Order and Control, the Home Office has since commissioned trials to identify the most promising scientific and technological methods. This includes exploring how artificial intelligence technology can improve the process. Early assessment suggests that Facial Age Estimation is effective and could produce workable results much quicker than other potential methods, such as bone X-rays or MRI scans, and at a fraction of the cost.
As part of our testing of Facial Age Estimation, industry algorithms have been used to test its performance against approximately 2.5 million images with a known age across different ethnicities, genders and age ranges. Further tests are planned throughout 2026.