Asked by: Baroness Hamwee (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many victims of trafficking referred to the National Referral Mechanism received a positive conclusive grounds decision at any time, and 'temporary permission to stay for victims of human trafficking or slavery’ in 2024.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Statistics on modern slavery are published quarterly. The table sets out the number of positive conclusive grounds decisions issued annually between 2009 and 2024 and the proportion of overall decisions that were positive.
Year | Number of positive Conclusive Grounds decisions issued | Proportion of overall Conclusive Grounds decisions issued that were positive |
2009 | 99 | 67% |
2010 | 245 | 69% |
2011 | 442 | 77% |
2012 | 513 | 80% |
2013 | 685 | 68% |
2014 | 978 | 62% |
2015 | 1,004 | 59% |
2016 | 1,092 | 58% |
2017 | 1,220 | 65% |
2018 | 2,258 | 70% |
2019 | 2,962 | 82% |
2020 | 3,077 | 90% |
2021 | 2,595 | 92% |
2022 | 5,497 | 89% |
2023 | 6,514 | 67% |
2024 | 9,727 | 56% |
The requested data on temporary permission to stay for victims of human trafficking or slavery is not currently available in a verified and published form.
Asked by: Baroness Hamwee (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to review the legal framework governing the role of automation in public decision-making, and if not why; and what assessment they have made of whether people subject to decisions by public bodies should be informed if decisions have been taken, in whole or in part, using automated decision-making mechanisms.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The government is committed to the safe and ethical adoption of AI, including automated decision-making (ADM). We offer relevant guidance in, for example, the AI Playbook. Additionally, government has been working with the Information Commissioner’s Office to explore responsible adoption of ADM.
Given ADM-related changes in the Data (Use and Access) Act, which have widened the circumstances in which ADM can be used but only with stringent safeguards, it is not the most appropriate time for government to review the legal framework governing automation in public decision-making. We will first implement and observe the impact of our reforms.
Asked by: Baroness Hamwee (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether any systems or software supplied by Fujitsu are used in the process of determining immigration status.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
Fujitsu do not supply the Home Office with any systems or software used in determining immigration status.
Asked by: Baroness Hamwee (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to raise awareness of the benefits to business of employing prison-leavers and to support businesses to do so.
Answered by Lord Bellamy
We remain committed in increasing the number of prison leavers securing employment on release. The proportion of prison leavers who were employed six months after release more than doubled in the two years to March 2023, from 14% to over 30%. Meanwhile, the proportion who were in employment six weeks after their release almost doubled in the same period, from 9.8% to 19.4%
We know that supporting businesses and raising awareness around the benefits of employing prison leavers are integral in continuing this upward trend.
New Futures Network is the prison service’s specialist employment team that supports businesses to fill skills gaps and prisoners to find employment on release. They use a dedicated website and social media pages to inform the public, including employers, about the opportunities to recruit from prisons. New Futures Network brokers three main types of partnership between prisons and employers:
To increase awareness across sectors facing labour market shortages, in October 2022 New Futures Network began running a series of ‘Unlocking Potential’ recruitment drives in prisons. The most recent event in October 2023, Unlocking Hospitality, saw around 65 events held across 40 sites, attended by 40 employers and 885 prisoners. This resulted in 184 interviews and 45 job offers to date.
We also know that employers want to hear from other employers when talking about the benefits of employing prison leavers. Employment Advisory Boards bring together experienced professionals across the private and third sectors and have been established across 93 prisons. Chaired by business leaders, these are a forum to collaborate with leadership teams within prisons, to support them in creating a positive culture of employment.
Similarly, we continue to work with the Employers Forum for Reducing Re-offending (EFFRR), an HMPPS-led group currently chaired by Greggs. This is a collective of local and national employers that provide training and employment opportunities for ex-offenders, including Greene King, Timpson, Marks & Spencer, Willmott Dixon and many more.
New Futures Network have also partnered with the Department for Education to raise awareness by featuring an employing prison leavers item on their business webpages: Find training and employment schemes for your business (education.gov.uk).
Asked by: Baroness Hamwee (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to their proposals to increase the minimum income requirement for a spouse or partner visa to £38,700, how income other than from employment and property and savings will be regarded, the additional income required for each child of the family, and what length of visa will be issued and how that will be determined.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The revised minimum income requirement (MIR) will be implemented in spring 2024.
The Government will set out any transitional provisions associated with the increase in the MIR, and further policy details, in due course.
Any applications already submitted will be considered in line with the existing policy.
Asked by: Baroness Hamwee (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to their proposals to increase the minimum income requirement for a spouse or partner visa, (1) how savings and income from property and sources other than employment will be regarded, (2) the additional income required for each child of the family, (3) what length of visa will be issued, and (4) what other changes related to family visas they propose.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The revised minimum income requirement (MIR) will be implemented in spring 2024.
The Government will set out any transitional provisions associated with the increase in the MIR, and further policy details, in due course.
Any applications already submitted will be considered in line with the existing policy.
Asked by: Baroness Hamwee (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what fees they intend to charge in connection with the increased minimum income requirement for a spouse or partner visa, in particular (1) what fee will be payable on the initial and subsequent applications for a spouse or partner on a 10-year route to settlement, and (2) what immigration health charge will be due.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
There will be no changes to the fees payable for any visa applications or the health surcharge as a result of the minimum income requirement changes announced by the Home Secretary.
For those applying on a spouse or partner visa, the current application fees of £1,846 for entry clearance, £1,048 for Limited Leave to Remain and £2,885 for Indefinite Leave to Remain will remain the same.
Subject to the passage of the necessary legislation, the Immigration Health Surcharge will increase to £1,035 per year for migrants applying on the partner visa route.
Asked by: Baroness Hamwee (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to their proposals to increase the minimum income requirement for a spouse or partner visa to £38,700, what fee will be payable on the initial and subsequent applications for a spouse or partner on a 10-year route to settlement, and what immigration health charge will be due.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
There will be no changes to the fees payable for any visa applications or the health surcharge as a result of the minimum income requirement changes announced by the Home Secretary.
For those applying on a spouse or partner visa, the current application fees of £1,846 for entry clearance, £1,048 for Limited Leave to Remain and £2,885 for Indefinite Leave to Remain will remain the same.
Subject to the passage of the necessary legislation, the Immigration Health Surcharge will increase to £1,035 per year for migrants applying on the partner visa route.
Asked by: Baroness Hamwee (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of using (1) X-rays, (2) magnetic resonance imaging, and (3) any other scientific methods, as provided for by the Illegal Migration Act 2023 and the Nationality and Borders Act 2022.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The Home Office does not yet hold this information. Work is ongoing to determine the level and type of capacity required to support the imaging service.
Asked by: Baroness Hamwee (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of using X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging and any other ‘scientific methods’ as provided for by the Illegal Migration Act 2023 and the Nationality and Borders Act 2022.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.