Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will define a (a) high-skilled, (b) medium-skilled and (c) low-skilled migrant in the context of The UK's future skills-based immigration system White Paper.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
As set out in the White Paper, ‘The UK’s future skills-based immigration system’, we propose to define high, medium and lower skilled occupation by referring to the national Regulated Qualification Framework (RQF) levels. High-skilled roles require skills at degree level or above (RQF 6 and above); medium-skilled require skills between A-Level and Foundation Degree, or equivalent (RQF 3-5) and lower-skilled roles include those at GCSE level or below (below RQF 3).
Occupations falling into each of these skill levels will be set out in codes of practice. The existing codes of practice for our current main immigration work route under Tier 2 can be found at Appendix J of the published immigration rules, available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-j-codes-of-practice-for-skilled-work
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which countries his Department has identified as a low risk of abuse of the immigration system.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
We use our immigration system to help mitigate a wide range of threats to the UK. Risk is used and assessed at many places within the immigration system and the risk posed by different countries is determined by looking at the full range of threats to the UK, not just immigration abuse.
Those countries where such risks may be lower will not usually be subject to our visa regime and will be non-visa nationals. All cases are decided on the individual merits of the application.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which countries his Department has identified as a high risk of abuse of the immigration system.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
We use our immigration system to help mitigate a wide range of threats to the UK. Risk is used and assessed at many places within the immigration system and the risk posed by different countries is determined by looking at the full range of threats to the UK, not just immigration abuse.
Those countries where such risks may be higher will usually be subject to our visa regime and will be visa nationals. All cases are decided on the individual merits of the application.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much revenue was accrued to the public purse from the premium visa service in 2015-16.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The statement of accounts for the Home Office is published on the .GOV.UK website. The annual accounts provide a financial and narrative summary of the activities of the Home Office.
A link to the most recent available data is provided here;
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ho-annual-reports-and-accounts
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-office-annual-report-and-accounts-2016-to-2017
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much revenue was accrued to the public purse from the premium visa service in (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13, (c) 2013-14 and (d) 2014-15.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The statement of accounts for the Home Office is published on the .GOV.UK website. The annual accounts provide a financial and narrative summary of the activities of the Home Office.
A link to the most recent available data is provided here;
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ho-annual-reports-and-accounts
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-office-annual-report-and-accounts-2016-to-2017
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much revenue was generated by the premium visa service in the last 12 months for which figures are available.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
Premium income generated overseas in 2016/2017 was £124,198,444.07. This represents the Premium element only and does not include the standard application fee. In-country Premium income for the same period was £133,851,555.00. This represents the combined income from the Premium fee and the standard application fee.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much revenue was generated from visa applications that were denied in the last 12 months for which figures are available.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The Home Office does not collect this information as a matter of course, and therefore no data is held to enable us to provide a response.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether there is a sunset clause on her Department's use of Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The contract with GEO Ltd to operate Dungavel immigration removal centre (IRC) does not contain a sunset clause. It is extendable for 12 months at a time, until September 2019. It is currently extended to September 2017.
The closure of Dungavel IRC is dependent on the success of the planning application for the new short term holding facility near Glasgow airport, currently under consideration by Renfrewshire Council.
The Government announced that it intended to close Dungavel when the new short term holding facility is ready, and therefore it is the Government’s policy to reserve its right to continue to use Dungavel for the purposes of immigration detention should the planning application be unsuccessful.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is her Department's policy to reserve the right to continue to use Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre in the event that the plan to establish a new detention facility at Glasgow Airport does not go ahead.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The contract with GEO Ltd to operate Dungavel immigration removal centre (IRC) does not contain a sunset clause. It is extendable for 12 months at a time, until September 2019. It is currently extended to September 2017.
The closure of Dungavel IRC is dependent on the success of the planning application for the new short term holding facility near Glasgow airport, currently under consideration by Renfrewshire Council.
The Government announced that it intended to close Dungavel when the new short term holding facility is ready, and therefore it is the Government’s policy to reserve its right to continue to use Dungavel for the purposes of immigration detention should the planning application be unsuccessful.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress her Department has made on its plans to close Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre and to establish a new detention facility at Glasgow Airport.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
The contract with GEO Ltd to operate Dungavel immigration removal centre (IRC) does not contain a sunset clause. It is extendable for 12 months at a time, until September 2019. It is currently extended to September 2017.
The closure of Dungavel IRC is dependent on the success of the planning application for the new short term holding facility near Glasgow airport, currently under consideration by Renfrewshire Council.
The Government announced that it intended to close Dungavel when the new short term holding facility is ready, and therefore it is the Government’s policy to reserve its right to continue to use Dungavel for the purposes of immigration detention should the planning application be unsuccessful.