Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications for International Agreement Visas (Temporary Work), formerly known as Tier 5 Visas, were received from nationals from EU countries and from non-EU countries seeking to volunteer for charities in the UK as international volunteers in (a) 2020-21 and (b) 21–2022.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Home Office publishes data on Entry clearance visas in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of applications and grants for International Agreement visas (formerly Tier 5) are published in Vis_D01 and Vis_D02, respectively, of the Entry clearance visas applications and outcomes detailed dataset. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook.
The latest data relates up to and including September 2022. Please note that the data cannot be disaggregated by employer or occupation.
Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many nationals from EU countries and from non-EU countries were granted International Agreement Visas (Temporary Work), formerly known as Tier 5 Visas, to volunteer for charities in the UK as international volunteers in (a) 2020-2021, and (b) 2021-2022.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Home Office publishes data on Entry clearance visas in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of applications and grants for International Agreement visas (formerly Tier 5) are published in Vis_D01 and Vis_D02, respectively, of the Entry clearance visas applications and outcomes detailed dataset. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook.
The latest data relates up to and including September 2022. Please note that the data cannot be disaggregated by employer or occupation.
Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the total amount paid was for immigration health surcharges by people granted International Agreement Visas (Temporary Work), formerly known as Tier 5 Visas, to volunteer for charities in the UK as international volunteers in (a) 2020-21 and (b) 2021–22.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Home Office does not routinely publish data on immigration health surcharges broken down by visa routes.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the case of Independent Monitoring Authority v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2022] EWHC 3274 (Admin), of 21 December 2022, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of that judgment; whether she plans to allow people with leave to remain to freely travel to the UK; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Government does not agree with the High Court judgment of 21 December in the judicial review proceedings brought by the Independent Monitoring Authority relating to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) and intends to appeal. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage.
EUSS pre-settled status holders should continue to apply for settled status as soon as they are eligible.
EUSS documentary requirements for travel to the UK are unchanged. Visa nationals with EUSS status should use a valid Biometric Residence Card in conjunction with their passport. EEA and Swiss nationals with EUSS status can travel with a valid passport or national ID card, and other non-visa nationals with status can travel with their valid passport.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data his Department holds on the average weekly level of cancellations and delays from Lockerbie railway station for (a) Transpennine Express trains and (b) Avanti West Coast trains, including those trains cancelled the day before travel, in the last 12 months.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department does not routinely hold this data. It is the responsibility of train operating companies to collect this information.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment the Health and Safety Executive has made of the safety of steel service pipes in gas distribution networks.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not assess the safety of steel service pipes in gas distribution networks. This is the duty of the Gas Distribution Network Operator.
HSE assesses the content of safety cases submitted by gas network operators. Steel service pipelines are acceptable and safety cases will address the Operators management arrangements for these. HSE must accept the safety case prior to operation and Operators then have a duty to conform with their safety case.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made a recent estimate of the average processing time of an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK takes its responsibility towards countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and advanced conventional military technology seriously. The Academic Technology Approval Scheme is a thorough, necessary and proportionate tool to protect UK research from misappropriation and divergence to military programmes of concern. The majority of applications are processed within published timescales and we continue to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the scheme.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made a recent estimate of the number of students who have been unable to accept (a) places on courses and (b) research positions due to delays in issuing Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificates; and if will he make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK takes its responsibility towards countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and advanced conventional military technology seriously. The Academic Technology Approval Scheme is a thorough, necessary and proportionate tool to protect UK research from misappropriation and divergence to military programmes of concern. The majority of applications are processed within published timescales and we continue to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the scheme.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps are being taken to ensure that import controls are sufficient to protect UK pigs from African Swine Fever.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
We announced new controls restricting the movement of pork and pork products into Great Britain to help safeguard Britain's pig population. Travellers from the EU are no longer allowed to bring pork or pork products weighing over two kilograms into GB, unless they are produced to the EU's commercial standards. The new controls, which came into force on 1 September, will strengthen GB's biosecurity in relation to the standards for bringing pork and pork products into GB from the EU and EFTA states. More information on the new controls can be found on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to consult UK farmers and food processors on her decision to change pre-export requirements from a farmer declaration to a veterinary attestation with immediate effect on 13 December 2022.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Businesses exporting goods from GB to the EU are required by the EU to use Export Health Certificates (EHCs) signed by an official vet. EU law sets out the rules which animals and products from third countries must meet via an EHC. Since the introduction of the EU’s Animal Health Regulation in April 2021, these requirements have included a need for ‘regular’ animal heath visits by a veterinarian to establishments of origin of animals providing products of animal of origin for export i.e., for meat, the farm where the animals were kept before slaughter. These requirements are set by the EU and are not within the control of the UK Government. The purpose of the veterinary visit is to detect or provide information on the signs of disease and these visits must take place at a frequency proportionate to risk.
Official Veterinarians (OV) are required to meet the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons principles when signing Export Health Certificates. The process of providing evidence of regular vet visits is outlined to Official Veterinarians and exporters in the Notes for Guidance. We are aware of the concerns raised by industry about the process of providing evidence of regular vet visits for non-assured farms and we are engaging with businesses and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to try and ease the burden on exporters in meeting these EU requirements. Defra’s published existing Notes for Guidance to support this export activity is clear that 13 December date for a change to the form of evidence a certifying vet can accept will be kept under review. We expect to issue further information to industry in the coming weeks.