Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with the (a) Ministry of Justice and (b) Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on penalties available for those convicted of causing injury to police support animals; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
This Government is clear that an attack on a police animal is a very serious offence. Whilst severe penalties are already in place to punish those who commit such crimes I am exploring with Ministerial colleagues and police leaders whether there is more that the law should do to offer the most appropriate protections to police and all other working animals. I have written to Ministerial colleagues at the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and will be meeting with them in due course to consider options further.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her oral contribution of 10 October 2016, Official Report, column 62, how an EU citizen demonstrates their having lived in the UK for five or more years; how citizenship is claimed after six years; which Department will be responsible for confirming the right to (a) remain and (b) citizenship; what certification of these rights will be provided; what estimate she has made of the cost to the applicant of that process; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Goodwill
We wish to guarantee the rights of EU citizens already in the UK, and the only circumstances in which this would not be possible would be if British citizens’ rights in EU Member States were not protected on a reciprocal basis.
The UK is currently a member of the EU, and remains one until Article 50 negotiations have concluded. This means EU law continues to apply. Although not mandatory, after 5 years of continuous and lawful residence in the UK, EU citizens may apply for a document to confirm their EU right to reside in the UK permanently. Further information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-for-a-document-certifying-permanent-residence-or-permanent-residence-card-form-eea-pr
In terms of British citizenship, under UK law, EU nationals who are married to or the civil partner of a British citizen can apply for naturalisation as a British citizen once they have obtained permanent residence in the UK.
Other EU nationals may apply for a certificate of naturalisation once they have resided in the UK for six years. This because they need to show they have completed 12 months of residence in the UK free of immigration time restrictions once they have acquired a permanent right to reside.
Further guidance on the application process to naturalise as a British citizen is available via the link below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-to-naturalise-as-a-british-citizen-form-an
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Wilson Doctrine has been consistently applied to the communications of the hon. Member for Bridgend; and whether she has been subject to surveillance.
Answered by John Hayes
The Government’s position on the Wilson Doctrine was set out by the Prime Minister in a written ministerial statement made on 4 November 2015.
As the Prime Minister made clear, the Wilson Doctrine has never been an absolute bar to the targeted interception of the communications of Members of Parliament or an exemption from the legal regime governing interception. The Doctrine recognised that there could be instances where interception might be necessary.
The Prime Minister announced that as matter of policy the PM will be consulted should there ever be a proposal to target any UK Parliamentarian’s communications under a warrant issued by a Secretary of State. This applies to Members of Parliament, members of the House of Lords, the Scottish Parliament, the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Welsh Assembly and UK members of the European Parliament. It applies to all activity authorised by a warrant issued by a Secretary of State: any instance of targeted interception and, electronic surveillance and equipment interference, when undertaken by the Security and Intelligence Agencies. This is in addition to the rigorous safeguards already in the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) and the Code of Practice issued under it which set out a series of robust safeguards for any instance of interception.
It is long standing policy of successive Governments neither to confirm nor deny any specific activity by the Security and Intelligence Agencies. Under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 it is an offence for anyone to identify an individual interception warrant or an individual interception that takes place.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 10 August 2015 to Question 4785 on education institutions: licensing, how many applications for a Tier 4 sponsor licence made in each year since 2010 are still undetermined; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by James Brokenshire
All applications submitted during the year 2010 to 2013 have been concluded. There were 12 applications submitted during 2014, and 52 applications submitted during 2015 which are yet to be determined.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 10 August 2015 to Question 4785 on education institutions: licensing, how many staff were working on applications for a Tier 4 sponsor licence in each year since 2008; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by James Brokenshire
Home Office staff consider Tier 2, 4 and 5 sponsor licence applications. The number of staff working on applications for a Tier 4 sponsor licence varies according to level of demand and resource requirements. We do not record the number of staff working on Tier 4 casework, specifically.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will confirm how many publicly-funded colleges have been (a) granted and (b) refused international licences to run privately-funded courses in each year since 2008.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The number of publicly-funded colleges that had an application for a Tier 4 sponsor licence (a) granted and (b) refused, in each year since 2008, is:
2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | Total | |
Granted | 188 | 333 | 37 | 33 | 32 | 38 | 21 | 5 | 687 |
Refused | 6 | 36 | 13 | 13 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 2 | 92 |
An application may be refused for various reasons. We do not collate information on the courses each sponsor offers or the reason(s) for the refusal of each application.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2015 to Question 3116, when copies of the Estyn and QAA inspection were requested from Bridgend College; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The Estyn report has not been requested from the college as it is available online. Officials requested the QAA inspection report from the college on 23 June.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications were made for asylum in the UK by Libyans between June 2014 and the end of November 2014; how many Libyans who made such applications (a) remain in the UK awaiting a decision and (b) have been refused asylum; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by James Brokenshire
Figures on asylum applications and initial decisions are published quarterly by the Home Office in the Immigration Statistics release, in table as_01q. The following table shows the number of asylum applications by nationals of Libya that were made, refused (based on initial decisions), and pending in quarter 3 (July-September) and quarter 4 (October-December) 2014, for main applicants.
| Table: Number of asylum applications by nationals of Libya that were made, refused (based on initial decisions (1)) and pending (2) in Q3 (Jul-Sep) and Q4 (Oct-Dec) 2014, for main applicants | |||||
| Quarter | Total applications | Total refusals | Total pending | ||
| Q3 2014 | 118 | 30 | 336 | ||
| Q4 2014 | 126 | 59 | 410 | ||
| (1) Initial decisions do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same period and exclude the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions. | |||||
| (2) 'Pending' cases are those asylum applications, including fresh claims, lodged since 1 April 2006 which are still under consideration at the end of the reference period. | |||||
A copy of the latest release, Immigration Statistics January – March 2015 is available from https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release and the Library of the House.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she expects that a decision will be reached on pre-licence application SPL5298000134 made by Bridgend College Coleg Penybont on 2 July 2014; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by James Brokenshire
This is a complex application in relation to a publicly funded college also seeking to run privately funded courses and we need to ensure the correct educational oversight has been provided for all courses.
There are a number of outstanding enquiries with the college that need to be resolved before a decision can be made. My officials have been back in contact with the college on 22 June and have asked for a response to be provided by 29 June, at which point my officials will contact the Honourable Lady directly to provide an update.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Libyans formerly based at Bassingbourn barracks remain in the UK having claimed asylum; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by James Brokenshire
The general policy of the Home Office is not to disclose personal information about another person. This is because we have obligations under the Data Protection Act and in law generally to protect this information.
The UK has a proud history of granting asylum to those who need our protection and every claim will be considered on its individual merits.