Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to improve the application process for student visas.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
During 2023, straightforward applications were delivered within published Service Standards.
My department introduced technology for a fully digital application process for EEA customers, and customers of any nationality applying in the UK using a UK residence permit.
We are continually making improvements to processes, working closely with the education sector to support students to apply early with the correct documentation.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many road users have been (a) stopped and (b) investigated for (i) breaking the legal noise limits and (ii) using illegal modified exhausts in the last five years.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not hold all the information requested.
The Home Office collects and publishes data on fixed penalty notices issued and other outcomes for motoring offences, including noise offences.
These data are available as part of the ‘Police Powers and Procedures: Other Pace’ bulletin.
This information can be found in table FPN_03 of the motoring offences data tables.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether international students with Tier 4 visas who wish to switch to a dependant's visa based on their spouse's Tier 2 skilled worker visa are permitted to (a) continue their studies, (b) maintain their student status and (c) retain their studentship, including that under Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Skilled Worker dependants can study, subject to the ATAS requirement, and guidance on applying as a Skilled Worker dependant is here: www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/your-partner-and-children
A migrant cannot hold permission as a student and as a dependant at the same time. They will need to decide which type of permission is more suitable for them.
A migrant’s visa status will not affect their status as a student with regard to financial sponsorship and bursaries. The continued eligibility for those depends on the terms and conditions of the specific schemes and is a matter for the student and scholarship/bursary provider to discuss between them.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department provides to international students with Tier 4 visas who wish to switch from a student visa to a dependant visa based on their spouse's Tier 2 skilled worker visa.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Skilled Worker dependants can study, subject to the ATAS requirement, and guidance on applying as a Skilled Worker dependant is here: www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/your-partner-and-children
A migrant cannot hold permission as a student and as a dependant at the same time. They will need to decide which type of permission is more suitable for them.
A migrant’s visa status will not affect their status as a student with regard to financial sponsorship and bursaries. The continued eligibility for those depends on the terms and conditions of the specific schemes and is a matter for the student and scholarship/bursary provider to discuss between them.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much were fire and rescue service budgets in each year since 2015 broken down by (a) local authority, (b) region and (c) nation for which data is available.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Fire and Rescue is a devolved matter, and therefore the response to this PQ relates to England only. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) is responsible for publishing the Final Local Government Finance Settlement. This is the annual determination of funding to local government (including fire), which is approved by the House of Commons. The settlement includes the Core Spending Power for each local authority. Separately, DLUHC on an annual basis publish local authority revenue expenditure data. The latest finance settlement and expenditure data can be found in the links below:
Final local government finance settlement: England, 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Local authority revenue expenditure and financing England: 2021 to 2022 individual local authority data - outturn - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the mean average UKVI Family Visa application processing time is.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
An applicant applying for a family visa at entry clearance should get a decision within 24 weeks.
Visa decision waiting times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
An applicant applying in the UK to extend a family visa (spouse or partner on a 5-year route to settlement) should get a decision within 8 weeks.
Visa decision waiting times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
An applicant applying in the UK for settlement should get a decision within 6 months.
Visa decision waiting times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Mean average processing times do not form part of any current transparency data for Spouse/Partner applications and are not published.
The transparency data does, however, include a range of processing data and the latest data can be found at: Migration transparency data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many passports, by number rather than percentage, have been lost by the Passport Office in each year since 2018.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The data held for secure delivery services does not break down losses by passports only.
The table below shows the number and percentages of passports and supporting documents confirmed as lost in the possession of providers of secure delivery services for each year from 2018:
| UK | Overseas | ||||
Year | Passports Issued | Documents Lost | % of Documents Lost | Passports Issued | Documents Lost | % of Documents Lost |
2018 | 6,266,487 | 422 | 0.007% | 414,812 | 87 | 0.02% |
2019 | 6,152,384 | 168 | 0.003% | 555,116 | 103 | 0.02% |
2020 | 3,354,672 | 111 | 0.003% | 593,388 | 85 | 0.01% |
2021 | 4,391,043 | 485 | 0.011% | 432,441 | 157 | 0.04% |
2022 | 6,574,835 | 487** | 0.007% | 381,424 | 125*** | 0.03% |
* The data held does not distinguish between items confirmed as ‘lost’, and those that declared as ‘stolen’.
** Data currently held from 1 January to 30 September.
*** Data currently held from 1 January to 31 October.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been (a) deported or (b) referred for deportation after reporting domestic violence or abuse in each of the past ten years.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Home Office publishes statistics on all types of removals from the UK. The latest statistics are available at:
Immigration statistics quarterly release - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
We do not routinely record allegations of domestic abuse except in cases where a victim makes an application for leave to remain on that basis. We would only record the allegation if the information was volunteered to us and was relevant to the person’s immigration status. Where we are informed of such allegations, they are not recorded in a form which can easily be reported. To provide the data requested would require examination of individual case files which could only be done at a disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with relevant stakeholders on the compatibility UK detention centres with international human rights law.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The safety and welfare of all those in our care is of the utmost importance and we accept nothing but the highest standards from those companies employed to provide detention and escorting services on our behalf.
Individuals detained in the immigration detention estate must be treated in accordance with the Detention Centre Rules 2001, the operating standards for IRCs and Detention Services Orders. Service providers for IRCs are contractually required to comply with all relevant UK legislation.
Immigration removal centres (IRC) suppliers are required to provide a safe and secure environment for detained individuals in their care and the conditions and facilities at all immigration detention facilities are kept under regular review.
IRCs are subject to statutory oversight by His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons and by Independent Monitoring Boards who are both members of the National Preventative Mechanism comprising a group of independent bodies which monitor the treatment of and conditions for detained individuals. This contributes to the UK’s response to its international obligations under the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT).
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) visited the UK from 25 to 28 November 2022 and met the Minister for Immigration and senior officials. Their report is scheduled to be published in 2023.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of conditions in immigration detention centres in the UK.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The safety and welfare of all those in our care is of the utmost importance and we accept nothing but the highest standards from those companies employed to provide detention and escorting services on our behalf.
Individuals detained in the immigration detention estate must be treated in accordance with the Detention Centre Rules 2001, the operating standards for IRCs and Detention Services Orders. Service providers for IRCs are contractually required to comply with all relevant UK legislation.
Immigration removal centres (IRC) suppliers are required to provide a safe and secure environment for detained individuals in their care and the conditions and facilities at all immigration detention facilities are kept under regular review.
IRCs are subject to statutory oversight by His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons and by Independent Monitoring Boards who are both members of the National Preventative Mechanism comprising a group of independent bodies which monitor the treatment of and conditions for detained individuals. This contributes to the UK’s response to its international obligations under the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT).
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) visited the UK from 25 to 28 November 2022 and met the Minister for Immigration and senior officials. Their report is scheduled to be published in 2023.