Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many employers held visa sponsorship licences in (a) 2020, (b) 2021, (c) 2022 and (d) 2023.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
The Home Office publishes the latest register of worker and temporary worker licensed sponsors at: Register of licensed sponsors: workers - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) This is a live document that is continually updated.
Data that has been updated quarterly since 2014 and includes the number of valid sponsor licences, can be found at: Sponsorship transparency data: Q4 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
The number of organisations annually on the register of sponsors can also be found under Sponsorship Summary Tables at: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to reduce energy bills for (a) disabled households and (b) households on low incomes.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Over the last two years, the Government has demonstrated its commitment to supporting the most vulnerable with one of the largest support packages in Europe. Taken together, total support between 2022 and 2025 to help households with the cost of living is worth £108 billion – an average of £3,800 per UK household.
The Government is continuing to support those most in need with millions of vulnerable households who have received up to £900 in further Cost of Living Payments, with an extra £150 to those on eligible disability benefits. An extra cost of living payment is being paid to pensioner households worth up to £300 through the Winter Fuel Payment, meaning eligible individuals will receive between £250 - £600.
The Government continues to provide support through the Warm Home Discount, which provides low-income households with an annual £150 rebate off their energy bill every winter.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will outlaw the use of farrowing crates.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The UK already has a significant outdoor pig sector with 40% of the national sow breeding herd farrowing freely on outdoor units with no option for confinement.
We continue to work with the farming industry to maintain and enhance our high standards of animal welfare. The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, part of our domestic agricultural policy, supports farmers to produce healthier, higher welfare animals. The Government’s welfare priorities for the Pathway include supporting producers to transition away from confinement systems.
We want our farming sectors to continue to be viable and competitive. There are several economic challenges currently being faced by the pig sector, not least costs of feed and energy, which is why we have made the decision that the time is not right to consult on phasing out farrowing crates.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the high income child benefit charge on children's living standards.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) only affects Child Benefit recipients who have, or whose partner has, and adjusted net income between £50,000 and £60,000.
Data on children living in low-income households is available in the public domain as part of the Households Below Average Income statistical release, published on GOV.UK by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of introducing changes to the child benefit system.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Child Benefit ensures families receive support for the additional costs they face in raising a child. 7.7m million families across the UK claim Child Benefit.
To ensure that the Child Benefit payments retain their value, they will be increased in line with last September’s CPI at 6.7% from April 2024.
Further support for children from low-income households is also provided through the child element of Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit, which will be uprated in line with CPI.
The Government also offers a broader range of support for parents to help with childcare, including financial support with childcare through Tax-Free Childcare.
As with all Government policy, Child Benefit is kept under regular review.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the child benefit allowance to £50 a week for all children.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Child Benefit ensures families receive support for the additional costs they face in raising a child. 7.7m million families across the UK claim Child Benefit.
To ensure that the Child Benefit payments retain their value, they will be increased in line with last September’s CPI at 6.7% from April 2024.
Further support for children from low-income households is also provided through the child element of Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit, which will be uprated in line with CPI.
The Government also offers a broader range of support for parents to help with childcare, including financial support with childcare through Tax-Free Childcare.
As with all Government policy, Child Benefit is kept under regular review.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the high income child benefit charge on women.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Child Benefit statistics (which include data on the High Income Child Benefit Charge) are published annually by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) on GOV.UK . They include information on Child Benefit claimants, and High Income Child Benefit Charge liability by gender.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the self-assessment process on individuals that receive child benefit and pay the high income child benefit charge; and whether he plans to simplify the self-assessment process.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
A Self Assessment tax return is currently the only means for HM Revenue and Customs to establish the correct HICBC liability.
The Government announced in July 2023 that steps will be taken to enable employed individuals to pay the HICBC through their tax code, removing the need to register for Self Assessment. This will make the process of paying the charge simpler for individuals who become liable to the charge, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to a simpler and fairer tax system.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for her policies of LGBT discrimination in the workplace; and what steps her Department is taking to mitigate such discrimination.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
It is crucial that we ensure people are treated fairly in the workplace, so that everyone can thrive and reach their full potential, whatever their background or characteristics, including LGBT people.
The Equality Act 2010 provides one of the world’s strongest legislative frameworks to prevent and tackle discrimination and harassment in employment against those with particular protected characteristics, including sexual orientation and gender reassignment.
As part of our Inclusive Britain strategy, published in March 2022, we launched an Inclusion at Work Panel last year aimed at helping employers achieve fairness and inclusion in the workplace.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has made an assessment of the conformity of adding Georgia to the list of Safe States with the duties laid out in section 80AA(4) of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 on LGBTQI+ people seeking asylum.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
In order to inform ministerial decision making on whether to add India and Georgia to the list of Safe States in section 80AA of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (NIAA 2002), we made an assessment of the general situation in both countries, using evidence from a wide range of reliable sources in order to do so. This was in line with the requirements at section 80AA(3) and 80AA(4) of the NIAA 2002 (as inserted by section 59(3)(3) and 59(3)(4) of the Illegal Migration Act 2023).
Through considering country information and each country’s respect for the rule of law and human rights, we assessed that both countries met the criteria. Further information on the situation for LGBT people in Georgia and India is contained within our published Country Policy and Information Notes, available on Gov.Uk.