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 India 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.
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 holders of physical biometric residence permits have been given access to an online UK Visas and Immigration account.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
Over 5m customers currently hold a UKVI account which they use to view their status, update a variety of personal information and share their immigration status with checking parties. The majority of account holders have digital-only evidence of their immigration status, however a proportion also have a biometric residence permit or card.
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, what his target is for the number of online UK Visas and Immigration accounts to be registered for holders of physical biometric residence permits by the end of June 2024.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
A number of our Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) application routes already provide customers with a UKVI account, through which they can view their immigration status, update a variety of personal information and share their status with checking parties.
We are delivering the ability for existing leave holders and new flow applicants to create a UKVI account from April 2024. From this point we will begin contacting customers directly via email where possible, and will utilise a range of additional communication channels to inform customers of the need to take action to create an account before their BRP cards expire at the end of 2024. We will closely monitor take up of account creation to assess the effectiveness of our communications.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing paid fertility treatment leave.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government understands the importance of supporting people who are undergoing fertility treatment. We recognise the impact on women and couples of infertility and the importance of fertility treatment in helping them have long wished for families.
While there is no specific right to time off work for medical appointments, there are a number of ways through our existing policy and legal framework in which employees may be able to take time off to attend an appointment. Many employers are also willing to agree ‘ad-hoc’ or informal flexible working arrangements on a short-term basis.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether her Department has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the Equality Act 2010 at supporting working LGBT families accessing fertility treatment.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
It is crucial that we ensure everyone is treated fairly in the workplace, so that they can thrive and reach their full potential, including LGBT people undergoing - or seeking to undergo - fertility treatment.
While no specific assessment has been made, the Government has set out in the Women’s Health Strategy our commitment to remove the additional financial burdens of self-funding artificial insemination on female same-sex couples, so that they are able to access NHS-funded fertility services in a more equitable way. It is for Integrated Care Boards to implement the commitment to improve access to NHS-funded fertility treatment for female same sex couples, taking account of the relevant equality legislation. Media coverage of, and stakeholder interest in, these developments should help raise awareness, including amongst employers, about the importance of fertility treatment for LGBT family formation.
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.
If an individual feels that they have been unlawfully discriminated against in the workplace, they may wish to contact the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas). They may also wish to contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service which provides free bespoke advice and in-depth support to individuals with discrimination or equality concerns.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of fertility treatment on workplace rights for LGBT families.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
It is crucial that we ensure everyone is treated fairly in the workplace, so that they can thrive and reach their full potential, including LGBT people undergoing - or seeking to undergo - fertility treatment.
While no specific assessment has been made, the Government has set out in the Women’s Health Strategy our commitment to remove the additional financial burdens of self-funding artificial insemination on female same-sex couples, so that they are able to access NHS-funded fertility services in a more equitable way. It is for Integrated Care Boards to implement the commitment to improve access to NHS-funded fertility treatment for female same sex couples, taking account of the relevant equality legislation. Media coverage of, and stakeholder interest in, these developments should help raise awareness, including amongst employers, about the importance of fertility treatment for LGBT family formation.
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.
If an individual feels that they have been unlawfully discriminated against in the workplace, they may wish to contact the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas). They may also wish to contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service which provides free bespoke advice and in-depth support to individuals with discrimination or equality concerns.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether his Department has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of Universal Credit for meeting average (a) food and (b) fuel costs.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In April 2023, State pensions and benefits were up rated by 10.1%, in line with the increase in the Consumer Prices Index in the year to September 2022.
With regard to the adequacy of Universal Credit, the current rates of income-related benefits such as Universal Credit do not represent a minimum requirement, and are not described as such in legislation or Government literature. The Government specifies the rates which are applicable to different benefits, and these may vary according to claimants' circumstances.
The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and has announced support to households to help with higher bills worth £94 billion across 2022-23 and 2023-24, one of the largest household support packages in Europe.
Asked by: Angela Crawley (Scottish National Party - Lanark and Hamilton East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to ensure that Universal Credit is sufficient to cover average (a) food, (b) housing and (c) energy costs.
Answered by Guy Opperman - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Benefit rates and the Local Housing Allowance are reviewed annually by the Secretary of State.
In April 2023, State pensions and benefits, including Universal Credit, were up rated by 10.1%, in line with the increase in the Consumer Prices Index in the year to September 2022.
Claimants in receipt of housing support living in the social rented sector have their eligible rent paid in full, unless the level of housing support is reduced because of their income or savings, contributions from non-dependants, or limited by the benefit cap or the removal of the spare room subsidy.
For private renters, the Local Housing Allowance determines the maximum housing support for tenants. Local Housing Allowance rates are not intended to cover all rents in all areas. However, in 2020 the Government spent almost £1 billion increasing Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30th percentile of market rents. This significant investment has been maintained, ensuring that everyone who benefited continues to do so.
The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and has announced support to households to help with higher bills worth £94 billion across 2022-23 and 2023-24, one of the largest household support packages in Europe.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2023 to Question 195180 on asylum applications, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications of (a) conducting shorter asylum interviews and (b) removing asylum interviews on the accuracy of decision making.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Once a claimant has been interviewed, asylum decision-makers carefully consider their protection needs by assessing all the evidence provided, in light of published country information guidance.
We have taken immediate action to speed up asylum processing whilst maintaining the integrity of the system. This includes simplifying guidance and streamlining processes. We have also introduced shorter, focussed interviews, making the interview process more efficient.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2023 to Question 195180 on Asylum: Applications, what recent progress her Department has made on establishing an online portal for (a) document exchange and (b) providing updates on the status of asylum claims.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
An early version of a portal has been tested.
The initial release focusses on the download element of document exchange, with future releases allowing for document upload. In time the portal will enable asylum seekers to access real time updates on their case.