Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of no recourse to public funds on (a) children from black and ethnic minority backgrounds and (b) children with British citizenship who have parents that were born outside the UK.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
The Home Office is committed to the continuous review of the NRPF policy and officials are working with a wide range of stakeholders, including other government departments, the devolved administrations, and third sector organisations to develop a greater understanding of how children are directly and indirectly affected by parents / carers being subject to an NRPF condition.
The Government published an overarching Equality Impact Assessment on the Compliant Environment measures, of which the No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) is part. The impact of the policy on children has been considered as part of this assessment: Compliant environment: overarching equality impact assessment - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the future of those resident in the UK on Ukrainian sponsorship schemes beyond the schemes' expiration.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
The UK Government is, of course, mindful that permission for the first arrivals under the Ukrainian schemes will start to expire from March 2025, and that Ukrainians in the UK, as well as their hosts and sponsors, are understandably seeking more certainty to help them continue to settle in the UK and live independently.
The Home Office continues to work closely with colleagues across government, our European counterparts and the Ukrainian Government, on options for the future of theUkraine schemes. We will ensure that Ukrainians here in the UK are informed about the options available to them in good time before the expiry of the first Ukraine scheme visas.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing a minimum of 12 months notice to the first arrivals under the Ukrainian sponsorship schemes of plans for continued sponsorship on the current schemes' expiration.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
The UK Government is, of course, mindful that permission for the first arrivals under the Ukrainian schemes will start to expire from March 2025, and that Ukrainians in the UK, as well as their hosts and sponsors, are understandably seeking more certainty to help them continue to settle in the UK and live independently. We are keeping the Ukraine schemes, and the evolving situation in Ukraine itself, under constant review to assess the best approach, including ensuring that Ukrainians in the UK are informed about the sponsorship options available to them in good time.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his oral contribution of 4 December 2023, Official Report, column 41, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a statutory right for British citizens to be joined by their non-UK spouse or partner on a family visa.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
The announcements made on 4 December relate solely to the level of the minimum income requirement (MIR). There are no current plans to make any changes to the rules regarding job offers or third-party support, although we keep all our rules under review.
British citizens and those settled in the UK are free to enter into a genuine relationship with whomever they choose, but if they wish to establish their family life in the UK, it is appropriate they should do so on a basis which prevents burdens on the taxpayer and promotes integration. This is fair to migrants and to the wider community.
Support from a third party cannot generally be counted towards the MIR. The applicant and their partner must generally have the required resources under their own control, not somebody else’s.
Under the Immigration Rules, consideration of other credible and reliable sources of income, financial support, or funds available to the couple, may be taken into account where an applicant is unable to meet the MIR and refusal of an application for a partner visa could otherwise breach Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. This may include credible prospective earnings from employment based on a confirmed job offer in the UK. Full details of the circumstances of when such a confirmed job offer or third party support may be considered as counting toward the MIR can be found in the published guidance at Gov.UK.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his oral contribution of 4 December 2023, Official Report, column 41, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing third party support from the (a) parents and (b) siblings of the (i) applicant and (ii) their partner to contribute towards the minimum income requirement for family visas.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
The announcements made on 4 December relate solely to the level of the minimum income requirement (MIR). There are no current plans to make any changes to the rules regarding job offers or third-party support, although we keep all our rules under review.
British citizens and those settled in the UK are free to enter into a genuine relationship with whomever they choose, but if they wish to establish their family life in the UK, it is appropriate they should do so on a basis which prevents burdens on the taxpayer and promotes integration. This is fair to migrants and to the wider community.
Support from a third party cannot generally be counted towards the MIR. The applicant and their partner must generally have the required resources under their own control, not somebody else’s.
Under the Immigration Rules, consideration of other credible and reliable sources of income, financial support, or funds available to the couple, may be taken into account where an applicant is unable to meet the MIR and refusal of an application for a partner visa could otherwise breach Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. This may include credible prospective earnings from employment based on a confirmed job offer in the UK. Full details of the circumstances of when such a confirmed job offer or third party support may be considered as counting toward the MIR can be found in the published guidance at Gov.UK.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his oral contribution of 4 December 2023, Official Report, column 41, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing job offers made to a non-UK spouse or partner to be taken into account under the minimum income requirement for family visas.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
The announcements made on 4 December relate solely to the level of the minimum income requirement (MIR). There are no current plans to make any changes to the rules regarding job offers or third-party support, although we keep all our rules under review.
British citizens and those settled in the UK are free to enter into a genuine relationship with whomever they choose, but if they wish to establish their family life in the UK, it is appropriate they should do so on a basis which prevents burdens on the taxpayer and promotes integration. This is fair to migrants and to the wider community.
Support from a third party cannot generally be counted towards the MIR. The applicant and their partner must generally have the required resources under their own control, not somebody else’s.
Under the Immigration Rules, consideration of other credible and reliable sources of income, financial support, or funds available to the couple, may be taken into account where an applicant is unable to meet the MIR and refusal of an application for a partner visa could otherwise breach Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. This may include credible prospective earnings from employment based on a confirmed job offer in the UK. Full details of the circumstances of when such a confirmed job offer or third party support may be considered as counting toward the MIR can be found in the published guidance at Gov.UK.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent meetings with charities supporting rough sleepers to discuss the introduction of new fines for rough sleepers.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities lead on homelessness and rough sleeping and as such have regular meetings with stakeholders. DLUHC consulted on replacing the outdated Vagrancy Act last year and undertook extensive engagement at this time.
The Home Office has additionally engaged with police, local authorities, PCCs and other organisations on this topic.
The Vagrancy Act 1824 criminalises begging and some forms of rough sleeping and the Government agreed in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 to repeal this outdated legislation and replace it with a package fit for modern usage.
We outlined those plans in the Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan published by this Government in March this year.
Details on future legislation will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent meetings with charities supporting rough sleepers to discuss the use of tents by rough sleepers.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities lead on homelessness and rough sleeping and as such have regular meetings with stakeholders. DLUHC consulted on replacing the outdated Vagrancy Act last year and undertook extensive engagement at this time.
The Home Office has additionally engaged with police, local authorities, PCCs and other organisations on this topic.
The Vagrancy Act 1824 criminalises begging and some forms of rough sleeping and the Government agreed in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 to repeal this outdated legislation and replace it with a package fit for modern usage.
We outlined those plans in the Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan published by this Government in March this year.
Details on future legislation will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish (a) the Government Workplace Design Guide and (b) other documentation on the decoration of Western Jet Foil, Manston and Kent Intake Unit short-term holding facilities.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Government Workplace Design Guide is published by the Government Property Agency as a publicly available document via https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-government-workplace-design-guide
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to page 21 of the HM Inspectorate of Prisons Report on an unannounced inspection of Western Jet Foil, Manston and Kent Intake Unit short-term holding facilities, published on 6 June 2023, what steps her Department has taken in response to the finding that the range of toys for young children was too limited at Kent Intake Unit.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Kent Intake Unit (KIU) is fully-equipped and well run to meet the needs of unaccompanied minors, with increased capacity allowing more minors to be seen. We have robust safeguarding procedures in place to ensure all children are safe and supported as we seek urgent placements with a local authority as soon as possible.