Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing employment support for refugees.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
All refugees and those granted protection in the UK should be able to fully integrate into life here and become self-sufficient, providing for themselves and their families, and contributing to the economy. Refugees in the UK have access to mainstream benefits and services to enable their integration and we are working across Government to ensure these services meet the needs of refugees.
The Government recognises the ability to speak English is key to helping refugees integrate into life in the UK, as well as to breaking down barriers to work and career progression.
The Government is committed to offering an enhanced integration package for refugees arriving through safe and legal routes, to help them integrate and become self-sufficient more quickly. This will be delivered in England through the Refugee Employability Programme (REP), centred on the three key pillars tailored employment support, integration support and English language training.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Joint Combating Drugs Unit.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Joint Combating Drugs Unit is a cross-government unit responsible for driving, co-ordinating and overseeing delivery of the Drug Strategy. It comprises full-time civil servants who are seconded from key government departments.
The Drug Strategy includes commitments owned by the six drug strategy departments (the Department of Health and Social Care, the Ministry of Justice, the Department of Work and Pensions, the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the Department for Education and the Home Office) to be delivered over the strategy’s 10-year timeframe.
The Joint Combating Drugs Unit will monitor progress with these and as the Combating Drugs Minister, a cross-government role with overarching accountability for delivery of the ambitions and outcomes in the strategy, I will present an annual report to Parliament. I will also work with the Senior Responsible Owners of local Combating Drugs Partnerships to provide the appropriate support and challenge on local cross-system performance while departments will retain oversight of their delivery partners and specific programmes.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how often the Joint Combating Drugs Unit has met since its establishment; and whether she plans to publish the outcomes of those meetings.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Joint Combating Drugs Unit is a cross-government unit responsible for driving, co-ordinating and overseeing delivery of the Drug Strategy. It comprises full-time civil servants who are seconded from key government departments.
The Drug Strategy includes commitments owned by the six drug strategy departments (the Department of Health and Social Care, the Ministry of Justice, the Department of Work and Pensions, the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the Department for Education and the Home Office) to be delivered over the strategy’s 10-year timeframe.
The Joint Combating Drugs Unit will monitor progress with these and as the Combating Drugs Minister, a cross-government role with overarching accountability for delivery of the ambitions and outcomes in the strategy, I will present an annual report to Parliament. I will also work with the Senior Responsible Owners of local Combating Drugs Partnerships to provide the appropriate support and challenge on local cross-system performance while departments will retain oversight of their delivery partners and specific programmes.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to respond to the letter of 9 February 2023 from the hon. Member for Liverpool Walton on engagement with Hillsborough families.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government recognises the importance of the effective and timely handling of correspondence, and follows the Cabinet Office’s guidance titled Guide to Handling Correspondence for Government Departments and Agencies updated in July 2021, which is available athttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/handling-government-correspondence-guidance
The suggested standard in the guidance for handling ministerial and public correspondence is that responses should not exceed 20 working days from their receipt by the respective department.
The Home Office is considering the Hon. Member’s correspondence of 09 February and, in accordance with the Cabinet Office guidance, a response will be sent in due course.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she intends to reinstate the post of Minster for Refugees; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Immigration Minister is responsible for safe and legal routes to the UK.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to correspondence MPAM/0510569/23, what the technical error discussed in that correspondence is; what actions will be taken to rectify that error; and how many other applications have been affected by that technical error.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Home Office can confirm the technical issue surrounding this case was caused by a system error that has since been resolved.
In regard to ensuring this issue does not continue to affect future applications, we have instigated a programme of work with regular reporting to UKVI senior leaders and other senior stakeholders.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many technical faults have affected (a) visa applications, (b) leave to remain extensions and (c) citizenship applications in each of the last 12 months; and what the average length of delay was.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Due to disproportionate costs UKVI does not hold the recourse to determine how many technical faults have affected (a) visa applications, (b) leave to remain extensions and (c) citizenship applications in each of the last 12 months; and what the average length of delay was. However, where an application may require technical intervention or support our processes and procedures have been strengthened to proactively address technical issues as they are identified.
If you require further information regarding Visa processing times, this can be found on the UKVI website at Visa decision waiting times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and Visa decision waiting times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). UKVI are currently processing applications on all its main visa routes within customer service standards.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 20 February 2023 to Question 141562 on Visas: Skilled Workers, if he will publish average processing times for visa applications from (a) outside and (b) inside the UK as of 20 February 2023.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Skilled Worker visa decisions are being processed within normal service standards and current decision times can be viewed on GOV.UK at the following links:
Visa decision waiting times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Visa decision waiting times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to respond to the email dated 19 December 2022 to the Minister for Immigration from the hon. Member for Liverpool, Walton on Marina Miri.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Home Office contacted the hon. Member on 22 February 2023.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to respond to the urgent queries email of 21 December 2022 from the hon. Member for Liverpool, Walton on Nooraldeen Hamid Idirs.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
The Home Office replied on 22 February 2023.