Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether new British National Overseas citizens on the new British National Overseas visa require a Superintendent Registrar Certificate to get married in the UK.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Hong Kong British National (Overseas) (BN(O) route opens for applications from 31 January 2021.
BN(O) citizens and their partners with permission on the Hong Kong BN(O) route may give notice of their intention to get married or form a civil partnership, but a referral to Home Office immigration for investigation may take place.
Further information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/marriages-civil-partnerships
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough have been identified to assist other forces when the transition period ends.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
We have been working closely with the police to ensure they have sufficiently appropriate and robust plans in place for the end of Transition. Decisions on mutual aid, however, are an operational matter for Chief Constables.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which police forces have annual leave embargos in place to cover the end of the transition period.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
We have been working closely with the police to ensure they have sufficiently appropriate and robust plans in place for the end of Transition. Decisions on leave, however, are an operational matter for Chief Constables.
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the restrictions on marriage services may have on those individuals who required a spousal visa during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Home Office has put in place a range of measures to support those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic; this includes those who are currently in the UK as a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner.
A person with six months’ leave as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner whose wedding or civil ceremony has been delayed due to coronavirus may request additional time to stay, also known as exceptional assurance, and extend their leave until their wedding or civil partnership takes place.
Otherwise, applicants can apply to extend their stay for a further six months to allow their ceremony to take place. The current family Immigration Rules allow a fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner to apply for an extension of leave if there is good reason for their wedding or civil partnership not taking place during the initial six-month period of leave to enter. Cancellation of a wedding due to COVID-19 will be considered a good reason under this policy. Further information is set out for customers on GOV.UK and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-uk-visa-applicants-and-temporary-uk-residents#if-youre-applying-to-enter-the-uk-or-remain-on-the-basis-of-family-or-private-life
Asked by: Daniel Zeichner (Labour - Cambridge)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of non-urgent inquiries by MPs on immigration matters were dealt with within 20 working days in the period August-October 2020.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
UK Visas and Immigration work to a target of responding to 95% of Ministerial correspondence within 20 working days.
Performance has been impacted by an increase in the volume of correspondence received, alongside the need for Ministers and officials to instigate a remote process for drafting and signing correspondence during the period of COVID-19 restrictions. An action plan is currently in place to clear backlogs and drive up performance.
The latest published data on UKVI performance against the service standard is held at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/customer-service-operations-data-august-2020 and this includes data up to and including the end of quarter 2-2020/21. We are proposing the release of data for quarter 3, in due course.