Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the report entitled Beneath the trends: A detailed look at the issues facing claimants going through managed migration, published by the Child Poverty Action Group on 13 February 2024.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

There is no evidence to suggest slowing down Move to UC is necessary. We have recently published our latest findings; Move to Universal Credit – insight on Tax Credit migrations and initial Discovery activity for wider benefit cohorts - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), further research is planned to improve our understanding of the service we deliver, to better support those transitioning to UC under managed migration.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the National Audit Office report entitled Progress in implementing Universal Credit, published on 27 February 2024, HC 552.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department welcomes the National Audit Office report which reflects the positive progress made by the programme implementing Universal Credit (UC).

The Department is assured that the recommendations made by the National Audit Office reflect the activities already in place within the UC Programme to effectively deliver Move to UC.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to ensure timely processing of Ukraine Extension Scheme applications.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

Applications made under the Ukraine Extension Scheme are not subject to a Customer Service Standard and therefore are processed as soon as possible. The Ukraine Extension Scheme route will close in May 2024.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has had discussions with the Ukrainian community on changes to Ukraine visa schemes.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

Although given consideration, it is not feasible to extend Ukraine scheme visas automatically. Automatic extension would require Ukrainians to confirm their residence in the UK and their willingness to have a visa extended, and so the possible customer benefits, and savings in process time, would be limited. Without requiring a registration process there would be a risk of not being able to contact all the eligible individuals which could lead to some Ukrainians being left without legal status.

The Home Office and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities have had numerous discussions with the Ukrainian community, and there is currently an extensive programme of stakeholder engagement in place.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason people on Ukraine visa schemes did not have visas automatically extended.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

Although given consideration, it is not feasible to extend Ukraine scheme visas automatically. Automatic extension would require Ukrainians to confirm their residence in the UK and their willingness to have a visa extended, and so the possible customer benefits, and savings in process time, would be limited. Without requiring a registration process there would be a risk of not being able to contact all the eligible individuals which could lead to some Ukrainians being left without legal status.

The Home Office and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities have had numerous discussions with the Ukrainian community, and there is currently an extensive programme of stakeholder engagement in place.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2024 to Question 17113 on Universal Credit and with reference to the National Audit Office's report entitled Progress in implementing Universal Credit, published on 27 February 2024, whether he has taken steps in response to the finding on the proportion of people claiming legacy benefits who (a) have not transferred to universal credit after receiving notice to switch and (b) have had their legacy benefits stopped.

Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Our priority is the ensure that everyone who wishes to make a claim to Universal Credit is able to do so. The Department undertook research to better understand why some tax credit only households were not making a claim to Universal Credit and our findings were published on 29 February 2024, Move to Universal Credit – insight on Tax Credit migrations and initial Discovery activity for wider benefit cohorts. The Department will be undertaking further surveys with IPSOS, which are due to commence in April 2024. Once this is complete, we are committed to publishing all our findings.

It is the customers responsibility to choose whether to make an application for Universal Credit. There is no evidence to suggest any actions the Department has taken or should have taken are influencing that choice.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Oral Statement of 4 December 2023 on Legal Migration, Official Report, column 41, and the report by the Migration Observatory entitled Family fortunes: The UK’s new income requirement for partner visas, published on 1 February 2024, whether he has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of the increased Minimum Income Requirement on (a) women and (b) people belonging to specific ethnicities.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

Any discussions that take place between Cabinet Ministers are confidential.

A full regulatory Impact Assessment will be developed, and the Government will publish an Equality Impact Assessment on this change, and both will be published in due course. We will continue to monitor the policy throughout its implementation.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Oral Statement of 4 December 2023 on Legal Migration, Official Report, column 41, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the increase to the minimum income requirement on (a) equality of opportunity and (b) reducing negative disparities.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

Any discussions that take place between Cabinet Ministers are confidential.

A full regulatory Impact Assessment will be developed, and the Government will publish an Equality Impact Assessment on this change, and both will be published in due course. We will continue to monitor the policy throughout its implementation.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of replacing the Shortage Occupation List with the Immigration Salary List on employment opportunities for asylum seekers who are eligible to work.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

The Home Secretary commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to carry out a rapid review of the new Immigration Salary List (ISL) ahead of the Spring Immigration Rules. Appendix Immigration Salary List can be found in the Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 590, published on 14 March 2024. We will keep the list under review and the MAC will carry out a fuller review later in the year.

Replacing the new ISL will maintain the important principles that underpin our approach to permission to work by an individual’s asylum claim still being outstanding for 12 months or more, through no fault of their own. This includes the need to avoid creating perverse incentives for people to make dangerous journeys to the UK and to not undercut the resident labour market.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Migration Advisory Committee’s Rapid review of the Immigration Salary List, published on 23 February 2024, for what reason his Department has not implemented the recommendation on the use of the Immigration Salary List beyond the skilled worker route for asylum seekers.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

Replacing the Shortage Occupation List with the new Immigration Salary List will maintain the important principles that underpin our approach to permission to work and is in line with wider changes to the Immigration Rules.

Unrestricted access to employment could act as an incentive for more migrants to choose to come here illegally, with many making dangerous journeys across the Channel and supporting the business model of evil people smugglers, rather than claim asylum in the first safe country they reach.

The Government considers it important to distinguish between those who need protection and those seeking to work here who can apply for a work visa under the Immigration Rules. Aligning asylum seekers’ permission to work with the Skilled Worker route could undermine the legal routes for those seeking to work in the UK.

Access to State Pension for people with a terminal illness

Stage two report of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman on women's state pension age

Referral of matters of 21 February 2024 to the Committee of Privileges

Palestinian family visa scheme

Government legal advice on Israeli Government actions and international law

Glasgow Saints FC 24-hour charity football match

Alleged comments by Frank Hester

Found: 10.00 am Meeting in the Speaker’s Study Present: The Speaker, in the Chair Nickie Aiken Deidre

Found: (Speaker, Chorley) (Chair) Nickie Aiken MP (Conservative, Cities of London and Westminster) Deidre

Found: (Speaker, Chorley) (Chair) Nickie Aiken MP (Conservative, Cities of London and Westminster) Deidre

Found: (Speaker, Chorley) (Chair) Nickie Aiken MP (Conservative, Cities of London and Westminster) Deidre

Found: by Stewart Malcolm McDonald supported by Kirsten Oswald , Ms Anum Qaisar , David Linden , Deidre

Found: by Stewart Malcolm McDonald supported by Kirsten Oswald , Ms Anum Qaisar , David Linden , Deidre

Found: 00Meeting / with MSPsMark Griffin MSPMore Homes2023-12-05 00:00:00Meeting / with MSPsVideo Conference - Deidre