Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that people who are at risk of death or persecution due to their religion or belief are prioritised in the Afghan citizens' resettlement scheme.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Whilst the ACRS is not yet open, the policy statement published on gov.uk on 13 September sets out that the scheme will prioritise:
a) those who have assisted the UK efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for values such as democracy, women’s rights and freedom of speech, rule of law (for example, judges, women’s rights activists, journalists); and
b) vulnerable people, including women and girls at risk, and members of minority groups at risk (including ethnic and religious minorities and LGBT+).
We will work with UNHCR and other expert partners directly in the region to identify eligible people and bring them to the UK.
The policy statement sets out further information on the eligibility, prioritisation and referral of people for the ACRS, and is available at:
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to recent changes to the Security Industry Authority license to incorporate first aid training, whether her department has made an assessment of the effect of those changes on the (a) potential financial implications and (b) demand for jobs within the security industry; and whether she has received representations on the reasons for the those changes.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Security Industry Authority (SIA) recently updated training requirements for those applying for a front-line SIA licence. These changes followed the SIA’s last five-year review of its training standards and are designed to ensure that people working in the private security sector can continue to keep the public safe. From 1 April 2021 first time applicants for a door supervisor or security guard licence are expected to complete a first aid qualification as part of their licence-linked training. This will be a requirement for people renewing their licences from October 2021.
The Home Office received a detailed explanation of the reasons for these changes and fully considered the SIA’s assessment of the impact of these reforms. The SIA conducted robust research within the industry on skills requirements, including consulting with industry experts, to inform the drafting of the new qualification specifications. The SIA also carried out two rounds of public consultation on all of the revised qualification specifications. These resulted in over 6,000 responses to the SIA which were mostly from licence holders.
Applicants will have choices that will affect how much they will pay. They have choices about which training provider to use, and what method of learning to use (for example, the proportion of self-study, remote and in-person learning), which affects the length of time required to complete it.
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that the UK's immigration policy enables people with (a) professional and (b) technical skills to access employment in the UK.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Skilled Worker route is designed to allow licensed UK employers to recruit workers to fill skilled vacancies on a global basis. Workers sponsored must be paid the appropriate salary and demonstrate they have the appropriate level of English language ability.
The new system includes broadening the minimum skill level for the skilled work route to RQF 3, equivalent to A levels, and lowering the general salary threshold to £25,600. The expanded skills threshold includes a variety of jobs requiring different professional and/or technical skills.
The new points-based system plays a key part in our long-term approach as the Government brings forward its strategy to rebuild our economy, support businesses to grow and get people back to work, with immigration policy being considered as part of our overall strategy for the UK Labour market, not in isolation to it.
Asked by: George Howarth (Labour - Knowsley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what additional measures are under consideration to provide additional security for UK borders.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
On 17th December the cross -Government 2025 Border Strategy was published which sets out the Government’s ambition to create the world’s most effective border by 2025, the can be accessed on the following link - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2025-uk-border-strategy
Border Force (BF) is committed to working collaboratively at the border with all partner law enforcement agencies, including the Police Counter Terrorism Borders Operations Centre (CTBOC), to mitigate National Security threats and to strengthen border security. BF was a key participant in the Collaboration at the Border programme involving all National Security agencies with an interest in border crossing interception opportunities, aiming for an enhanced collaborative working at the border.