Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to answer Name Day Question 511 on Immigration: EU Nationals which was tabled on 15 October 2019.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The response for UIN 511 was answered on 31st October 2019.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate she has made of the number of elderly and vulnerable applicants to the EU Settlement Scheme; and what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of support provided to those applicants.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The number of applications to the EU Settled Status scheme are regularly monitored and reviewed against forecasts.
There is a range of direct and indirect support available for vulnerable EU citizens. This ranges from the telephone helpline available where citizens and their carers and helpers can discuss any aspect of the application with a trained caseworker at any point during the process.
For those who need assistance with IT, the Home Office has put in place an Assisted Digital solution which provides support over the phone, at one of around 300 local centres across the UK or at home with a trained tutor.
We have also provided up to £9 million of grant funding in this financial year to 57 voluntary and community sector organisations across the UK. These organisations are being funded and supported by the Home Office to deliver practical assistance to vulnerable or at-risk EU citizens in applying to the scheme. More than 40 of the organisations included the provision of support for older people in their bid for funding. Further information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-settlement-scheme-community-support-for-vulnerable-citizens/list-of-organisations
We have also provided a paper application form for those whose specific individual needs require it.
The Home Office is working with a range of other government departments and stakeholders to identify how we can best support vulnerable adults with significant care and support needs, including those in care homes.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to increase the number of ID scanning centres for EU citizens applying to the EU settlement scheme available in Wales.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
EU citizens make a huge contribution to our economy and society, and we want them to stay. The EU Settlement Scheme enables them to do so.
The application process for the EU Settlement Scheme is straightforward and user-friendly, and is accessible on any smartphone, tablet or computer using internet browsers.
There are multiple ways to freely have identity documents checked, including using the EU Exit: ID Document Check app or by posting identity documents to the Home Office. There are also over 80 locations nationwide, provided by local authorities, where applicants have their passport scanned and verified.
The ID document scanning service is provided at the discretion of each local authority. The viability and cost of offering the ID document scanning service in each location is a matter for each local authority. There are currently four local authorities participating in Wales; Bridgend, Caerphilly, Ceredigion and Rhondda Cynon Taf.
The Home Office would encourage as many local authorities as possible to offer this service, and we continue to work with local government bodies across the UK to increase the provision of this service.
Participating local authorities do not receive funding from central Government to provide this service. Charges for using this service, payable directly to the local authority, can be set by the local authority to cover the cost of providing the service. Some local authorities have elected to provide the service for free to residents, whilst others have elected to set a fee.
Bridgend: The service is free of charge to residents of Bridgend County Borough, and costs £14 for non-residents.https://www.bridgend.gov.uk/my-council/council-priorities-and-performance/preparing-for-brexit/
Caerphilly: The cost of the EU Settlement Service is £14 (including VAT). https://www.caerphilly.gov.uk/Services/Births,-marriages,-deaths/EU-Settlement-Scheme
Ceredigion: A fee of £14 per transaction will be required. In line with other authorities who deliver this service, Ceredigion County Council Staff are exempt from the fee.https://www.ceredigion.gov.uk/resident/news/council-to-provide-support-for-european-union-settlement-scheme-applicants/
Rhondda Cynon Taf (Pontypridd): No fee listed on their website. Assumed free to all users. https://www.rctcbc.gov.uk/EN/Resident/BirthsMarriagesandDeaths/EUSettlementSchemeIdentityVerification/EUSettlementSchemeIdentityVerification.aspx
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to the applicant is to the individual of the use the scanning equipment for the EU Settlement Scheme in each of the four centres in Wales.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
EU citizens make a huge contribution to our economy and society, and we want them to stay. The EU Settlement Scheme enables them to do so.
The application process for the EU Settlement Scheme is straightforward and user-friendly, and is accessible on any smartphone, tablet or computer using internet browsers.
There are multiple ways to freely have identity documents checked, including using the EU Exit: ID Document Check app or by posting identity documents to the Home Office. There are also over 80 locations nationwide, provided by local authorities, where applicants have their passport scanned and verified.
The ID document scanning service is provided at the discretion of each local authority. The viability and cost of offering the ID document scanning service in each location is a matter for each local authority. There are currently four local authorities participating in Wales; Bridgend, Caerphilly, Ceredigion and Rhondda Cynon Taf.
The Home Office would encourage as many local authorities as possible to offer this service, and we continue to work with local government bodies across the UK to increase the provision of this service.
Participating local authorities do not receive funding from central Government to provide this service. Charges for using this service, payable directly to the local authority, can be set by the local authority to cover the cost of providing the service. Some local authorities have elected to provide the service for free to residents, whilst others have elected to set a fee.
Bridgend: The service is free of charge to residents of Bridgend County Borough, and costs £14 for non-residents.https://www.bridgend.gov.uk/my-council/council-priorities-and-performance/preparing-for-brexit/
Caerphilly: The cost of the EU Settlement Service is £14 (including VAT). https://www.caerphilly.gov.uk/Services/Births,-marriages,-deaths/EU-Settlement-Scheme
Ceredigion: A fee of £14 per transaction will be required. In line with other authorities who deliver this service, Ceredigion County Council Staff are exempt from the fee.https://www.ceredigion.gov.uk/resident/news/council-to-provide-support-for-european-union-settlement-scheme-applicants/
Rhondda Cynon Taf (Pontypridd): No fee listed on their website. Assumed free to all users. https://www.rctcbc.gov.uk/EN/Resident/BirthsMarriagesandDeaths/EUSettlementSchemeIdentityVerification/EUSettlementSchemeIdentityVerification.aspx
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people in Wales who have applied for status under the EU Settlement Scheme have (a) received settled status (b) been declined, (c) received pre-settled status, and (d) applications that are unresolved.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
Published information of EUSS applications concluded by type and UK country to 30 June 2019 can be found in ‘EU Settlement Scheme quarterly statistics’ at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/826751/eu-settlement-scheme-quarterly-statistics-tables-28-august-2018-to-30-june-2019.ods
Updated quarterly statistics to 30 September 2019 are planned for publication in November 2019.
The latest published information on EU Settlement Scheme applications concluded for the UK can be found in the Home Office’s ‘EU Settlement Scheme monthly statistics’ available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/eu-settlement-scheme-statistics-september-2019. It was noted in this release that, as of 30 September 2019, two applications have been refused on suitability grounds. Of these, one application was refused in August 2019 and one application was refused in September 2019.
The Home Office does not currently publish statistics on EU Settlement Scheme applications that are in the process of being resolved but is committed to publishing more detailed quarterly statistics on the EU Settlement Scheme. Home Office statisticians are currently considering the content of the next quarterly release.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to make the EUSS App available on iOS smartphones.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
EU citizens make a huge contribution to our economy and society, and we want them to stay. The EU Settlement Scheme enables them to do so. The ‘EU Exit: Identity Document Check’ app is an optional aspect of the service which allows applicants to prove their identity remotely using their biometric identity document and a smartphone device.
We have been working closely with Apple over a number of months to make the app available on iPhones and have now released a beta version of the iOS app, initially available on iPhone models 8 and above.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will provide in cash terms the value of the charge levied upon visa and settlement applicants for having documents (a) scanned and (b) photocopied by his Department.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
There is no charge by the Home Office levied upon visa and settlement applicants for having documents (a) scanned and (b) photocopied
The vast majority of UKVI customers applying online have the option of uploading their supporting evidence themselves, for free. If customers choose not to use this self-upload function, then they have the option to have their documents scanned by the commercial partner at the visa application centre or service point when they attend their appointment. In most locations an additional charge is applicable for this service.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much money in cash terms his Department raised from levying an additional £1.37 per minute on top of the standard network charge on telephone visa enquiries in 2018.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Details of the financial arrangement in place between the Home Office and SITEL UK Ltd for the provision of Contact Centre Services (UK and Interna-tional) is not available due to it being commercially sensitive.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much money in cash terms his Department raised from levying a £5.48 charge on email visa enquiries in 2018.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Details of the financial arrangement in place between the Home Office and SITEL UK Ltd for the provision of Contact Centre Services (UK and International) is not available due to it being commercially sensitive.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason his Department decided to charge visa applicants £5.48 for email inquiries.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The £5.48 email charge is levied to fund the UKVI contact centre commercial contract as the UK government believes it is right that those who use and benefit directly from the UK immigration system make an appropriate contribution towards meeting the costs of it. This email charge includes the initial e-mail enquiry plus any follow-up e-mails to and from the contact centre relating to the same enquiry.
The international charge (£5.48 per email enquiry) was introduced on 1st June 2017 as part of the UKVI Contact Centre operations contract awarded to SITEL UK Ltd
Those who use the services are predominantly from outside the UK. Our web site www.gov.uk is the main source of information and advice and is free of charge.
Further details of the financial arrangement in place between the Home Office and SITEL UK Ltd for the provision of Contact Centre Services (UK and International) is not available due to it being commercially sensitive.