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Written Question
Common Travel Area: Schengen Agreement
Wednesday 26th October 2022

Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the compatibility of the Common Travel Area with Schengen Area membership.

Answered by Robert Jenrick

The UK, along with the other members of the Common Travel Area - Ireland and the Crown Dependencies are not signatories to the Schengen agreement. There are no plans to change this position and all members are committed to maintaining the Common Travel Area arrangements.


Written Question
Driving Tests: Scottish Borders
Wednesday 13th July 2022

Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will make an estimate of the (a) number of people waiting and (b) the average waiting time to take a category F driving test in the Scottish Borders in the latest period for which data is available.

Answered by Trudy Harrison

As at 8 July 2022, there are 22 people waiting to take a category F (tractor) driving test in the Scottish Borders.

To accommodate the tractor testing manoeuvres, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) conducts category F tests at the closest, suitable location to the candidate’s home address. The DVSA allocates the most suitable examiner to do this. As the test does not take place at a DVSA test centre, the examiner needs time to travel to and from the meeting point for the test as well as the time to conduct the test itself.

The DVSA does not calculate an average waiting time for the category F test as the very low test demand and non-standard booking procedure for tractor tests could distort the waiting time, which would not be representative.


Written Question
Driving Tests: Waiting Lists
Tuesday 5th July 2022

Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if his Department will make an estimate of (a) the number of people waiting for and (b) the average waiting time to take a category B driving test at (a) Duns, (b) Hawick, (c) Galashiels, (d) Kelso, (e) Peebles and (f) Berwick-upon-Tweed driving test centres.

Answered by Trudy Harrison

The table below shows the number of car (category B) tests that are booked at the following driving test centres (DTC).

Duns DTC

Hawick DTC

Galashiels DTC

Kelso DTC

Peebles DTC

Berwick Upon Tweed DTC

Number of car (category B) tests booked

40

118

499

91

100

212

Average waiting time in weeks for a car (category B) test

24

17

24

6

16

9

Driving test centre type

Remote

Remote

Permanent

Remote

Remote

Remote


Written Question
Personal Independence Payment: Standards
Tuesday 31st May 2022

Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has performance standards for clearance times for Personal Independence Payments.

Answered by Chloe Smith

There is no target for the completion of a claim to PIP through to the first payment. However, we are committed to ensuring that people can access financial support through Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in a timely manner. We always aim to make an award decision as quickly as possible, taking into account the need to review all the available evidence, including that from the claimant, any supporting evidence supplied and the advice from an assessment.


Written Question
Monkeypox: Scotland
Thursday 26th May 2022

Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assistance his Department is providing to Public Health Scotland on the outbreak of monkeypox.

Answered by Maggie Throup

Experts from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) are working with Public Health Scotland to provide support in managing the case recently identified. The UKHSA is working with public health agencies in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland to provide the latest scientific, clinical and public health advice on the management of cases and coordinate the response across the United Kingdom.


Written Question
Personal Independence Payment: Standards
Wednesday 25th May 2022

Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria her Department uses to assess performance standards for average clearance times for new claims made under normal rules for Personal Independence Payments.

Answered by Chloe Smith

There is no target for the completion of a claim to PIP through to the first payment. However, we are committed to ensuring that people can access financial support through Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in a timely manner. We always aim to make an award decision as quickly as possible, taking into account the need to review all the available evidence, including that from the claimant, any supporting evidence supplied and the advice from an assessment.


Written Question
Personal Independence Payment: Standards
Wednesday 25th May 2022

Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what targets his Department has set for standard waiting times for new claimants of PIP to receive their first payment.

Answered by Chloe Smith

There is no target for the completion of a claim to PIP through to the first payment. However, we are committed to ensuring that people can access financial support through Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in a timely manner. We always aim to make an award decision as quickly as possible, taking into account the need to review all the available evidence, including that from the claimant, any supporting evidence supplied and the advice from an assessment.


Written Question
Euro 2028
Wednesday 30th March 2022

Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Sport, what engagement her Department has had with the national football associations across the UK regarding a joint bid for the UEFA European Championships in 2028.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

On Wednesday 23 March 2022, the five football associations of the UK and Ireland submitted a joint expression of interest to host the UEFA European Championships 2028. The UK Government supported this step and we believe that hosting EURO 2028 would be a fantastic opportunity for the whole of the UK and Ireland.

My officials have worked closely alongside the football associations, the government of Ireland and the Devolved Administrations throughout this process, and we will continue to engage closely as we develop our potential bid.


Written Question
Trade Agreements: New Zealand
Friday 25th March 2022

Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of (a) animal welfare and (b) environmental management protections in the comprehensive trade deal between the UK and New Zealand.

Answered by Victoria Prentis - Attorney General

The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the UK and New Zealand includes ground-breaking provisions on both animal welfare and environmental protection

The forward-looking provisions in the animal welfare chapter are largely unprecedented in other FTAs. We have secured non-regression and non-derogation clauses on animal welfare. This means both countries are committed to not lowering their animal welfare standards or make exceptions for their producers in a manner that materially affects trade. The chapter includes strong commitments to work with New Zealand bilaterally and in international fora to progress animal welfare standards.

The Environment chapter demonstrates our global leadership on climate and environmental protection. It will liberalise tariffs on the largest list of environmental goods in any FTA to date and encourage trade and investment in low carbon services and technology. It includes commitments to tackle environmental challenges such as illegal wildlife trade, air pollution, marine pollution and litter, and promote biodiversity, sustainable agriculture, and the transition to a circular economy. The chapter also affirms our commitments to implement multilateral environmental agreements, including the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) and Paris Agreement.


Written Question
Visas: British National (Overseas)
Wednesday 23rd March 2022

Asked by: John Lamont (Conservative - Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Hong Kong BNO visas have been issued; and what data her Department holds on where holders choose to live in the UK.

Answered by Kevin Foster

The Home Office publishes data on the number of applications and grants of leave on the British National Overseas (BN(O)) route in the “How many people come to the UK each year (including visitors)?” topic and underlying datasets of the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’.

The latest data relates to 2021. These statistics include data on main applicants and dependants. Data for Q1 2022 will be published on 26 May 2022.

The Home Office does not hold information on where visa holders might choose to live in the UK as they are free to settle in any part of it.