Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many visas were issued to citizens of the Russian Federation to visit the UK in each of the last five years.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visas by nationality and visa type in the Immigration system statistics publication. Data on visas issued are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the ‘detailed entry clearance dataset’. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates up to the end of March 2025.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to ensure that investors in 79th Group receive adequate compensation.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

As an important point of principle, the Government does not step in to pay compensation in respect of failed financial services firms that fall outside of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). Doing so would create the wrong set of incentives for individuals and an unnecessary burden on the taxpayer. The Government does not ordinarily step in to pay compensation to consumers in relation to allegations of fraud, investment losses, mis-selling or mis-buying of investments.

However, in some cases of fraud, individuals may be able to seek reimbursement from their bank. The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) is the independent regulator with responsibility for Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud reimbursement. The PSR’s mandatory reimbursement regime, for APP scams taking place over the Faster Payment system, came into force on 7 October 2024 and covers transactions occurring on or after that date. It requires payment service providers to reimburse victims of APP scam losses up to the value of £85,000. The PSR has committed to commission an independent post implementation review of its policy after 12 months of the policy being in force.

Transactions that occurred before 7 October 2024, may be governed by the Contingent Reimbursement Model (CRM), a voluntary code signed by the UK’s largest banks and building societies that came into force in May 2019. However, it is important to note that not all banks or building societies are party to the CRM code. The CRM code is overseen by the Lending Standards Board and more information can be found on their website.

Where a reimbursement claim is unsuccessful, victims may have access to recourse through the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). This includes fraud, providing the activity is within the FOS’s jurisdiction, which is set by the FCA. Any criminal investigation would be a matter for the police. Unfortunately, the Government is unable to intervene in individual cases, but I would encourage victims to continue to engage with their banks directly in order to seek a timely resolution to this matter.

However, it is important to prevent fraud from happening in the first place. HM Treasury is working with colleagues in the Home Office as they develop a new, expanded Fraud Strategy. This will be published in due course as part of the Government’s Plan for Change and in line with our manifesto commitments.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of Financial Conduct Authority support for victims of financial fraud in the context of the insolvency of 79th Group.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

As an important point of principle, the Government does not step in to pay compensation in respect of failed financial services firms that fall outside of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). Doing so would create the wrong set of incentives for individuals and an unnecessary burden on the taxpayer. The Government does not ordinarily step in to pay compensation to consumers in relation to allegations of fraud, investment losses, mis-selling or mis-buying of investments.

However, in some cases of fraud, individuals may be able to seek reimbursement from their bank. The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) is the independent regulator with responsibility for Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud reimbursement. The PSR’s mandatory reimbursement regime, for APP scams taking place over the Faster Payment system, came into force on 7 October 2024 and covers transactions occurring on or after that date. It requires payment service providers to reimburse victims of APP scam losses up to the value of £85,000. The PSR has committed to commission an independent post implementation review of its policy after 12 months of the policy being in force.

Transactions that occurred before 7 October 2024, may be governed by the Contingent Reimbursement Model (CRM), a voluntary code signed by the UK’s largest banks and building societies that came into force in May 2019. However, it is important to note that not all banks or building societies are party to the CRM code. The CRM code is overseen by the Lending Standards Board and more information can be found on their website.

Where a reimbursement claim is unsuccessful, victims may have access to recourse through the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). This includes fraud, providing the activity is within the FOS’s jurisdiction, which is set by the FCA. Any criminal investigation would be a matter for the police. Unfortunately, the Government is unable to intervene in individual cases, but I would encourage victims to continue to engage with their banks directly in order to seek a timely resolution to this matter.

However, it is important to prevent fraud from happening in the first place. HM Treasury is working with colleagues in the Home Office as they develop a new, expanded Fraud Strategy. This will be published in due course as part of the Government’s Plan for Change and in line with our manifesto commitments.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Authorised Push Payment framework in tackling financial fraud.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

As an important point of principle, the Government does not step in to pay compensation in respect of failed financial services firms that fall outside of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). Doing so would create the wrong set of incentives for individuals and an unnecessary burden on the taxpayer. The Government does not ordinarily step in to pay compensation to consumers in relation to allegations of fraud, investment losses, mis-selling or mis-buying of investments.

However, in some cases of fraud, individuals may be able to seek reimbursement from their bank. The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) is the independent regulator with responsibility for Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud reimbursement. The PSR’s mandatory reimbursement regime, for APP scams taking place over the Faster Payment system, came into force on 7 October 2024 and covers transactions occurring on or after that date. It requires payment service providers to reimburse victims of APP scam losses up to the value of £85,000. The PSR has committed to commission an independent post implementation review of its policy after 12 months of the policy being in force.

Transactions that occurred before 7 October 2024, may be governed by the Contingent Reimbursement Model (CRM), a voluntary code signed by the UK’s largest banks and building societies that came into force in May 2019. However, it is important to note that not all banks or building societies are party to the CRM code. The CRM code is overseen by the Lending Standards Board and more information can be found on their website.

Where a reimbursement claim is unsuccessful, victims may have access to recourse through the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). This includes fraud, providing the activity is within the FOS’s jurisdiction, which is set by the FCA. Any criminal investigation would be a matter for the police. Unfortunately, the Government is unable to intervene in individual cases, but I would encourage victims to continue to engage with their banks directly in order to seek a timely resolution to this matter.

However, it is important to prevent fraud from happening in the first place. HM Treasury is working with colleagues in the Home Office as they develop a new, expanded Fraud Strategy. This will be published in due course as part of the Government’s Plan for Change and in line with our manifesto commitments.

Found: Richard Foord Uma Kumaran Blair McDougall Abtisam Mohamed Edward Morello Matthew Patrick Sir John Whittingdale

Found: Abtisam Mohamed (Labour; Sheffield Central) Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat; West Dorset) Sir John Whittingdale

Found: Ballinger; Aphra Brandreth; Phil Brickell; Uma Kumaran; Abtisam Mohamed; Edward Morello; Sir John Whittingdale

Found: Dan Carden; Richard Foord; Uma Kumaran; Blair McDougall; Abtisam Mohamed; Edward Morello; Sir John Whittingdale

Found: Phil Brickell; Dan Carden; Uma Kumaran; Blair McDougall; Abtisam Mohamed; Edward Morello; Sir John Whittingdale

Digital Communities APPG
Tuesday 15th July 2025

Found: Former government minister Sir John Whittingdale MP introduced the PSTN Charter in December 2023, which

Found: May 2023 to 20 December 2023 she was a minister on leave and her role was covered by Rt Hon John Whittingdale

Found: May 2023 to 20 December 2023 she was a minister on leave and her role was covered by Rt Hon John Whittingdale

Found: Letters dated 15/07/2025 from Feryal Clark MP to John Whittingdale MP, Lord Leong, Lord Lansley and others

Found: Letters dated 15/07/2025 from Feryal Clark MP to John Whittingdale MP, Lord Leong, Lord Lansley and others

Found: Letters dated 15/07/2025 from Feryal Clark MP to John Whittingdale MP, Lord Leong, Lord Lansley and others

Found: Letters dated 15/07/2025 from Feryal Clark MP to John Whittingdale MP, Lord Leong, Lord Lansley and others

Found: Letters dated 15/07/2025 from Feryal Clark MP to John Whittingdale MP, Lord Leong, Lord Lansley and others

Found: Letters dated 15/07/2025 from Feryal Clark MP to John Whittingdale MP, Lord Leong, Lord Lansley and others

Found: Letters dated 15/07/2025 from Feryal Clark MP to John Whittingdale MP, Lord Leong, Lord Lansley and others

Found: Letters dated 15/07/2025 from Feryal Clark MP to John Whittingdale MP, Lord Leong, Lord Lansley and others