Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consultations she has (a) held and (b) plans to hold with relevant industry and citizens' rights groups on the operation of the European temporary leave to remain scheme.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The Government does not plan to undertake a public consultation on the European Temporary Leave to Remain Scheme, the proposed arrangements for which were set out on 4 September 2019 and are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-immigration-after-free-movement-ends-if-theres-no-deal.
However, the overall policy and approach have been discussed with internal and external stakeholders, such as groups representing employers, EU citizens in the UK, Consulates and community organisations, and account has been taken of those discussions.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time to process an application to the EU Settlement Scheme is.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The following link lists the expected processing times for EU Settlement Scheme applications, based on current performance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-settlement-scheme-application-processing-times/eu-settlement-scheme-pilot-current-expected-processing-times-for-applications.
Our aim is to process all applications to the Scheme as expeditiously as possible. The majority of applications are concluded within 5 working days. However, it is likely to take longer in the following instances:
Overall, the total number of applications that have been concluded, as of 30 September 2019, was more than 1.5 million (1,524,500). Of these, 61% were granted settled status, 38% were granted pre-settled status.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the eligibility criteria are for existing family members when applying for settled status after 31 December 2020 but before 29 March 2022.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The Government’s priority remains to leave the European Union with a deal.
In the event that we leave the EU without a deal, the EU Settlement Scheme will continue to operate for EU citizens resident here by exit. They would be able to be joined in the UK under the scheme, by 29 March 2022, by existing close family members (spouses, partners, children, parents and grandparents), where the relationship existed by exit (or where a child was born overseas after this date) and continued to exist when the family member applied.
Details of the policy on citizens’ rights in a no deal Brexit were published on 6 December 2018 and are available here:
Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules HC 170, which would implement the relevant changes to the EU Settlement Scheme in the event of a no deal Brexit, was laid before Parliament on 24 October 2019 and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statement-of-changes-to-the-immigration-rules-hc-170-24-october-2019.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the criminality checks would be for EEA citizens seeking to migrate to the UK in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
In circumstances where the United Kingdom has withdrawn from the European Union without a deal, EU citizens who move to the UK and wish to stay beyond 31 December 2020 will need to apply for European temporary leave to remain.
Applicants will be required to declare whether they have criminal convictions in the UK or abroad. We will carry out criminality and security checks on all applications including checks against UK police databases as well as Home Office watch-lists.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to hold a public consultation on the operation of the European temporary leave to remain scheme.
Answered by Brandon Lewis
The Government does not plan to undertake a public consultation on the European Temporary Leave to Remain Scheme, the proposed arrangements for which were set out on 4 September 2019 and are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-immigration-after-free-movement-ends-if-theres-no-deal.
However, the overall policy and approach have been discussed with internal and external stakeholders, such as groups representing employers, EU citizens in the UK, Consulates and community organisations, and account has been taken of those discussions.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she next plans to meet with the Chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Home Secretary has regular meetings with the National Chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales to discuss a range of issues of relevance to the Federation and its members. The last such meeting took place in August 2019. In the interests of Government transparency and accountability details of Ministerial meetings are published on a quarterly basis on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Prime Minister's statement of 24 July 2019, if her Department will estimate the number of new police officer posts that will be established by Leicestershire Police by 2022.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Prime Minister and Home Secretary have announced the recruitment of 20,000 extra officers over the next three years. This demonstrates our commitment to support the police and give them extra resource to protect the public and keep us all safe.
The allocation of officers across England and Wales is yet to be confirmed. We are working closely with police leaders to put in place the plans and systems to deliver on our commitment. Police budgets and force level funding will be set out in the usual way at the provisional police settlement.
On 31 March 2019, Leicester police force had 1,829 police officers, and increase of 2.9% from March 2018.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Prime Minister's statement of 24 July 2019, how many of the vacancies for additional police officers to be recruited by 2022 had been advertised before 23 July 2019.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Government has committed to increasing the number of police officers by 20,000 over the next three years. We are committed to giving police the re-sources, tools and powers they need to tackle the scourge of crime.
The Home Office does not hold figures for the number of police officer vacancies advertised prior to 23 July 2019.
Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) had previously announced plans to recruit 3000 additional officers in 2019/20. The recruitment of 20,000 offic-ers announced by the Government is in addition to these numbers already announced by PCCs.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many retired police officers have been engaged by police services in a consulting role in each year since 2016.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Home Office does not centrally hold the information requested
Decisions on the size and composition of the police workforce are operational matters for Chief Officers working with their Police and Crime Commissioners and taking into account local priorities.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Prime Minister's statement of 24 July 2019, what estimate her Department has made of the cost of training new police officers to be established by 2022 in (a) Leicestershire and (b) the UK.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Government has committed to increasing the number of police officers by 20,000 over the next three years. We are committed to giving police the resources, tools and powers they need to tackle the scourge of crime.
The cost of training new officers will vary over time and across forces. The provision of training for police officers and the associated costs are defined locally. It is for local PCCs and Chief Constables to make arrangements for training within their force.