Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2025 to Question 79231 on Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, what her planned timetable is for determining whether to include China in the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme; and what factors have determined that timetable.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
As set out in the National Security Act 2023, the Secretary of State may make a specification under the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS) where they consider it is reasonably necessary to do so to protect the safety or interests of the United Kingdom.
We look very carefully at which countries should be on the enhanced tier of the scheme, factoring in a broad range of considerations.
As I set out in the House of Commons on 20 January 2026, any changes to the countries listed will be brought to Parliament in the usual way.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of aligning shotgun and firearm licensing systems on (a) the rural economy, (b) legitimate sporting shooting and (c) essential wildlife management and crop protection.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February 2025, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public safety. We intend to publish this consultation shortly.
We will carefully consider all of the views put forward during the consultation once it is completed, before deciding whether and what changes are necessary in the interests of public safety. We will also provide an impact assessment in relation to any changes that we intend to bring forward after the consultation including, as appropriate, impact on the police, the rural economy, sports, wildlife management and crop protection, in the normal way.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of aligning shotgun and firearm licensing systems on (a) public safety and (b) police licensing resource capacity.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February 2025, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public safety. We intend to publish this consultation shortly.
We will carefully consider all of the views put forward during the consultation once it is completed, before deciding whether and what changes are necessary in the interests of public safety. We will also provide an impact assessment in relation to any changes that we intend to bring forward after the consultation including, as appropriate, impact on the police, the rural economy, sports, wildlife management and crop protection, in the normal way.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to allow a reduction in the Indefinite Leave to Remain qualifying period for Meat Hygiene Inspectors who are qualified veterinary surgeons from overseas but unable to register as Official Veterinarians due to Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons accreditation requirements.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The earned settlement model, proposed in A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, will raise the standard qualifying period for settlement from five years to ten years.
We are proposing a series of tests that will measure a person’s contribution to this country and either reduce or increase the amount of time to settlement. This will include work undertaken by the individual. This earned settlement model and the tests which measure contribution are currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.
The consultation also seeks views on whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement.
Details of the earned settlement scheme, including any transitional arrangements for those already in the UK, will be finalised following that consultation.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to introduce transitional arrangements to exempt existing Skilled Worker visa holders in (a) meat hygiene inspector roles and (b) other skilled roles from the retrospective application of the extended Indefinite Leave to Remain qualifying periods.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The earned settlement model, proposed in A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, will raise the standard qualifying period for settlement from five years to ten years.
We are proposing a series of tests that will measure a person’s contribution to this country and either reduce or increase the amount of time to settlement. This will include work undertaken by the individual. This earned settlement model and the tests which measure contribution are currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.
The consultation also seeks views on whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement.
Details of the earned settlement scheme, including any transitional arrangements for those already in the UK, will be finalised following that consultation.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the proposed 15-year qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain under the earned settlement model on the retention of migrant meat hygiene inspectors currently employed on Skilled Worker visas.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The earned settlement model, proposed in A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, will raise the standard qualifying period for settlement from five years to ten years.
We are proposing a series of tests that will measure a person’s contribution to this country and either reduce or increase the amount of time to settlement. This will include work undertaken by the individual. This earned settlement model and the tests which measure contribution are currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.
The consultation also seeks views on whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement.
Details of the earned settlement scheme, including any transitional arrangements for those already in the UK, will be finalised following that consultation.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the potential impact of visa renewal costs and salary thresholds for migrant Meat Hygiene Inspectors under the proposed earned settlement model on food price inflation.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The earned settlement model, proposed in A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, will raise the standard qualifying period for settlement from five years to ten years.
We are proposing a series of tests that will measure a person’s contribution to this country and either reduce or increase the amount of time to settlement. This will include work undertaken by the individual. This earned settlement model and the tests which measure contribution are currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.
The consultation also seeks views on whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement.
Details of the earned settlement scheme, including any transitional arrangements for those already in the UK, will be finalised following that consultation.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to consult political parties on the methodology for the allocation of Conference Security Grant for 2026.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office will be conducting an internal review of departmental funding for Party Political Conferences, including allocations from the Conference Security Grant, to ensure public funds are used effectively. The Home Office will consult relevant stakeholders on these arrangements.
The UK government’s security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, including disclosure of costs, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect future security operations.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Oral Statement of 19 November 2025 on China Espionage: Government Security Response, Official Report, column 614, if she will set out the proposed changes to the security guidance for candidates in the devolved and local elections.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Joint Election Security and Preparedness Unit develops and distributes candidate security guidance ahead of every election. This includes best practice on personal and physical security; information on the role of the police; cyber security; and routes for candidates to report online abuse. The refreshed guidance will be distributed in January.
The guidance will include a link to recently published NPSA guidance to protect democratic institutions from foreign interference and espionage threats.
Election preparedness is a priority for the Defending Democracy Taskforce which established the Joint Election Security and Preparedness (JESP) Unit as a permanent function which sits jointly between Cabinet Office and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). JESP is dedicated to protecting UK elections and referendums and coordinating work across government to respond to issues including foreign interference, protective security, and cyber threats as they emerge.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Oral Statement of 19 November 2025 on China Espionage: Government Security Response, Official Report, column 614, if she will set out the proposed changes to the maximum penalties for election interference offences.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Foreign interference in British politics is a growing danger to our democracy, and it is imperative that we tackle this problem.
The changes announced in our Elections Strategy will keep our elections secure by boosting transparency and accountability in politics, closing down loopholes for foreign funding, and significantly increasing penalties by giving the Electoral Commission the power to impose fines up to £500,000 per offence.