Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to extend the move on period for newly recognised refugees to 56 days beyond June 2025.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
In December, the Home Office operationalised a pilot to extend the grace period to 56 days to support local authorities during a period of increased asylum decision making and with the transition to eVisas. It is important that we take the necessary time to evaluate the impact of the interim measures, including overall net costs to taxpayers, before making a decision on whether to make the measures permanent.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to consult charities on the implementation of the policies in the White Paper entitled Restoring Control over the Immigration System, published on 12 May 2025.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Immigration White Paper, published 12 May, set out a wide range of reforms, including to student visas, further details of which will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the forthcoming consultation on the implementation of the White Paper entitled Restoring Control over the Immigration System, published on 12 May 2025, will include consultation on the potential impact of changes to English language proficiency requirements on people applying for refugee family reunion.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Home Office regularly engages with a wide range of experts and stakeholders when developing policy or consulting on proposals.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to consult people with prior experience of applying for refugee family reunion in the forthcoming consultation on the implementation of the White Paper entitled Restoring Control over the Immigration System, published on 12 May 2025.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Home Office regularly engages with a wide range of experts and stakeholders when developing policy or consulting on proposals.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to set out a timeline for the consultation to inform the delivery of the White Paper entitled Restoring Control over the Immigration System, published on 12 May 2025.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Immigration White Paper, published 12 May, set out a wide range of reforms, including to student visas, further details of which will be set out in due course.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to prevent local authorities from moving agency contractors onto fixed term contracts.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local authorities are independent employers responsible for the management of their own workforces, including the terms and conditions offered to contractors. Ministers have little remit to intervene in employment issues within local authorities, except where specific provision has been made in legislation.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will provide a response to Early Day Motion 1222 on Speed camera guidance, tabled on 8 May 2025.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government treats road safety seriously and is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads.
Responsibility for making decisions about the roads under its care rests with the traffic authority, based on its knowledge of the area and taking into account local needs and circumstances. This includes setting local speed limits and introducing traffic calming measures such as speed cameras and speed activated warning signs.
The Department for Transport’s guidance on the Use of Speed and Red Light Cameras for Traffic Enforcement clearly recommends that locally agreed deployment criteria are developed. The guidance acknowledges that the primary objective of camera deployment is to reduce KSIs at known collision locations; however, it also states that cameras can be beneficial where there is community concern.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish a response to Early Day Motion 1000, published on 24 March 2025, on ensuring stability for Ukrainian refugees in the UK.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
We recognise the Ukrainian government’s desire for the future return of its citizens to Ukraine. It is important our approach respects these wishes.
This is why the temporary sanctuary Ukraine Visa Schemes do not lead to settlement in the UK. Similarly, time spent in the UK with permission granted under the Ukraine Schemes cannot be relied upon towards the continuous qualifying period for the purposes of a Long Residence application.
There are other routes available for those who wish to settle in the UK permanently, if they meet the requirements.
The Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme, which opened to applications on 4 February 2025, will provide up to an additional 18 months’ permission to stay in the UK for those with existing Ukraine Scheme permission.
The Scheme is free to apply to. Most applicants who hold a Biometric Residence Permit may be able to reuse previously submitted biometrics (fingerprint and photograph) and may not need to attend a UK Visas and Citizenship Application (UKVCAS) service point.
The vast majority of applications are concluded well in advance of the Customer Service Standard, and the Home Office are confident in their ability to continue delivering this scheme at pace.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of complaints received about different broadband providers alleged to have breached the voluntary code of conduct within the Revised Cabinet and Pole Siting Code of Practice, published in November 2016.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
It is for the independent regulator, Ofcom, to investigate any complaints about telegraph poles sited in a way which is not consistent with the requirements and guidelines in place. Local Planning Authorities are best placed to refer any complaints to Ofcom.
I am aware of public concerns about the deployment of new broadband infrastructure. I have met both with individual operators and industry trade bodies to voice my concerns. In response, the industry has recently published the Telecommunications Poles Working Group Best Practice Recommendations, which are available on the Internet Services Providers’ Association website.
Asked by: Lisa Smart (Liberal Democrat - Hazel Grove)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of (a) support and (b) guidance provided to local authorities on the use of Public Spaces Protection Orders to prevent the use of disposable barbecues in areas at high risk of wildfire.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers they can use to respond to anti-social behaviour (ASB), including the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO).
The powers in the 2014 Act are deliberately flexible in nature, and it is for local agencies to determine whether their use is appropriate in the specific circumstances of each individual case.
PSPOs may be put in place by a local authority to deal with a particular nuisance or problem in a specific area that is detrimental to the local community’s quality of life, by imposing conditions on the use of that area which apply to everyone. This may include for example a prohibition on use of barbecues in a specific location.
Failing to comply with a requirement of a PSPO is a criminal offence. Depending on the behaviour in question, the enforcing officer could decide a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) would be the most appropriate sanction. As set out in legislation, FPNs have a fixed upper limit of £100. Provisions in the Crime and Policing Bill will increase the upper limit for breach of a PSPO to £500.
The Home Office publishes statutory guidance for frontline professionals on the use of the powers in the 2014 Act. The guidance is published here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6422a19b60a35e00120cae63/2023_Update_ASB_Statutory_Guidance_-_FINAL__1_.pdf