Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Make the use of free-running snares illegal for trapping wildlife
Gov Responded - 13 Jan 2022 Debated on - 9 Jan 2023 View Martin Vickers's petition debate contributionsThe Government should prohibit the sale, use and manufacture of free-running snares under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, putting them in the same category as self-locking snares, which are already illegal.
Include abortion rights in the Bill of Rights
Gov Responded - 20 Sep 2022 Debated on - 28 Nov 2022 View Martin Vickers's petition debate contributionsAs Parliament considers the Bill of Rights, the Government must reconsider including abortion rights in this Bill. Rights to abortion must be specifically protected in this legislation, especially as the Government has refused to rule out leaving the European Convention on Human Rights.
These initiatives were driven by Martin Vickers, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Martin Vickers has not been granted any Urgent Questions
Martin Vickers has not been granted any Adjournment Debates
A Bill to make provision about the access to education, school admissions and support for special educational needs, with particular reference to children diagnosed with autism; and for connected purposes
A Bill to allow objectors to appeal against the granting of planning permission in certain circumstances; to make provision about binding local referendums; and for connected purposes.
Higher Education (Student Finance and Skills Shortages) Bill 2023-24
Sponsor - Lia Nici (Con)
Planning (Proper Maintenance of Land) Bill 2019-21
Sponsor - Jonathan Gullis (Con)
Crime (Impact Statements) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Melanie Onn (Lab)
Student Loans (Debt Interest) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
Public Sector Exit Payments (Limitation) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
Voter Registration Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
BBC Licence Fee (Civil Penalty) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
Benefits and Public Services (Restriction) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
Hospital Car Parking Charges (Abolition) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Robert Halfon (Con)
Local Authorities (Removal of Council Tax Restrictions) Bill 2017-19
Sponsor - Christopher Chope (Con)
Vehicle Fuel (Publication of Tax Information) Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - Peter Aldous (Con)
Representation of the People (Voter Proof of Identity) Bill 2016-17
Sponsor - Chris Green (Con)
Farm Produce (Labelling Requirements) Bill 2015-16
Sponsor - Anne Main (Con)
Harbour, Docks and Piers Clauses Act 1847 (Amendment) Bill 2015-16
Sponsor - Craig Mackinlay (Con)
The Restoration and Renewal Programme comprises the Sponsor Body and the Delivery Authority. The monthly operating costs shown below are an average of the total costs for April to December 2021 for each organisation.
a) The total monthly operating costs of the Programme is £9.5m.
b) Monthly operating costs for (i) employment/salaries, (ii) planning and (iii) works are set out in the table below.
| Sponsor Body |
| Delivery Authority | Total |
Employment/Salaries (£m)* | 0.4 |
| 1.2 | 1.6 |
Planning (£m)** | 0.6 |
| 4.0 | 4.6 |
Works (£m)*** | 0.0 |
| 3.3 | 3.3 |
Monthly average (£m) | 1.0 |
| 8.5 | 9.5 |
Notes
*All directly employed staff and all interims.
** Includes all other spend not covered in Employment/ Salaries and Works - Data & Digital, outsourced Programme Management Services (Programme Management, Programme Delivery, Programme Development, Health & Safety, Assurance & Quality) and all non-staff corporate costs (accommodation etc.).
*** Includes all spend on the three main projects of the Programme (Palace of Westminster, House of Lords Decant and Heritage). The majority of this spend is on design costs, but also includes surveys and integrated team costs. It should be noted the projects are currently in the Concept Design (PoW/HoL Decant) or Preparation and Brief stage (Heritage), so there are no construction costs associated with these works.
The Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority have been working to the mandate set out in the resolutions of both Houses in early 2018 and the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Act 2019 to prepare a Programme Business Case for the works to restore and renew the Palace of Westminster.
The approach to developing a Programme Business Case was confirmed and agreed with the House Commissions following a Strategic Review of the Restoration and Renewal Programme in early 2021. That Programme Business Case was planned to be presented to both Houses in 2023 and, as part of the normal process of developing such a Business Case, information is regularly shared between the Delivery Authority and Sponsor Body for review, scrutiny, challenge and guidance.
In recent months, the Sponsor Body and Delivery Authority have, for the first time, brought together an initial consolidated view of a preliminary cost and schedule range for an option known as the R&R Essential Scheme. This initial estimate reflects emerging thoughts, approximately half way through the planned period for developing the Programme Business Case. This does not represent a formal cost estimate and remains subject to a considerable amount of further work, planned for the next year.
The House of Commons Commission has recently requested that the Sponsor Body publishes this information and a copy will be placed in the House of Commons Library shortly.
We are clear that the Government needs to be less London-centric and should reflect the nation it serves. The Cabinet Office’s Places for Growth programme has been established to drive the relocation of roles out of London into the regions and nations of the United Kingdom.
So far the Programme has identified over 3,000 roles in arms length bodies for relocation, over a phased timetable and we will continue to push ahead with these plans as part of the next Spending Review.
The Government launched the power BECCS project submission process on 22nd August 2022. This was for power BECCS projects seeking to join Track-1. The Government will provide an update on the outcome of the power BECCS project submission process in due course.
Deployment of power BECCS will be contingent on the availability of relevant CO2 Transport and Storage infrastructure and an assessment of affordability and value for money before any decision to award business model support.
The Government is committed to supporting four CCUS clusters to deployment by 2030. Track-2 of the Cluster Sequencing Programme will add further clusters to fulfil this commitment and deliver an additional capture and storage capacity of at least 10Mtpa. The Government is continuing to develop the Track-2 process, building on our experience of sequencing the Track-1 clusters. Further details will be set out in the Spring.
The automotive sector is an important part of the Government’s plans for green growth, levelling up across our country and driving emissions to net zero by 2050.
The Government is committed to support the 149,000 jobs in the automotive sector across the UK, as they transition to a zero emission future.
As part of the Government’s Net Zero Strategy, we are allocating a further £350 million for the Automotive Transformation Fund, as part of our £1 billion commitment to build an internationally competitive electric vehicle supply chain including gigafactories.
Recent investment announcements by Nissan, Stellantis and Ford will support thousands of highly skilled, green jobs in the UK, and many more across the supply chain.
As set out in the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, up to 60,000 jobs are expected to be supported by ZEV manufacturing by 2050. Specific numbers of jobs created by the ZEV mandate would be dependent on the design of the framework. This is something that the Government will be analysing as we develop specific proposals.
BEIS officials, working with colleagues in the Department of Trade and with the support of various industry bodies, have conducted extensive consultation on a prospective home shipbuilding credit guarantee scheme. They have consulted with a wide variety of stakeholders including industry, vessel operators and commercial lenders. These discussions are helping to shape the development of the business case and inform the requirements for the prospective instrument.
My Retail Sector Council industry co-chair and I have already met the Financial Secretary to the Treasury to discuss the Council’s review of the costs retailers face, including business rates.
I will continue to engage with Treasury colleagues as we deliver this important manifesto commitment.
Part Three of the Children and Families Act 2014, imposes a range of duties on local authorities in England in relation to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in their areas, or for whom they are otherwise responsible. These include:
The 2014 Act requires my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, to issue a code of practice giving guidance to local authorities, and others, about the exercise of their functions under Part Three of the Act, to which they must have regard. This statutory guidance is the ‘Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years’ (2015), which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25.
Local authorities must publish a summary of comments at least annually. All local areas are subject to robust SEND inspections, and Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) have just commenced a strengthened local inspection framework, which does include judgements about the Local Offer where appropriate. Where a local area’s Local Offer is identified as a significant weakness by Ofsted/CQC, the department provides intervention and support to secure improvement.
Part Three of the Children and Families Act 2014, imposes a range of duties on local authorities in England in relation to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in their areas, or for whom they are otherwise responsible. These include:
The 2014 Act requires my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, to issue a code of practice giving guidance to local authorities, and others, about the exercise of their functions under Part Three of the Act, to which they must have regard. This statutory guidance is the ‘Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years’ (2015), which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25.
Local authorities must publish a summary of comments at least annually. All local areas are subject to robust SEND inspections, and Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) have just commenced a strengthened local inspection framework, which does include judgements about the Local Offer where appropriate. Where a local area’s Local Offer is identified as a significant weakness by Ofsted/CQC, the department provides intervention and support to secure improvement.
The Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0-25 Years (2015), sets out that local authorities must promote the education of each child and young person while they are in custody and on their release, whether they have an education, health and care (EHC) plan or not.
Each child or young person entering custody will undergo an educational assessment, including an assessment of literacy, numeracy and, where necessary, a screening to identify whether further assessments to identify special educational needs (SEN) are required. If the child or young person already has an EHC plan, the home local authority must send it to the Youth Offending Team, the person in charge of the relevant youth accommodation, and the child or young person’s health commissioner, within five working days of becoming aware of the detention.
Where a child or young person does not already have an EHC plan, the parent, young person or the person in charge of the relevant youth accommodation can request an assessment of the child or young person’s post-detention EHC needs from the home local authority.
Anyone else, including Youth Offending Teams and the education provider in custody, has a right to bring the child or young person to the notice of the home local authority as someone who may have SEN and the local authority must consider whether an assessment of their post-detention EHC needs is necessary.
Part Three of the Children and Families Act 2014, imposes a range of duties on local authorities in England in relation to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in their areas, or for whom they are otherwise responsible. These include:
The 2014 Act requires my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, to issue a code of practice giving guidance to local authorities, and others, about the exercise of their functions under Part Three of the Act, to which they must have regard. This statutory guidance is the ‘Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years’ (2015), which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25.
Local authorities must publish a summary of comments at least annually. All local areas are subject to robust SEND inspections, and Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) have just commenced a strengthened local inspection framework, which does include judgements about the Local Offer where appropriate. Where a local area’s Local Offer is identified as a significant weakness by Ofsted/CQC, the department provides intervention and support to secure improvement.
Part Three of the Children and Families Act 2014, imposes a range of duties on local authorities in England in relation to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in their areas, or for whom they are otherwise responsible. These include:
The 2014 Act requires my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, to issue a code of practice giving guidance to local authorities, and others, about the exercise of their functions under Part Three of the Act, to which they must have regard. This statutory guidance is the ‘Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years’ (2015), which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25.
Local authorities must publish a summary of comments at least annually. All local areas are subject to robust SEND inspections, and Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) have just commenced a strengthened local inspection framework, which does include judgements about the Local Offer where appropriate. Where a local area’s Local Offer is identified as a significant weakness by Ofsted/CQC, the department provides intervention and support to secure improvement.
Government continues to work closely with Network Rail (NR) and Freight Operating Companies (FOCs) to ensure as much freight as possible is able to continue to move throughout the industrial action planned over the Christmas period. We are ensuring that critical freight flows are prioritised and we continue to monitor the impacts on specific sectors, through our engagement with other Government Departments.
During periods of industrial action, approximately 20% of rail freight services operate on strike days, returning to around 70% on the day after a strike.
The Government remains committed to growing rail freight and unlocking the economic and environmental benefits rail freight can deliver.
Between 2014-2019, the Government invested over £235m in the Strategic Freight Network (SFN) and further investments are being confirmed and announced through the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP).
The UK has been a global front-runner in supporting provision of charging infrastructure along with private sector investment. Our vision is to have one of the best infrastructure networks in the world for electric vehicles (EVs), and we want chargepoints to be accessible, affordable and secure. The number of public chargepoints available has increased by 33% in the past 12 months from October 2020 to October 2021.
We will invest over £1.3 billion in accelerating the roll out of charging infrastructure over the next four years, targeting support on rapid chargepoints on motorways and major roads, and installing more on-street chargepoints near homes and workplaces to make charging as easy as refuelling a petrol or diesel car. Our grant schemes and the £400m Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund will see thousands more electric vehicle charge-points installed across the UK.
Government’s forthcoming EV Infrastructure Strategy will define our vision for the continued roll-out of a world-leading charging infrastructure network across the UK. The strategy will focus on how we will unlock the chargepoint rollout needed to enable the transition from early adoption to mass market uptake of EVs. We will set out our next steps to address barriers to private investment and level up charge point provision. The strategy will clearly establish Government’s expectations for the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders in the planning and deployment of charging infrastructure.
Alongside the Strategy, to increase confidence in the charging network and reduce range anxiety the Government is working with industry to simplify payment, ensure reliability and make chargepoint data freely available, helping drivers easily locate and access available chargepoints. In Spring 2021 we consulted on measures to improve the consumer experience of public charging and we will publish our response this winter and are seeking to lay legislation in the new year.
As referenced in the Net Zero Strategy, the Government has committed to introducing a Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate, setting targets for a percentage of manufacturers’ new car and van sales to be zero emission each year, from 2024.
The Government is currently analysing responses to the consultation, and will publish a full Government response in due course.
Following publication of the Government’s response to the consultation, we will work to bring forward specific proposals. The first of these will most likely be in Spring 2022, with regulatory proposals for cars and vans.
The Government continues to explore different operating models to make best use of the capacity created in the United Kingdom diagnostics manufacturing industry. There are a number of ongoing conversations between Global Access Diagnostics, Omega and third party test developers which we hope will provide opportunities to further increase UK manufacturing output of lateral flow tests.
Figures on the number of neurology appointments delayed or cancelled and the number of Parkinson’s patients who have experienced a deterioration on their condition are not available, and no specific assessment of the adequacy of access to specialised neurology services during the COVID-19 outbreak for advanced Parkinson’s patients has been made.
Early in the pandemic NHS England and NHS Improvement advised in-person consultations “should only take place when absolutely necessary”. Providers have been rolling out remote consultations using video, telephone, email and text message services as a priority, including for those with neurological conditions.
To support the delivery of high-quality services for patients with neurological conditions during the pandemic, the Association of British Neurologists (ABN) published a range of guidance in this important area. NHS England and NHS Improvement have also provided advice on prioritisation for community services during the pandemic which set out how to meet the needs of people with neurological conditions like Parkinson’s safely and effectively. The guidance can be found at the following links:
www.theabn.org/page/covid19_response
Furthermore, the ABN has now published specific guidance on recommencing neurology services in the recovery phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, including those for people suffering with Parkinson’s disease. This guidance contains assessments on which services and patients require urgent prioritisation, taking into account the severity and onset of symptoms. This is available at the following link:
Figures on the number of neurology appointments delayed or cancelled and the number of Parkinson’s patients who have experienced a deterioration on their condition are not available, and no specific assessment of the adequacy of access to specialised neurology services during the COVID-19 outbreak for advanced Parkinson’s patients has been made.
Early in the pandemic NHS England and NHS Improvement advised in-person consultations “should only take place when absolutely necessary”. Providers have been rolling out remote consultations using video, telephone, email and text message services as a priority, including for those with neurological conditions.
To support the delivery of high-quality services for patients with neurological conditions during the pandemic, the Association of British Neurologists (ABN) published a range of guidance in this important area. NHS England and NHS Improvement have also provided advice on prioritisation for community services during the pandemic which set out how to meet the needs of people with neurological conditions like Parkinson’s safely and effectively. The guidance can be found at the following links:
www.theabn.org/page/covid19_response
Furthermore, the ABN has now published specific guidance on recommencing neurology services in the recovery phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, including those for people suffering with Parkinson’s disease. This guidance contains assessments on which services and patients require urgent prioritisation, taking into account the severity and onset of symptoms. This is available at the following link:
Figures on the number of neurology appointments delayed or cancelled and the number of Parkinson’s patients who have experienced a deterioration on their condition are not available, and no specific assessment of the adequacy of access to specialised neurology services during the COVID-19 outbreak for advanced Parkinson’s patients has been made.
Early in the pandemic NHS England and NHS Improvement advised in-person consultations “should only take place when absolutely necessary”. Providers have been rolling out remote consultations using video, telephone, email and text message services as a priority, including for those with neurological conditions.
To support the delivery of high-quality services for patients with neurological conditions during the pandemic, the Association of British Neurologists (ABN) published a range of guidance in this important area. NHS England and NHS Improvement have also provided advice on prioritisation for community services during the pandemic which set out how to meet the needs of people with neurological conditions like Parkinson’s safely and effectively. The guidance can be found at the following links:
www.theabn.org/page/covid19_response
Furthermore, the ABN has now published specific guidance on recommencing neurology services in the recovery phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, including those for people suffering with Parkinson’s disease. This guidance contains assessments on which services and patients require urgent prioritisation, taking into account the severity and onset of symptoms. This is available at the following link:
The UK is deeply concerned about the announcement made during the visit of President Erdogan to Cyprus on 19-20 July 2021 regarding the reopening and resettlement of an area constituting 3.4% of the fenced-off area of Varosha. We strongly support the 23 July UN Security Council Presidential Statement which condemned the announcement. The UK strongly supports the relevant Security Council Resolutions covering the issue of Varosha. The announcement runs contrary to UN Security Council resolutions and to the Security Council Presidential Statement of 8 October 2020 which called for Turkey to halt and reverse its actions in Varosha.
The UK has also been clear in calling for all sides to avoid any actions or statements that could damage the prospects for a Settlement. The issue of Varosha underlines the importance of reaching a comprehensive Cyprus Settlement.
The UK remains committed to supporting the UN process to reach a Cyprus Settlement, which is in the interests of Cyprus and regional stability. The UK is deeply concerned about the announcement made during the visit of President Erdogan to Cyprus on 19-20 July 2021 regarding the reopening and resettlement of an area constituting 3.4% of the fenced-off area of Varosha.
We strongly support the 23 July UN Security Council Presidential Statement which condemned the announcement. The UK strongly supports the relevant Security Council Resolutions covering the issue of Varosha. The announcement runs contrary to UN Security Council resolutions and to the Security Council Presidential Statement of 8 October 2020 which called for Turkey to halt and reverse its actions in Varosha.
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that the Immovable Property Commission established in the north provides an effective remedy for local property issues related to the Cyprus Problem. It is for individuals to decide whether to approach the IPC. The relevant documentation can be found on the IPC website.
The UK continues to negotiate for the whole UK family, which includes Gibraltar. We remain fully committed to finding a solution that supports Gibraltar, its people and its economy.
The UK and the Government of Gibraltar have held a number of constructive discussions with Spain on this issue. It is clearly in all parties' interests to find a solution, to ensure ongoing well-being and prosperity in the region.
The UK Government is deeply concerned about the plot against a conference in Paris in 2018, and particularly that an Iranian diplomat may be involved with the incident. We are closely monitoring reporting of the trial taking place in Belgium. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has not received any recent representations on this issue. While the legal process is ongoing it would be inappropriate to comment further.
The UK's longstanding policy on Taiwan and international organisations has not changed. The British Government continues to hold the view that the people of Taiwan have a meaningful contribution to make towards global issues such as combatting organised crime. We therefore support Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organisations, such as INTERPOL, where there is precedent for their involvement, where they can contribute to the global good and where there is no pre-requisite of nationhood for participation. The UK has not made any representations on Taiwan's observer status at INTERPOL this year but will work with international partners on this issue.
The Government liaises closely with the Overseas Territories on all aspects of our future relationship with the EU and so understands fully the interests of the Falkland Islands in this regard.
As the Government starts negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement with the EU, the Government will negotiate on behalf of all the territories for whose international relations it is responsible, including the Falkland Islands, and seek outcomes that support their security and their economies.
We are monitoring the case of Hamed bin Haydara, and we understand the appeal against his death sentence is ongoing. We strongly condemn the death sentence and the continued persecution of the Baha'i in Yemen for their religious beliefs. We meet often with the Baha'i representatives in London who keep us updated on the situation. We call on the parties to the conflict to respect the human rights of all Yemenis.
At Autumn Budget 2021, the Government announced that, from April 2023, it will introduce a new reduced domestic band of Air Passenger Duty (APD) set at £6.50 for economy passengers. The new domestic band will cover flights between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, in order to support connectivity across the UK. As a result, around 9 million passengers will pay lower rates of APD in 2023-24.
The Government will also introduce a new ultra long-haul band, which will ensure that those who fly furthest, and have the greatest environmental impact, will pay the most.
The announcement of these reforms to APD followed the 2021 consultation on aviation tax reform, full details of which can be found on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-aviation-tax-reform. On 20 July 2022, the legislation and tax information and impact note (TIIN) was published in draft on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/air-passenger-duty-banding-reforms-from-april-2023. The TIIN provides a summary of impacts.
During the COVID-19 pandemic rail ridership fluctuated widely, with the Government providing more than £16 billion of funding for rail passenger services from when it started until now. This is in addition to over £35 billion of capital investment over the Spending Review period including High Speed Two, rail enhancements and vital renewals to boost connectivity across the country – focusing on the Midlands and the North.
HMT Officials are in regular contact with stakeholders. But it is the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence, who are leading the National Skills Academy for Maritime bid, to engage with relevant stakeholders prior to submission of the bid.
This Government is committed to supporting people to develop the skills needed to get good jobs and improve national productivity. The Department for Education recently published the ‘Skills for Jobs’ White Paper which sets out how the government will put employers at the heart of the skills system to ensure skills provision meets local labour market needs.
The Shared Outcomes Fund encourage Departments to work together to overcome some of the most difficult social, environmental and economic challenges that sit across the areas of responsibility of multiple public sector organisations.
The second round of the Shared Outcomes Fund, announced at Spending Review 2020, will provide a further £200 million for projects to improve the join up across government.
The assessment process to award the funding is ongoing.
Violent and abusive behaviour towards any worker, particularly those who provide a valuable service to the public, is never acceptable. We have taken significant steps to tackle retail crime, including publication of the police-led Retail Crime Action plan which details clear police response commitments and guidance for retailers.
The tragic case of Maira Shahbaz has attracted significant interest, including the petition by Christian NGO Aid to the Church in Need. I am deeply troubled by Maira’s tragic circumstances and have asked my officials to keep me updated on this case.
The UK Government strongly condemns the forced marriage and forced conversion of women and girls from religious minorities in Pakistan. Our concerns about such cases, as well as Freedom of Religion or Belief, women and girls’ rights and gender equality more broadly, are regularly raised with the Government of Pakistan.
However, I am not able to provide specific information with regards to Maira Shahbaz’s case as it is a longstanding Government policy not to comment on individual cases. Departing from this policy may put individuals and their family members in danger.
The UK has a proud record of providing protection for people who need it, in accordance with our obligations under the Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights.
The Home Office does not publish data on the average time taken to process an asylum application. However, the Home Office does publish data on the number asylum applications awaiting an initial decision, broken down by duration. This data can be found at Asy_04 of the published Immigration Statistics:
The Home Office are committed to ensuring asylum claims are considered without unnecessary delay, individuals who need protection are granted asylum as soon as possible and can start to integrate and rebuild their lives, including those granted at appeal.
Whilst we take steps to increase capacity, with focus on process improvements, to deliver better quality decisions, more efficiently, we have moved away from the six-month service standard to concentrate on older claims, cases with acute vulnerability and those in receipt of the greatest level of support, including Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC).
Our reforms will ensure that there is more engagement and more local democracy. By replacing lengthy documents with easily accessible digital tools and map-based local plans, people will be able to visualise local plans and participate more fully in the planning system.
Communities will still be able to comment on planning applications. We also want neighbourhood plans to remain a key part of the planning system, with more in northern and urban areas.