Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing English language requirements for non-UK staff within the NHS.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Where legally required, healthcare professionals must be registered with the appropriate United Kingdom healthcare regulator to be able to practise. Professionals who qualified outside the UK must demonstrate they have the necessary knowledge of English as part of the regulator’s assessment of their healthcare qualifications, knowledge, and skills. The process and accepted evidence for demonstrating English language proficiency varies according to regulator, the healthcare role and the circumstances of applicants.

The healthcare regulators are independent of Government, and it is for regulators to determine the required processes and thresholds in relation to English language competence for registrants.

General practitioners, dentists and opticians delivering National Health Service primary care must also be on the relevant NHS performers list. Applicants’ ability to communicate effectively and safely with patients and colleagues is assessed as part of the performers list application process.

For the performers lists in England, it is NHS England policy that the required level of English language competence for admission to the list is the same as that required by the relevant healthcare regulator. If there are concerns about an applicant’s English language competence, they will be required to demonstrate competence by further assessment. This may be an oral exam with an assessor from NHS England or satisfactory completion of the International English Language Test System or the Occupational English Test.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to the public purse was of the (a) evacuation and (b) relocation of Palestinian students from Gaza to the UK in 2025.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

There is no published data for the costs of the evacuation and relocation of Palestinian students from Gaza to the UK in 2025.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has has made of the potential impact of the the suspension of refugee family reunion route on number of visa applications.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The suspension of the refugee family reunion route is temporary while the Government undertakes a full review and reform of the current family rules to ensure we have a fair and properly balanced system. In the meantime, those with protection status can use other family routes to sponsor a partner and child to come to the UK. Information relating to these changes are published on gov.uk at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statement-of-changes-to-the-immigration-rules-hc-1298-4-september-2025.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost of private security contractors used in deportations has been in each of the last five years.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office uses its Escorting and Related Services Contract with Mitie Care and Custody to effect Returns of persons with no right to remain within the UK. The costs of this contract are routinely published as part of the Home Office Transparency data, and can be found at Home Office spending - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many deportations have been delayed as a result of injunctions granted by domestic courts citing the European Convention on Human Rights in each of the last five years.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The information requested, regarding the number of delayed deportations of foreign national offenders (FNOs) as a result of challenges under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights and injunctions granted by domestic courts citing the European Convention on Human Rights, is not held centrally and to obtain it would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the top five reasons are for deportation flights being cancelled.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The information you have required is not available from published statistics.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many deportations have been delayed as a result of challenges under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights in the last 12 months.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The information requested, regarding the number of delayed deportations of foreign national offenders (FNOs) as a result of challenges under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights and injunctions granted by domestic courts citing the European Convention on Human Rights, is not held centrally and to obtain it would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of publishing league tables of deportation compliance by countries.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

We continue to use an array of tools, including through diplomatic engagement, to maintain and improve international returns co-operation.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the backlog in deportation cases.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

As committed to in the Immigration White Paper (12 May 2025), the Government will shortly publish a formal Asylum Policy Statement setting out radical reforms to modernise the asylum system and strengthen border security. These proposals will include a new protection offer, accelerated decision-making, fast-track appeals and returns, as well as reforms to family rights and Article 8 claims.

Latest published information shows that at the end of Q2 2025 there were 19,390 foreign national offenders (FNOs) living in the community having completed their custodial sentences and subject to deportation.

The Home Office faces significant and complex challenges when seeking to return those who have no right to be in the UK to their country of origin or lawful place of return. Despite these barriers, we are fully committed to making our communities safer by deporting those who break our laws.

That is why are legislating to introduce a 24-week timeframe, this will speed up the appeals process for foreign criminals subject to ensuring that a fair hearing can take place.

This government has already removed 5,179 FNOs in its first year in office, a 14 per cent increase on the previous twelve months, and we will continue to ensure there is no hiding place for foreign criminals in our country.

The latest figures on the increase in returns can be found at: Returns from the UK between 5 July 2024 and 4 July 2025 - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many seats were booked on deportation charter flights in the last year; and how many were used.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

In the year 5 September 2024 to 4 September 2025 inclusive, the capacity available for those being returned on the 64 returns charter flights that operated was 3717 seats. Of these, 2972 seats were used across the 64 returns charter flights.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many charter flights for deportations were scheduled in the last 12 months; and how many took place.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

In the year 5 September 2024 to 4 September 2025 inclusive, 69 returns charter flights were arranged, 64 were operated and five did not take place.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department’s policy is on restricting multiple appeals against deportation.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

In most deportation cases, there is no right of appeal unless the person concerned makes a human rights or protection claim, in which case there is a right of appeal against a decision to refuse the claim.

As part of efforts to fix the broken asylum system the Government inherited, proposals are being developed to ensure immigration and asylum appeals are heard more quickly, with safeguards to maintain high standards, mechanisms to surge capacity when needed, and processes to accelerate and prioritise cases. These proposals will also include new procedures to tackle repeat applications and last-minute claims that frustrate removal action.

Currently, where a person has already brought an appeal on human rights or protection grounds and then makes further submissions, they are subject to a robust test which if not met means their submissions will be rejected without a right of appeal. There is only an appeal where a person raises something that has not previously been considered which, taken together with any previously considered material, creates a realistic prospect of success.

Where a person has permission to stay in the UK under the EU Settlement Scheme, there is a right of appeal against a decision to make a deportation order against them, in compliance with the Agreement on the Withdrawal of the UK from the EU. That right can only be exercised once, unless another deportation decision is made.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many pubs have closed each year since 2015.

Answered by Josh Simons - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon Gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 2nd September is attached.

National inquiry into group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse

Support for pubs

Local government reorganisation

East Tilbury Primary School award

Cancellation of local elections

Condition of hospitals

Digital ID cards and surveillance

International driving test standards and road safety

Digital ID

Found: Rupert Lowe in the Telegraph makes the point succinctly in the headline; “there’s only one way to stop

Found: Data published by the Electoral Commission in September showed that independent MP, Rupert Lowe had