Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to implement the recommendations of the report by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights entitled Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published on 3 March 2025.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Home Office keeps all the recommendations from the report by the UN Committee under review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and other stakeholders.
Relevant departments are currently considering the Committee’s concluding observations in detail. The department will give written responses to three priority areas that the Committee has identified for specific follow-up by 2027.
The Government will respond to the rest of the recommendations before the UK’s next reporting cycle starts in 2030.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has had discussions with (a) NHS Scotland and (b) the Scottish Government's health and social care directorates on health and social care staffing needs in the context of the skilled worker visa since 31 January 2020.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Home Office and Ministers meet regularly with Scottish Government Ministers and officials to discuss all aspects of Home Office business, including immigration and our work linking skills and visa policy to ensure our immigration system works in the interests of the whole of the UK.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has had discussions with the Scottish government's economy directorates on the staffing needs of the (a) hospitality and (b) tourism sector in the context of the skilled worker visa since 31 January 2020.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Home Office and Ministers meet regularly with Scottish Government Ministers and officials to discuss all aspects of Home Office business, including immigration and our work linking skills and visa policy to ensure our immigration system works in the interests of the whole of the UK.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with the Scottish Government's agriculture and rural economy directorates on the workforce needs of the (a) agriculture, (b) fishing and (c) rural economy sector and the skilled worker visa since 31 January 2020.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
The Home Office and Ministers meet regularly with Scottish Government Ministers and officials to discuss all aspects of Home Office business, including immigration and our work linking skills and visa policy to ensure our immigration system works in the interests of the whole of the UK.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's original budget for the Emergency Services Network programme was; how much her Department has spent since that programme started; and what the estimated final cost is in (a) real and (b) current terms.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
In July 2021 the Emergency Services Network (ESN) Full Business case was approved by HM Treasury with a whole life cost of £11.3bn through to 2036/37.
In October 2024, HM Treasury approved an updated version of the business case which reflected a change in planning assumptions and timescales through to 2043/44 with a revised whole life cost of £19.2bn.
For the period 2015/16 to 31 March 2024, ESN has spent £5.5bn.
The estimated future cost to be spent by 2043/44 is £9.5bn (real), or £13.7bn (current).
In December 2024, the Home Office procured a new supplier for mobile radio and data services and intends to release a revised Full Business Case in Autumn 2025, which will set out a new timetable and costs, taking into account the impact of the recent procurement activity and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) Charge Control.
The Home Office’s priority is to deliver ESN as swiftly as possible and Airwave will be shut down only when it is safe to do so.
The Programme is under regular review by the IPA, NAO and engages regularly with PAC and HASC.
Asked by: Seamus Logan (Scottish National Party - Aberdeenshire North and Moray East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the new guidance on the good character requirement for British citizenship complies with the UK’s obligations under Article 31 of the 1951 Refugee Convention.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
We take our international obligations very seriously, including those under the Refugee Convention 1951. The good character policy is compliant with those obligations.
Each citizenship application will continue to be considered on a case-by-case basis considering all positive and negative factors. The Secretary of State may choose to apply discretion to grant citizenship on an exceptional basis where there are particularly exceptional, compelling, or mitigating circumstances.