Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on the reopening of registry offices to enable people who wish to marry to formally give notice.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The local registration service in England and Wales has been advised that notices of intention to marry or form a civil partnership can be taken where these can be safely delivered in line with public health and local authority guidelines.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the spread of cults in the UK.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government is responsible for matters relating to faith and religion within Government.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department holds information on the number of cults operating in the UK.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government is responsible for matters relating to faith and religion within Government.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has an agreed definition of a cult.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government is responsible for matters relating to faith and religion within Government.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2020 to Question 1248 on Visas: Married People, what her Department's definition of adequate maintenance is.
Answered by Kevin Foster
Adequate maintenance is defined by Paragraph 6 of the Immigration Rules to mean, after income tax, National Insurance contributions and housing costs have been deducted, there must be available to the family the level of income that would be available to them if the family was in receipt of Income Support.
Published guidance on adequate maintenance for spouses is on GOV.UK here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/452967/IDI_Adequate_Maintenance_and_Accommodation_Appendix_FM_Annex_1_7A.pdf
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children have an independent child trafficking guardian.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
Last year, the Government successfully expanded Independent Child Trafficking Guardians (ICTGs) to one third of local authorities.
An evaluation of the ICTG service within the early adopter sites was published in July 2019 and can be found https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/819723/evaluation-independent-child-trafficking-guardians-final-horr111.pdf.
This evaluation was conducted on the service provided in the three initial sites of Greater Manchester, Hampshire and Wales between February 2017 and January 2019. Over this time period, 445 children were referred to the ICTG service.
Later this year the Home Office will publish its next evaluation of the ICTG service, which will provide further updates on outcomes of the service including the number of children it supports.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of children whose parents have no recourse to public funds that live in (a) Croydon North constituency and (b) the London Borough of Croydon.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not hold the data requested and information on the UK’s resident population is a matter for the independent Office for National Statistics. The no recourse to public funds (NRPF) condition is applied to the leave of most migrants in the UK as a legitimate means of maintaining and protecting our economic resources.
In those cases where leave has been, or is being, granted for family or private life reasons the NRPF condition can be lifted on application to the Home Office, including for reasons involving the welfare needs of children. In addition, immigration legislation specifically provides for assessments of child welfare needs to take place and support to be provided by a local authority under section 17 of the Children Act 1989.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether British citizens in receipt of personal independence payments are exempt from the minimum income requirement when applying for a spousal visa.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The minimum income requirement must be met by all those who are subject to this requirement. However, we recognise some sponsors will have a reduced earning capacity as a result of disability or caring for someone with a disability. Therefore, an applicant who is applying for a spousal visa whose sponsor is in receipt of a specified disability-related benefit, including personal independence payments, will be exempt from meeting the minimum income requirement.
In such cases the sponsor is required to demonstrate adequate maintenance which is equivalent to the Income Support level.
Sponsors will need to show they remain exempt from the minimum income requirement at each application application stage or they will otherwise need then to meet the requirement.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2020 to Question 12894, on Immigration: EU Nationals, if his Department will work with local authorities to estimate the number of looked-after children that (a) are eligible for settled status and (b) have applied successfully for settled status.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Home Office has put in place a comprehensive vulnerability strategy to ensure the EU Settlement Scheme is accessible for all, including children in care.
The Home Office has engaged extensively with relevant stakeholders such as the Department for Education, Local Government Association and Association of Directors of Children’s Services to assess the needs of this group and ensure they are supported. That engagement continues, and all parties are committed to ensuring local authorities are supported throughout the process.
The vital role local authorities and health and social care trusts (HSCT) have with regards to looked after children accessing the EU Settlement Scheme has been agreed nationwide. Those responsibilities include the identification of eligible children and the recording of each application made. This includes the outcome status and future plans for converting pre-settled status into settled status.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2020 to Question 10761, on Airguns: Reviews, what her timescale is for the consultation on firearms safety issues.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
We aim to publish the firearms safety consultation as soon.