Tom Tugendhat

The department values the Hadlow Rural Community School’s land-based curriculum offer. We have been, and remain, willing to consider how the department might support the school to continue to provide a broad land-based offer.

As part of this consideration, in October 2024 departmental officials were in contact with North Kent College to understand their appetite for allowing the school to access the college’s neighbouring land-based facilities.

Ministers have had no contact with North Kent College about this matter.

The Water Supply and Sewerage Services (Customer Service Standards) Regulations 2008 are often referred to as the Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS). The GSS establishes baseline expectations for customer service and corresponding payments to be made to affected customers when the standards have not been met. The independent economic regulator Ofwat provides guidance on the scheme, as well as monitors and makes determinations to resolve disputes over GSS claims between companies and customers.

Following a public consultation, the Government confirmed on 17 December 2024 that it will introduce new and increased statutory payments of double the previous amounts or more. The changes will also see the list of circumstances that can trigger compensation expand.

Furthermore, in October 2024 UK and Welsh Governments launched what is expected to be the largest review of the water sector since privatisation, with an Independent Water Commission to examine the sector and its regulatory framework.

The Treasury engages regularly with the UK insurance sector on a range of issues, including on the consolidation of corporate sponsored defined benefit pension schemes which are also discussed with a wide range of other stakeholders.

More broadly, the Government has consulted on options for private sector defined benefit schemes, including proposals on a public sector consolidator. The Government is currently considering consultation responses and will set out its response in due course.

The Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) operates under the Immigration Rules set out under Appendix ARAP. Amendments were made to Appendix ARAP in November 2022, resulting in additional family members who are eligible and suitable for entry clearance to be granted under the Immigration Rules instead of outside the Rules.

During Operation PITTING a number of Afghan nationals were ‘called forward’ for evacuation, in addition to those who were called forward as eligible persons under the ARAP Immigration Rules but were unintentionally separated from their family members during the evacuation efforts.

The Government launched ACRS Pathway 1, Stage 2: Separated Families Route on 30 July 2024 specifically to reunite families unintentionally separated during Operation PITTING. It is now closed to referrals, and we have already begun to see arrivals and families be reunited using this route.

On 1 March 2025, the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme and the Afghan Citizen Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) will become part of the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP). The ARP is a cross-Government delivery programme which will bring existing resettlement routes into one, single pipeline. It is designed to make the delivery of Afghan resettlement simpler and more cost-effective, to help deliver better outcomes overall.

Unfortunately, it is not feasible to breakdown those relocating to the UK by job role, including those who worked directly for His Majesty’s Government, in order to issue Proof of Employment certificates. However, the Government will continue to support those Afghans who have resettled in the UK through the ARP. This includes through supporting Afghan arrivals into self-sufficiency as quickly as possible to restart their lives in the UK.

Every application submitted under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme is considered on a case-by-case basis taking into account the evidence available. Whilst every effort is made to process applications as quickly as possible, some complex cases can take longer to process so that the appropriate decision is reached in each case. Due to this individual approach, a statutory timeframe would not be suitable.

I am paying close attention to this issue and have asked officials to make every effort to ensure decision-making is accelerated wherever possible, in particular for cases that have been awaiting an answer for some time.

This approach remains unchanged following the announcement of the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP), which draws Afghan resettlement into a single delivery pipeline whilst retaining the current eligibility criteria of individual schemes such as ARAP.

We inherited a considerable backlog in applications to process as the new Government and I am aware that people have been waiting longer than I would want for an outcome of an application. Therefore, I have directed officials to ensure that this backlog is cleared at pace whilst ensuring every case is processed correctly.

As of 12 February 2025, there are 1,062 outstanding Additional Family Member (AFM) applications from individuals who have already been resettled under the current and previous Afghan resettlement schemes administered by the Ministry of Defence (MOD). Of these, 502 have been pending for more than six months.

Whilst every effort is made to process applications as quickly as possible, each application is considered on a case-by-case basis taking into account the evidence available. The MOD has received over 170,000 separate ARAP applications, some of which are duplicates or erroneous, but all require individual deliberation. Within this, certain cases are particularly complex and can take longer to process in order to reach the appropriate outcome.

We inherited a considerable backlog in applications to process as the new Government and I am aware that people have been waiting longer than I would want for an outcome of an application. Therefore, I have directed officials to ensure that this backlog is cleared at pace whilst ensuring every case is processed correctly.

As of 12 February 2025, there are 3,467 outstanding requests for a review of a negative decision on an Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) principal or Additional Family Member (AFM) application. Of these, 1,604 have been pending for more than six months.

Whilst every effort is made to process applications as quickly as possible, each application is considered on a case-by-case basis taking into account the evidence available. The Ministry of Defence has received over 170,000 separate ARAP applications, some of which are duplicates or erroneous, but all require individual deliberation. Within this, certain cases are particularly complex and can take longer to process in order to reach the appropriate outcome.

We inherited a considerable backlog in applications to process as the new Government and I am aware that people have been waiting longer than I would want for an outcome of an application. Therefore, I have directed officials to ensure that this backlog is cleared at pace whilst ensuring every case is processed correctly.