Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress she has made on ending the use of forced swim tests since writing to the (a) Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and (b) UKRI requesting expedited research to find validated replacements.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Home Office wrote to the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology and the UKRI in February 2024 to consider the recommendation to request further research into non-animal methods to replace the Forced Swim Test (FST).
The Home Office Regulator has since reviewed all licences authorising the use of the FST under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and fully implemented the recommendations of the Animals in Science Committee.
The number of project licences that authorises the forced swim test in Great Britain has decreased from nine on the 1 March 2024, to a current total of only four licences. All of these licences are due to expire by 2028.
This Government has set a manifesto commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing” and will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods to animal testing later this year. This strategy supports the current scientific direction on reducing and ultimately eliminating the use of the FST (www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0273230021001434).
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the letter from Lord Sharpe of Epsom responding to the Animals in Science Committee forced swim test report, published on 5 March 2024, what the deadline is for ending the use of forced swim tests.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Home Office wrote to the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology and the UKRI in February 2024 to consider the recommendation to request further research into non-animal methods to replace the Forced Swim Test (FST).
The Home Office Regulator has since reviewed all licences authorising the use of the FST under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and fully implemented the recommendations of the Animals in Science Committee.
The number of project licences that authorises the forced swim test in Great Britain has decreased from nine on the 1 March 2024, to a current total of only four licences. All of these licences are due to expire by 2028.
This Government has set a manifesto commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing” and will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods to animal testing later this year. This strategy supports the current scientific direction on reducing and ultimately eliminating the use of the FST (www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0273230021001434).
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many active licences there are for the authorised use of the forced swim test.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Home Office wrote to the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology and the UKRI in February 2024 to consider the recommendation to request further research into non-animal methods to replace the Forced Swim Test (FST).
The Home Office Regulator has since reviewed all licences authorising the use of the FST under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and fully implemented the recommendations of the Animals in Science Committee.
The number of project licences that authorises the forced swim test in Great Britain has decreased from nine on the 1 March 2024, to a current total of only four licences. All of these licences are due to expire by 2028.
This Government has set a manifesto commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing” and will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods to animal testing later this year. This strategy supports the current scientific direction on reducing and ultimately eliminating the use of the FST (www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0273230021001434).
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to her Department was of ministerial severance payments in each year from 19 December 2019 to 30 May 2024; which Ministers received a severance payment in that period; and how much each Minister received.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The details of any ministerial severance payments can be found in our Annual Report & Accounts”., there were no severance payments made between December 2019 and 6th July 2022.
Home Office annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to improve the application process for student visas.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
During 2023, straightforward applications were delivered within published Service Standards.
My department introduced technology for a fully digital application process for EEA customers, and customers of any nationality applying in the UK using a UK residence permit.
We are continually making improvements to processes, working closely with the education sector to support students to apply early with the correct documentation.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many road users have been (a) stopped and (b) investigated for (i) breaking the legal noise limits and (ii) using illegal modified exhausts in the last five years.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
The Home Office does not hold all the information requested.
The Home Office collects and publishes data on fixed penalty notices issued and other outcomes for motoring offences, including noise offences.
These data are available as part of the ‘Police Powers and Procedures: Other Pace’ bulletin.
This information can be found in table FPN_03 of the motoring offences data tables.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether international students with Tier 4 visas who wish to switch to a dependant's visa based on their spouse's Tier 2 skilled worker visa are permitted to (a) continue their studies, (b) maintain their student status and (c) retain their studentship, including that under Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Skilled Worker dependants can study, subject to the ATAS requirement, and guidance on applying as a Skilled Worker dependant is here: www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/your-partner-and-children
A migrant cannot hold permission as a student and as a dependant at the same time. They will need to decide which type of permission is more suitable for them.
A migrant’s visa status will not affect their status as a student with regard to financial sponsorship and bursaries. The continued eligibility for those depends on the terms and conditions of the specific schemes and is a matter for the student and scholarship/bursary provider to discuss between them.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department provides to international students with Tier 4 visas who wish to switch from a student visa to a dependant visa based on their spouse's Tier 2 skilled worker visa.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Skilled Worker dependants can study, subject to the ATAS requirement, and guidance on applying as a Skilled Worker dependant is here: www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/your-partner-and-children
A migrant cannot hold permission as a student and as a dependant at the same time. They will need to decide which type of permission is more suitable for them.
A migrant’s visa status will not affect their status as a student with regard to financial sponsorship and bursaries. The continued eligibility for those depends on the terms and conditions of the specific schemes and is a matter for the student and scholarship/bursary provider to discuss between them.
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much were fire and rescue service budgets in each year since 2015 broken down by (a) local authority, (b) region and (c) nation for which data is available.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
Fire and Rescue is a devolved matter, and therefore the response to this PQ relates to England only. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) is responsible for publishing the Final Local Government Finance Settlement. This is the annual determination of funding to local government (including fire), which is approved by the House of Commons. The settlement includes the Core Spending Power for each local authority. Separately, DLUHC on an annual basis publish local authority revenue expenditure data. The latest finance settlement and expenditure data can be found in the links below:
Final local government finance settlement: England, 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Local authority revenue expenditure and financing England: 2021 to 2022 individual local authority data - outturn - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: Wera Hobhouse (Liberal Democrat - Bath)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the mean average UKVI Family Visa application processing time is.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
An applicant applying for a family visa at entry clearance should get a decision within 24 weeks.
Visa decision waiting times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
An applicant applying in the UK to extend a family visa (spouse or partner on a 5-year route to settlement) should get a decision within 8 weeks.
Visa decision waiting times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
An applicant applying in the UK for settlement should get a decision within 6 months.
Visa decision waiting times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Mean average processing times do not form part of any current transparency data for Spouse/Partner applications and are not published.
The transparency data does, however, include a range of processing data and the latest data can be found at: Migration transparency data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).