Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many priority service applications for visas are processed within 5 working days; and how many super priority service applications are processed by the end of the next working day.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
This information is published in table VSI_02 (column L) of the UK Visa & Immigration Transparency Data. This shows the proportion of applications processed in line with the 5 working days service standard for priority application, and next working day service standard for super priority applications. Cases which are defined as non-straightforward due to their complexity sit outside the service standard and are therefore excluded from these figures.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, given the forthcoming report of the Cranston Public Inquiry into the tragic loss of 27 lives in the English Channel in November 2021, has she undertaken a review of Channel operations, and the search and rescue capability UK Border Force provides to His Majesty's Coastguard.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
It would be wrong to pre-empt the findings and recommendations of a public inquiry, but it should be noted that considerable improvements had been made in how UK authorities detect and respond to these dangerous, illegal and unnecessary crossing attempts of the Channel, even before the Cranston Inquiry was announced.
The Home Office will study the findings and recommendations of the Inquiry when they are delivered.
Our thoughts remain with the loved ones of those many people who were lost in this appalling tragedy.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many migrants crossing the Channel in small boats present with either pre-existing medical conditions or injuries, or with injuries sustained from the crossing itself.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
These records are not held in a readily retrievable form, and it would only be possible to provide the information being sought at a disproportionate cost.
Migrants who have made dangerous, illegal, and unnecessary crossings of the Channel by small boat do sometimes present with injuries such as petrol burns, or dangerous medical conditions such as hypothermia. Our response to these crossings is reducing the risk to safety of life at sea, and the Home Office has a reception process which includes assessment of all arrivals by suitably qualified medical personnel.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her department has considered the use of AI to help tackle the backlog of asylum applications.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Asylum Case Summarisation (ACS) tool uses artificial intelligence (AI) to summarise asylum interview transcripts. The Asylum Policy Search (APS) tool is an AI search assistant that finds and summarises country policy information. The tools were designed as an aid for decision-makers to improve efficiency but do not, and cannot, replace any part of the decision-making process. APS has been rolled out and is accessible to all Asylum decision makers and ACS development continues, with a full roll out planned in the new year. Further tooling is being worked on including an asylum letter writing assistant for caseworkers which supports the decision-maker in the drafting of outcome letters. It does not make the decision for the decision-maker.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of trends in the level of the Maritime Skills Allowance on Border Force officers; and whether it will review remuneration arrangements.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Border Force and the Border Security Command work tirelessly to keep our borders safe and secure. Our maritime assets and the officers who crew them are a key capability in our mission.
We have been in close dialogue with our maritime officers and their Trade Unions for some time with a view to resolving the ongoing dispute with current terms and conditions.
We are currently holding constructive negotiations with Trade Unions which we believe are moving us closer to a final offer to staff. This offer will include flexibility and attendance- based payments as well as renumeration for professional qualifications through a revised Maritime Skills Allowance package.