Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's White Paper entitled Restoring Control over the Immigration System, published on 12 May 2025, whether her Department has undertaken an (a) equality and (b) impact assessment on the potential impact of its proposed changes to the qualifying period for settlement on (i) British Nationals (Overseas) visa holders and (ii) their family members.

The Government is committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK and those who may come here in future.

We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year and further details of the proposed scheme will be provided at that time. An assessment of equality and other impacts will be developed alongside any finalised policy.

We regularly engage with representatives of the Hong Kong diaspora in the UK on issues related to the BN(O) visa and will continue to do so.