Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect of the new A2 qualification requirement on non-UK residents seeking permanent leave to remain.

The A2 level English language requirement under the family Immigration Rules applies to applications for further temporary leave to remain as a partner or parent, after 30 months in the UK on a five-year route to settlement. We expect those coming to the UK on a family visa with only basic English to become more fluent over time, to support their integration. The requested breakdown of refusals would require a manual review of all relevant applications, which would incur disproportionate cost.