Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Immigration White Paper published in May 2025 and paragraph 221 on exploring further measures against sponsors falling short of their responsibilities, what sanctions or penalties, other than licence revocation, have been applied to sponsors found to be non-compliant since the publication of the White Paper, and whether her Department has set a timetable for introducing further measures.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
As set out in the Immigration White Paper, we are continuing to explore a range of policy options and their feasibility. Further details will follow in due course as necessary and appropriate.
The current measures to tackle sponsors who are found to be non-compliant can be found on Gov.uk in Part 3 of the guidance for sponsors:
These range from reducing a sponsor’s allocation of certificates of sponsorship to revoking their licence and, if necessary, reporting them to the relevant authorities for further investigation.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to hold a trial of the proposed remote and digital-by-default method of English language testing for visas.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
As part of the procurement, we have undertaken significant Market Engagement that has already assessed the deliverability of the service and there will be robust processes for evaluation of bids and subsequent mobilisation that will assure that the service is secure, safe and delivers our intent. This will include significant IT testing including robust quality assurance testing and an implementation that follows standard agile delivery phases, including private and public beta stages with defined entry and exit criteria that must be met before progressing and scaling the solution.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
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 moving to digital by default on the security of English language testing.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
We have engaged the market to understand what capability is available to maintain the high standards of security and integrity of the test and have developed a robust security schedule and solution requirements to ensure this remains at the heart of the digital by default solution. Security measures will be assessed as part of the procurement process and assured during implementation.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Home Office intends to publish a formal follow-up to the Casey Review’s recommendations on systemic racism in policing.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
On 17 December 2025, the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and Mayor of London announced an independent review of the force’s progress against Baroness Casey’s 2023 report, to be chaired by Dr Gillian Fairfield.
The follow-up review is a matter for the MPS, in conjunction with the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC).
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness in meeting the 8-week processing deadline for applications under the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
UKVI are currently assessing Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme (UPE) visas within the published processing times. Information on visa processing times can be found at Visa processing times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK
Asked by: Neil Duncan-Jordan (Labour - Poole)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Immigration White Paper published in May 2025, which stated at paragraph 176 that the Government would explore making it easier for workers to move between licensed sponsors for the duration of their visa, what steps her Department has taken to explore this policy, and what the anticipated timetable is for proposed changes.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
As set out in the Immigration White Paper, we are continuing to explore a range of policy options and their feasibility. Further details will follow in due course as necessary and appropriate.
The current measures to tackle sponsors who are found to be non-compliant can be found on Gov.uk in Part 3 of the guidance for sponsors:
These range from reducing a sponsor’s allocation of certificates of sponsorship to revoking their licence and, if necessary, reporting them to the relevant authorities for further investigation.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of other countries that are using methods similar to the proposed remote and digital by default testing for English language requirements for UK visas.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Home Office English Language Testing, post procurement and implementation in late 2027/ early 2028 will be one of the first primarily remote language testing services for government, with significant benefits to customers, strengthened identity management and security and much greater visibility and control over the service for the department. The service will include proven elements of existing Home Office delivery including identification technology to assure identity, audit and assurance processes and robust oversight of services and delivery.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of students obtaining a student visa for study at a higher education provider since July 2024 have provided proof that they can speak English.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
All successful Student visa applications to study at a Higher Education Provider (HEP) must demonstrate that they meet the English language requirement as specified in the Immigration Rules.
The ways that English language can be demonstrated can be found at:
Immigration Rules - Immigration Rules: Appendix Student - Guidance - GOV.UK
Immigration Rules - Immigration Rules Appendix English Language - Guidance - GOV.UK
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the move to remote and digital by default English language testing for UK visas on the public purse.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Today’s Secure English Language Testing concessions collect all applicants’ fees with no return to the department to cover the costs of managing and overseeing delivery. There will be a net positive benefit to the public purse for this new HO ELT service.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to increase transparency in the way immigration applications are processed.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
All entry clearance, permission to stay and settlement applications are subject to customer service standards which we report on our website along with transparency data on performance. Where an individual is refused permission they are provided with a full refusal notice and in some categories have a right to an administrative review or full right of appeal.
Applicants are also able to view guidance which is published on GOV.UK (Visas and immigration operational guidance - GOV.UK), that caseworkers use when they consider making decisions on applications.