Tag: Alison Thewliss

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to provide certified copies of identity documents to visa applicants to support their applications to undertake an approved English language test.

James Brokenshire

There is no intention to change the current policy with regards to identity checks for Secure English Language Testing (SELT). Photocopies, whether certified or not, are not accepted when a candidate sits a test. Only original and valid documents are acceptable. This will allow test centre staff to confirm that the document is genuine and relates to the individual who is sitting the test.

The only acceptable forms of identification in the UK are:

• a passport or travel document;

• a EU Identity Card;

• a Biometric Residence Permit.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-03-21.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to include non-prescription incontinence pads, maternity pads and breast pads used by breastfeeding mothers in the definition of sanitary products for the purposes of zero rating under VAT.

Mr David Gauke

The zero rate of VAT will apply to any sanitary protection product that is designed and marketed solely for the absorption of collection of menstrual flow or lochia, including:

• Sanitary towels
• Sanitary pads
• Tampons
• Keepers
• Maternity pads

Eligible incontinence products, for sale to disabled people, are already zero rated.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-04-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people from Yemen claimed asylum in the UK in 2014.

James Brokenshire

There were 66 and 111 asylum applications from Yemeni nationals in 2014 and 2015, respectively.

The Home Office publishes figures on asylum applications by nationality in the quarterly Immigration Statistics release. A copy of the latest release, Immigration Statistics, October to December 2015, is available from:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2015.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-06-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what training her Department provides to immigration officers on handling asylum cases in which a claimant has been raped or sexually abused.

James Brokenshire

The Home Office is committed to treating all those who seek asylum with dignity and respect, including those whose fears may be based on sexual violence or gender related persecution.

All general Immigration Officers receive training in Modern Slavery issues and those based at dedicated Asylum Intake Unit where claims may be first registered also receive training in sexual violence awareness. However, all asylum claims are dealt with by specially trained caseworkers rather than Immigration Officers.

The current training and support available for asylum caseworkers includes a UNHCR endorsed Foundation Training Programme, which covers all aspects of the asylum interview and decision making process, including dealing sensitively with vulnerable claimants.

Furthermore we have also worked closely with stakeholders, such as, the Refugee Council, to develop a dedicated referral process, so that women are formally referred to special counselling services where they disclose issues relating to sexual violence as part of their asylum claim.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-09-13.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average processing time is for cases handled by the Complex Casework Directorate.

Mr Robert Goodwill

The information requested on average processing time for cases handled by Complex Casework is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2015-11-18.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of people in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK between the ages of 16 and 21 who earn less than £7.65 per hour.

Mr Rob Wilson

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-02-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to provide certified copies of identity documents to visa applicants to support their applications to undertake an approved English language test.

James Brokenshire

There is no intention to change the current policy with regards to identity checks for Secure English Language Testing (SELT). Photocopies, whether certified or not, are not accepted when a candidate sits a test. Only original and valid documents are acceptable. This will allow test centre staff to confirm that the document is genuine and relates to the individual who is sitting the test.

The only acceptable forms of identification in the UK are:

• a passport or travel document;

• a EU Identity Card;

• a Biometric Residence Permit.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what plans she has to address market barriers to investment in large-scale and distributed electricity storage technologies.

Andrea Leadsom

A key objective of our £20m energy storage innovation programme is to strengthen investor confidence in energy storage at all scales. Overall, more than £80m of public sector controlled support has been committed to energy storage research, development and demonstration activities since 2012. This R&D activity has helped to raise the profile of storage and to demonstrate its capabilities to potential investors. In addition, my rt. hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer allocated at least £50m innovation funding to smart technologies, including storage, in the recent Budget.

The National Infrastructure Commission published a report, Smart Power, earlier in March. This included a recommendation to review the regulatory and legal status of storage and remove outdated barriers. The Department will implement this recommendation in full. We intend to publish a call for evidence on a smart systems route map, including storage, shortly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-04-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times on which dates in 2014 specialist contractors were used to facilitate the enforced return to Yemen of people from that country who had unsuccessfully claimed asylum in the UK.

James Brokenshire

All escorting services to facilitate enforced returns are provided by the Home Office’s main contractor, Tascor. In 2014, detainee custody officers from the Pilgrims Group, who are sub-contracted by Tascor were used on one occasion on 23rd July to facilitate the enforced return of an individual to Yemen.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alison Thewliss on 2016-06-24.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if the Government will bring forward proposals to underwrite all EU funding for projects in Scotland in response to the result of the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU.

Mr David Gauke

As the Prime Minister has made clear, while the UK remains a member of the EU, current EU funding arrangements continue unchanged. It will be for the new Government to begin the negotiation to leave, and set out arrangements for those currently in receipt of EU funds.