Tag: Stuart C. McDonald

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people of each nationality detained for over (a) six and (b) 12 months between 2005 and 2015 for the purpose of removal were successfully removed.

James Brokenshire

The table attached shows the number of people removed on leaving detention, by nationality who were held for over six and over twelve months.

Published statistics relating to immigration detention are only available from 2010 onwards. It is not possible to provide pre-2010 figures and this information could be provided only by examining individual case records, which would result in disproportionate cost.

The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics on the number of people detained in the United Kingdom for immigration purposes, within the Immigration Statistics release on the GOV.UK website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-09-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications were made by (a) EEA nationals for registration certificates and (b) EEA family members and extended family members for residence cards in each month since January 2016.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Data on the total number of EEA related applications made by people in the UK is published on a quarterly basis as part of the Migration Transparency Data release. The latest published figures (Q2 2016) can be found in the table ‘Temporary and permanent migration data’. See tab InC-01a. This data can be accessed via the link below.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/temporary-and-permanent-migration-data-august-2016

With regards to the online processing of EEA applications, UK Visas & Immigration is undertaking a programme of transformation of which digitisation is a core part. UKVI is working towards digitising all application routes from existing methods of applying by paper for applicants from within and outside of the UK. The intention is to enable customers to apply online across the services and immigration routes in a straight-forward and customer-focused way.

The online application service Access UK first launched for visit visa customers in China in June 2014, and has subsequently been rolled out to 180 countries globally for overseas visit routes in more than 15 languages. For those already in the UK, Access UK has launched for customers applying for tier 2 (work) and tier 4 (study) extensions and is preparing for further services to go online. UKVI is currently trialling the online service for some EEA applicants. As the programme matures we expect benefits to security, customer service and efficiencies to be identified and realised.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-01-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many refused asylum seekers were granted, continued on, or were reinstated onto support under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 in Scotland after lodging an appeal with the First-tier Tribunal (Asylum Support) in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15.

James Brokenshire

This information is not recorded centrally and is not readily available. It could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-02-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what profit has been made by the three contractors and sub-contractors under the provision of contracts for asylum accommodation since the contract with Compass began in 2012-13.

James Brokenshire

The Home Office is unable to release details of the profit / loss made against specific contracts as this information is commercially sensitive.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what independent scrutiny her Department commissioned of reports of invalid and questionable results in English Language tests conducted by ETS.

James Brokenshire

We are disappointed by the decision of the recent Upper Tribunal. Once we have the full determination we will carefully consider next steps, including appealing the decision.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-04-08.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has issued to caseworkers on handling applications from international students to study at UK colleges and universities in a way that ensures the applicants are not disadvantaged by accusation of fraud in English language tests made by ETS.

James Brokenshire

UK Visas and Immigration caseworkers were issued with guidance on how to handle applications made by international students who had taken ETS English language tests in February 2014. This guidance has been updated as required. This is part of the reasonable and proportionate action we have taken in response to the clear evidence provided by ETS to identify those who had sought to profit from abuse of the English language testing system. The guidance does not disadvantage students who obtained an ETS test certificate properly, but ensures that due scrutiny is being applied by caseworkers where individuals have been identified as having obtained invalid test certificates.

We received the determination in the case of Qadir and SM from the Upper Tribunal on 8 April, providing full reasons for the summary decision handed down on 23 March. Although the Upper Tribunal found that the Home Office did discharge the evidential burden on it in establishing fraud at ETS test centres and that each appellant would need to establish an innocent explanation, it went on to allow the appeals. We are disappointed by the decision and we are currently reviewing it with a view to challenging before the Court of Appeal. Given this, there are no current plans to issue further updated guidance to caseworkers following the recent Upper Tribunal determination.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-05-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people of each nationality were held in detention for over (a) six and (b) 12 months between 2005 and 2015 for the purpose of removal.

James Brokenshire

The table attached shows the number of people removed on leaving detention, by nationality who were held for over six and over twelve months.

Published statistics relating to immigration detention are only available from 2010 onwards. It is not possible to provide pre-2010 figures and this information could be provided only by examining individual case records, which would result in disproportionate cost.

The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics on the number of people detained in the United Kingdom for immigration purposes, within the Immigration Statistics release on the GOV.UK website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-09-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the feasibility of processing applications for registration certificates and residence cards through an online system; and if she will estimate the potential savings in administration costs to the public purse of such a system.

Mr Robert Goodwill

Data on the total number of EEA related applications made by people in the UK is published on a quarterly basis as part of the Migration Transparency Data release. The latest published figures (Q2 2016) can be found in the table ‘Temporary and permanent migration data’. See tab InC-01a. This data can be accessed via the link below.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/temporary-and-permanent-migration-data-august-2016

With regards to the online processing of EEA applications, UK Visas & Immigration is undertaking a programme of transformation of which digitisation is a core part. UKVI is working towards digitising all application routes from existing methods of applying by paper for applicants from within and outside of the UK. The intention is to enable customers to apply online across the services and immigration routes in a straight-forward and customer-focused way.

The online application service Access UK first launched for visit visa customers in China in June 2014, and has subsequently been rolled out to 180 countries globally for overseas visit routes in more than 15 languages. For those already in the UK, Access UK has launched for customers applying for tier 2 (work) and tier 4 (study) extensions and is preparing for further services to go online. UKVI is currently trialling the online service for some EEA applicants. As the programme matures we expect benefits to security, customer service and efficiencies to be identified and realised.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-01-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum decisions identified as critically flawed in her Department’s Quality Audit in the last 12 months were (a) reconsidered by officials as a consequence of that finding, (b) overturned as a result of that reconsideration and (c) overturned on appeal.

James Brokenshire

In the twelve months to September 2015 a total of 29,246 asylum decisions were made. Over the same period, 4 asylum decisions were identified as critically flawed by the Department’s Quality Audit team of which;

a) all were reviewed as a result of the assessment,

b) 3 were overturned as a result of that reconsideration and;

c) none have to date been overturned at appeal.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stuart C. McDonald on 2016-02-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been accommodated in temporary dispersal accommodation under a contract with Compass for the provision of asylum accommodation in each Compass region in each month since April 2015.

James Brokenshire

The Home Office does not centrally record the number of people accommodated in temporary dispersal accommodation each month and such information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.