Written question asked by Lord Rosser (Labour) on Tuesday, 6 December 2022, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 20 December 2022. It was answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Conservative) on Tuesday, 20 December 2022 on behalf of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Resettlement: Hong Kong

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government how many British National (Overseas) nationals from Hong Kong have accessed Welcome Programme support since April 2021; and what has been the cost of this support from then to date.

Answer: The UK-wide Welcome Programme was launched in April 2021, providing a comprehensive support package with an easily accessible universal offer as its foundation, progressing to targeted support for those most in need. The universal offer is open to all BN(O) visa holders in the UK and includes a network of 12 virtual Welcome Hubs across the UK, funding for VCSE organisations to deliver national and regional projects and a comprehensive Welcome Pack on GOV.UK, at a combined cost of £12.1 million to date. The Programme also funds targeted support provided by local authorities on a demand-led basis for individuals requiring additional assistance. Through this, over 2000 BN(O)s have been supported with English language provision at up to £850 per person, at a cost of approximately £1.5 million to date. There have been no claims for destitution support to date.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: HL4068
Session: 2022-23
Subjects: Expenditure Hong Kong Visas British national (overseas) Resettlement
Contains statistics: Yes
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk