The Government recently published a statutory code of practice on dismissal and re-engagement. The code will address the practice of fire and rehire, aiming to ensure that it is only ever used as a last resort, and that employees are properly consulted and treated fairly.

My colleagues and I meet regularly with business leaders and chair several groups bringing together government and industry on strategic issues relating to net zero.

This includes the Net Zero Council, with members representing leading global businesses. The Council last met just a few weeks ago.

Removing the bankers’ bonus cap was a decision made by the independent Prudential Regulation Authority, which has long said that the cap was completely ineffective; it did not limit pay or make banks safer.

The information requested could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

We aim to deliver a BRP within 7 working days of the immigration decision.

BRPs are produced at the secure delivery facility (Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA)) within 48 hours of the production request being made and are collected by our secure delivery partner the same day. Our secure delivery partner (Royal Mail Group) aims to attempt to deliver the BRPs within 48 hours of receipt of the BRPs. This equates to a minimum of 5 working days from date of production request being made to delivery of the BRP. We have added an additional 2 working days to the timeline advised to applicants to allow us to resolve any production issues.

During 2023, DVLA produced 99.6% of BRPs within 24 hours of the production request and 100% within 48 hours. In 2023, our Secure Delivery Partner attempted to deliver over 99% of BRPs within 48 hours.

The number and proportion of applications for spousal visas which were sponsored by a person earning less than £38,700 in the last 12 months does not form part of any current transparency data or migration statistics and is not published.

The transparency data does, however, include a range of processing data and the latest data can be found at: Migration transparency data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

The Home Office publishes data on health and care worker visas in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the outcomes of health and care visa worker visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the detailed entry clearance visas dataset.

Selecting ‘Skilled Worker – Health and Care’ from the visa type subgroup filter and ‘Dependant’ from the applicant type filter will output data on the dependants of health and care worker visa holders. Nationality and time frames can also be filtered.

Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates up to the end of September 2023.

To calculate the proportion of dependants of health and care worker visa holders, divide dependents by total applicants in a given time period.

The changes announced by the Home Secretary will be introduced in the spring and internal guidance will be issued to UK Visas and Immigration staff in due course.

The T2 Minister of Religion route does not have a salary threshold. Workers must receive pay and conditions at least equal to those given to settled workers in the same role and be compliant with, or exempt from, the national minimum wage. There are no plans to make any changes at this time.

The government remains committed to providing protection for vulnerable and at-risk people fleeing Afghanistan. However, the situation is complex and presents significant challenges, including how those who are eligible for resettlement in the UK can leave the country. This includes eligible immediate family members of those being resettled under the ACRS.

Individuals resettled under Pathway 2 of the ACRS will be granted refugee status in the UK and will be eligible to sponsor their immediate family under the government’s refugee family reunion scheme.

Individuals resettled under Pathway 1 and 3 will not be eligible for this scheme as they will not be granted refugee status. However, they may be
eligible to apply to sponsor family members under Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules. These Rules provide for a partner, dependent children and adult dependent relatives to apply to join, or stay with, a settled person in the UK.

For those evacuated from Afghanistan under ACRS P1 without their immediate family members, the Home Secretary has committed to establishing a route for separated families to be reunited. Further details will be provided in due course.

The government remains committed to providing protection for vulnerable and at-risk people fleeing Afghanistan. However, the situation is complex and presents significant challenges, including how those who are eligible for resettlement in the UK can leave the country. This includes eligible immediate family members of those being resettled under the ACRS.

Individuals resettled under Pathway 2 of the ACRS will be granted refugee status in the UK and will be eligible to sponsor their immediate family under the government’s refugee family reunion scheme.

Individuals resettled under Pathway 1 and 3 will not be eligible for this scheme as they will not be granted refugee status. However, they may be
eligible to apply to sponsor family members under Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules. These Rules provide for a partner, dependent children and adult dependent relatives to apply to join, or stay with, a settled person in the UK.

For those evacuated from Afghanistan under ACRS P1 without their immediate family members, the Home Secretary has committed to establishing a route for separated families to be reunited. Further details will be provided in due course.

There has not been an explicit assessment on the impact this has on people of Afghanistan; however, impact assessments regarding the Illegal Migration Act have been published on GOV. UK under Illegal Migration Bill: overarching documents - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

We published guidance called “Unable to travel to a Visa Application Centre to enrol biometrics (overseas applications)” in May 2023, which is available on Gov.UK. It sets out how we treat applicants who claim it is unsafe for them to travel to a visa application centre (VAC) to enrol their biometrics.

Caseworkers are tasked according to operational priorities. The number of applicants per caseworker is therefore variable.

Spending Review 2021 confirmed that since March 2021 the government will have committed a total of £30 billion of domestic investment for the green industrial revolution. Since then, the government has made new announcements that provide long-term certainty on our investment plans, including £6 billion for energy efficiency and up to £20 billion for Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage. On the 30^th March the government also set out further action to deliver net zero through its Powering Up Britain publication.

The UK regularly engages the Government of Pakistan at a senior level on the need to respect human rights and uphold the rule of law. Minister for South Asia, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, discussed the human rights situation with Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada on 30 January this year, and with Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on 14 December 2022. The British High Commission in Islamabad continues to engage on human rights with the Government of Pakistan, including on freedom of expression and media freedom. On 17 November 2022 the British High Commissioner discussed the issue of media freedom with Pakistan's Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Marriyum Aurangzeb.

We have frequent contact with the Government of Pakistan on a wide range of issues. We respect Pakistan's democratic system and do not interfere in its internal political affairs. We will continue to work with Pakistan to advance our shared priorities and interests, including the promotion of freedom of speech and human rights.

The UK condemned in the strongest terms the retaliatory incidents of violence by settlers against Palestinians, and we have stressed the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population. The Foreign Secretary echoed this message of de-escalation in his meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Cohen on 21 March. The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, set out the UK's position at the scenes of abhorrent violence in Huwarra in his 26 February statement on Twitter.