Written questions by Chope.

What the status is of the recruitment exercise which closed in November 2024 for Judges of the First-Tier Tribunal; how many applications were received; and how many appointments have been made (a) in total, (b) to the Social Entitlement Tribunal, (c) to the Health Education and Social Care Tribunal, (d) to the Immigration and Asylum Tribunal and (e) to the War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Tribunal.

The recruitment for salaried judges of the First-tier Tribunal (FtT) closed for applications in November 2024. The recruitment for fee-paid judges of the First-tier Tribunal closed for applications in June 2024. Both exercises included recruitment for judges to be assigned to the Immigration and Asylum Chamber (IAC), Social Entitlement Chamber (SEC), Health, Education and Social Care Chamber (HESC) and War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Chamber (WPAFCC).Following appointment, assignment to specific First-tier Tribunal Chambers is the responsibility of the Senior President of Tribunals. This process is still underway for both the salaried and fee-paid appointments and so we cannot confirm the final numbers. It is also not yet known how many judges will be assigned to the IAC from both the fee-paid and salaried exercises.The independent Judicial Appointments Commission publishes updated data quarterly on applications and the number of selections made for appointment once recruitment is completed: Completed exercises 2022-2025 - Judicial Appointments Commission. Information on the number of judges in post, leavers, new appointments and promotions is published annually at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/judicial-diversity-statistics.To increase IAC capacity, further specific recruitment for up to 70 IAC fee paid judges of the First-tier Tribunal recruitment is underway and recruitment for up to 30 IAC salaried judges of the First-tier Tribunal will commence shortly this calendar year.

Pursuant to the Answer of 21 July 2025 to Question 68347 on Immigration: Appeals, when the recruitment exercise commenced in 2024 for the First Tier Tribunal will be completed; and how many vacant posts at the Immigration and Asylum Tribunal will (a) be filled and (b) remain unfilled.

The recruitment for salaried judges of the First-tier Tribunal (FtT) closed for applications in November 2024. The recruitment for fee-paid judges of the First-tier Tribunal closed for applications in June 2024. Both exercises included recruitment for judges to be assigned to the Immigration and Asylum Chamber (IAC), Social Entitlement Chamber (SEC), Health, Education and Social Care Chamber (HESC) and War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Chamber (WPAFCC).Following appointment, assignment to specific First-tier Tribunal Chambers is the responsibility of the Senior President of Tribunals. This process is still underway for both the salaried and fee-paid appointments and so we cannot confirm the final numbers. It is also not yet known how many judges will be assigned to the IAC from both the fee-paid and salaried exercises.The independent Judicial Appointments Commission publishes updated data quarterly on applications and the number of selections made for appointment once recruitment is completed: Completed exercises 2022-2025 - Judicial Appointments Commission. Information on the number of judges in post, leavers, new appointments and promotions is published annually at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/judicial-diversity-statistics.To increase IAC capacity, further specific recruitment for up to 70 IAC fee paid judges of the First-tier Tribunal recruitment is underway and recruitment for up to 30 IAC salaried judges of the First-tier Tribunal will commence shortly this calendar year.

How many courts hear First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum) appeals; and how many are fully funded to operate throughout the year.

The First-tier Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber (FtTIAC) has 83 tribunal hearing rooms across the United Kingdom and has access to shared court rooms in other jurisdictions. Utilisation of this space is dependent on a number of factors including the volume of ‘in person’ versus ‘remote’ hearings scheduled, budgetary allocations, the requirement for judges to sit at satellite venues and available staffing and judicial resource.The FtTIAC is currently funded to sit to maximum levels based on available judicial capacity.

How many appeals to the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum) were outstanding on 30 September (a) 2025, (b) 2024 and (c) 2023.

The number of open cases in the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) is published in table FIA4 of the Tribunals Statistics quarterly tables and more recently monthly data in table 3 of the HMCTS management information.Figures covering up to September 2025 are scheduled for publication on 11 December 2025.

If he will make his policy that witnesses giving evidence at hearings of the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum) should do so under oath.

As an issue of tribunal procedure, giving evidence under oath would be a matter for judicial consideration. Rule 14(3) of the Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) already provides that the tribunal may require evidence to be given under oath.Additionally, a witness statement, the equivalent of the oral evidence which the witness would, if called, give in evidence must always include a statement by the intended witness in their own language that they believe the facts in it are true.

For what reason is the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum) at Taylor House Tribunal Hearing Centre on Rosebery Avenue, London, is restricted from using more than 20 of its 27 courts on average during the year; and what would be the additional cost of allowing all of its 27 courts to be used.

The First-tier Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber (FtTIAC) is currently sitting to maximum levels possible based on available judicial capacity.The FtTIAC has 27 hearing rooms available to list into at the Taylor House Tribunal Hearing Centre. Utilisation of this space is dependent on a number of factors including the volume of ‘in person’ versus ‘remote’ hearings scheduled, budgetary allocations, the requirement for judges to sit at satellite venues and available staffing and judicial resource.Work is ongoing to increase capacity through recruitment of Judges and support staff. Judicial recruitment exercises which commenced in 2024 for the First-tier Tribunal, including the IAC, are ongoing with appointments due later this year and we are working to grow capacity further across future years. As additional Judges begin to sit we expect to see higher levels of listing across the FtTIAC estate.

What assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the High Court Enforcement Officers Association's report entitled Possessions - Transferring Up, published in October 2025.

The Government has noted the findings of the High Court Enforcement Officer Association’s recent report about the process for transferring possession cases to the High Court for enforcement by High Court Enforcement Officers and is considering its recommendations.

If he will make it his policy that requests by district judges to transfer up to the High Court for enforcement should always be allowed (a) where the County Court bailiff delay locally is three months or more and (b) where it is possible that reasonable force may have to be used.

The Government has noted the findings of the High Court Enforcement Officer Association’s recent report about the process for transferring possession cases to the High Court for enforcement by High Court Enforcement Officers and is considering its recommendations.

In how many cases before the (a) First-Tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum) and (b) Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) has the applicant been in receipt of legal aid in the last 12 months for which information is available.

The information requested is not held centrally.

How many appeals heard at the First-Tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum) were on the grounds that removal of the appellant from the UK was unlawful under the Human Rights Act 1998 in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available; and how many of those appeals were successful in each of those months.

The number of human rights appeals (those lodged on human rights grounds) determined by the Immigration and Asylum Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal and the number of those that were successful and allowed by the Tribunal can be found in the following table:Table 1. First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) - Number of appeals determined at hearing or on paper for Human Rights Appeals, April 2024 to March 2025(1) YearMonthDetermined at hearings / papersAllowed/Granted2024April7984022024May7784142024June7223522024July7273832024August5963062024September6172982024October7103752024November5222402024December4772342025January4912492025February5502782025March592259 The table shows the latest 12 months of available data. Published statistics can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunals-statistics-quarterly-january-to-march-2025.

How many appeals heard at the First-Tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum) were on the grounds that removal of the appellant from the UK would breach the UK’s obligations under the Refugee Convention in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available; and how many of those appeals were successful in each of those months.

The number of asylum, protection and revocation of protection appeals (those lodged on grounds relating to breach of the UK’s Refugee Convention obligations) determined by the Immigration and Asylum Chamber of the First-tier Tribunal and the number of those that were successful and allowed by the Tribunal can be found in the following table:Table 1. First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) - Number of appeals determined at hearing or on paper for Asylum/Protection/Revocation of Protection(1), April 2024 to March 2025(2)YearMonthDetermined at hearings / papersAllowed/Granted2024April6913182024May8323602024June7873782024July1,0064882024August8634222024September9944472024October1,1745782024November1,1985342024December9924382025January1,0854792025February1,2165132025March1,301553 The table shows the latest 12 months of available data. Published statistics can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunals-statistics-quarterly-january-to-march-2025.

How many people have applied for appointment as a (a) First-Tier Tribunal Judge (Immigration and Asylum) and (b) Upper Tribunal Judge (Immigration and Asylum) in the last 12 months; and how many of those applications (i) were successful, (ii) were rejected and (iii) are outstanding.

We are maintaining investment in the annual recruitment of about 1,000 judges and tribunal members across all courts and tribunals.Recruitment was completed in 2024 for salaried and fee-paid judges of the FTT, including for the IAC, and for salaried and fee-paid judges of the Upper Tribunal IAC. Deployment to a specific FTT chamber is the responsibility of the Senior President of Tribunals.The independent Judicial Appointments Commission publishes data once recruitment is completed: https://judicialappointments.gov.uk/completed-exercises/.Information on the number of judges in post, leavers, new appointments and promotions is published annually at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/judicial-diversity-statistics.Recruitment exercises which commenced in 2024 for the First-tier Tribunal, including the IAC, are ongoing, with recommendations due later this year. Further recruitment will commence later in 2025. There is no ongoing or currently planned recruitment to the Upper Tribunal IAC.

How many Albanian nationals (a) have been sentenced to imprisonment in the last 12 months, (b) are in prison, (c) have been released in the last 12 months and (d) have been deported to Albania in the last 12 months.

Nationality data held by courts is not held centrally by the Ministry of Justice. We are therefore unable to provide information on how many Albanian nationals have been sentenced to imprisonment at court in the last 12 months. We have instead provided information on sentenced prison admissions for Albanian nationals between April 2023 and March 2024 (the latest 12 months published period). This information has been provided in the data attached.The nationality of foreign national offenders in prison is published quarterly in table 1_Q_12 of Offender Management Statistics, with the latest data (30 June 2024) available from: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66a1167cce1fd0da7b592c8d/Prison-population-30-June-2024.ods. As of 30 June 2024, there were 1,227 Albania nationals in HMPPS custody. We have provided information on prisoner releases of Albanian nationals between April 2023 and March 2024 (the latest 12 months published period). This information has been provided in the data attached. Please note, not all these were released into the UK community: the number of prisoner releases includes those who were deported to Albania directly from prison, having completed their UK custodial sentence, and those who were transferred from prison to Albania to serve their prison sentence there.Information on deportations is a matter for the Home Office.Foreign nationals who commit crimes should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced, and where appropriate the Government will pursue their deportation and ensure the rules are respected and enforced. This will help to manage prison pressures, keep the public safe and reduce crime. The Government have already begun delivering a major surge in immigration enforcement and returns activity to remove people with no right to be in the UK, with 3,000 people already being returned since the new government came into power.