Written questions by Carden.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to immigration rules on people on current settlement pathways.

The earned settlement model, proposed in A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.Details of the earned settlement scheme, including any transitional arrangements for those already in the UK, will be finalised following that consultation.The final model will also be subject to economic and equality impact assessment, which we have committed to publish in due course.

Whether changes to immigration rules will apply retrospectively to BNO visa holders in the UK.

The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK.BN(O) visa holders will attract a 5-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after 5 years’ residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements.We are seeking views on earned settlement through the public consultation A Fairer Pathway to Settlement and will continue to listen to the views of Hong Kongers. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following that consultation, including when the Rules will apply from and any transitional arrangements that will apply.In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.

Pursuant to the Answer of 25 July 2025 to Question 68504 on Visas: Families, what her Department's timetable is for responding to the report by the Migration Advisory Committee entitled Family Route: Financial Requirements Review, published June 2025.

On 10 June the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) published their independent review of the financial requirements across the family routes. The report is now under review and we will respond in due course.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential implications for its policies of the report by the Migration Advisory Committee entitled Family Route: Financial Requirements Review, published June 2025.

On 10 June the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) published their independent review of the financial requirements across the family routes. The report is now under review respond in due course.

What steps she is taking to ensure that the national inquiry into group-based child sexual exploitation is (a) independent and (b) led by survivors.

As previously announced, the national inquiry will be established as an independent statutory inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005. While the Chair will determine the inquiry’s conduct and procedures, the Government remains firmly committed to placing victims and survivors at its heart. Further details, including the Terms of Reference, will be published in due course.

What assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of central funding for fire and rescue services in (a) Merseyside and (b) England.

Overall, fire and rescue authorities will receive around £2.87 billion in 2024/25. Decisions on how their resources are best deployed to meet their core functions are a matter for each fire and rescue authority based on its analysis of risk and local circumstances.The Home Office will continue to work closely with stakeholders across the sector to ensure fire and rescue services have the resources they need to protect communities.

What recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of funding for police training programmes.

The 2025-26 final police funding settlement provides funding of up to £19.6 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. This is an overall increase of up to £1.1 billion when compared to the 2024-25 settlement which equates to a 6% cash terms increase and 3.5% real terms.Decisions on how funding and resources are utilised are an operational matter for Chief Constables and locally elected Police and Crime Commissioners, who are best placed to make resourcing decisions within their communities based on their local knowledge and experience.

Whether her Department has had discussions with the Fire Brigades Union, in the context of the report entitled Dangerous cladding: the government’s remediation portfolio, published by the National Audit Office on 4 November 2024.

The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government is the lead on building remediation and is due to meet the Fire Brigades Union in the new year.

How much her Department has spent on consultancy fees in each year since 2021.

The Home Office holds information on consultancy fees and reports this in its Annual Report and Accounts.Refer to the links and pages below for the available published information that relates to consultancy spending.Pages 155-157 (Pages 159-161 on the pdf reader) of the 2023-24 Home Office Annual Report and AccountsHome Office Annual Report and Accounts 2023 to 2024 (publishing.service.gov.uk)Pages 173-175 of the 2022-23 Home Office Annual Report and AccountsHome Office Annual Report and Accounts 2022-2023 (publishing.service.gov.uk) Pages 107-108 of the the 2022-23 Home Office Annual Report and AccountsHome_Office_ARA_21-22_Final_-_Gov.uk.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk) Pages 99-101 of the 2020-21 Home Office Annual Report and AccountsHO annual report and accounts 2020-21 (publishing.service.gov.uk)Information relating to financial year 2024-25 will be available following the end of the financial year and once the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts have been laid before Parliament.Note that the Home Office reports by its financial year (April-March), rather than on a calendar year basis.