Written questions by Robinson.

If she will take steps to ensure that decisions on third country asylum applications are dealt with within 6 months.

We always aim to process inadmissibility decisions as promptly as possible.

How many applications were (a) received, (b) granted and (c) rejected for (i) asylum, (ii) Spousal Visas and (iii) Skilled Worker Visas in the last financial year.

The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visas by visa type, including Partner and Skilled Worker visas, in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D01’ whilst data on the outcomes of visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the ‘detailed entry clearance dataset’. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. Data is from January 2005 up to the end of March 2025.The Home Office also publishes data on the number of people claiming asylum and the number of initial decisions is published in tables Asy_D01 and Asy_D02 of the ‘Asylum claims and initial decisions detailed datasets’. The latest data relates to the year ending March 2025.

What steps her Department plans to take to improve the asylum system.

I refer the Hon Member to the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill introduced to Parliament on 30 January (Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill 2025 - GOV.UK.) and the Immigration White Paper published on 12 May (Restoring control over the immigration system: white paper - GOV.UK), both of which will drive forward the Government’s objectives to restore order to the asylum system, and cut costs it imposes on the taxpayer.

How many asylum applications were received in Northern Ireland in the last financial year.

Available data on people claiming asylum in the UK is published in table Asy_D01 of the ‘Asylum claims and initial decisions detailed datasets’. Data on asylum seekers in receipt of support by local authority is published in table Asy_D11 of the ‘Asylum support detailed datasets’.The latest data relates to the year ending March 2025 and as at 31 March 2025. Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbooks.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of banning the shooting of hares in their breeding season.

The Government considers the need for a close season for hares is justified more by animal welfare concerns than biodiversity and species conservation. In short, a close season should reduce the number of adult hares being shot in the breeding season, which runs from February to October, meaning that fewer leverets (infant hares) are left motherless and vulnerable to starvation and predation. A close season is also consistent with Natural England's advice on wildlife management that controlling species in their peak breeding season should be avoided unless genuinely essential and unavoidable. Defra Ministers therefore support the ambition to introduce a close season for hares in England and are considering how this can be brought forward.

How many asylum seekers processed had an application for asylum granted in another country in each of the last five years.

The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

If she will list by (a) age, (b) gender and (c) country the number of asylum claims granted protection to (i) asylum seekers who crossed the English Channel by sea and (ii) all asylum seekers in each of the last five years.

The Home Office publishes data on asylum, including by nationality, age and sex, in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on initial decisions of asylum claims, by the date of the decision, is published in table Asy_D02 of the ‘Asylum claims and initial decisions detailed datasets’. Data on initial decisions of asylum claims from small boat arrivals, by the date of arrival, is published in table Irr_D03 of the ‘Irregular migration to the UK detailed tables’ and by the date of decision in asylum summary tables Asy_02c and Asy_02d.Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbooks. The latest data relates to the year ending March 2025.

What assessment she has made of the merits of the further submissions criteria in the asylum system.

All Further submissions must be considered in line with the UK’s obligations to assess whether the additional evidence means that an individual requires protection.We aim to deal with further submission claims quickly so that there is no incentive to lodge spurious claims to frustrate removal.

How many asylum seekers subsequently submitted an application for family reunion by (a) age, (b) gender and (c) country of origin in each of the last five years; and how many family members were included in each application.

The Home Office publishes statistics relating to family visas in the Immigration system statistics publication. Data on family visas can be found in the Entry clearance visa data tables. Table Vis_D01 relates to applications of entry clearance visas granted for family reasons, by nationality. Data on family reunion grants by age and sex can be found in the family reunion detailed dataset.The Home Office does not publish statistics regarding sponsorship detail.

What steps her Department is taking to (a) enforce and (b) monitor the application of legislation on the rights of migrants to (i) rent and (ii) otherwise reside in Northern Ireland.

The Right to Rent Scheme (the Scheme) requires landlords and letting agents to check that prospective adult tenants have the relevant permission to access the private rental sector. The Scheme is in force in England only and has not been rolled out to the devolved nations and therefore does not apply to Northern Ireland. The Home Office continues to keep the Scheme’s operation under review.Immigration Enforcement teams are active in Northern Ireland as they are in the rest of the UK. As part of our Plan for Change, this government is cracking down on criminal industry at every level, including stepping up our visits to businesses where illegal working is taking place, and increasing our enforcement action both against illegal workers and the people who employ them in Northern Ireland.

With reference to the McCloud judgement [2018] EWCA Civ 2844, how many outstanding police pensions cases HMRC had yet to assess on 6 February 2025; and what HMRC's timetable is for the completion of this work.

HMRC is committed to providing a good customer service for individuals affected by the McCloud remedy. It is working closely with individual pension schemes to ensure they and their members have the support they need. For police, HMRC has received 662 and processed 136. HMRC has 526 police force cases which have been submitted and are yet to be processed. HMRC checks and processes the submissions based on the information provided and has 90 days in which to process a refund where applicable.

How many outstanding calculations remain for retired police officer pensions arising from the McCloud Judgement within each police force in the United Kingdom.

Calculations for the police pension scheme, including those related to the McCloud remedy, are produced for each scheme member by the relevant scheme administrator.While the Home Office has responsibility for overarching policy and legislative changes to the police pension regulations in England & Wales, the police pension scheme is locally administered by individual police forces. The devolved governments have overarching policy and legislative responsibility in Scotland and Northern Ireland.It is for each Chief Constable, in their role as scheme manager for their force, to determine their administrative timetable.The Home Office is actively collaborating with policing to support the effective implementation of the McCloud remedy for all affected individuals.

What steps his Department plans to take to increase the market for small (a) artisanal brewers, (b) distillers and (c) vintners.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) supports growth and increases the market for small brewers, distillers, and vintners by leveraging trade agreements, removing market entry barriers, and showcasing producers at global trade shows. We recently led a drinks trade mission to India and will support UK companies to participate in ProWein Dusseldorf in March 2025. DBT's Export Academy launched a food and drink programme in October, which offers upskilling opportunities for emerging and experienced brewers, distillers and vinters looking to grow through exports. DBT also works closely with trade bodies in each sector to drive growth and signpost export opportunities.

With reference to the press release of 14 November 2024 entitled PM boosts UK aerospace industry with £975 million to drive growth and jobs, how much of that funding will be spent in each of the devolved administrations.

The Budget confirmed £975m over 5 years to the Aerospace sector, which will be delivered through the Aerospace Technology Institute Programme. UK based industry applications for R&D co-investment from the Programme enter a competitive process. Competition for funding is fierce and only the best projects are selected: those that offer real innovation, reduced emissions, and tangible UK economic benefits. As the Programme is industry led and competitive the budget is not pre-allocated to regions or devolved administrations.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether obligated packaging producers will be required to pay Extended Producer Responsibility fees for packaging data submitted to his Department for 2024.

Yes. If the company is still a producer at the start of the 2025 assessment year then 2024 tonnage data will be used to calculate their obligation in 2025. This is in line with the current producer packaging recycling obligations that have been in place since 1997.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department plans to charge Extended Producer Responsibility fees retrospectively for obligated packaging producers.

No. The amounts of the fees are calculated by reference to producers’ activities in the previous year, they are not fees payable in arrears for that previous year.

What assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of (a) the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998 and (b) subsequent amendments to that Act; and how many prosecutions there have been under the Act in each year since it came into force.

The Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998 (as amended) currently provides an effective framework for managing public processions and related protests in Northern Ireland. As set out in the Stormont House and Fresh Start Agreements, any alternative arrangements for managing public processions in Northern Ireland would need to be agreed by the Northern Ireland Executive. Prosecutions under the Act are a matter for the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Public Prosecution Service.

If she will take steps to provide British citizenship to the children of British National (Overseas) passport holders from Hong Kong that are in the UK.

British National (Overseas) status holders who are on the BN(O) route in theUK may apply for British citizenship after 5 years’ qualifying residence, and being free from immigration time restrictions for a further year.Their children who have come to the UK as their dependants can apply when they meet the requirements.Children born to BN(O)s in the UK will be able to apply for registration as a British citizen once their parent becomes settled.

What his Department's budget is for armed forces (a) uniforms and (b) protective clothing in the 2024-25 financial year; and what the value is of orders placed with companies in Northern Ireland to provide (i) uniforms and (ii) protective equipment for the armed forces in the same period.

The Logistics Commodities and Services Transformation (LCST) budget for all Clothing Raw Materials and Consumables purchases in the 2024-25 financial year (FY) is £79.839 million. The value of orders placed with companies based in Northern Ireland for FY 2024-25 to date totals £16,441,905. We are forecast to spend an additional £11,755,371 for the remainder of the FY2024-25. It has not been possible to identify which items are classed as uniform or which are protective clothing within the timeframe permitted. Notes:This budget amount covers all uniforms and protective clothing purchased by Defence Equipment and Support through the LCST contract with Leidos Supply Limited across all Front Line Commands.This excludes items purchased directly by the Front Line Commands.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of pausing the implementation of the Extender Producer Responsibility scheme.

This Government is committed to Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) as a vital first step to cracking down on waste as we move towards a circular economy. It will create 21,000 jobs, stimulate more than £10 billion investment in the recycling sector over the next decade, and see packaging producers, rather than the taxpayer, cover the costs of managing waste. Delay to the implementation of the scheme would defer these environmental and economic benefits. We will continue to work closely with businesses on the implementation of this programme and provide them with the clarity they need to prepare.