Written questions by Naish.

Whether she will introduce an exemption from earnings requirement for indefinite leave to remain for persons who were (a) children or (b) enrolled in higher education for all or part of the relevant qualifying period.

The earned settlement model, proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026. The Immigration White Paper included a commitment to consult on these changes. The changes involve significant reforms to the settlement pathway, and it is right that we consult to assess their impact on affected groups. In the case of children, it is acknowledged that many of the requirements in the earned settlement mode– such as the mandatory earnings requirement or meeting an income threshold – cannot be met by those who may still be children at the point that their parents become eligible for settlement. At the same time, however, the introduction of an earned settlement system with a longer baseline qualifying period does bring into focus whether and how those who turn 18 during their parents’ qualifying period should be brought within earned settlement principles and be expected to qualify for settlement in their own right. The consultation questionnaire therefore includes questions seeking views on how dependants should be accommodated within an earned settlement system, and whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement. Details of the final earned settlement scheme will be finalised once the consultation has closed and the responses analysed.The government’s response to the consultation will be subject to economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.

How many persons who are HKSAR passport holders have claimed asylum in the UK in each of the last five calendar years; and how many were (a) granted refugee status, (b) granted humanitarian protection, (c) granted other leave, (d) refused and (e) withdrawn.

The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of people claiming asylum and initial decisions on asylum claims, by nationality, is published in tables Asy_D01 and Asy_D02 of the ‘Asylum claims and decisions detailed datasets’. The latest data relates to the year ending September 2025. Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook.There is no published breakdown available for HKSAR passport holders.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of having full transitional arrangements when introducing an earned settlement scheme.

The earned settlement model, proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026. The Immigration White Paper included a commitment to consult on these changes. The changes involve significant reforms to the settlement pathway, and it is right that we consult to assess their impact on affected groups. In the case of children, it is acknowledged that many of the requirements in the earned settlement mode– such as the mandatory earnings requirement or meeting an income threshold – cannot be met by those who may still be children at the point that their parents become eligible for settlement. At the same time, however, the introduction of an earned settlement system with a longer baseline qualifying period does bring into focus whether and how those who turn 18 during their parents’ qualifying period should be brought within earned settlement principles and be expected to qualify for settlement in their own right. The consultation questionnaire therefore includes questions seeking views on how dependants should be accommodated within an earned settlement system, and whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement. Details of the final earned settlement scheme will be finalised once the consultation has closed and the responses analysed.The government’s response to the consultation will be subject to economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.

What assessment she has made of the extent to which exclusions from the BN(O) visa route for Hong Kong born-persons born after 1 Just 1997 and without BN(O) status, contribute to HKSAR passport holders claiming asylum in the United Kingdom.

The BN(O) route reflects the UK’s historic and moral commitment to those people of Hong Kong who chose to retain their ties to the UK by taking up BN(O) status at the point of Hong Kong’s handover to China in 1997. To be eligible for the BN(O) route, applicants must have BN(O) status, or be the eligible family member of someone with BN(O) status. Adult children of BN(O) status holders who were born after 1 July 1997 are eligible for the route.The route is focused on those with BN(O) status and is already available to a significant proportion of the Hong Kong population. However, we understand concerns about the current scope of the route and so continue to keep this policy under review.We have not made an assessment of the number of Hong Kongers born on or after 1 July 1997 who are not eligible for the BN(O) route, or of the extent to which ineligibility for the BN(O) route may contribute to asylum claims. Asylum and the BN(O) route serve different purposes and operate independently.

Whether she will confirm that the current exemption from English language requirements for applicants aged 65 and over will be maintained for those applying for indefinite leave to remain.

The earned settlement model, proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026. The Immigration White Paper included a commitment to consult on these changes. The changes involve significant reforms to the settlement pathway, and it is right that we consult to assess their impact on affected groups. In the case of children, it is acknowledged that many of the requirements in the earned settlement mode– such as the mandatory earnings requirement or meeting an income threshold – cannot be met by those who may still be children at the point that their parents become eligible for settlement. At the same time, however, the introduction of an earned settlement system with a longer baseline qualifying period does bring into focus whether and how those who turn 18 during their parents’ qualifying period should be brought within earned settlement principles and be expected to qualify for settlement in their own right. The consultation questionnaire therefore includes questions seeking views on how dependants should be accommodated within an earned settlement system, and whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement. Details of the final earned settlement scheme will be finalised once the consultation has closed and the responses analysed.The government’s response to the consultation will be subject to economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that the Passport Office issues clear instructions for applying for a passport for an adopted foreign national.

All His Majesty’s Passport Office customer guidance is published on GOV.UK. The published guidance includes clear instructions on applying for a passport for an adopted foreign national at the following page: Getting a passport for your child: adopted or fosteredA customer would in the first instance, read Get a passport for your child: Apply for a first child passport, which provides wider instructions on applying for a passport for a child.HM Passport Office guidance is under continuous review in order to ensure it aligns with legislation and reflects the most up to date information.

What steps her Department is taking to improve mental health support and PTSD treatment services for serving and former police officers who have experienced trauma during their careers.

This Government is committed to supporting the mental and physical wellbeing of current and former police officers, and we are working closely with police leaders to ensure this.On 26 January 2026 we set out a comprehensive wellbeing package as part of our White Paper, “From Local to National: A New Model for Policing”. As that sets out, we will mandate overarching national wellbeing standards to ensure that every member of the workforce receives consistent support. We will also strengthen trauma prevention and early intervention, including ensuring protected time for trauma and suicide prevention training, rolling out tools to identify exposure to traumatic incidents, and developing new evidence-based trauma interventions. And we will expand the roll out of the dedicated Mental Health Crisis Line so all officers and staff, former and current, can access mental health support and have committed to its funding long term.We are continuing to provide funding to the National Police Wellbeing Service. The Service  provides evidence-based guidance, advice, tools and resources for forces, which helps Chief Constables in their duty to ensure the wellbeing of their workforce.

Whether her Department has made any assessment of the potential merits of lowering the costs of settlement visas for spouses of British citizens.

The Home Office keeps fees for immigration and nationality applications under regular review. Fees are set in accordance with the powers in Section 68 of the Immigration Act 2014, which allow the Department to take account of a range of factors, including the cost of processing applications, the benefits and entitlements associated with a successful application, and the wider costs of operating the migration and borders system.The Home Office does not make a profit from these fees; income generated above the estimated unit cost contributes to the operation of the migration and borders system, helping to reduce the burden on UK taxpayers.The earned settlement model, proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, is currently subject to public consultation, running until 12 February 2026. The consultation seeks views on the impact proposed changes might have on different groups. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following that consultation.The final model will also be subject to economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.

What steps her Department is taking to increase training and funding for police firearm licensing authorities.

The College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs Council have developed national training on firearms licensing. The Statutory Guidance on firearms licensing for Chief Officers of Police, most recently revised and strengthened on 5 August 2025, makes it clear that the training is mandatory for all police forces in England and Wales.The Government has taken action to increase the fees for firearms and shotgun licensing applications that are charged by police forces. On 5 February 2025, increased fees came into effect to provide full-cost recovery for firearms licensing applications processed by police forces. The extra income from fees will help police forces to better resource and train their firearms licensing teams. This was the first increase in fees for 10 years since 2015 and we intend to conduct more regular reviews of fees in the future.

Whether her Department has considered reclassifying date rape drugs such as flunitrazepam and gamma-hydroxybutyrate as weapons.

Gamma-Hydroxybutyric Acid (GHB) and Flunitrazepam are controlled drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. GHB, and the related substances Gamma-Butyrolactone (GBL) and 1,4-Butanediol (1,4-BD), were reclassified from Class C to Class B in 2022, in line with advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (‘ACMD’). Flunitrazepam is controlled as a Class C drug in common with other benzodiazepines. Ministers are obliged to consider advice from the ACMD before making to changes to the classification of drugs. The Government has no current plans to reclassify these drugs.

Whether her Department will make an assessment of the potential impact of new immigration rules on people who arrived under the Syrian Vulnerable Person Resettlement Programme.

In line with our Public Sector Equality Duty, Equality Impact Assessments are undertaken for new policies to ensure that there are no unintended or disproportionate impacts on people with protected characteristics. This includes consideration of nationalities.

What steps she is taking to (a) protect exiled Hong Kong activists from (i) threats and (ii) bounties issued under Hong Kong’s national security law and (b) ensure the right to freedom of expression in the United Kingdom.

The UK will always stand up for the rights of the people of Hong Kong and will not tolerate attempts by any foreign power to intimidate and silence individuals in the UK.While it is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on security and intelligence matters, wherever we identify such threats, we will use any and all measures, including through our world-class intelligence services, to mitigate the risk to individuals.The Hong Kong Police's issuing of arrest warrants and bounties encourages reckless behaviour on UK soil and damages Hong Kong's reputation. In July 2025, the Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary publicly condemned the Hong Kong police's targeting of individuals for exercising their right to freedom of expression and called on Beijing to repeal the National Security Law.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the UK Visas and Immigration account terms and conditions in relation to liability for losses arising from inability to access an eVisa.

We are committed to ensuring that the transition to eVisas is as smooth as possible for all status holders. The Home Office has a robust support model in place to facilitate this transition. There is no plan to change the UKVI Account Terms & Conditions. We already operate a process of ex gratia payments where the Home Office is found to be at fault, and this will not change with the introduction of eVisas. Our online immigration status services are designed to be highly resilient, with rigorous testing and concurrent services in place to ensure efficiency. We consistently monitor our online services to resolve any issues as quickly as possible. Where technical issues do arise, there are fallback provisions in place to enable status to be confirmed through alternative means such as the Home Office’s dedicated UK Visas and Immigration Resolution Centre which can assist users who are experiencing technical issues and where necessary, enable a person’s status to be verified through alternative means. On sharecode reliability, we have not identified problems with the share code mechanism itself. The system is designed to invalidate codes in the following circumstances:Expiry after 90 days – Share codes are time-limited to prevent indefinite access to personal immigration data.Status updates – If a user’s immigration status changes after a share code is generated, the code is invalidated to ensure that the migrant has had a chance to review and share the most current status.On carrier eVisa verifications, if someone’s carrier, for example, airline, rail company or other transport provider, is unable to check a person’s permission to travel to the UK, the carrier may contact the UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub for advice, 24/7. This service is for carriers only.We do not collect data on how many times people have been refused airline boarding and UK entry as a result of eVisa issues. This data would rely on either a customer or airline notifying the Home Office and therefore could not be classed as a reliable data source Information requested regarding the breakdown of reported eVisa issues is not available from published statistics. The relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.We have carefully considered possible options for offline backup versions of eVisas. Information on a printed document would not allow demonstration of real-time immigration status, and therefore is not a secure method of sharing and proving immigration status in a way that gives confidence to the user and the checker.

What steps she is taking to improve the reliability of eVisa share codes.

We are committed to ensuring that the transition to eVisas is as smooth as possible for all status holders. The Home Office has a robust support model in place to facilitate this transition. There is no plan to change the UKVI Account Terms & Conditions. We already operate a process of ex gratia payments where the Home Office is found to be at fault, and this will not change with the introduction of eVisas. Our online immigration status services are designed to be highly resilient, with rigorous testing and concurrent services in place to ensure efficiency. We consistently monitor our online services to resolve any issues as quickly as possible. Where technical issues do arise, there are fallback provisions in place to enable status to be confirmed through alternative means such as the Home Office’s dedicated UK Visas and Immigration Resolution Centre which can assist users who are experiencing technical issues and where necessary, enable a person’s status to be verified through alternative means. On sharecode reliability, we have not identified problems with the share code mechanism itself. The system is designed to invalidate codes in the following circumstances:Expiry after 90 days – Share codes are time-limited to prevent indefinite access to personal immigration data.Status updates – If a user’s immigration status changes after a share code is generated, the code is invalidated to ensure that the migrant has had a chance to review and share the most current status.On carrier eVisa verifications, if someone’s carrier, for example, airline, rail company or other transport provider, is unable to check a person’s permission to travel to the UK, the carrier may contact the UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub for advice, 24/7. This service is for carriers only.We do not collect data on how many times people have been refused airline boarding and UK entry as a result of eVisa issues. This data would rely on either a customer or airline notifying the Home Office and therefore could not be classed as a reliable data source Information requested regarding the breakdown of reported eVisa issues is not available from published statistics. The relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.We have carefully considered possible options for offline backup versions of eVisas. Information on a printed document would not allow demonstration of real-time immigration status, and therefore is not a secure method of sharing and proving immigration status in a way that gives confidence to the user and the checker.

Whether she has considered the merits of introducing an offline backup for e-visas.

We are committed to ensuring that the transition to eVisas is as smooth as possible for all status holders. The Home Office has a robust support model in place to facilitate this transition. There is no plan to change the UKVI Account Terms & Conditions. We already operate a process of ex gratia payments where the Home Office is found to be at fault, and this will not change with the introduction of eVisas. Our online immigration status services are designed to be highly resilient, with rigorous testing and concurrent services in place to ensure efficiency. We consistently monitor our online services to resolve any issues as quickly as possible. Where technical issues do arise, there are fallback provisions in place to enable status to be confirmed through alternative means such as the Home Office’s dedicated UK Visas and Immigration Resolution Centre which can assist users who are experiencing technical issues and where necessary, enable a person’s status to be verified through alternative means. On sharecode reliability, we have not identified problems with the share code mechanism itself. The system is designed to invalidate codes in the following circumstances:Expiry after 90 days – Share codes are time-limited to prevent indefinite access to personal immigration data.Status updates – If a user’s immigration status changes after a share code is generated, the code is invalidated to ensure that the migrant has had a chance to review and share the most current status.On carrier eVisa verifications, if someone’s carrier, for example, airline, rail company or other transport provider, is unable to check a person’s permission to travel to the UK, the carrier may contact the UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub for advice, 24/7. This service is for carriers only.We do not collect data on how many times people have been refused airline boarding and UK entry as a result of eVisa issues. This data would rely on either a customer or airline notifying the Home Office and therefore could not be classed as a reliable data source Information requested regarding the breakdown of reported eVisa issues is not available from published statistics. The relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.We have carefully considered possible options for offline backup versions of eVisas. Information on a printed document would not allow demonstration of real-time immigration status, and therefore is not a secure method of sharing and proving immigration status in a way that gives confidence to the user and the checker.

Whether she will (a) set and (b) publish service standards for responding to eVisa error reports.

We are committed to ensuring that the transition to eVisas is as smooth as possible for all status holders. The Home Office has a robust support model in place to facilitate this transition. There is no plan to change the UKVI Account Terms & Conditions. We already operate a process of ex gratia payments where the Home Office is found to be at fault, and this will not change with the introduction of eVisas. Our online immigration status services are designed to be highly resilient, with rigorous testing and concurrent services in place to ensure efficiency. We consistently monitor our online services to resolve any issues as quickly as possible. Where technical issues do arise, there are fallback provisions in place to enable status to be confirmed through alternative means such as the Home Office’s dedicated UK Visas and Immigration Resolution Centre which can assist users who are experiencing technical issues and where necessary, enable a person’s status to be verified through alternative means. On sharecode reliability, we have not identified problems with the share code mechanism itself. The system is designed to invalidate codes in the following circumstances:Expiry after 90 days – Share codes are time-limited to prevent indefinite access to personal immigration data.Status updates – If a user’s immigration status changes after a share code is generated, the code is invalidated to ensure that the migrant has had a chance to review and share the most current status.On carrier eVisa verifications, if someone’s carrier, for example, airline, rail company or other transport provider, is unable to check a person’s permission to travel to the UK, the carrier may contact the UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub for advice, 24/7. This service is for carriers only.We do not collect data on how many times people have been refused airline boarding and UK entry as a result of eVisa issues. This data would rely on either a customer or airline notifying the Home Office and therefore could not be classed as a reliable data source Information requested regarding the breakdown of reported eVisa issues is not available from published statistics. The relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.We have carefully considered possible options for offline backup versions of eVisas. Information on a printed document would not allow demonstration of real-time immigration status, and therefore is not a secure method of sharing and proving immigration status in a way that gives confidence to the user and the checker.

How many times people have been refused (a) airline boarding and UK entry as a result of eVisa verification problems since 1 January 2025.

We are committed to ensuring that the transition to eVisas is as smooth as possible for all status holders. The Home Office has a robust support model in place to facilitate this transition. There is no plan to change the UKVI Account Terms & Conditions. We already operate a process of ex gratia payments where the Home Office is found to be at fault, and this will not change with the introduction of eVisas. Our online immigration status services are designed to be highly resilient, with rigorous testing and concurrent services in place to ensure efficiency. We consistently monitor our online services to resolve any issues as quickly as possible. Where technical issues do arise, there are fallback provisions in place to enable status to be confirmed through alternative means such as the Home Office’s dedicated UK Visas and Immigration Resolution Centre which can assist users who are experiencing technical issues and where necessary, enable a person’s status to be verified through alternative means. On sharecode reliability, we have not identified problems with the share code mechanism itself. The system is designed to invalidate codes in the following circumstances:Expiry after 90 days – Share codes are time-limited to prevent indefinite access to personal immigration data.Status updates – If a user’s immigration status changes after a share code is generated, the code is invalidated to ensure that the migrant has had a chance to review and share the most current status.On carrier eVisa verifications, if someone’s carrier, for example, airline, rail company or other transport provider, is unable to check a person’s permission to travel to the UK, the carrier may contact the UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub for advice, 24/7. This service is for carriers only.We do not collect data on how many times people have been refused airline boarding and UK entry as a result of eVisa issues. This data would rely on either a customer or airline notifying the Home Office and therefore could not be classed as a reliable data source Information requested regarding the breakdown of reported eVisa issues is not available from published statistics. The relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.We have carefully considered possible options for offline backup versions of eVisas. Information on a printed document would not allow demonstration of real-time immigration status, and therefore is not a secure method of sharing and proving immigration status in a way that gives confidence to the user and the checker.

Whether she will publish quarterly breakdowns of eVisa issues by (a) category, (b) access failure, (c) incorrect data, (d) share-code errors and (e) outcomes.

We are committed to ensuring that the transition to eVisas is as smooth as possible for all status holders. The Home Office has a robust support model in place to facilitate this transition. There is no plan to change the UKVI Account Terms & Conditions. We already operate a process of ex gratia payments where the Home Office is found to be at fault, and this will not change with the introduction of eVisas. Our online immigration status services are designed to be highly resilient, with rigorous testing and concurrent services in place to ensure efficiency. We consistently monitor our online services to resolve any issues as quickly as possible. Where technical issues do arise, there are fallback provisions in place to enable status to be confirmed through alternative means such as the Home Office’s dedicated UK Visas and Immigration Resolution Centre which can assist users who are experiencing technical issues and where necessary, enable a person’s status to be verified through alternative means. On sharecode reliability, we have not identified problems with the share code mechanism itself. The system is designed to invalidate codes in the following circumstances:Expiry after 90 days – Share codes are time-limited to prevent indefinite access to personal immigration data.Status updates – If a user’s immigration status changes after a share code is generated, the code is invalidated to ensure that the migrant has had a chance to review and share the most current status.On carrier eVisa verifications, if someone’s carrier, for example, airline, rail company or other transport provider, is unable to check a person’s permission to travel to the UK, the carrier may contact the UK Border Force Carrier Support Hub for advice, 24/7. This service is for carriers only.We do not collect data on how many times people have been refused airline boarding and UK entry as a result of eVisa issues. This data would rely on either a customer or airline notifying the Home Office and therefore could not be classed as a reliable data source Information requested regarding the breakdown of reported eVisa issues is not available from published statistics. The relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.We have carefully considered possible options for offline backup versions of eVisas. Information on a printed document would not allow demonstration of real-time immigration status, and therefore is not a secure method of sharing and proving immigration status in a way that gives confidence to the user and the checker.

With reference to to project 12 of her Department's publication entitled Non-technical summaries for project licences granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act between January – March 2025, what the title is of the guidelines which specify the numbers of animals used in each study.

The legislation relating to placing a Medical Device on the market is The Medical Devices (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/1478/contents/made).We are working with regulators to see how advances in technology can and will reduce use and phase out use in some areas.Although much research can be done without using animals, there are still purposes where use of live animals is essential, as the complexity of whole biological systems cannot be reliably replicated using alternative methodologies. Animal testing is therefore often required by all global medicines regulators, including the UK’s Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).Applications for animal research must conform with all legal requirements set out in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. This includes, applying the principles of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement); the replacement of animals with alternatives, the reduction of the number of animals used to the minimum possible and the refinement of any techniques to reduce the harm suffered by the animals to the minimum.

With reference to project 12 of her Department's publication entitled Non-technical summaries for project licences granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act between January – March 2025, what the title is of the regulations for medical device testing that do not allow safety decisions to be made on non-animal systems alone.

The legislation relating to placing a Medical Device on the market is The Medical Devices (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/1478/contents/made).We are working with regulators to see how advances in technology can and will reduce use and phase out use in some areas.Although much research can be done without using animals, there are still purposes where use of live animals is essential, as the complexity of whole biological systems cannot be reliably replicated using alternative methodologies. Animal testing is therefore often required by all global medicines regulators, including the UK’s Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).Applications for animal research must conform with all legal requirements set out in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. This includes, applying the principles of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement); the replacement of animals with alternatives, the reduction of the number of animals used to the minimum possible and the refinement of any techniques to reduce the harm suffered by the animals to the minimum.