Written questions by Naish.

Whether she has considered granting British National (Overseas) visa holders parity with EU nationals who retain a five-year route to settled status under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.

The Government is committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK and those who may come here in future.Further details of all measures announced in the Immigration White Paper will be set out in due course.We regularly engage with representatives of the Hong Kong diaspora in the UK on issues related to the BN(O) visa and will continue to do so.

Whether she plans to bring forward secondary legislation to mandate (a) GPS and (b) ATV security measures on farm equipment under the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023.

We are committed to implementing the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023, which aims to prevent the theft and re-sale of high-value equipment, particularly for use in an agricultural setting.The Act will help prevent equipment being stolen, make it harder for criminals to sell on stolen quad bikes and All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), and assist the police with identifying owners of stolen equipment. I know that thefts of removable GPS units are increasing, and these systems are vital for farming, which is why there is scope for these devices to be included in this legislation.The Act requires secondary legislation before it can come into effect. I am carefully considering the views of those who may be affected by the legislation and its regulations, to understand the potential implications and determine the scope of the legislation. The Government response to the Call for Evidence on the scope of the legislation will be published in due course.

Whether she plans to allocate rural crime teams in each police force.

This financial year the Home Office will be providing the first funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (NRCU) as well as continuing funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). The funding boost of over £800,000 will help the units tackle those crimes that predominantly affect our rural communities.The Government is committed to strong neighbourhood policing for everyone in England and Wales, wherever they live – including those in our rural communities. The Neighbourhood Policing Programme has been given £200m for 2025/2026. Individual forces will decide how best to spend their allocation of this funding to recruit a workforce mix tailored to suit their local context and operational needs, informed by a force-level understanding of these priorities and objectives.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending British National (Overseas) nationality status to BN(O) visa holders' dependents residing in the United Kingdom.

Registration for British National (Overseas) status closed on 1 July 1997 and no new applications can now be made. BN(O) visa holders’ dependants who are on the BN(O) route in the UK may apply for British citizenship after 5 years’ qualifying residence, and being free from immigration time restrictions for a further year.

Pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2025 to Question 36235 on Oppression: China, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the redevelopment of a Chinese embassy in London on the ability of Hong Kong nationals in the UK to exercise their right to (a) free speech and (b) peaceful protest since 6 March 2025.

The management and safety of demonstrations is an operational matter for the police, and the Metropolitan Police Service have provided their assessment of the potential management of protests outside Royal Mint Court in their submission to the Planning Inquiry.

With reference to para. 266 of the White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, what her Department's timetable is for the consultation on changes to the (a) points-based system and (b) qualifying period for visas.

We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year and further details on the proposed scheme will be provided at that time.

What recent discussions her Department has had with representatives of the Hong Kong diaspora in the UK on barriers to (a) eligibility and (b) meeting settlement requirements under the BN(O) visa scheme.

The Government is committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK and those who may come here in future.Further details of all measures announced in the Immigration White Paper will be set out in the normal way in due course, and where necessary, will be subject to consultation.We regularly engage with representatives of the Hong Kong diaspora in the UK on issues related to the BN(O) visa and will continue to do so.

What assessment she has made of trends in the level of use of diplomatic premises in the UK to (a) monitor and (b) intimidate members of diaspora communities; and what safeguards are in place to prevent such activity.

Diplomatic activity in the UK is governed through the principles of the Vienna Conventions which allows for legitimate diplomatic activity. Where we find evidence of any activity that goes beyond what is accredited for, this could invalidate the accreditation, and the UK would take appropriate action.While it is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on security and intelligence matters, where we identify such threats, we are front footed in deploying protective measures as appropriate.If individuals think they are a victim of state directed activity, they should report this to police via the established mechanisms 101, 999, or at a local police station.

If she will relax the 90-day absence rule for British National (Overseas) visa holders for exceptional circumstances for visa holders from Hong Kong.

British Nationals (Overseas) who wish to become British citizens can apply for registration under section 4(2) of the British Nationality Act 1981. There is some discretion over the requirement not to have been outside the UK for more than 90 days in the final year of the residential qualifying period. Published guidance sets out when that discretion would normally be exercised.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure that individuals prosecuted under the Hong Kong National Security Law are not unfairly excluded from access to the British Nationals (Overseas) visa scheme.

The Home Office considers all applications for UK visas on their individual merits. Suitability requirements apply to all routes and must be met in addition to validity and eligibility requirements. The Immigration Rules part 9: grounds for refusal (Immigration Rules - Immigration Rules part 9: grounds for refusal - Guidance - GOV.UK) has further detail as to when an application for entry clearance, permission to enter or permission to stay must be refused on criminality grounds. In addition, further information on how overseas convictions and offences not recognised in the UK are considered for applications submitted specifically under the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) route can be found in the published casework guidance - Hong Kong British National (Overseas) route. Guidance for caseworkers provides flexibility to ensure that overseas convictions and offences not recognised in the UK do not result in the automatic refusal of a HK BN(O) route application.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of increasing the qualifying period for settlement under the BNO visa scheme from five years to ten years on those visa holders, in the context of concerns raised by Hong Kong Watch in their letter to the Secretary of State for the Home Department of 12 May 2025.

The Government is committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK and those who may come here in future.Further details of all measures announced in the Immigration White Paper will be set out in the normal way in due course, and where necessary, will be subject to consultation.We regularly engage with representatives of the Hong Kong diaspora in the UK on issues related to the BN(O) visa and will continue to do so.

If her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the duration of the Ukrainian Visa scheme for Ukrainian national visa holders with children currently working towards GCSE or A Level qualifications in the UK.

The Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme, which opened on 4 February 2025, enables Ukrainians who have been provided sanctuary here in the UK to apply for a further 18 months’ permission to remain. The scheme provides the same rights and entitlements to access work, benefits, healthcare and education as the other Ukraine schemes.We keep the Ukraine schemes under continuous review in line with the ongoing conflict and the Ukrainian government’s desire for the future return of its citizens to Ukraine. This is why the Ukraine Schemes remain temporary.The Home Office is mindful of the importance of continuity of education and my officials are exploring options so that more clarity can be provided.

If she will commit to keeping the BN(O) visa route open to new applicants at least until the Chinese government enters a state of full compliance with the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

The Government is committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK and those who may come here in future. We keep all aspects of the immigration system under review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders.

Whether she plans to review her Department's guidance on British Nationals (Overseas) visa applications from people with political detention histories in Hong Kong.

The Government is committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK and those who may come here in future. We keep all aspects of the immigration system under review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders.

If she will bring forward legislative proposals to introduce a distinct form of nationality status for children born in the UK to British Nationals (Overseas) visa holders.

The Government is committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK and those who may come here in future. We keep all aspects of the immigration system under review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of her Department's publication entitled Restoring control over the immigration system: white paper, published on 12 May 2025, on the ability to fill vacancies in social care.

We hugely welcome the contribution of overseas care workers, but it is important that long-term plans are drawn up to train homegrown talent into the care sector.   As outlined in the ‘Restoring Control over the Immigration System - Technical Annex’, it is estimated there will be an annual reduction of approximately 7,000 main applicants resulting from the removal of Care and Senior Care worker occupations from the Health and Social Care routeTo manage this change, there will be a transitional period until 2028.Many care workers arriving on this route have been widely exploited, with tens of thousands displaced and promised jobs that did not materialise. They will be given the opportunity to do the jobs they were promised, alongside the development of future workforce plans.The White Paper sets out a number of reforms to the immigration system which will be implemented in a phased way. Each measure will be subject to an impact assessment when they are brought into force.

With reference to her Department's White Paper entitled Restoring Control over the Immigration System, published on 12 May 2025, whether changes to English language requirements from B1 to B2 level will apply to holders of pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme intending to apply for (a) settled status and (b) British citizenship.

Further details of all the measures announced in the White Paper will be set out in due course, and where necessary, subject to consultation.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of her Department's publication entitled Restoring control over the immigration system: white paper, published on 12 May 2025, on the Government's commitment to supporting Ukrainian refugees to resettle in the UK.

Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the UK has offered sanctuary to over 300,000 Ukrainians and their families, thanks to the generosity of the British public. We have always been clear that the Ukraine Schemes are temporary and do not lead to settlement in the UK. Similarly, time spent in the UK with permission granted under the Ukraine Schemes cannot be relied upon towards the continuous qualifying period for the purposes of a Long Residence application. We keep the Ukraine schemes under continuous review in line with the ongoing conflict and the Ukrainian government’s desire for the future return of its citizens to Ukraine. Ukrainians in the UK under one of the Ukraine Schemes can apply to extend their permission by up to an additional 18 months through the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme, which opened to applications on 4 February 2025. The scheme provides the same rights and entitlements to access work, benefits, healthcare and education as the current Ukraine schemes. There are other routes available for those who wish to settle in the UK permanently, if they meet the requirements.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposed changes to English language and family migration requirements on the ability of (a) BN(O) visa holders and (b) people hold full British citizenship to bring dependents to live with them in the UK.

The Home Office will publish all relevant assessments relating to measures announced in the Immigration White Paper when further details of those measures are set out in due course.

With reference to her Department's White Paper entitled Restoring Control over the Immigration System, published on 12 May 2025, whether these changes will apply to British National (Overseas) visa holders.

Settlement in the UK is a prerequisite for becoming a British citizen and brings lifelong benefits. Settlement is also an important step in integrating and contributing to local communities and the wider country. We will therefore reform the current rules around settlement so that individuals must earn their right to privileged immigration status in the UK through the long-term contribution they bring to our country. We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year and will provide details of how the scheme will work after that, including which immigration routes it will apply to.