Written questions by Eastwood.

Whether her Department plans to introduce a legal requirement for people undertaking regulated activity to obtain an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service certificate with a barred list check.

Outside of specific sectors such as health and education, where Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks are mandated, the decision to carry out DBS checks lies with the employer. DBS checks apply in England and Wales; other parts of the UK have their own arrangements.Whilst some sectors do set requirements for enhanced checks for some roles and/or settings where regulated activity takes place. Home Office legislation around regulated activity and DBS checks only provides eligibility for checks; it does not make them a requirement.However, if an individual has been barred, then they will be committing a criminal offence if they knowingly engage, or seek to engage, in regulated activity with a vulnerable group from which they are barred. This is punishable by imprisonment and/or fine. The same is true for employers who knowingly employ somebody who is on the barred list. This is why employers are expected to undertake regular checks for those in regulated activity otherwise they risk committing that offence.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the barriers to employment faced by people with temporary immigration status under the Ukraine schemes.

I refer the Honourable Member to my answer given on 8 May 2025 to PQ UIN 49746.

What (a) mandatory and (b) voluntary registration processes are in place for businesses seeking to operate within the private security sector.

The Security Industry Authority (SIA) is a Home Office arm’s length body established by the Private Security Industry Act 2001 (PSIA) as the regulator of the private security industry. The SIA sets standards and licenses individuals seeking to perform certain licensable roles in private security. Licensing ensures individuals are appropriately trained, qualified, and vetted to ensure that they are ‘fit and proper’ to hold a licence.Businesses seeking to supply private security operatives under a contract for services must ensure all their partners, directors, managers and supervisors are licensed by the SIA, as well as any frontline staff who perform certain security roles specified in the Act (for example door supervisors and security guards).It is a criminal offence under s.3 of the PSIA for a person to engage in licensable conduct without a licence, and an offence under s.5 of that Act for a business to supply unlicensed security operatives to perform licensable activities.Businesses can also choose to sign up to the SIA’s voluntary quality assurance scheme, the Approved Contractor Scheme (ACS).

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policy of pausing indefinite Leave to Remain applications for Syrian families in the UK recent reports of sectarian and revenge violence in Syria.

Following the fall of the Assad regime, the Home Office withdrew the Country Policy Information Notes and guidance relating to Syria and has temporarily paused all asylum interviews and decisions. However, we continue to register new claims from Syrians in the UK who wish to claim asylum.The Country Policy and Information Team (CPIT) are continuing to monitor and review the situation in Syria. CPIT are gathering evidence from a wide range of reliable sources, including reputable media outlets; local, national and international organisations, including human rights organisations; and information from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.The pause is being kept under constant review and when there is a clear basis upon which to make decisions, we will resume the processing of them.

If she will take steps to create a visa scheme for Palestinians that is similar to the Ukraine Family Scheme.

Immediate family members of British citizens, and those settled in the UK, who wish to come and live in the UK and do not have a current UK visa can apply under one of the existing family visa routes. There are no plans to create a bespoke family reunion scheme at this stage.Further details are available here: https://www.gov.uk/uk-family-visa.We will accept applications, which would normally have to be made in the country where the person is living, at any of the UK’s Visa Application Centres.Visa Application Centres are open and operating in Egypt, in both Cairo and Alexandria, and Amman in Jordan.The FCDO is also providing consular assistance to those with British nationality, or dual nationality including British, who are in Gaza or who have left Gaza to a third country. Dual national British-Palestinians are not required to make a visa application as they have the right of abode in the UK. Our embassy staff are ready to provide support as appropriate.

What the average length of time asylum seeker families are spending in contingency accommodation is in (a) the UK and (b) Northern Ireland.

The Home Office does not publish information regarding the length of time spent in contingency accommodation by asylum seekers. This period of time is determined by a number of factors including overall demand and availability of dispersal accommodation a...

What guidance her Department issues on whether people living in the UK on a Graduate visa can start a Master’s degree while waiting for a decision in relation to their application for a Family visa.

The UK government website has guidance on all our immigration rules and criteria, including the requirements of the Student route and the study conditions of the Graduate route: Visas and immigration - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill on (a) free movement within the Common Travel Area and (b) the land border.

The Common Travel Area (CTA) supports the long-standing principle of free movement for British and Irish citizens between the UK, Ireland and the Crown Dependencies (Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man) and has been recognised in law since the 1920s. In support of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement there is no hard border and no immigration controls between Northern Ireland and Ireland and as part of the wider CTA arrangements the UK does not operate routine immigration controls on journeys made within the CTA. The details of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill and the assessment of the Bill’s impact will be set out in due course.

What her policy is on changes to the level of the baseline minimum salary for Skilled Worker visas.

The new Home Secretary will decide on the future of current Home Office policies in due course. Any changes will be announced to Parliament in the normal way.

What her policy is on whether social care workers should be able to bring their dependents to the UK on their visa.

The new Home Secretary will decide on the future of current Home Office policies in due course. Any changes will be announced to Parliament in the normal way.

What her policy is on changes to the level of the baseline minimum salary for family visas for spouses and partners.

The new Home Secretary will decide on the future of current Home Office policies in due course. Any changes will be announced to Parliament.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Seasonal Agricultural Workers scheme in Northern Ireland to include mushroom growers.

The Seasonal Worker visa allows workers to come to the UK for up to six months in any twelve month period to pick both edible and ornamental crops (e.g. fruit and flower picking). The list of eligible occupations covered by the route already includes mushroom pickers, as set out in paragraph SAW4.1(f)(vi) of Appendix Temporary Work - Seasonal Worker of the Immigration Rules.

If she will make an assessment of the impact of Electronic Travel Authorisation on tourism in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) Great Britain.

The Government is in the process of reviewing a number of Home Office policies including this one and will make a decision in due course.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing an exemption to the Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme for tourists travelling from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland.

The Government is in the process of reviewing a number of Home Office policies including this one and will make a decision in due course.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on the potential impact of the Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme on the tourism industry in Northern Ireland.

The Government is in the process of reviewing a number of Home Office policies including this one and will make a decision in due course.