Passports: Dual Nationality
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps are being taken to ensure that, following the changes to dual-nationality, processing times and document requirements for passport applications remain consistent.
There have been no changes to the customer guidance for when to expect to receive a passport, or any additional evidence required in support of a passport application, following the enforcement of Electronic Travel Authorisation in February 2026.
Immigration: Applications
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made any assessment of the financial impact on students and families that experienced delays in the processing of initial BN(O) Visa applications, and/or delays in processing indefinit
There is a published service standard of 12 weeks for straightforward applications under the Hong Kong BN(O) Visa and Leave to Remain routes. For applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain the service standard for straightforward applications is 6 months...
Q Manivannan
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the immigration status of Q Manivannan MSP, and what type of visa does Q Manivannan currently hold.
The Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases or disclose personal immigration details.
Visas: Political Parties
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the policy of the Home Office on (a) awarding and (b) extending visas to foreign citizens who have been elected in the United Kingdom as an elected representative to a local authority or devol
The Home Office does not operate a specific immigration route or policy for foreign nationals elected to public office in the United Kingdom.Individuals must qualify for permission to enter or remain under the Immigration Rules in their own right, and the...
Visas
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of immigration from people who do not have visa-free access to the UK in their home country but use golden visa arrangements to enter through a thir
‘Golden visas’ do not in themselves confer nationality, and thus do not automatically grant visa-free access to the UK. They grant residence in the issuing country only. While such schemes do carry risk as they can lead to the granting of citizenship over...
Great Lakes Region: Ebola
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support (a) the Democratic Republic of the Congo and (b) Uganda to manage Ebola outbreaks.
I refer the Hon. Member to the written statement I made to the House on 21st May (HCWS60).
Uganda: Ebola
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made on the potential merits of issuing travel guidance for people travelling to Uganda covering Ebola.
I refer the Hon. Member to my statement to the House on 21 May (HCWS60).
Somaliland: Commonwealth and Recognition of States
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to support Somaliland in achieving (a) international recognition and (b) membership of the Commonwealth.
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 2 February in response to Question 108575.
Homicide: Children
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what measures the Government is taking to oppose and denounce the use of the death penalty for child executions in other countries.
The UK continues to oppose the use of capital punishment in all circumstances, including in cases involving child executions, and we regularly make representations to other countries on this issue. We particularly deplore any failure to observe the releva...
International Humanitarian Law
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to promote international humanitarian law abroad.
I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 24 June 2025 in response to Question 904788.
Slavery
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with counterparts around the world about ending modern slavery.
The UK is committed to playing its part in eradicating all forms of modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking. We continue to work with partners through a range of multilateral bodies including the G7, the United Nations, the Organization for Se...
Driving under Influence
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of innovation and technology in improving road safety outcomes and reducing drink driving reoffending.
The Government recognises the role that innovation and technology can play in improving road safety outcomes and reducing reoffending, alongside effective enforcement, education and penalties. As part of the Road Safety Strategy, Government consulted on m...
Driving under Influence
To ask His Majesty's Government what further steps they will take to ensure that drink driving prevention measures are effective and appropriate for the long-term future.
The Government’s Road Safety Strategy, published in January 2026, sets out a long‑term, evidence‑led approach to reducing deaths and serious injuries on our roads, including tackling drink driving. As part of the Strategy, the Government has recently cons...
Robotics: Manufacturing Industries
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the University of Leeds report entitled Why doesn’t the UK make more Robots?, published in November 2025, what steps she is taking to help reduce skills gaps within th
In February 2026, Government launched the Robotics Adoption Skills Development Programme which will provide up to £2.5m for projects to develop and deliver course content and materials to support skills, talent and training in robotics. This seeks to addr...
Ammunition: Procurement
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of adopting the 6mm Advanced Rifle Cartridge (6×38mm) for use in a) individual and b) specialist weapons within the UK armed forces.
As advised in my previous answer to Question 125983, Project GRAYBURN is currently in its concept phase. An important output of this phase will be the definition of user requirements, covering the full range of performance characteristics, including calib...
Australia: Nuclear Submarines
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the establishment of new SSN-AUKUS facilities in Australia on levels of workforce retention at conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines (SSN) facilit
AUKUS Pillar 1 cannot be realised without the essential personnel and expertise needed to design, build, operate, maintain and decommission SSNs, but it also offers an unprecedented opportunity to integrate and grow the submarine building workforce of all...
Navy: Repairs and Maintenance
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will set out the full scope of the Naval Support Integrated Global Network programme.
The Naval Support Integrated Global Network (NSIGN) programme is the successor to the Future Maritime Support Programme and will deliver in-service support to Royal Navy ships and submarines, alongside services enabling the maintenance and operation of so...
Australia: Nuclear Submarines
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the AUKUS Pillar 1 plan announced in 2023, what assessment he has made of the ability of the Royal Navy to facilitate an ongoing rotational presence of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered subm
The AUKUS partnership, announced in March 2023, sets out a phased approach under Pillar 1 to deliver a trilateral programme of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs), including a rotational UK and US presence in the Indo-Pacific from as e...
Robotics: Manufacturing Industries
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the University of Leeds report entitled Why doesn’t the UK make more Robots?, published in November 2025, what steps she is taking to help tackle scaling barriers for
Government measures to support robotics firms to scale up in the UK includes crowding-in private sector investment via the British Business Bank and National Wealth Fund, both with expanded capitalisations and a mandate to support companies aligned with t...
Social Media: Artificial Intelligence
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with social media platforms, such as TikTok, on compliance with UK GDPR regarding the use of default opt-in settings for training generative AI models on us
The Government regularly engages with social media platforms but has not discussed this particular issue with TikTok.The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), as the UK’s independent data protection regulator, is responsible for monitoring and enforcin...
Voice over Internet Protocol: Care Homes
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential financial impact on residents of privately-managed leasehold retirement housing of the requirement to upgrade communal telecare
Switching a landline from the analogue Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to digital Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) should not increase costs for the end customer.However, independent businesses, including privately managed retirement housing w...
Small Businesses: Digital Technology
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps the Government is taking to support small businesses adopting digital technologies.
Last summer, the industry-led SME Digital Adoption Taskforce set out ten recommendations to help small and medium-sized enterprises adopt digital technology, and boost productivity. We are taking these forward, including by collaborating with industry on ...
Financial Insitutions: Membership
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to promote membership of (a) credit unions, (b) building societies and (c) mutual banking institutions.
The Chancellor set out her priorities for the sector at Mansion House 2024 and HM Treasury is delivering that multi-year programme of work to support the manifesto commitment to double the size of the sector. This includes:Launching a call for evidence on...
Public Sector: Pay
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her department has made of the differences in percentage pay increases between different public sector staff like prison staff, probation officers, nurses, doctors etc.
The Government hugely values the vital contribution that over 6 million public sector workers make across the UK, delivering the essential public services we all rely on. Pay for most frontline workforces, including nurses, teachers, armed forces and poli...
Cryptocurrencies
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the answer of 11 March 2026, to Question 118363, on Cryptocurrencies, whether (a) the Financial Conduct Authority or (b) Bank of England have conducted a review into Tether.
HM Treasury does not hold any information on this matter.