Source · Select Committees · Work and Pensions Committee
Recommendation 12
12
Paragraph: 46
The Home Office does not collect sufficient data on the number of families with NRPF.
Conclusion
The Home Office does not collect sufficient data on the number of families with NRPF. Whilst we appreciate that the Home Office is attempting to improve its data collection, NRPF is not a new policy and it is shocking that the Government is unable to provide Parliament with an estimate of how many people are subject to NRPF. Without accurate data it is impossible for Government, local authorities and NGOs to cost and plan support for families with NRPF. This is particularly concerning given the increase in the number of parents with NRPF following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU and implementation of the Nationality and Borders Bill.
Paragraph Reference:
46
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The Home Office is committed to continuing to improve the data that is published on NRPF and has been publishing statistics on ‘Change of Condition (CoC)’ applications in relation to NRPF since July 2020. In the latest publication on CoC data, we have included a combined pivot table of the existing published Change of Conditions data. This pivot table pulls data together into a more effective dataset which enables the Home Office and stakeholders, to gain a greater understanding of who is applying for the NRPF condition to be lifted and what the outcomes are. The department is committed to further explore data availability on NRPF and on migrant poverty, including on children in poverty, while recognising the challenges posed in identifying and gathering the relevant data. The published correspondence between the Home Office and UK Statistics Authority sets out our proposals for further work to investigate data on migrant poverty. We have been in discussion with DWP analysts as to whether they have any data sources which might provide additional insights in this regard, and also propose to work with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to look at the 2021 Census data, once that is released hopefully later in the year, to establish whether this source might provide further insight into the number and location of poorer migrant households. We would also take this opportunity to point out that the data provided in response to the PQ tabled on 20 January 2022 asking ‘how many people were given leave to remain, for the first time subject to the NRPF condition, in each of the last five years’ does not relate to the total number of people with NRPF as suggested in the report. It relates only to applications for extensions to temporary stay in the UK for those on the HR/Complex, Spouse/Partner and Other Non-PBS routes where a decision may be taken not to apply an NRPF condition.