Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 36
36
Rejected
Lack of transparency and targets for complex cases risks their deprioritisation.
Conclusion
We asked the Home Office whether there was a need for greater transparency and improvement targets, for ‘complex’ cases. This is important as the absence of a service level agreement for ‘complex’ cases creates a risk that the Home Office will prioritise ‘straightforward’ cases, which do have a public target. The Home Office said it aims to resolve all cases as quickly as possible by monitoring workflow and moving resources when necessary, but did not provide assurance that ‘complex’ cases are not de-prioritised.101 It publishes processing statistics in its transparency data but this only provides data on the number of ‘complex’ cases, and not its performance is processing them.102 The Home Office said it has no plans to change the way its transparency statistics are reported.103
Government Response Summary
The government disagrees with the implied recommendation, stating that complex cases are excluded from published Service Standards, but Skilled Worker visas have service level agreements and reasons for complexity are outlined on GOV.UK.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
6.1 The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation. 6.3 Complex cases are excluded from published Service Standards, but there are service level agreements for Skilled Worker visas, and these are published in the department’s transparency statistics. Reasons for complex cases, such as national security or criminal concerns, safeguarding issues, or the need to verify evidence through third parties, are outlined on GOV.UK (Visa processing times: applications inside the UK) and referenced in the NAO’s report.