Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Refund Delays

Monday 17 November 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Peter Lamb inquired about residents waiting almost a year for a refund from the Home Office.
  • Jim Shannon highlighted that application costs are significant and can strain applicants.
  • The Minister assured that the Government will be equally zealous in processing refunds as they are in collecting debts.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Peter Lamb Lab Crawley
Asylum & Refugees
Context

Refund delays for residents waiting almost a year for refunds from the Home Office, despite recent improvements in asylum application processing.

Question

I have several residents who have been waiting almost a year for a refund from the Home Office. Given the dramatic improvements that we have seen in asylum application processing in the last year, can I trust that the Minister will put the same zeal into ensuring that the other Home Office processes work just as efficiently?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mike Tapp)

I am aware of those three specific issues, and I reassure my hon. Friend that we are looking at them. I am happy to talk to him in more detail offline.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide a concrete timeline or specific measures for addressing refund delays.

How: Looking At Them

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Q2 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Immigration
Context

Application costs are significant, and sometimes push those who apply to the wall. The Government is zealous in collecting money but less so in issuing refunds.

Question

Application costs are significant, and sometimes push those who apply to the wall. Whenever it comes to getting moneys back from someone who owes them, the Government are very zealous—as they should be. I suggest that when it comes to those that they owe money to, the Government should be just as zealous.

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mike Tapp)

I thank the hon. Member for his question, and of course we will be just as zealous with those receiving refunds.

Not addressed: Did not provide specific measures or timelines for improving refund processes.

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