Written Question·Home Office·UIN 104261
English Language: Assessments
Tabled: 8 January 2026
Answered: 16 January 2026
Question
Blake Stephenson
Conservative — Mid Bedfordshire
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the move to remote and digital by default English language testing for UK visas on the public purse.
Answer
Mike TappToday’s Secure English Language Testing concessions collect all applicants’ fees with no return to the department to cover the costs of managing and overseeing delivery. There will be a net positive benefit to the public purse for this new HO ELT service.