Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the reasons for the North West region being the region with the highest number of asylum seekers in receipt of Home Office support by Local Authority.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is committed to the Full Dispersal Model, under which all local authority areas are expected to participate in the asylum accommodation system.
The purpose of full dispersal is to ensure that responsibility for supporting asylum seekers is shared more equitably across the United Kingdom and that no individual local authority or region bears a disproportionate share of the burden. The level of accommodation sought in each area is informed by the Asylum Accommodation Plans, which are underpinned by an evidence-based indexing model that takes account of local pressures and housing availability.
The distribution of asylum seekers in receipt of Home Office support reflects a range of operational and market factors, including the availability of suitable accommodation, the historic participation of local authorities in the dispersal system, and the ability of accommodation providers to procure properties in particular areas.
The North West has participated in asylum dispersal arrangements for many years and has historically accommodated a significant proportion of supported asylum seekers. This reflects the availability of dispersed accommodation and the established presence of accommodation providers operating in the region.
The latest published Immigration Statistics detail the number of supported asylum seekers accommodated in each local authority area, including those in dispersal properties. These statistics can be found at Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what contracts have been awarded in connection with proposals to use Site A at MoD Bicester for asylum accommodation.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)
No final decision has been made on whether to use MoD Bicester for asylum accommodation and no contractual agreements have been awarded to run or use the site for asylum accommodation. The site remains subject to ongoing feasibility, planning, design, assurance and governance processes.
Throughout the development of potential accommodation sites, information is managed in accordance with normal government requirements, including obligations relating to security, commercial sensitivity, policy development and procurement activity where applicable
Asked by: Calum Miller (Liberal Democrat - Bicester and Woodstock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much expenditure has been incurred by her Department in connection with proposals to use Site A at MoD Bicester for asylum accommodation, broken down by category of expenditure.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)
No decision has been made in respect of the use of MoD Bicester for asylum accommodation. Due diligence and assurance work for all proposed large sites including Bicester is still ongoing.
This includes assessing accurate costings. Once complete, business cases and approvals will be sought and details published in the normal way for all Government Major Programmes.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 4 June 2026 to Question 4425 on Animal Experiments: Shellfish, what recent progress her Department has made in considering whether decapod crustaceans should be regulated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986; and when she expects that consideration to conclude.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government has not decided whether to extend the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to decapod crustaceans. The Home Office is continuing a phased, evidence-based programme of work to improve protections for decapods used in science and inform and inform any future decision on regulation.
This includes developing baseline welfare standards, voluntary reporting arrangements and identifying evidence, guidance and technical gaps. The Home Office is establishing an expert working group to support this work and is developing a roadmap setting out the key stages towards considering the potential future inclusion of decapods as protected animals under the Act.
Any decision to bring forward legislation will be informed by the evidence and advice produced. It would therefore be premature to set a date for the conclusion of that consideration. The Government will provide further updates as the work progresses through appropriate forums.
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to extend the protections provided by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to decapod crustaceans.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government has not decided whether to extend the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to decapod crustaceans. The Home Office is continuing a phased, evidence-based programme of work to improve protections for decapods used in science and inform and inform any future decision on regulation.
This includes developing baseline welfare standards, voluntary reporting arrangements and identifying evidence, guidance and technical gaps. The Home Office is establishing an expert working group to support this work and is developing a roadmap setting out the key stages towards considering the potential future inclusion of decapods as protected animals under the Act.
Any decision to bring forward legislation will be informed by the evidence and advice produced. It would therefore be premature to set a date for the conclusion of that consideration. The Government will provide further updates as the work progresses through appropriate forums.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the number of hours spent (a) responding to and (b) preparing for Westminster Hall Debates by (i) government ministers, (ii) civil servants and (iii) special advisers in her Department for each parliamentary session for which the information is available.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
It is not possible to provide an estimate for hours spent preparing Ministers to respond to Westminster Hall Debates. There will be differences in the Civil Service, Special Adviser and Ministerial time depending on the policy matter and length of the debate. Debates can also be cross-cutting and require resources from multiple departments or engage departmental bodies
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2026 to Question 12892, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact on cost, customer convenience and test security of remote delivery models for the Life in the UK test and the Home Office English Language Test.
Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
As part of any procurement exercise, the Home Office considers a range of factors as options are developed, including customer experience, accessibility, value for money, service integrity and security considerations for all its services. The Department also draws on a range of specialist expertise from across government, including cyber security, digital and commercial specialists as well as engagement with the market to inform its approach.
We are currently exploring how we can improve and refine Life in the UK Testing which has undergone Market Engagement and assessment already to determine the best options to enhance the service as a whole. The Home Office Language Test (HOELT) is currently in live procurement. The new service will deliver a modernised, consistent experience for customers with improved accessibility. Enhanced security measures will provide stronger protections against fraud, and a regulated fee will ensure better value for money for applicants and the taxpayer.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has plans to confiscate the passports of suspects accused of serious crimes to prevent them fleeing the United Kingdom.
Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Secretary of State for the Home Department issues passports in accordance with the Royal Prerogative. The circumstances in which passports can be issued, refused and withdraw were set out in a Written Ministerial Statement published in 2013.
Under this Written Ministerial Statement, the Home Secretary may consider the refusal or withdrawal of a passport for those who:
The Government keeps its powers in this are under review.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2026 to Question 12892, what criteria her Department will use to determine whether alternative delivery models for the Life in the UK test are sufficiently secure; and whether the same criteria have been applied to the Home Office English Language Test.
Answered by Jo White - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Any Home Office delivery model must meet appropriate integrity requirements and principles, including data security, cyber security, accessibility, and fraud risk and prevention, to ensure compliance with Home Office policy and to ensure that the service delivers the fundamental principles underpinning our immigration policies and visa journey. This applies to all Home Office delivery models, including the Home Office English Language Test and Life in the UK Test.
Asked by: Scott Arthur (Labour - Edinburgh South West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of mandating the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme to review security at a mosque immediately following a hate related threat or attack, irrespective of when the last review took place.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security) (Jointly with the Cabinet Office)
Protecting the right of all faith communities to worship without fear is fundamental.
The Protective Security for Mosques Scheme can respond rapidly where an eligible mosque experiences a hate-related threat or attack, helping to ensure that appropriate security support can be put in place as quickly as possible. Applications and any resulting security requirements are considered on a case-by-case basis.
The Home Office keeps the Scheme under review and works closely with delivery partners to ensure support is targeted effectively. Decisions on security measures are informed by independent security assessments and expert advice, ensuring that recommendations reflect the specific security risks and vulnerabilities of individual sites and that public funds are used effectively and appropriately.