Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2025 to Question 90565, on Fraud: Disclosure of Information, for what reason her Department has not made a specific assessment of the potential merits of creating a national online crime agency.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

As part of our new Fraud Strategy, we are establishing a new Online Crime Centre (OCC), backed by over £30 million of investment.

Led by the Home Office and the NCA, and working closely with the City of London Police, the OCC will unite UK policing, the UK Intelligence Community (including GCHQ, the National Cyber Security Centre and the National Cyber Force) alongside private sector partners from the financial, telecommunications, technology, and cyber industries.

The OCC will initially focus on fraud and high-volume cyber crime, by enabling data sharing, trend analysis and intelligence development across partners. Using this enhanced intelligence, the OCC will work nationally and internationally with its participating partners to deliver high-impact law enforcement interventions. It will also use this intelligence to reduce harm, undermine the tools and services used by offenders, support recovery, and prevent repeat victimisation.

As set out in the Police Reform White Paper, overall responsibility for fraud will, in due course, transfer to the new National Police Service.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 23 March 2026 to Question 121394, on Radicalism, if the Government will make it their policy to ensure that (a) Departments, (b) working groups and (b) arm’s length bodies adopt a unified approach on non-engagement toward specific organisations.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

As set out in ‘Protecting What Matters’, we are embedding the 2024 definition of extremism across Government to ensure a consistent understanding of extremism. We are reviewing the existing engagement principles to ensure they are still valid and in line with current legislation and guidance and cover the full range of threats that exist. This will support due diligence capabilities to ensure partners can take evidence-based decisions about engagement, including participants on forums such as working groups, which are in line with the updated principles.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many organisations have applied for funding through the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme in every year since it was established; and of these, how many have been successful in obtaining funding.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

Protecting the right of all faith communities to worship in peace and without fear is fundamental. The Government continues to support the police in reviewing threats and strengthening protections for faith communities against terrorism and hate crime.

That is why up to £40 million is available through the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme in 2026/27. This includes additional funding announced by the Prime Minister of £10 million to further strengthen security at mosques and other Muslim community sites. The scheme provides protective security measures (such as security personnel services, CCTV, intruder alarms and secure perimeter fencing) to mosques, Muslim faith schools and associated Muslim faith community centres.

To protect the integrity of the scheme and ensure the continued safety of vulnerable sites, the Home Office does not publish data on processing of applications or the specific offers made to individual sites. Releasing this information could inadvertently disclose sensitive details about faith communities and their security arrangements.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 12 February 2026, to Question 110397, on Public Order and Hate Crime Legislation Review, if she will make it her policy to set terms of reference to independent reviews that require them to follow the Government’s non-engagement principles.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

An independent review should provide objective, credible and evidence-based assessments of the subject matter which it has been asked to evaluate.

In line with the approach that has been taken by independent reviewers under successive governments, Chairs of independent reviews should determine which groups and organisations they wish to engage with in order to fulfil the terms of reference for their review. Direction from government as to appropriate engagement could impact the credibility and independence of a review.

Once a review concludes, it is for Government Ministers to carefully consider its findings and recommendations before determining whether to accept them.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether (a) she or (b) any members of her Department met or corresponded with Lord Mandelson on Palantir.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

No such meetings took place.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many departmental employees were on performance management plans in (a) 2023, (b) 2024 and (c) 2025.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office is committed to thorough performance management and has in place robust processes to ensure that those who fall below the expected standards are supported to improve in a timely manner.

This can be either through an informal performance management process called Focused Support or through the formal Managing Poor Performance Policy. For most colleagues, Focused Support will help to improve performance. If an employee does not improve sufficiently, Managing Poor Performance policy will be used. Those who cannot improve their performance, despite this additional support, may be dismissed.

The table below provides the number of staff members who had plans in place to support them to improve their performance, either informally or through our formal managing poor performance process, or both.

1 Distinct Count of "First Conversation" Focused Support Documents uploaded to Metis with the status of "Completed " or "In Progress".

Focused Support is an informal process and is applied for a dip in performance which can include, but not limited to, the following reasons:

1) lack of training

2) lack of will or motivation

3) skills or knowledge gaps

4) misunderstandings about expectations

5) management style or relationship with the job holder

6) workplace relationships

7) environmental factors

8) health, personal life or other issues outside of work

2 Data is based on the count of Managing Poor Performance cases of Paid and Unpaid Civil Servants formally opened with SSCL in the Reporting Period.

3 Individuals may appear in both the Informal Focused Support and Managing Poor Performance counts, as these represent the informal and formal stages of the Performance Management process, respectively.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what was the total value of non-contractual severance payments across the department in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office does not publish details of the value of non-contractual severance payments separately.

However, the Home Office does publish overall special payments spending on a financial year basis and details of this can be found through the links below.

Pages 190-191 (pages 198-199 on the reader)

Home Office Annual Report and Accounts 2024 to 2025

Pages 190-191 (pages 194-195 on the reader)

Home Office Annual Report and Accounts 2023 to 2024

Pages195-196

Home Office Annual Report and Accounts 2022-2023

Page 136

Home_Office_ARA_21-22_Final_-_Gov.uk.pdf

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will amend the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 to ensure that in instances where serious injury or death results from the distribution of illegal substances, the distribution itself is made an offence directly linked to the injury or death.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government has no plans to amend the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (“the 1971 Act”) in this way. The maximum sentences for unlawful supply of controlled drugs under the 1971 Act are life imprisonment, a fine or both for Class A drugs, and 14 years’ imprisonment, a fine or both for Class B and C drugs. The classification of drugs under the 1971 Act is broadly based on harm, so longer sentences are available for those drugs considered the most harmful.

When considering the appropriate sentence for a person who has been convicted for supply offences under the 1971 Act, in addition to any statutory aggravating factors, judges may consider a range of factors. In England and Wales these are set out in sentencing guidelines issued by the Sentencing Council. These can be found at this link:

https://sentencingcouncil.org.uk/guidelines/supplying-or-offering-to-supply-a-controlled-drug-possession-of-a-controlled-drug-with-intent-to-supply-it-to-another/

Factors increasing the seriousness of an offence, which may result in a longer sentence, include exposing a drug user to the risk of serious harm over and above that expected by the user, exposing those involved in drug dealing to the risk of serious harm and exposing third parties to the risk of serious harm. These factors are not exhaustive and judges may consider other factors, including those raised in victim personal statements.

In Northern Ireland judges rely on caselaw when considering sentencing in the Crown Court. Relevant caselaw can be found here: https://www.judiciaryni.uk/judiciary-decision-types/type/drug-offences-39.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average waiting time is for an application for a controlled drug licence to be decided.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office Drug and Firearms Licensing Unit (DFLU) considers applications for premises and company specific controlled drug licences. All applications are considered individually and on their merits, after undertaking a physical site visit- if one is needed- and reviewing the evidence submitted to support an application.

Application processing times can vary considerably depending on whether a site visit is needed or if the application can be decided with a paper-based review. Other factors, including site location and resourcing, company availability, timeliness of the submission of any additional information requested will also be relevant. On this basis, we do not publish average processing times as a statistical average may not be representative of the customer journey.

Operational pressures in DFLU have meant that there are currently higher caseloads than we would wish, which has resulted in extended lead times for consideration of some applications at this time.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many racially and religiously aggravated offences against Christian people and places of worship have been (a) recorded, and (b) prosecuted in each year since 2020, broken down by the (i) ethnicity, (ii) nationality, and (iii) faith of the offender.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of religious hate crimes targeted at Christians recorded by the police in England and Wales. Information is not centrally held on the number of people prosecuted for these offences, nor the ethnicity, nationality or faith of the offender.

The latest published statistics on the number of offences recorded are available here: Hate crime, England and Wales, year ending March 2025 - GOV.UK

It is not possible to tell, from the data held centrally, whether or not an offence was committed against a Christian place of worship.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many mosques, Islamic centres and Muslim community centres have been subject to criminal damage in each of the last 5 years.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of religious hate crimes targeted at Muslims recorded by the police in England and Wales. It is not possible to tell, from the data held centrally, whether or not the offences were committed against mosques, Islamic centres or Muslim community centres.

The latest published statistics are available here: Hate crime, England and Wales, year ending March 2025 - GOV.UK

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department holds data on instances in which police forces have declined to investigate alleged serious criminal offences, including fraud, money laundering or organised crime, on the grounds of resource limitations or internal case-triage decisions; and whether any national guidance exists governing how such decisions should be made.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Operational decisions on case investigations are matters for operationally independent police forces. The Home Office does not issue guidance directing police forces on whether individual cases should or should not be investigated.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when Home Office ministers or officials last met with Peter Mandelson; and what was discussed at that meeting.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

No such meetings took place.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 21 November 2025 to Question 90566, on Fraud: Disclosure of Information, whether she plans to publish the names of banks and other organisations that fail to prevent fraud or fail to reimburse victims of fraud.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

We work closely with the financial sector to disrupt fraud at its source and prevent financial exploitation. As part of the Strategy, the Government will work with industry to develop new metrics to better measure fraud origination, harm and outcomes. This will improve transparency and accountability across the ecosystem and ensure metrics focus on reducing the level and impact of fraud.

Data has also shown that banks are increasingly compensating victims following the introduction of mandatory reimbursement through the Financial Services and Markets Act 2023. In the first year of the Authorised Push Payment (APP) reimbursement scheme (from 7^th October 2024), 88% of eligible losses were reimbursed, with £173 million returned to victims (APP scams reimbursement dashboard for Q3 2025 | Payment Systems Regulator).

The Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) published their third APP scams performance report in February, covering 2024 before the mandatory reimbursement requirement. The report show the sending fraud rates and reimbursement rates of the 14 biggest banks in the UK, putting a spotlight on firms that are the highest receivers of fraud: 2024 APP scam performance data – before the reimbursement requirement was implemented.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of establishing a multi-year ringfenced Economic Crime Fighting Fund to help ensure that assets recovered from the proceeds of crime and from related fines are reinvested into law enforcement agencies.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Government recognises the significant harm caused by economic crime and remains fully committed to ensuring that law enforcement agencies have the resources they need to tackle this threat effectively.

The Home Office already provides substantial and sustained funding for economic crime enforcement through existing mechanisms, including the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS) and the Economic Crime (Anti-Money Laundering) Levy. ARIS enables a proportion of recovered assets to be reinvested directly into frontline asset recovery work, while the Levy provides multi‑year funding to strengthen anti‑money laundering capabilities across the system. The Levy provides a sustainable source of funding to tackle economic crime, and was raised at Budget 2025 to provide an additional c.£110m annually.

In December 2025, the Government published its Anti‑Corruption Strategy, which sets out a whole of government approach to tackling corruption, illicit finance and kleptocracy. The Strategy includes a clear commitment to explore options for strengthening economic crime funding, recognising the importance of sustainable resourcing to deliver these objectives. The Government will publish the new Economic Crime Plan 2026–29 in Summer 2026, bringing together the Government’s economic crime strategies in a single strategic framework and setting out its approach to sustainable funding.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has taken steps to prevent the use of Chinese software connected vehicles by (a) police forces and (b) the security services.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

As noted in Question 121206 the Government prioritises national security and does not routinely provide details on operational matters or specific threats.

The Home Office works closely with the National Technical Authorities, Police Digital Service, National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC), alongside other Government Departments, to fully understand and address cyber vulnerabilities, proportional to the threat. This collaborative effort covers all connected vehicles, including those using Chinese software

The government will continue to promote good practice in cybersecurity, support transparency on data collection and usage, and coordinate with the transport sector to strengthen the security of vehicles.

NPCC have shared guidance to all Chief Constables on understanding and effectively managing risks from Connected Vehicles. We will continue to work with partners to ensure the guidance remains up to date and that forces follow guidance appropriately.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police forces are currently using Chinese software connected vehicles within their fleets.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

Police forces are operationally independent; this includes the procurement and use of vehicles. The Home Office does not routinely collect information on vehicle types within Police fleets.

The Home Office works closely with the National Technical Authorities, Police Digital Service, National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC), alongside other Government Departments, to fully understand and address cyber vulnerabilities, proportional to the threat. This collaborative effort covers all connected vehicles, including those using Chinese software

NPCC have shared guidance to all Chief Constables on understanding and effectively managing risks from Connected Vehicles. We will continue to work with partners to ensure the guidance remains up to date and that forces follow guidance appropriately.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether Defending Democracy Taskforce has made an assessment of the potential impact of convicted terrorists standing for elected public office on levels of national security.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Defending Democracy Taskforce coordinates work across Government to continually review and respond to the full range of threats to our democratic system, working closely with the security and intelligence agencies, law enforcement and other partners.

I refer the Hon Member to the question answered by Minister McGovern on 9 March 2026.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what work her Department has undertaken to date on the development of the Fraud Strategy; and what the planned timeline is for its completion and publication.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The ‘Fraud Strategy 2026-2029: Disrupting crime, supporting economic resilience and delivering justice’ was published on Monday 9 March 2026 and is available on gov.uk at

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fraud-strategy-2026-to-2029

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to support local prevention work in Yeovil constituency, including programmes focused on (a) men and boys and (b) reducing reoffending.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government has allocated over £1.8m to Avon and Somerset in FY 26/27 to maintain investment in their Violence Reduction Unit, support delivery of the Serious Violence Duty and continue their Young Futures Panels pilot which is identifying young people at risk of being drawn into crime and intervening earlier with positive, diversionary support. This investment will include programmes aimed specifically at men and boys.

Early intervention and prevention also underpins the governments Turnaround programme which supports children on the cusp of the youth justice system across England and Wales and is being delivered through multi-year investment of over £15m a year to March 2029.

At the same time we have equipped policing with the powers they need to prevent reoffending including, the appropriate use of out of court resolutions, to address the underlying causes of offending and support effective intervention.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to address the disproportionate number of Black and Black mixed heritage young people who are reported missing in the UK.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is committed to working to ensure that children and young people are kept safe from harm, including when they are reported missing. This includes working to ensure that police forces are equipped to respond appropriately and working effectively with other multiagency safeguarding partners.

I recognise the concerns previously raised about unconscious bias in the police response to missing persons from BAME communities. Following NPCC research to explore disproportionality and discrimination in police missing persons investigations, forces across England and Wales continue to improve practice and responses to address this. The report can be found here:

Disproportion and decision: Ethnic minority overrepresentation and police risk assessment in missing persons cases

We will continue to work across government and with partners to ensure an effective whole-system response when someone goes missing, while also working to address the underlying harms that lead to these complex situations.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has she made of the potential merits of expanding the Police's right of disclosure to include incidents of animal abuse.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Police National Computer holds all relevant information for prosecutions made for animal cruelty offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Certain organisations, including non-police public bodies such as the Disclosure and Barring Service and the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service, have access to this information, where appropriate to fulfil their public function. This allows us to securely protect this important information from misuse, but also for it to be available for organisations with a justified need to access the information.

The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme covers all criminal convictions, and police forces may release information under their police common law powers relating to animal cruelty offences if they think this behaviour would pose a risk to the individual seeking the disclosure. We have committed to exploring the potential to expand the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme through the government's Violence Against Women and Girls strategy (VAWG) to other forms of VAWG.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department collects on (a) digital impersonation of children and (b) other forms of online crime.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office collects data on online crime recorded by the police in England and Wales, which is published as official statistics each quarter by the Office for National Statistics. It is not possible to separate out incidents of digital impersonation of children in data held centrally.

The latest information can be found in Table C5 of the Appendix tables to Crime in England and Wales at the link below:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/crimeinenglandandwalesappendixtables/yearendingseptember2025/crimeinenglandandwalesappendixtablesyesep2025.xlsx

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support police forces in rural communities.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Our police reforms will end the postcode lottery of provision by setting central targets, increasing transparency so people can see how their force is performing, and taking robust action where forces are not performing.

With our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee every neighbourhood, rural or urban, now gets a named contactable officer and a response to non-urgent queries in 72 hours.

Every rural area will be covered by a Local Policing Area under a commander responsible for emergency response, local crime investigation and neighbourhood policing. They will be set targets to ensure they answer 90% of 999 calls within 10 seconds and attend 90% of the most serious incidents within 15 minutes in urban area or 20 minutes in rural areas.

We are ensuring forces have the tools and resources they need to deal with rural crime like equipment theft and livestock rustling. We are on track to deliver an additional 3,000 neighbourhood officers by March.

We are equipping those officers with tougher measures to clamp down on equipment theft and anti-social behaviour, and to prevent farm theft and fly-tipping. We are finally implementing the Equipment Theft Act, which will make it harder to steal All-Terrain Vehicles and GPS units used in an agricultural setting and easier for the police to identify the owners when such items are recovered.

We are ensuring the police have the capability to pursue the organised criminal gangs behind some rural crime. This financial year the Home Office has provided the first Government funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (£365,000) as well as continuing funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (£450,000) to help them target organised crime groups stealing farm equipment and to disrupt networks exploiting endangered species in the UK and abroad.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the cost for providing potential redress to people who were arrested for supporting a proscribed organisation whose proscription was reversed; and clarify whether her department or individual police forces would be expected to cover any such costs.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The investigation and prosecution of criminal offences, including determining whether an offence has been committed or not, is a matter for the police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) who are operationally independent of government.

Proscription decisions are not taken lightly. This Government will not shy away from taking decisions necessary to protect UK national security and keep the British public safe.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 4 September 2025, to Question 70519, on Public Inquiries, what has been the total public cost to date of the Jalal Uddin Inquiry.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Jalal Uddin Inquiry reported on 10 July 2025, and it is now closed. The Inquiry's costs are £1,095,614.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will provide a list of the companies her Department had contracts with between January 2025 - January 2026 to develop AI-powered tools that assist law enforcement in the recovery of the proceeds of crime.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office provides funding, guidance and national support to encourage the responsible adoption of AI across policing, but procurement is undertaken directly by forces to meet local operational needs. This reflects the fact that operational decisions, including commercial arrangements for policing tools, are a matter for operationally independent Chief Constables and law enforcement agencies rather than Ministers.

As a result, the Home Office does not hold a central record of individual contracts or suppliers used by police forces or the National Crime Agency, including where AI services have been procured to support asset recovery or other law enforcement activity.

The Police Reform White Paper, published in January, set out the UK Government’s commitment to strengthen transparency around police use of AI. Through the establishment of the National Centre for AI in Policing and an investment of £115 million over the next 3 years, the UK Government will support the identification, testing and responsible scaling of AI technologies. As part of this the AI Centre will publish and maintain a public facing registry of the AI tools being deployed by police forces, alongside information on the steps taken to test and evaluate those tools prior to operational use, helping to build and maintain public confidence in policing’s use of AI.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the protest-related provisions in the Crime and Policing Bill 2025, how the Government will ensure that these powers are not used in a way that suppresses legitimate dissent; and what independent oversight and accountability mechanisms will be put in place to prevent disproportionate or discriminatory application.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The right to peaceful protest is a vital part of our democracy. It is a long‑standing tradition in the UK that people are free to gather and express their views, provided they do so within the law.

The Government is taking the Crime and Policing Bill through Parliament to equip the police with targeted powers to manage evolving protest tactics while safeguarding the right to lawful protest. All protest legislation has been developed in line with the UK’s obligations under Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The use of these powers and the management of demonstrations are operational matters for the police.

The Government keeps all public order legislation under constant review and has also launched an independent review of public order and hate crime legislation, led by Lord Ken Macdonald of River Glaven KC. The review is underway and will report in spring 2026.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many civil servants in their Department were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Civil Servants are appointed on merit on the basis of fair and open competition and are expected to carry out their role with dedication and a commitment to the Civil Service and its core values: integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality. As breaches of the Civil Service Code are not recorded separately these may be considered disciplinary matters. Therefore, please see table below for the number of formal cases taken against Home Office staff in 2024 and 2025.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish a security risk assessment for the use of Chinese drones by UK police.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office provided £10.6m to NPAS in FY2025/26. In addition, the Home Office has committed £34.5m to NPAS to support the replacement of 7 helicopters. For further information on annual grant information for NPAS, the Government via the Cabinet Office is committed to publish grant data on an annual basis for schemes and programmes that are funded by the Government, including the NPAS Capital Grant. This can be accessed on the Cabinet Office website under 'Government grant data and statistics'.

The procurement, operational deployment and recording of data on police use of drones and crewed aircraft are operational matters for police forces, who are best placed to assess their own operational needs while ensuring they have the tools necessary to protect the public. The Home Office does not hold information on the proportion of drones registered by the CAA.

The Home Office is currently funding and supporting the work of the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s (NPCC) Drones Programme, who were allocated £2.3m in FY2025/26. The programme is responsible for standardising and professionalising the use of drones across UK police forces. This includes developing a bespoke training and accreditation pathway for police drone operators as well as working with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to provide the necessary oversight on the safety aspects of police drone operations.

Drones and helicopters are complimentary to one another, not interchangeable. Drones are valuable for close‑range, localised tasks, but may not always replace the speed, persistence, capacity and safety assurance of a helicopter. However, this is subject to ongoing research and analysis, continuously evolving as technology advances.

The Home Office is currently working with NPAS and the NPCC Drones Programme to assess, compare and evaluate the benefits and cost-effectiveness of crewed and uncrewed technologies for operational policing and how this will support development of a future blended fleet model for police aviation, in line with the NPCC Aviation Strategy (2025-2035).

In addition, the Government takes national and cyber security extremely seriously and regularly reviews risks, including from Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) which includes drones. The National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) have issued guidance for security professionals across public and private sector organisations on the appropriate security measures which should be taken to manage potential security risks via UAS technologies, including drones. In line with existing guidance, the NPCC Drones Programme is currently undertaking a review on the data and security risk implications associated with police use of drones.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what operating procedures exist to prevent (a) police and (b) non-police drones colliding with police helicopters.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office provided £10.6m to NPAS in FY2025/26. In addition, the Home Office has committed £34.5m to NPAS to support the replacement of 7 helicopters. For further information on annual grant information for NPAS, the Government via the Cabinet Office is committed to publish grant data on an annual basis for schemes and programmes that are funded by the Government, including the NPAS Capital Grant. This can be accessed on the Cabinet Office website under 'Government grant data and statistics'.

The procurement, operational deployment and recording of data on police use of drones and crewed aircraft are operational matters for police forces, who are best placed to assess their own operational needs while ensuring they have the tools necessary to protect the public. The Home Office does not hold information on the proportion of drones registered by the CAA.

The Home Office is currently funding and supporting the work of the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s (NPCC) Drones Programme, who were allocated £2.3m in FY2025/26. The programme is responsible for standardising and professionalising the use of drones across UK police forces. This includes developing a bespoke training and accreditation pathway for police drone operators as well as working with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to provide the necessary oversight on the safety aspects of police drone operations.

Drones and helicopters are complimentary to one another, not interchangeable. Drones are valuable for close‑range, localised tasks, but may not always replace the speed, persistence, capacity and safety assurance of a helicopter. However, this is subject to ongoing research and analysis, continuously evolving as technology advances.

The Home Office is currently working with NPAS and the NPCC Drones Programme to assess, compare and evaluate the benefits and cost-effectiveness of crewed and uncrewed technologies for operational policing and how this will support development of a future blended fleet model for police aviation, in line with the NPCC Aviation Strategy (2025-2035).

In addition, the Government takes national and cyber security extremely seriously and regularly reviews risks, including from Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) which includes drones. The National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) have issued guidance for security professionals across public and private sector organisations on the appropriate security measures which should be taken to manage potential security risks via UAS technologies, including drones. In line with existing guidance, the NPCC Drones Programme is currently undertaking a review on the data and security risk implications associated with police use of drones.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of drones registered by the CAA are operated by the police.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office provided £10.6m to NPAS in FY2025/26. In addition, the Home Office has committed £34.5m to NPAS to support the replacement of 7 helicopters. For further information on annual grant information for NPAS, the Government via the Cabinet Office is committed to publish grant data on an annual basis for schemes and programmes that are funded by the Government, including the NPAS Capital Grant. This can be accessed on the Cabinet Office website under 'Government grant data and statistics'.

The procurement, operational deployment and recording of data on police use of drones and crewed aircraft are operational matters for police forces, who are best placed to assess their own operational needs while ensuring they have the tools necessary to protect the public. The Home Office does not hold information on the proportion of drones registered by the CAA.

The Home Office is currently funding and supporting the work of the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s (NPCC) Drones Programme, who were allocated £2.3m in FY2025/26. The programme is responsible for standardising and professionalising the use of drones across UK police forces. This includes developing a bespoke training and accreditation pathway for police drone operators as well as working with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to provide the necessary oversight on the safety aspects of police drone operations.

Drones and helicopters are complimentary to one another, not interchangeable. Drones are valuable for close‑range, localised tasks, but may not always replace the speed, persistence, capacity and safety assurance of a helicopter. However, this is subject to ongoing research and analysis, continuously evolving as technology advances.

The Home Office is currently working with NPAS and the NPCC Drones Programme to assess, compare and evaluate the benefits and cost-effectiveness of crewed and uncrewed technologies for operational policing and how this will support development of a future blended fleet model for police aviation, in line with the NPCC Aviation Strategy (2025-2035).

In addition, the Government takes national and cyber security extremely seriously and regularly reviews risks, including from Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) which includes drones. The National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) have issued guidance for security professionals across public and private sector organisations on the appropriate security measures which should be taken to manage potential security risks via UAS technologies, including drones. In line with existing guidance, the NPCC Drones Programme is currently undertaking a review on the data and security risk implications associated with police use of drones.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the prevalence of heating oil theft in West Dorset.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government is introducing the most radical and comprehensive policing reforms in nearly 200 years. We will modernise policing in this country – equipping it to tackle more sophisticated, online, and cross-border crimes (like fuel theft, wildlife crime and organised equipment theft), while also restoring neighbourhood policing.

We are on track to hit 3,000 more neighbourhood officers in March – and our target remains 13k by the end of the parliament. With the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee every neighbourhood, rural or urban, now gets a named contactable officer and a response to non-urgent queries in 72 hours. Every rural area will also be covered by a Local Policing Area under a commander responsible for emergency response, local crime investigation and neighbourhood policing. They will be set targets to ensure they answer 90% of 999 calls within 10 seconds and attend 90% of the most serious incidents within 20 minutes in rural areas.

This financial year (FY25/26) we are providing £800,000 of funding to the National Rural Crime Unit and the National Wildlife Crime Unit, and we will be providing the same level of funding in 26/27. These capabilities play key roles in helping police across the UK tackle organised theft and disrupt serious and organised crime groups, which can pose unique challenges for policing in large and isolated rural areas.

The Government recognises that there can be challenges in responding to rural crime, which is why we worked closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) to deliver the next iteration of their Rural and Wildlife Crime strategy and sets out operational and organisational policing priorities in respect of tackling those crimes that predominantly affect our rural communities.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make a comparative assessment of the cost effectiveness of policing with (a) drones and (b) crewed helicopters.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office provided £10.6m to NPAS in FY2025/26. In addition, the Home Office has committed £34.5m to NPAS to support the replacement of 7 helicopters. For further information on annual grant information for NPAS, the Government via the Cabinet Office is committed to publish grant data on an annual basis for schemes and programmes that are funded by the Government, including the NPAS Capital Grant. This can be accessed on the Cabinet Office website under 'Government grant data and statistics'.

The procurement, operational deployment and recording of data on police use of drones and crewed aircraft are operational matters for police forces, who are best placed to assess their own operational needs while ensuring they have the tools necessary to protect the public. The Home Office does not hold information on the proportion of drones registered by the CAA.

The Home Office is currently funding and supporting the work of the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s (NPCC) Drones Programme, who were allocated £2.3m in FY2025/26. The programme is responsible for standardising and professionalising the use of drones across UK police forces. This includes developing a bespoke training and accreditation pathway for police drone operators as well as working with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to provide the necessary oversight on the safety aspects of police drone operations.

Drones and helicopters are complimentary to one another, not interchangeable. Drones are valuable for close‑range, localised tasks, but may not always replace the speed, persistence, capacity and safety assurance of a helicopter. However, this is subject to ongoing research and analysis, continuously evolving as technology advances.

The Home Office is currently working with NPAS and the NPCC Drones Programme to assess, compare and evaluate the benefits and cost-effectiveness of crewed and uncrewed technologies for operational policing and how this will support development of a future blended fleet model for police aviation, in line with the NPCC Aviation Strategy (2025-2035).

In addition, the Government takes national and cyber security extremely seriously and regularly reviews risks, including from Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) which includes drones. The National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) have issued guidance for security professionals across public and private sector organisations on the appropriate security measures which should be taken to manage potential security risks via UAS technologies, including drones. In line with existing guidance, the NPCC Drones Programme is currently undertaking a review on the data and security risk implications associated with police use of drones.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance she has issued on the merits of drones versus police helicopters.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office provided £10.6m to NPAS in FY2025/26. In addition, the Home Office has committed £34.5m to NPAS to support the replacement of 7 helicopters. For further information on annual grant information for NPAS, the Government via the Cabinet Office is committed to publish grant data on an annual basis for schemes and programmes that are funded by the Government, including the NPAS Capital Grant. This can be accessed on the Cabinet Office website under 'Government grant data and statistics'.

The procurement, operational deployment and recording of data on police use of drones and crewed aircraft are operational matters for police forces, who are best placed to assess their own operational needs while ensuring they have the tools necessary to protect the public. The Home Office does not hold information on the proportion of drones registered by the CAA.

The Home Office is currently funding and supporting the work of the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s (NPCC) Drones Programme, who were allocated £2.3m in FY2025/26. The programme is responsible for standardising and professionalising the use of drones across UK police forces. This includes developing a bespoke training and accreditation pathway for police drone operators as well as working with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to provide the necessary oversight on the safety aspects of police drone operations.

Drones and helicopters are complimentary to one another, not interchangeable. Drones are valuable for close‑range, localised tasks, but may not always replace the speed, persistence, capacity and safety assurance of a helicopter. However, this is subject to ongoing research and analysis, continuously evolving as technology advances.

The Home Office is currently working with NPAS and the NPCC Drones Programme to assess, compare and evaluate the benefits and cost-effectiveness of crewed and uncrewed technologies for operational policing and how this will support development of a future blended fleet model for police aviation, in line with the NPCC Aviation Strategy (2025-2035).

In addition, the Government takes national and cyber security extremely seriously and regularly reviews risks, including from Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) which includes drones. The National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) have issued guidance for security professionals across public and private sector organisations on the appropriate security measures which should be taken to manage potential security risks via UAS technologies, including drones. In line with existing guidance, the NPCC Drones Programme is currently undertaking a review on the data and security risk implications associated with police use of drones.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will provide a breakdown of the value of assets recovered through confiscation, forfeiture and civil recovery orders between April 2025 - October 2025.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The annual publication covering the assets recovered through different types of powers including confiscation, forfeiture and civil recovery orders for the financial year 2025/2026, including April 2025 - October 2025, has been pre-announced and will be released in September 2026.

The official statistical announcement can be found here: Asset recovery statistics: financial years ending 2020 to 2026 - Official statistics announcement - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish a list of companies which provided AI services to Police Forces and the National Crime Agency between January 2025 - January 2026.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office provides funding, guidance and national support to encourage the responsible adoption of AI across policing, but procurement is undertaken directly by forces to meet local operational needs. This reflects the fact that operational decisions, including commercial arrangements for policing tools, are a matter for operationally independent Chief Constables and law enforcement agencies rather than Ministers.

As a result, the Home Office does not hold a central record of individual contracts or suppliers used by police forces or the National Crime Agency, including where AI services have been procured to support asset recovery or other law enforcement activity.

The Police Reform White Paper, published in January, set out the UK Government’s commitment to strengthen transparency around police use of AI. Through the establishment of the National Centre for AI in Policing and an investment of £115 million over the next 3 years, the UK Government will support the identification, testing and responsible scaling of AI technologies. As part of this the AI Centre will publish and maintain a public facing registry of the AI tools being deployed by police forces, alongside information on the steps taken to test and evaluate those tools prior to operational use, helping to build and maintain public confidence in policing’s use of AI.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department provides to police forces on tackling heating oil theft in rural areas such as West Dorset.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government is introducing the most radical and comprehensive policing reforms in nearly 200 years. We will modernise policing in this country – equipping it to tackle more sophisticated, online, and cross-border crimes (like fuel theft, wildlife crime and organised equipment theft), while also restoring neighbourhood policing.

We are on track to hit 3,000 more neighbourhood officers in March – and our target remains 13k by the end of the parliament. With the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee every neighbourhood, rural or urban, now gets a named contactable officer and a response to non-urgent queries in 72 hours. Every rural area will also be covered by a Local Policing Area under a commander responsible for emergency response, local crime investigation and neighbourhood policing. They will be set targets to ensure they answer 90% of 999 calls within 10 seconds and attend 90% of the most serious incidents within 20 minutes in rural areas.

This financial year (FY25/26) we are providing £800,000 of funding to the National Rural Crime Unit and the National Wildlife Crime Unit, and we will be providing the same level of funding in 26/27. These capabilities play key roles in helping police across the UK tackle organised theft and disrupt serious and organised crime groups, which can pose unique challenges for policing in large and isolated rural areas.

The Government recognises that there can be challenges in responding to rural crime, which is why we worked closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) to deliver the next iteration of their Rural and Wildlife Crime strategy and sets out operational and organisational policing priorities in respect of tackling those crimes that predominantly affect our rural communities.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help prevent heating oil theft in rural communities in West Dorset.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government is introducing the most radical and comprehensive policing reforms in nearly 200 years. We will modernise policing in this country – equipping it to tackle more sophisticated, online, and cross-border crimes (like fuel theft, wildlife crime and organised equipment theft), while also restoring neighbourhood policing.

We are on track to hit 3,000 more neighbourhood officers in March – and our target remains 13k by the end of the parliament. With the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee every neighbourhood, rural or urban, now gets a named contactable officer and a response to non-urgent queries in 72 hours. Every rural area will also be covered by a Local Policing Area under a commander responsible for emergency response, local crime investigation and neighbourhood policing. They will be set targets to ensure they answer 90% of 999 calls within 10 seconds and attend 90% of the most serious incidents within 20 minutes in rural areas.

This financial year (FY25/26) we are providing £800,000 of funding to the National Rural Crime Unit and the National Wildlife Crime Unit, and we will be providing the same level of funding in 26/27. These capabilities play key roles in helping police across the UK tackle organised theft and disrupt serious and organised crime groups, which can pose unique challenges for policing in large and isolated rural areas.

The Government recognises that there can be challenges in responding to rural crime, which is why we worked closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) to deliver the next iteration of their Rural and Wildlife Crime strategy and sets out operational and organisational policing priorities in respect of tackling those crimes that predominantly affect our rural communities.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) training and (b) certification (i) police drone operators and (ii) drone operators in general are required to undertake.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office provided £10.6m to NPAS in FY2025/26. In addition, the Home Office has committed £34.5m to NPAS to support the replacement of 7 helicopters. For further information on annual grant information for NPAS, the Government via the Cabinet Office is committed to publish grant data on an annual basis for schemes and programmes that are funded by the Government, including the NPAS Capital Grant. This can be accessed on the Cabinet Office website under 'Government grant data and statistics'.

The procurement, operational deployment and recording of data on police use of drones and crewed aircraft are operational matters for police forces, who are best placed to assess their own operational needs while ensuring they have the tools necessary to protect the public. The Home Office does not hold information on the proportion of drones registered by the CAA.

The Home Office is currently funding and supporting the work of the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s (NPCC) Drones Programme, who were allocated £2.3m in FY2025/26. The programme is responsible for standardising and professionalising the use of drones across UK police forces. This includes developing a bespoke training and accreditation pathway for police drone operators as well as working with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to provide the necessary oversight on the safety aspects of police drone operations.

Drones and helicopters are complimentary to one another, not interchangeable. Drones are valuable for close‑range, localised tasks, but may not always replace the speed, persistence, capacity and safety assurance of a helicopter. However, this is subject to ongoing research and analysis, continuously evolving as technology advances.

The Home Office is currently working with NPAS and the NPCC Drones Programme to assess, compare and evaluate the benefits and cost-effectiveness of crewed and uncrewed technologies for operational policing and how this will support development of a future blended fleet model for police aviation, in line with the NPCC Aviation Strategy (2025-2035).

In addition, the Government takes national and cyber security extremely seriously and regularly reviews risks, including from Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) which includes drones. The National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) have issued guidance for security professionals across public and private sector organisations on the appropriate security measures which should be taken to manage potential security risks via UAS technologies, including drones. In line with existing guidance, the NPCC Drones Programme is currently undertaking a review on the data and security risk implications associated with police use of drones.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police missions were carried out by (a) drone and (b) crewed aircraft in each of the last 10 years.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office provided £10.6m to NPAS in FY2025/26. In addition, the Home Office has committed £34.5m to NPAS to support the replacement of 7 helicopters. For further information on annual grant information for NPAS, the Government via the Cabinet Office is committed to publish grant data on an annual basis for schemes and programmes that are funded by the Government, including the NPAS Capital Grant. This can be accessed on the Cabinet Office website under 'Government grant data and statistics'.

The procurement, operational deployment and recording of data on police use of drones and crewed aircraft are operational matters for police forces, who are best placed to assess their own operational needs while ensuring they have the tools necessary to protect the public. The Home Office does not hold information on the proportion of drones registered by the CAA.

The Home Office is currently funding and supporting the work of the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s (NPCC) Drones Programme, who were allocated £2.3m in FY2025/26. The programme is responsible for standardising and professionalising the use of drones across UK police forces. This includes developing a bespoke training and accreditation pathway for police drone operators as well as working with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to provide the necessary oversight on the safety aspects of police drone operations.

Drones and helicopters are complimentary to one another, not interchangeable. Drones are valuable for close‑range, localised tasks, but may not always replace the speed, persistence, capacity and safety assurance of a helicopter. However, this is subject to ongoing research and analysis, continuously evolving as technology advances.

The Home Office is currently working with NPAS and the NPCC Drones Programme to assess, compare and evaluate the benefits and cost-effectiveness of crewed and uncrewed technologies for operational policing and how this will support development of a future blended fleet model for police aviation, in line with the NPCC Aviation Strategy (2025-2035).

In addition, the Government takes national and cyber security extremely seriously and regularly reviews risks, including from Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) which includes drones. The National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) have issued guidance for security professionals across public and private sector organisations on the appropriate security measures which should be taken to manage potential security risks via UAS technologies, including drones. In line with existing guidance, the NPCC Drones Programme is currently undertaking a review on the data and security risk implications associated with police use of drones.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the annual budget of the National Police Air Service was in each year for which records are available.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office provided £10.6m to NPAS in FY2025/26. In addition, the Home Office has committed £34.5m to NPAS to support the replacement of 7 helicopters. For further information on annual grant information for NPAS, the Government via the Cabinet Office is committed to publish grant data on an annual basis for schemes and programmes that are funded by the Government, including the NPAS Capital Grant. This can be accessed on the Cabinet Office website under 'Government grant data and statistics'.

The procurement, operational deployment and recording of data on police use of drones and crewed aircraft are operational matters for police forces, who are best placed to assess their own operational needs while ensuring they have the tools necessary to protect the public. The Home Office does not hold information on the proportion of drones registered by the CAA.

The Home Office is currently funding and supporting the work of the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s (NPCC) Drones Programme, who were allocated £2.3m in FY2025/26. The programme is responsible for standardising and professionalising the use of drones across UK police forces. This includes developing a bespoke training and accreditation pathway for police drone operators as well as working with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to provide the necessary oversight on the safety aspects of police drone operations.

Drones and helicopters are complimentary to one another, not interchangeable. Drones are valuable for close‑range, localised tasks, but may not always replace the speed, persistence, capacity and safety assurance of a helicopter. However, this is subject to ongoing research and analysis, continuously evolving as technology advances.

The Home Office is currently working with NPAS and the NPCC Drones Programme to assess, compare and evaluate the benefits and cost-effectiveness of crewed and uncrewed technologies for operational policing and how this will support development of a future blended fleet model for police aviation, in line with the NPCC Aviation Strategy (2025-2035).

In addition, the Government takes national and cyber security extremely seriously and regularly reviews risks, including from Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) which includes drones. The National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) have issued guidance for security professionals across public and private sector organisations on the appropriate security measures which should be taken to manage potential security risks via UAS technologies, including drones. In line with existing guidance, the NPCC Drones Programme is currently undertaking a review on the data and security risk implications associated with police use of drones.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost was of the National Police Air Service Eurocopter programme.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office provided £10.6m to NPAS in FY2025/26. In addition, the Home Office has committed £34.5m to NPAS to support the replacement of 7 helicopters. For further information on annual grant information for NPAS, the Government via the Cabinet Office is committed to publish grant data on an annual basis for schemes and programmes that are funded by the Government, including the NPAS Capital Grant. This can be accessed on the Cabinet Office website under 'Government grant data and statistics'.

The procurement, operational deployment and recording of data on police use of drones and crewed aircraft are operational matters for police forces, who are best placed to assess their own operational needs while ensuring they have the tools necessary to protect the public. The Home Office does not hold information on the proportion of drones registered by the CAA.

The Home Office is currently funding and supporting the work of the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s (NPCC) Drones Programme, who were allocated £2.3m in FY2025/26. The programme is responsible for standardising and professionalising the use of drones across UK police forces. This includes developing a bespoke training and accreditation pathway for police drone operators as well as working with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to provide the necessary oversight on the safety aspects of police drone operations.

Drones and helicopters are complimentary to one another, not interchangeable. Drones are valuable for close‑range, localised tasks, but may not always replace the speed, persistence, capacity and safety assurance of a helicopter. However, this is subject to ongoing research and analysis, continuously evolving as technology advances.

The Home Office is currently working with NPAS and the NPCC Drones Programme to assess, compare and evaluate the benefits and cost-effectiveness of crewed and uncrewed technologies for operational policing and how this will support development of a future blended fleet model for police aviation, in line with the NPCC Aviation Strategy (2025-2035).

In addition, the Government takes national and cyber security extremely seriously and regularly reviews risks, including from Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) which includes drones. The National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) have issued guidance for security professionals across public and private sector organisations on the appropriate security measures which should be taken to manage potential security risks via UAS technologies, including drones. In line with existing guidance, the NPCC Drones Programme is currently undertaking a review on the data and security risk implications associated with police use of drones.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what tasks crewed police helicopters can do that drones cannot.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office provided £10.6m to NPAS in FY2025/26. In addition, the Home Office has committed £34.5m to NPAS to support the replacement of 7 helicopters. For further information on annual grant information for NPAS, the Government via the Cabinet Office is committed to publish grant data on an annual basis for schemes and programmes that are funded by the Government, including the NPAS Capital Grant. This can be accessed on the Cabinet Office website under 'Government grant data and statistics'.

The procurement, operational deployment and recording of data on police use of drones and crewed aircraft are operational matters for police forces, who are best placed to assess their own operational needs while ensuring they have the tools necessary to protect the public. The Home Office does not hold information on the proportion of drones registered by the CAA.

The Home Office is currently funding and supporting the work of the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s (NPCC) Drones Programme, who were allocated £2.3m in FY2025/26. The programme is responsible for standardising and professionalising the use of drones across UK police forces. This includes developing a bespoke training and accreditation pathway for police drone operators as well as working with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to provide the necessary oversight on the safety aspects of police drone operations.

Drones and helicopters are complimentary to one another, not interchangeable. Drones are valuable for close‑range, localised tasks, but may not always replace the speed, persistence, capacity and safety assurance of a helicopter. However, this is subject to ongoing research and analysis, continuously evolving as technology advances.

The Home Office is currently working with NPAS and the NPCC Drones Programme to assess, compare and evaluate the benefits and cost-effectiveness of crewed and uncrewed technologies for operational policing and how this will support development of a future blended fleet model for police aviation, in line with the NPCC Aviation Strategy (2025-2035).

In addition, the Government takes national and cyber security extremely seriously and regularly reviews risks, including from Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) which includes drones. The National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) have issued guidance for security professionals across public and private sector organisations on the appropriate security measures which should be taken to manage potential security risks via UAS technologies, including drones. In line with existing guidance, the NPCC Drones Programme is currently undertaking a review on the data and security risk implications associated with police use of drones.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has considered the potential merits of relaxing pub licensing hours in English pubs to also accommodate the World Cup football matches involving Scotland.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government recently announced plans to extend licensing hours on a national basis for the round of 32 and round of 16, quarter finals, semi-finals, bronze medal match and final of the FIFA World Cup 2026 for matches that involve any of the home nations, including Scotland, and kick off between 8pm and 10pm UK time. This will apply in both England and Wales.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to sheet Ret_04 of the data release entitled 'Returns summary tables, year ending December 2025', updated on 26 February 2026, if she will publish a further breakdown of the nationalities currently grouped under "Other” for asylum-related returns in 2025.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

As you are aware, the Home Office publishes statistics on the number of returns from the UK in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. The latest data on returns from the UK, by nationality and asylum and non-asylum is published in table Ret_04 of the ‘Returns summary tables’. The latest data goes up to the end of December 2025.

Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data. These reviews allow us to balance the production of our regular statistics whilst developing new statistics for future release.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum-related returns there were in 2025 for people from (a) Bangladesh, (b) Afghanistan, (c) Iran and (d) Sri Lanka.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

As you are aware, the Home Office publishes statistics on the number of returns from the UK in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. The latest data on returns from the UK, by nationality and asylum and non-asylum is published in table Ret_04 of the ‘Returns summary tables’. The latest data goes up to the end of December 2025.

Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data. These reviews allow us to balance the production of our regular statistics whilst developing new statistics for future release.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 23 March 2026 to question 121386, if she will list the asylum-related removals in 2025 by nationality.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office publishes statistics on returns from the UK in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. The latest data on asylum-related returns by return type and top 10 most common nationalities in 2025 can be found in table Ret_04 of the ‘Returns summary tables’.

Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data. These reviews allow us to balance the production of our regular statistics whilst developing new statistics for future release.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what data they hold on (1) the number of applications for indefinite leave to remain made under Immigration Rules Appendix ECAA which are currently awaiting decision, and (2) the number of grants of indefinite leave to remain under that route in the most recent six-month period for which data are available.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

Leave granted under the European Community Association Agreement (ECAA) allows people, largely Turkish nationals, to work or establish businesses in the UK.

The Home Office does not publish information on ECAA applications awaiting decision.

The Home Office does not publish information specifically relating to grants of Indefinite Leave to Remain under the ECAA route.

However, from the immigration statistics published for the calendar year ending December 2025, it was noted that the published data on grants of Settlement under the Work Permit holder category largely relates to persons granted leave under the ECAA route. The published statistics for the year ending December 2025 show that there were 6,367 Settlement grants for Work Permit holders, an increase of 72% on the previous 12 months.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her department will publish its new Anti-Money Laundering and Asset Recovery (AMLAR) strategy.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

Following the completion of Economic Crime Plan 2, the Government will publish its new Anti-Money Laundering and Asset Recovery (AMLAR) Strategy this summer. The strategy is being developed jointly by the Home Office, HM Treasury and in close partnership with the private sector, and will set out a series of ambitious measures to strengthen the UK’s response to money laundering and improve our approach to asset recovery.

The AMLAR Strategy will be published alongside the new Economic Crime Plan 2026–29, which will bring together the Government’s economic crime strategies in a single strategic framework and drive forward key cross‑cutting initiatives.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the use of AI chatbot systems to facilitate stalking and harassment; and what steps they are taking to ensure that existing online safety, data protection and criminal law frameworks remain effective in addressing harms arising from the misuse of those technologies.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government continues to take steps to protect the UK public from crimes linked to the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI). This includes when AI is used to aid or facilitate stalking and harassment.

The Online Safety Act already regulates many generative AI services. However, the Government acknowledges that gaps remain, leading to inconsistent coverage of certain AI chatbot services.

We are addressing these gaps as a matter of urgency through an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill. Through a new delegated power, we will be able to bring currently unregulated AI chatbots into the scope of the Online Safety Act. This will ensure they are subject to requirements to protect users from illegal content and activity.

We are also taking action on so called ‘nudification’ tools, legislating through the Crime and Policing Bill to criminalise the development and supply of tools for generating non-consensual intimate images.

Beyond these measures, we will continue to work closely with law enforcement to tackle the harms presented by AI. The National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection (NCVPP) continues to act as the subject matter expert on ongoing work relating to AI and VAWG in policing, to ensure that safeguarding is a core part of AI tools and models.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to ensure that the use of automated tools in asylum processes complies with data protection and equality legislation.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

An Equality Impact Assessment and Data Protection Impact Assessment were completed for both Asylum Case Summarisation (ACS) and Asylum Policy Search (APS) before pilots commenced. An updated EIA for both ACS and APS is currently intended to be published after both tools have been operationalised.

It has not yet been confirmed whether the Department intends to publish a DPIA for the APS and ACS tools after both have been operationalised. APS is now fully rolled out, while ACS is due to follow in April 2026.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will publish Data Protection Impact Assessments for the Asylum Casework Support and Asylum Policy Search tools.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

An Equality Impact Assessment and Data Protection Impact Assessment were completed for both Asylum Case Summarisation (ACS) and Asylum Policy Search (APS) before pilots commenced. An updated EIA for both ACS and APS is currently intended to be published after both tools have been operationalised.

It has not yet been confirmed whether the Department intends to publish a DPIA for the APS and ACS tools after both have been operationalised. APS is now fully rolled out, while ACS is due to follow in April 2026.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether an Equality Impact Assessment was conducted prior to the deployment of the ACS and APS tools.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

An Equality Impact Assessment and Data Protection Impact Assessment were completed for both Asylum Case Summarisation (ACS) and Asylum Policy Search (APS) before pilots commenced. An updated EIA for both ACS and APS is currently intended to be published after both tools have been operationalised.

It has not yet been confirmed whether the Department intends to publish a DPIA for the APS and ACS tools after both have been operationalised. APS is now fully rolled out, while ACS is due to follow in April 2026.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding announced under the Government’s strategy to tackle violence against women and girls will be provided directly to (a) local authorities and (b) Somerset Council to support delivery in areas such as Yeovil constituency.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The scale of violence against women and girls in our country is intolerable and this Government is treating it as the national emergency that it is. The cross-government VAWG Strategy, published on 18 December 2025, sets out the strategic direction and concrete actions to prevent violence and abuse, pursue perpetrators, and support victims, and to deliver our unprecedented commitment to halve VAWG in a decade.

The Strategy is supported by at least £1 billion of government funding over the Spending Review period, alongside much wider investment across the whole of government. All commitments within the Strategy are fully funded and funding allocations will be announced by the departments leading individual policy measures in the normal way

In December 2025, the Home Office confirmed the continuation of funding for some of the current vital frontline support services to victims of VAWG, including improving the police response to VAWG and tackling the root causes of VAWG, ahead of anticipated future funding. Future funding will be dependent on the scope and eligibility criteria of the competitions. Further information about future opportunities for funding will be communicated openly, including on ‘Find Government Grants’ - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of funding announced under the Government’s strategy to tackle violence against women and girls is (a) new funding and (b) reallocated from existing budgets.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The scale of violence against women and girls in our country is intolerable and this Government is treating it as the national emergency that it is. The cross-government VAWG Strategy, published on 18 December 2025, sets out the strategic direction and concrete actions to prevent violence and abuse, pursue perpetrators, and support victims, and to deliver our unprecedented commitment to halve VAWG in a decade.

The Strategy is supported by at least £1 billion of government funding over the Spending Review period, alongside much wider investment across the whole of government. All commitments within the Strategy are fully funded and funding allocations will be announced by the departments leading individual policy measures in the normal way

In December 2025, the Home Office confirmed the continuation of funding for some of the current vital frontline support services to victims of VAWG, including improving the police response to VAWG and tackling the root causes of VAWG, ahead of anticipated future funding. Future funding will be dependent on the scope and eligibility criteria of the competitions. Further information about future opportunities for funding will be communicated openly, including on ‘Find Government Grants’ - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed asylum and returns reforms on women.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Equality impacts will be considered for individual policies as they continue to be developed and will be kept under review to ensure there are no unintended impacts.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions Ministers or officials in her Department have had regarding the dispersal of asylum seekers or refugees in Grantham with i) South Kesteven District Council, ii) Lincolnshire County Council, iii) the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority, iv) Lincolnshire Police, and v) other relevant local authorities.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

There are currently no refugees arriving via the UK's Safe and Legal Routes who are scheduled for resettlement in Grantham.

The Asylum Accommodation Plans are the mechanisms via which the Home Office works towards achieving Full Dispersal and thus a fair and balanced distribution of asylum accommodation across all local authorities nationally. The Asylum Accommodation Plans are underpinned by an indexing model which accounts for a multitude of pressures within local authorities, including availability of housing, levels of homelessness, availability of GP and dentists as well as levels of community cohesion. Development of the plans was informed by engagement with a range of national, regional and local stakeholders, to ensure that the evidence base was reflective of boarder local authority feedback.

Procurement and delivery of asylum accommodation, in line with the plans, is supported by regular engagement between the Home Office, accommodation providers, and local authority officials. Engagement is undertaken both via regular official forums jointly chaired by the Home Office and regional Strategic Migration Partnerships (SMPs), as well as via ad hoc meetings with individual local authorities where there is a need to discuss specific concerns and/or issues. I can confirm that there has been continued engagement between Home Office, South Kesteven and Lincolnshire officials, both via official forums as well as ad hoc meetings, not only in reference to the broader Asylum Accommodation Plans but also more specifically regarding Grantham.

Consultation with local authority officials forms a vital part of procurement of asylum accommodation; ensuring procurement of suitable accommodation that allows us to fulfil out statutory obligations whilst carefully considering any potential impacts on local areas. The Home Office and its accommodation providers operate a robust consultation process, which not only ensures that local authorities are aware of all ongoing procurement activity of Dispersed Accommodation in their respective areas, but also allows them to share local expertise and intelligence to inform procurement. This approach supports our commitment to ensuring that the provision of asylum accommodation is informed by local context and that any impacts on communities and services are minimised.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer provided to UIN 119503, on Asylum: Housing, which Asylum Accommodation Plan covers Dispersal Accommodation in Grantham.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

There are currently no refugees arriving via the UK's Safe and Legal Routes who are scheduled for resettlement in Grantham.

The Asylum Accommodation Plans are the mechanisms via which the Home Office works towards achieving Full Dispersal and thus a fair and balanced distribution of asylum accommodation across all local authorities nationally. The Asylum Accommodation Plans are underpinned by an indexing model which accounts for a multitude of pressures within local authorities, including availability of housing, levels of homelessness, availability of GP and dentists as well as levels of community cohesion. Development of the plans was informed by engagement with a range of national, regional and local stakeholders, to ensure that the evidence base was reflective of boarder local authority feedback.

Procurement and delivery of asylum accommodation, in line with the plans, is supported by regular engagement between the Home Office, accommodation providers, and local authority officials. Engagement is undertaken both via regular official forums jointly chaired by the Home Office and regional Strategic Migration Partnerships (SMPs), as well as via ad hoc meetings with individual local authorities where there is a need to discuss specific concerns and/or issues. I can confirm that there has been continued engagement between Home Office, South Kesteven and Lincolnshire officials, both via official forums as well as ad hoc meetings, not only in reference to the broader Asylum Accommodation Plans but also more specifically regarding Grantham.

Consultation with local authority officials forms a vital part of procurement of asylum accommodation; ensuring procurement of suitable accommodation that allows us to fulfil out statutory obligations whilst carefully considering any potential impacts on local areas. The Home Office and its accommodation providers operate a robust consultation process, which not only ensures that local authorities are aware of all ongoing procurement activity of Dispersed Accommodation in their respective areas, but also allows them to share local expertise and intelligence to inform procurement. This approach supports our commitment to ensuring that the provision of asylum accommodation is informed by local context and that any impacts on communities and services are minimised.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what allocation the Department has made for (a) refugees and (b) asylum seekers that are to be dispersed in Grantham.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

There are currently no refugees arriving via the UK's Safe and Legal Routes who are scheduled for resettlement in Grantham.

The Asylum Accommodation Plans are the mechanisms via which the Home Office works towards achieving Full Dispersal and thus a fair and balanced distribution of asylum accommodation across all local authorities nationally. The Asylum Accommodation Plans are underpinned by an indexing model which accounts for a multitude of pressures within local authorities, including availability of housing, levels of homelessness, availability of GP and dentists as well as levels of community cohesion. Development of the plans was informed by engagement with a range of national, regional and local stakeholders, to ensure that the evidence base was reflective of boarder local authority feedback.

Procurement and delivery of asylum accommodation, in line with the plans, is supported by regular engagement between the Home Office, accommodation providers, and local authority officials. Engagement is undertaken both via regular official forums jointly chaired by the Home Office and regional Strategic Migration Partnerships (SMPs), as well as via ad hoc meetings with individual local authorities where there is a need to discuss specific concerns and/or issues. I can confirm that there has been continued engagement between Home Office, South Kesteven and Lincolnshire officials, both via official forums as well as ad hoc meetings, not only in reference to the broader Asylum Accommodation Plans but also more specifically regarding Grantham.

Consultation with local authority officials forms a vital part of procurement of asylum accommodation; ensuring procurement of suitable accommodation that allows us to fulfil out statutory obligations whilst carefully considering any potential impacts on local areas. The Home Office and its accommodation providers operate a robust consultation process, which not only ensures that local authorities are aware of all ongoing procurement activity of Dispersed Accommodation in their respective areas, but also allows them to share local expertise and intelligence to inform procurement. This approach supports our commitment to ensuring that the provision of asylum accommodation is informed by local context and that any impacts on communities and services are minimised.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with Serco on the dispersal of asylum seekers or refugees in Grantham.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office maintains regular and ongoing engagement with all asylum accommodation providers, including Serco, to ensure contractual obligations are met and that accommodation is delivered in line with the Asylum Accommodation and Support Services Contract (AASC).

These discussions take place on a frequent and sustained basis as part of routine operational oversight. Engagement focuses on performance, property standards, welfare provisions, and the quality of accommodation, ensuring services are delivered in accordance with Home Office guidance and statutory responsibilities.

While the Home Office and Serco work closely on these operational matters, decisions on the use of specific properties or locations - including in Grantham - are taken within the Home Office's statutory duty under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 to ensure asylum seekers are not left destitute while their claims are processed. The Department retains overall responsibility for accommodation provision, with Serco delivering services and managing property portfolios in line with contract requirements.

We continue to work closely with local authorities, including those covering the Grantham area, to ensure dispersal is carried out fairly, responsibly, and with consideration of local capacity and public services.

In circumstances where concerns are raised by the local authority about proposed accommodation, these matters are considered through the Home Office's strengthened governance and oversight arrangements for asylum accommodation. Where agreement cannot be reached at a local level, issues may be escalated through internal decision‑making routes for further consideration, in line with the enhanced governance and contract‑management framework described in recent Home Office responses to parliamentary scrutiny.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 6 March (HL14995), what assessment they have made of the position set out in the Written Statement by the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union on 7 March 2019 (HCWS1392) when considering whether the earned settlement proposals set out in A Fairer Pathway to Settlement (CP 1448), published 20 November 2025, should apply to individuals holding leave under Appendix European Communities Association Agreement.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

We are continuing to review and analyse the 200,000 responses received during the earned settlement consultation ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’ (CP 1448), which will help inform development of the final model, including consideration of any potential exemptions or transitional measures for those already on a pathway to settlement.

Once that is decided, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many properties in i) South Kesteven and ii) Grantham will be utilised for the dispersal of asylum seekers.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

There are currently no refugees arriving via the UK's Safe and Legal Routes who are scheduled for resettlement in Grantham.

The Asylum Accommodation Plans are the mechanisms via which the Home Office works towards achieving Full Dispersal and thus a fair and balanced distribution of asylum accommodation across all local authorities nationally. The Asylum Accommodation Plans are underpinned by an indexing model which accounts for a multitude of pressures within local authorities, including availability of housing, levels of homelessness, availability of GP and dentists as well as levels of community cohesion. Development of the plans was informed by engagement with a range of national, regional and local stakeholders, to ensure that the evidence base was reflective of boarder local authority feedback.

Procurement and delivery of asylum accommodation, in line with the plans, is supported by regular engagement between the Home Office, accommodation providers, and local authority officials. Engagement is undertaken both via regular official forums jointly chaired by the Home Office and regional Strategic Migration Partnerships (SMPs), as well as via ad hoc meetings with individual local authorities where there is a need to discuss specific concerns and/or issues. I can confirm that there has been continued engagement between Home Office, South Kesteven and Lincolnshire officials, both via official forums as well as ad hoc meetings, not only in reference to the broader Asylum Accommodation Plans but also more specifically regarding Grantham.

Consultation with local authority officials forms a vital part of procurement of asylum accommodation; ensuring procurement of suitable accommodation that allows us to fulfil out statutory obligations whilst carefully considering any potential impacts on local areas. The Home Office and its accommodation providers operate a robust consultation process, which not only ensures that local authorities are aware of all ongoing procurement activity of Dispersed Accommodation in their respective areas, but also allows them to share local expertise and intelligence to inform procurement. This approach supports our commitment to ensuring that the provision of asylum accommodation is informed by local context and that any impacts on communities and services are minimised.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to use Prince William of Gloucester Barracks to accommodate asylum seekers or other irregular migrants.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Home Office officials keep the asylum accommodation estate under continual review.

As part of this estate management, operational adjustments are made on an ongoing basis to ensure sufficient and suitable capacity is maintained to meet expected levels of demand.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to to tackle county lines gangs targeting children to act as drug runners.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government is committed to halving knife crime and tackling violent and exploitative county lines gangs is crucial to achieving this. That is why we are investing more than £34 million in 26/27 in the County Lines Programme, to pursue violent line holders and safeguard children and vulnerable people.

The success and impact of the County Lines Programme is clear. Since July 2024, the Programme has resulted in more than 3,000 deal lines closed, 8,200 arrests, (including the arrest and subsequent charge of over 1,600 deal line holders), 4,300 safeguarding referrals of children and vulnerable people, and 900 knives seized. More than 620 children and young people have also received dedicated specialist support through our county lines support service in the same period.

Independent evaluation of the Programme has shown it is having a significant impact, reducing hospitalisations due to knife stabbings by 25% and drug misuse hospitalisations by 29% in the Programme taskforce areas. The latest Strategic Assessment by the National County Lines Coordination Centre also shows that the number of children involved in county lines has reduced by 17% since 22/23.

As committed to in the Government’s manifesto, we have also introduced a new offence of criminal exploitation of children in the Crime and Policing Bill to go after the gangs who are luring young people into violence and crime. As part of this legislation, we are delivering new civil preventative orders to disrupt and prevent child criminal exploitation from occurring or re-occurring.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish information held by the Disclosure and Barring Service on DBS checks issued in the most recent year by (a) sector, (b) occupation and (c) Standard Industrial Classification.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is operationally independent and therefore responsible for the information it publishes.

The organisation currently publishes performance against its targets at DBS dataset 1: DBS checks, the DBS Update Service, and disputes - GOV.UK.

It does not publish information about the sector, occupation, or Standard Industrial Classification in relation to its checks.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps are being taken to ensure that relevant local stakeholders, including i) local authorities, ii) local police forces, and iii) other relevant authorities, have access to information on asylum seekers, refugees, irregular migrants including but not limited to name and date of birth, gender, nationality, criminal record, health record, and previous residential history.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

An updated protocol has been produced, with support from police representatives and was shared in mid-October 2025.

For Asylum Accommodation, the agreement now includes Home Office data sharing commitments between NPCC and HO Asylum Support. A summary is highlighted below:

• In accordance with provisions of General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, any request by police for sharing of personal data relating to current occupants of asylum accommodation premises must have a lawful basis and be necessary and proportionate to the proposed use of data.
• Enquiries or requests from police for one-off or small-scale data or information regarding personal details of individual service users, or occupants of individual properties should be directed to, and met by, the Home Office’s accommodation providers in the first instance.
• Where police forces encounter a concern with a Home Office accommodation provider’s service, compliance or reasonable timeliness of response to data requests, concerns can be escalated to the appropriate Home Office Service Delivery Team.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 121206 on Police: Vehicles, what guidance has been provided to Chief Constables by the NPCC on understanding and effectively managing risks from connected vehicles.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

The Government prioritises national security and does not routinely provide details on operational matters or specific threats.

The Home Office works closely with the National Technical Authorities, Police Digital Service, National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC), alongside other Government Departments, to fully understand and address cyber vulnerabilities, proportional to the threat.

Guidance provided covered proportionate risk-based measures on the in-life management, data handling, and disposal of Connected Vehicles. We will continue to work with partners to ensure the guidance remains up to date and that forces follow guidance appropriately.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she provide a breakdown of the value of the assets recovered from the five Unexplained Wealth Orders that were obtained in 2024-2025.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)

Of the five unexplained wealth orders reported in the 2024-2025 annual report, two have so far resulted in asset recovery outcomes.

In one case, following an order obtained by the Serious Fraud Office, a property identified in the order was sold for £1.1 million.

In a separate case, the National Crime Agency reached a settlement with the defendant, Binghai Su, which is expected to result in the recovery of around £20 million once forfeited assets are sold.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the APS tool is used to (a) generate and (b) inform casework decisions; and what human oversight mechanisms are applied.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Asylum Policy Search tool (APS) tool is an artificial intelligence (AI) search assistant. It is a chat-based interface which finds and summarises Country Policy Information Notes (CPIN) directly relevant to the inputted query, to provide the policy basis for decisions.

In line with the ‘human in the loop’ principle, APS was designed so that decision-makers cannot use the tool by itself to decide a claim. AI technology does not make decisions on Asylum applications; instead, it will help Asylum Decision Makers analyse data and provide insightful information that further informs outcomes.

The Asylum Case Summarisation (ACS) tool uses AI to summarise asylum interview transcripts. The tool uses a Large Language Model to extract and summarise information from existing asylum interview transcript documents to provide decision-makers with a concise summary document. In line with the ‘human in the loop’ principle, ACS has been designed so that decision-makers cannot use the tool by itself to decide a claim. Instead, it acts as an aid in the usual decision-making process.

After APS was operationalised, a specific inbox was set up for Decision Makers to feed back any issues found with the tool. Subject Matter Expert (SME) testing continues after operationalisation, in conjunction with the CPIT (Country Policy & Information Team), for APS.

Whilst there is no standard operating procedure in place on the use of APS, all members of the Department were required to complete a mandatory ‘AI for all’ learning package in 2025. Furthermore, caseworkers were given comprehensive training on the use of APS before it was operationalised.

It has not yet been confirmed whether the Department intends to publish a DPIA for the APS and ACS tools after both have been operationalised. APS is now fully rolled out, while ACS is due to follow in April 2026.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what role the ACS and APS tools play in asylum decision-making processes; and what safeguards are in place to ensure equitable decisions.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Asylum Policy Search tool (APS) tool is an artificial intelligence (AI) search assistant. It is a chat-based interface which finds and summarises Country Policy Information Notes (CPIN) directly relevant to the inputted query, to provide the policy basis for decisions.

In line with the ‘human in the loop’ principle, APS was designed so that decision-makers cannot use the tool by itself to decide a claim. AI technology does not make decisions on Asylum applications; instead, it will help Asylum Decision Makers analyse data and provide insightful information that further informs outcomes.

The Asylum Case Summarisation (ACS) tool uses AI to summarise asylum interview transcripts. The tool uses a Large Language Model to extract and summarise information from existing asylum interview transcript documents to provide decision-makers with a concise summary document. In line with the ‘human in the loop’ principle, ACS has been designed so that decision-makers cannot use the tool by itself to decide a claim. Instead, it acts as an aid in the usual decision-making process.

After APS was operationalised, a specific inbox was set up for Decision Makers to feed back any issues found with the tool. Subject Matter Expert (SME) testing continues after operationalisation, in conjunction with the CPIT (Country Policy & Information Team), for APS.

Whilst there is no standard operating procedure in place on the use of APS, all members of the Department were required to complete a mandatory ‘AI for all’ learning package in 2025. Furthermore, caseworkers were given comprehensive training on the use of APS before it was operationalised.

It has not yet been confirmed whether the Department intends to publish a DPIA for the APS and ACS tools after both have been operationalised. APS is now fully rolled out, while ACS is due to follow in April 2026.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has issued (a) standard operating procedures and (b) internal guidance to caseworkers on the use of the ACS and APS tools.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Asylum Policy Search tool (APS) tool is an artificial intelligence (AI) search assistant. It is a chat-based interface which finds and summarises Country Policy Information Notes (CPIN) directly relevant to the inputted query, to provide the policy basis for decisions.

In line with the ‘human in the loop’ principle, APS was designed so that decision-makers cannot use the tool by itself to decide a claim. AI technology does not make decisions on Asylum applications; instead, it will help Asylum Decision Makers analyse data and provide insightful information that further informs outcomes.

The Asylum Case Summarisation (ACS) tool uses AI to summarise asylum interview transcripts. The tool uses a Large Language Model to extract and summarise information from existing asylum interview transcript documents to provide decision-makers with a concise summary document. In line with the ‘human in the loop’ principle, ACS has been designed so that decision-makers cannot use the tool by itself to decide a claim. Instead, it acts as an aid in the usual decision-making process.

After APS was operationalised, a specific inbox was set up for Decision Makers to feed back any issues found with the tool. Subject Matter Expert (SME) testing continues after operationalisation, in conjunction with the CPIT (Country Policy & Information Team), for APS.

Whilst there is no standard operating procedure in place on the use of APS, all members of the Department were required to complete a mandatory ‘AI for all’ learning package in 2025. Furthermore, caseworkers were given comprehensive training on the use of APS before it was operationalised.

It has not yet been confirmed whether the Department intends to publish a DPIA for the APS and ACS tools after both have been operationalised. APS is now fully rolled out, while ACS is due to follow in April 2026.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what if any, review process is available to Sudanese students currently holding UK university offers following the recent policy changes which impact their ability to obtain visas.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The decision to introduce a visa brake on the Student visa route for Sudan and three other nationalities was based on data-driven migration and border security considerations. There are no plans to provide exceptions for prospective students in scope of the brake.

By providing 21 days’ notice ahead of the implementation of the visa brake, any prospective Sudanese student who held an offer of study from a licenced student sponsor and a valid Confirmation of Acceptance of Study (CAS), was able to apply for a Student visa as normal ahead of implementation on 26 March.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2026 to Question 110385, on Asylum: English language, for what reason there is a three-year qualifying period for English language training for those other than asylum seekers whose claims have been outstanding for six months or more.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Since August 2025, there has been no three-year residency requirement to access Adult Skills Fund provision. A correction to PQ 110385 was issued on 31 March.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the current estimate of the time for resolution of applications for visas under the family route.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, including service standards for processing visa applications.

All family visa applications are carefully considered in line with the published family visa processing times available here: Visa processing times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK. Where applicants require their application to be expedited owing to their individual compelling and compassionate circumstances, we will consider each case on its own merit.

Applicants on certain family routes may choose to use optional priority or super priority services, where available, for an additional fee to receive a faster decision on their application. Applicants using the priority service will usually receive a decision within five working days.

Further information on the priority service is available here: Get a faster decision on your visa or settlement application: Applying for a faster decision - GOV.UK.

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 a long term, dedicated visa route for overseas shearers to ensure timely shearing and protect livestock welfare.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government recognises the importance of safe and timely shearing to protect animal welfare. The sheep shearing concession has been operating for 15 years and it is reasonable to expect that over this period a long-term sustainable solution had been found to identify this workforce gap. Therefore, having considered the potential merits, and in line with the plans set out in the White Paper “Restoring Control over the Immigration System,” published in May 2025, the Government does not consider a long-term route is required.

The Government expects the sector to meet these needs through the domestic workforce and individuals with existing general work rights, including dependants or Youth Mobility Scheme visa holders, who are free to take up work as a sheep shearer subject to the relevant visa restrictions.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 122166, which groups her Department engaged to understand what capability is available to maintain high standards of security and integrity.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Externally, prior to live procurement, the Home Office English Language Testing (HOELT) Programme conducted five rounds of market engagement. This included industry experts and market leaders.

The programme has also engaged with the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) Commercial Innovation Hub, including the Government Digital Service in addition to Home Office Digital (HOD) who are fully embedded in the programme, supported by specialist managed services covering technical architecture, service design, cyber security, testing, and AI assurance.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 122166, if she will publish the security schedule and solution requirements relating to English Language Testing Requirements.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The security schedule and solution requirements form part of the live procurement documentation for this contract. As the procurement process is live and ongoing, it would not be appropriate to publish these documents at this time, as doing so could prejudice the integrity of the competitive tendering process

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to Answer of 25 November 2025 to Question 94124, on Electronic Travel Authorisations: Conferences and Trade Promotion, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme specifically on European business representatives seeking to attend trade events and conferences in the UK.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided on 25 November 2025 to Question UIN 94124.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2026 to Question 122166, whether she has had discussions with Five Eyes counterparts on maintaining high standards of security and integrity in English Language Testing arrangements.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The security and integrity of English Language Testing arrangements is a matter the Government takes very seriously and robust standards in this area are essential to maintaining the integrity of the immigration system.

We work closely with our Five Eyes counterparts across all service areas, including language testing, and value the insight provided by these interactions.

As there is a live procurement exercise currently under way, it would not be appropriate for the Home Office to comment further on the specific arrangements or any discussions that may inform them at this time.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her written statement of 2 March 2026 on Asylum changes, what estimate her Department has made of the scale of a Named Community Sponsorship scheme.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

In the Restoring Order and Control policy statement, the Government committed to transforming its approach to safe and legal routes. This included the creation of a named sponsorship scheme to enable community groups to sponsor refugees and displaced persons.

Work is underway to deliver the named community sponsorship route.

Further details, including the number of beneficiaries, will be set out in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Home Office English Language Test will be regulated by Ofqual.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office English Language Testing Programme remains in live procurement. We anticipate that the successful bidder will hold, or secure, Ofqual recognition. They must then continue to meet the rigorous bar required to comply with Ofqual's regulatory requirements. We are committed to working with Ofqual through to mobilisation to protect the integrity of these high-stakes tests.

Found: Tapp MP Minister for Migration and Citizenship 2 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DF www.gov.uk/home-office

Found: describe a complex overwhelming claiming process, combined with a ‘culture of disbelief’ in the Home Office

Found: from the Windrush Compensation Scheme that a lack of trust in the Government, in this case the Home Office

Found: independent Windrush Commissioner, my role is to serve as a trusted voice for those affected by the Home Office

Found: Some of the Clinic's work has been funded by the Home Office, as a result of successful applications

Found: report (para 3.26) refers to the support available from ‘We Are Group’ and, more recently, the Home Office

Found: In placing oversight and decision-making for Windrush compensation within the Home Office, the government

Found: Full Home Office immigration statistics is available here: www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release

Found: Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Home Office to the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee

Found: When the Home Office and G4S analysed 84 separate incidents in the Panorama documentary – most didn’t

Found: times that of a death in detention from self-harm involving a failure in procedures’.2 When the Home Office

Found: Governments are also quick to act to regulate technology when it serves their interests, such as when the Home Office

Found: ai-powered-employment-practices-pis-response-icos-draft-recruitment-and- selection 29 PI, WFH - Watched from Home: Office

Found: The Home Office uses predictive tools in immigration enforcement.

Found: 20 August 2025. 12 UNHCHR, ‘The right to privacy in the digital age’. 13 Danny Shaw, ‘Windrush: Home Office

Found: Immigration (Home Office).

Found: Immigration (Home Office).

Found: Home Office settles legal challenge over visa algorithm.The Government's "AI Opportunities Action Plan

Found: Lord Hanson of Flint Minister of State 2 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DF www.gov.uk/home-office

Found: security working group, convening the Department of Health and Social Care, DEFRA, the FSA, the Home Office

Found: wildfires”.154 We heard that St Helena has “strong relationships” with Defra, DHSC, UKHSA, and the Home Office

Found: substances brought in by the public, alongside personalised health advice and are licensed by the Home Office

Found: The Home Office should extend licensed drug checking services where this is shown to reduce harm to

Found: Food and Rural Affairs, the Food Standards Agency, the Department for Business and Trade, and the Home Office

Found: Brake’ – Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar & Sudan Dear Home Secretary, On 26 March 2026 the Home Office

Found: increased vulnerabilities to homelessness and sited the (at the time) 28 day move on period from Home Office

Found: Alongside this, we are working closely with the Home Office to develop Justice ID, to enable staff to

Found: This is being run by the Home Office, but requires coordination with devolved administrations (except

Found: .  The Extended Area Services project is working with the Home Office to use the Emergency Services

Found: of the legally designated authority, which is the position today, and the Home Office

Found: Examples include referrals from Home Office, following investigations into the employment of illegal

Found: Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) • Office for Life Sciences (OLS); and • Home Office

Found: Administrative Disappearance and Mobility for Migrant / “Recently Arrived” Youth • Children moved under Home Office

Found: ethnicity, disability, and other characteristics at sub-national level; address the NRPF data gap (the Home Office

Found: We will talk later about the Home Office, which does not seem to see its responsibility in quite the

Found: The Home Office starts to say, “Hang on a minute.

Found: The Home Office starts to say, “Hang on a minute.

Found: Tapp MP Minister for Migration & Citizenship 2 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DF www.gov.uk/home-office

Found: Minister of State for Policing and Crime 2 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DF www.gov.uk/home-office

Found: , on which we actively engage with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Home Office

Found: This includes the FCDO and UK diplomatic posts; DBT on trade policy and market access; the Home Office

Found: , on which we actively engage with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Home Office

Found: Foreign interference as an offence is very much owned by the Home Office.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will set out what support is available to small businesses to strengthen cybersecurity to prevent economic disruption.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Improving the cyber security of our nation's small businesses is critical to the resilience of our wider economy. We recognise many small businesses lack the resources to invest in their cyber security. As such, the government has developed a wide range of free tools, guidance and training to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) implement cyber security measures, including the Cyber Action Toolkit which provides SMEs with tailored advice on protecting their business.

National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)-certified Cyber Advisors are available to provide advice and guidance on commercial terms and SMEs are eligible for a free 30- minute consultation. Additionally, the government's Cyber Essentials scheme helps all organisations, including SMEs, implement critical cyber security controls, protecting them from most common cyber attacks and provides them with free insurance. All of this information is available on the NCSC website.

More broadly across government, the Home Office funds a network of Cyber Resilience Centres which provide free resources, guidance and training to SMEs to strengthen their cyber security.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of the Earned Settlement proposals on recruitment and retention rates in the NHS.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has regular discussions with my Rt Hon. Friend, the Home Secretary, on a range of subjects including immigration policy.

The Home Office consultation on Earned Settlement closed in February 2026 and responses are currently being analysed. This analysis will inform the development of the final Earned Settlement model, including consideration of any potential exemptions or transitional measures for those already on a pathway to settlement. Following analysis of the consultation responses, the necessary impact assessments, including those relating to the National Health Service, will be undertaken. Once the final model has been agreed, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has the Department made of the potential impact of the Earned Settlement proposals on NHS waiting lists.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has regular discussions with my Rt Hon. Friend, the Home Secretary, on a range of subjects including immigration policy.

The Home Office consultation on Earned Settlement closed in February 2026 and responses are currently being analysed. This analysis will inform the development of the final Earned Settlement model, including consideration of any potential exemptions or transitional measures for those already on a pathway to settlement. Following analysis of the consultation responses, the necessary impact assessments, including those relating to the National Health Service, will be undertaken. Once the final model has been agreed, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2026, to Question HL14714, on MHCLG: Public Consultation, what the policy approach of his Department is on this matter.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As the Department with responsibility for Counter Extremism policy since 2024, Home Office oversees the engagement principles for government and will advise and share information to help inform the decisions of other departments, including MHCLG. The responsibility for decisions around who departments engage with sits with respective departments and the appropriate policy areas.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on public service exemptions for Earned Settlement proposals.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has regular discussions with my Rt Hon. Friend, the Home Secretary, on a range of subjects, including immigration policy.

The Home Office consultation on Earned Settlement closed in February 2026 and responses are currently being analysed. This analysis will inform the development of the final Earned Settlement model, including consideration of any potential exemptions or transitional measures for those already on a pathway to settlement. Following analysis of the consultation responses, the necessary impact assessments, including those relating to the National Health Service, will be undertaken. Once the final model has been agreed, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an estimate of the potential cost to the NHS from Earned Settlement proposals.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has regular discussions with my Rt Hon. Friend, the Home Secretary, on a range of subjects, including immigration policy.

The Home Office consultation on Earned Settlement closed in February 2026 and responses are currently being analysed. This analysis will inform the development of the final Earned Settlement model, including consideration of any potential exemptions or transitional measures for those already on a pathway to settlement. Following analysis of the consultation responses, the necessary impact assessments, including those relating to the National Health Service, will be undertaken. Once the final model has been agreed, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the potential impact of the Earned Settlement proposals on NHS patient care.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has regular discussions with my Rt Hon. Friend, the Home Secretary, on a range of subjects including immigration policy.

The Home Office consultation on Earned Settlement closed in February 2026 and responses are currently being analysed. This analysis will inform the development of the final Earned Settlement model, including consideration of any potential exemptions or transitional measures for those already on a pathway to settlement. Following analysis of the consultation responses, the necessary impact assessments, including those relating to the National Health Service, will be undertaken. Once the final model has been agreed, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he has had with the Home Office about reciprocal VISA rights with Thailand.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

None.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has had discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the expected increase in public funds claimed by migrant workers.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Ministers and officials at DWP and the Home Office regularly discuss a range of matters.

Most migrants with temporary visas cannot access the benefit system. Access to public funds and benefits is usually at the point of settlement, which for most people will be after they have lived in the UK legally for five years, and the Home Office Earned Settlement policy consultation is looking at increasing this to ten years.

The Home Office are also consulting on changing the default position to maintain No Recourse to Public Funds at settlement and lifting this only at the point of British citizenship.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what was the average number of days in advance that victims were informed of a Foreign National Offender's deportation in 2025.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

The HMPPS Victim Contact Scheme provides a service to victims of offenders convicted of specified violent, sexual, or terrorism offences who receive a custodial sentence of 12 months or more. The Victim Contact Scheme enables eligible victims to make representations regarding licence conditions and supervision requirements, and to receive relevant information as appropriate to the circumstances of the case, such as details about the offender’s sentence.

In accordance with policy, victims must be informed about the offender’s immigration status and their eligibility for schemes including the Early Removal Scheme Tariff Expired Removal Scheme, Prisoner Transfer Agreements, or extradition. Eligible victims who have opted into the Victim Contact Scheme are informed by their Victim Liaison Officer if an offender is being considered for deportation or removal, and when deportation or removal has taken place. The Home Office are responsible for the arrangements for deportation of the offender and as a result, victims are not informed of the date in advance and, therefore, the data requested cannot be provided. In addition, information relating to victim contact is not routinely collected or published.

For victims not eligible or engaged with the Victim Contact Scheme, the Victims’ Code sets out that you have the Right to ask for updates regarding the immigration case of the Foreign National Offender directly from the Home Office’s Victim Support Team.

Through the Victim and Courts Bill, we will be updating the legislative framework that establishes the Victim Contact Scheme to bring victims currently served by different post-conviction communication schemes into the Victim Contact Scheme and provide a new route for other victims to request information via a dedicated helpline.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to tackle the unlawful (a) sale and (b) supply of nitrous oxide.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) Order 2023 came into force on 8 November 2023, classifying nitrous oxide as a Class C drug. It is illegal to produce, supply, import or export nitrous oxide where a person knows, or is reckless as to whether, it will be consumed for its psychoactive effects. The Home Office is responsible for drug policy and legislation.

Schedule 20 to the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act 2024 includes a provision prohibiting advertisements directly encouraging children to buy, or persuade their parents or other adults to buy, products for them. This prohibits retailers from advertising nitrous oxide to those under the age of 18 across any medium, including online.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2026, to Question 117891, on Electoral Register: EU Nationals, whether automatic registration systems will have access to Home Office immigration data.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

We are working with departments across Whitehall to explore the range of data-enabled opportunities available to supporting the overall objective of improving registration. This includes working with the Home Office to explore whether its data could help to identify individuals who are eligible to register.

We will work closely with the Information Commissioner’s Office to ensure that any use of data is supported by appropriate safeguards.

Any permanent changes to the registration process will be informed by robust evidence, user research and careful testing before being implemented.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of enforcement powers available to Trading Standards authorities at county level to take action against premises engaged in persistent breaches of consumer protection and trading laws; whether he has considered devolving powers to county-level Trading Standards authorities to enable them to apply for the closure of premises in cases of serious or repeat offending; and what discussions he has had with the (a) Home Office and (b) Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on aligning enforcement powers between licensing authorities, the police, and county-level enforcement bodies.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales are responsible for delivering trading standards services, aiming to ensure fair trading and safeguard both consumers and reputable businesses. Trading standards services operate independently from central government and enforce a wide range of laws, tailored to local needs.

Where issues impact on a wider group of consumers or businesses, or the detriment is particularly high, other regulators have power to take action. For instance, National Trading Standards plays a role in delivery of broader national and regional enforcement issues, supported by local trading standards services.

We keep this system under review, and the Department for Business and Trade is reviewing the current duties of Trading Standards to ensure that consumers remain protected from harm. My department is working with the Home Office, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and other Whitehall Departments in this work.

The Business Secretary and the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister recently wrote jointly to Cabinet colleagues to ask them to set out what further action they plan to take in this Parliament to address consumer harms in their areas, including on toughening enforcement actions against conduct and businesses that do the most harm to the community.

We will report back on this work in due course.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she is taking steps with the Secretary of State for the Home Department to implement effective oversight of biosecurity border controls.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Secretary of State for the Home Department does not oversee import controls for biosecurity, but Border Force is responsible for identifying and seizing illegally imported illegal animals, illegal animal products, illegal plants and plant products in some scenarios.

Defra and the Home Office are in active dialogue around practical improvements, including at a recent ministerial bilateral meeting and at meetings of the Goods Border Small Ministerial Group.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what enforcement measures have been implemented at Dover since September 2024.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra is working with the Home Office, Border Force, the Food Standards Agency, the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the Dover Port Health Authority (PHA) to improve the interception of illegal products of animal origin entering England via the port of Dover. Enforcement measures implemented at Dover since September 2024 have included seizure and destruction, and these are implemented by Border Force and Dover PHA. To enable this operational activity by Dover PHA, Defra has provided over £14.4m provided since October 2022.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on ensuring adequate veterinary staffing at ports.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Home Office is not responsible for veterinary staffing at ports and therefore the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has not had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on this. Defra is working with the Home Office, Border Force, the Food Standards Agency, the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the Dover Port Health Authority to improve the interception of illegal meat entering England, this includes considering capacity and capabilities.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Earned Settlement proposals on vacancy rates for adult social care workers.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care works closely with the Home Office on issues relating to immigration and the adult social care sector, including the social care workforce.

The Government ran a public consultation on whether the existing pathway for settlement should be increased to 15 years for those admitted to the United Kingdom to work in occupations skilled below Regulated Qualifications Framework Level 6, under the Skilled Worker and Health and Care routes. This includes care workers and senior care workers.

The consultation, which ran for 12 weeks, opened on 20 November 2025 and closed on 12 February 2026. The Home Office is now reviewing and analysing all responses received. This analysis will help inform the development of the final earned settlement model.

Following analysis of the consultation responses, the necessary impact assessments will be undertaken.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Earned Settlement proposals on the number of care workers leaving the sector.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care works closely with the Home Office on issues relating to immigration and the adult social care sector, including the social care workforce.

The Government ran a public consultation on whether the existing pathway for settlement should be increased to 15 years for those admitted to the United Kingdom to work in occupations skilled below Regulated Qualifications Framework Level 6, under the Skilled Worker and Health and Care routes. This includes care workers and senior care workers.

The consultation, which ran for 12 weeks, opened on 20 November 2025 and closed on 12 February 2026. The Home Office is now reviewing and analysing all responses received. This analysis will help inform the development of the final earned settlement model.

Following analysis of the consultation responses, the necessary impact assessments will be undertaken.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Earned Settlement proposals on the supply of care workers.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care works closely with the Home Office on issues relating to immigration and the adult social care sector, including the social care workforce.

The Government ran a public consultation on whether the existing pathway for settlement should be increased to 15 years for those admitted to the United Kingdom to work in occupations skilled below Regulated Qualifications Framework Level 6, under the Skilled Worker and Health and Care routes. This includes care workers and senior care workers.

The consultation, which ran for 12 weeks, opened on 20 November 2025 and closed on 12 February 2026. The Home Office is now reviewing and analysing all responses received. This analysis will help inform the development of the final earned settlement model.

Following analysis of the consultation responses, the necessary impact assessments will be undertaken.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to the NHS of providing healthcare to asylum seekers.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

DHSC and NHSE do not hold the information requested. The overall management of people seeking asylum is a matter for the Home Office.

The NHS is a residency-based system; this means that people who do not live here on a lawful, settled basis must contribute to the cost of their care.

Found: Home Office Home Office HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) April

Found: Home Office Home Office HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) April

Found: For further information on what constitutes public funds, please see Home Office guidance : https://www.gov.uk

Found: Service, including as Director General at HMRC, and as Permanent Secretary at both Defra and the Home Office

Found: Innovation and Technology 22-26 Whitehall London SW1A 2EG Dan Jarvis MBE MP Security Minister Home Office

Found: class="govuk-table__cell">CFO & Corporate

Found: Secretary of the Home Office Principal Accounting Officer Home Office Home Office Civil Service 205000

Found: __cell">Home Office

Found: OfficeCivil Service180000 - 184999RomeoDame AntoniaPermanent Secretary/CEOPermanent Secretary of the Home Office

Found: over 6,000 key staff have received foreign national offender training, including instruction on Home Office

Found: over 6,000 key staff have received foreign national offender training, including instruction on Home Office

Found: A movement order is produced by the Home Office and this notified the prison of Mr Kebatu’s movement

Found: help implement your Prevent responsibilities includes:   e-learning courses on Prevent from the Home Office

Found: Page 1 of 24 Published for Home Office staff on 13 April 2026

Found: Page 1 of 26 Published for Home Office staff on 15 April 2026 Handling

Found: This guidance seeks to ensure that Home Office staff understand and comply with the legal requirements

Found: Immigration Officers, Entry Clearance Officers and all staff of the Home Office will carry out their

Found: Page 1 of 13 Published for Home Office staff on 07 April 2026 Permission

Found: Page 1 of 17 Published for Home Office staff on 07 April 2026 Permission

Found: Page 1 of 40 Published for Home Office staff on 18 December 2025

Found: , Enforcement and Detention General Instructions Page 1 of 34 Published for Home Office

Found: Page 1 of 21 Published for Home Office staff on 03 May 2022

Found: Page 1 of 10 Published for Home Office staff on 24 February 2025

Found: Enforcement and Detention General Instructions Page 1 of 35 Published for Home Office

Found: Page 1 of 38 Published for Home Office staff on 11 November 2020

Found: Page 1 of 34 Published for Home Office staff on 10 May 2024 Safeguarding

Found: Page 1 of 12 Published for Home Office staff on 02 April 2025

Found: Returns, Enforcement and Detention General Instructions Page 1 of 35 Published for Home Office

Found: Immigration returns, enforcement and detention Page 1 of 14 Published for Home Office

Found: instructions Removals, enforcement and detention Page 1 of 13 Published for Home Office

Found: Page 1 of 13 Published for Home Office staff on 08 August 2019

Found: Page 1 of 11 Published for Home Office staff on 15 December 2025 Offence

Found: Page 1 of 41 Published for Home Office staff on 25 April 2025 Search

Found: Page 1 of 37 Published for Home Office staff on 5 November 2025 Warrants

Found: Service, including as Director General at HMRC, and as Permanent Secretary at both Defra and the Home Office

Found: In my third seat, at the Home Office, I drafted secondary legislation revoking certain regulations retained

Found: Is the Home Office obliged to give sufficient detail of the material on which it relies to enable Mr

Found: The programme, which is jointly funded by the Department for Transport and the Home Office, is highly

Found: Stopping criminal activity at UK borders Source: Border Force: Transparency Data Q1 2025; Home Office

Found: The Home Office has confirmed there will be an implementation period of at least 24 months.

Found: This inspection will examine how the Home Office plans, prepares, and engages with local authorities

Found: section 12 guidance will complement the statutory guidance on the requirements of the Act that the Home Office

Found: Manchester Arena on 22 May 2017.We are an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Home Office

Found: guidance, also known as ‘section 12’ guidance, will sit alongside the statutory guidance that the Home Office

Found:

Found: Lead: Home Office Measure of outcome: Changes to the MDA and MDR as described above. 11 Annex

Found: Lead: Home Office Measure of outcome: Changes to the MDA and MDR as described above.

Found: Data for England (published by the Home Office from April 2016 until March 2025 and the Ministry for