This is the first time the Border Security Commander will be appearing before the Committee to answer questions about his role in implementing Government policy on combatting organised immigration crime.

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Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many European airports allowed UK passengers to use e-gates on 19 May, and how many do so now.

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

I refer the Rt. Hon Lord to the answer provided on 5^th June 2025 to PQ HL7659.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to vet for public safety and security students and dependants from Gaza who are on expedited visas and are offered temporary leave to remain in the UK.

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

As set out by the Home Secretary in her oral statement to Parliament on 1 September 2025, the Home Office has put in place systems to issue expedited visas, with biometric checks conducted prior to arrival for all the Chevening scholars from Gaza.

The Home Office is in the process of doing the same for students in Gaza who have been awarded fully funded scholarships and places at UK universities so they can start their studies in autumn this year (no later than 31 December 2025).

All visa applicants are required to provide their biographic and biometric data to enable a range security checks to be completed, including criminality checks.

The Home Office uses various tools to detect and disrupt travel by terrorists, by criminals and by individuals excluded from the UK; previously deported from the UK; or using lost, stolen or revoked documents and visas. This includes the use of domestic and international watchlists. The Home Office works with both law enforcement and wider government partners to ensure appropriate action is taken before travel or at the border when individuals of concern are identified.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 12 February (HL4531), whether the management information related to the "no recourse to public funds" condition is not available on the Atlas system for each leave to remain record.

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

Atlas records, as part of a leave to remain decision, whether an individual has been given a ‘no recourse to public funds’ (NRPF) condition, and every individual who has an immigration application record on Atlas has their nationality, gender and date of birth recorded as standard. Management Information reports related to the NRPF condition are not yet available, pending prioritisation of enabling work.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how often her Department checks that UK visa holders are living at the address provided.

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

Home Office decision makers can make enquiries as part of the visa consideration process to confirm that a person is intending to stay at the address provided in their application. Customers are encouraged to update their personal details, including their home and postal address, in their UKVI account. There is no routine check to confirm whether UK visa holders are living at the address previously provided.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been granted Indefinite Leave to Remain subsequent to having been convicted of an offence in the UK since 4 July 2024.

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

The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data the Government holds on the percentage of prison officers employed via the worker visa route.

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

Published visa data is available at Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department had discussions with the (a) Department of Justice in Northern Ireland and (b) Police Service of Northern Ireland prior to the decision to proscribe Palestine Action.

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

Decisions on proscription are not taken lightly. They are informed by a robust evidence-based process, with contributions from a wide range of experts from across government, the police and the intelligence community.

Counter terrorism is a reserved matter. I can confirm that Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) were consulted prior to the decision to proscribe Palestine Action.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will list the countries with which the Government is conducting negotiations for the return of illegal migrants. started.

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

Listing the countries with which the Government is conducting negotiations relating to the return of illegal migrants, either to their country of origin or a country through which they travelled to the UK, would be unhelpful in fostering and building on relations which are vital in supporting the tackling of illegal migration and targeting the gangs that prey on the vulnerable.

Bilateral returns agreements are one of many tools that facilitate returns and support international returns co-operation.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will consider designating the Cartel of the Suns as a Terrorist Organisation.

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

While the UK Government keeps the list of proscribed organisations under review, we do not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not being considered for proscription.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 September 2025 to Question 73585 on Asylum: Housing, what her policy is on the administration of asylum accommodation contracts relating to people who both oversee contracts and are licence holders for houses in multiple occupation used for asylum accommodation.

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

All commercial contracts are subject to normal government procurement rules.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 Sep 2025 to Question 73585 on Asylum: Housing, what mechanisms exist for members of the public to report perceived conflicts of interest in the allocation of contracts to provide asylum accommodation.

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

All commercial contracts are subject to normal government procurement rules.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 Sep 2025 to Question 73585 on Asylum: Housing, what steps her Department is taking to ensure there is no conflict of interest when allocating contracts for asylum accommodation.

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

All commercial contracts are subject to normal government procurement rules.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many houses in multiple occupation are currently being funded by the Home Office to house migrants, broken down by local authority area.

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

The Home Office does not publish detailed information on the location of asylum accommodation sites for safety and security reasons. Data, published quarterly, on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation can be found within the Asy_D11 tab of our most recent statistics release. The data can broken down by local authority rather than by constituency.

Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK

The Home Office, and its accommodation providers, take into account a range of issues when considering the suitability for dispersed accommodation. Local authorities are consulted on bedspaces before they are procured.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 Sep 2025 to Question 73585 on Asylum: Housing, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that Government procurement rules are adhered to in the issuing of contracts to provide asylum accommodation; and what steps he is taking to ensure that perceived breaches can be reported.

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

All commercial contracts are subject to normal government procurement rules.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many spousal visa applicants were exempted from the standard income threshold because their partner in the UK was receiving disability benefits in the last 12 months.

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

Data on the number of spousal visa applications which have been exempted from the standard income threshold does not form part of our data sets and is not published.

Obtaining the specific information requested would involve collating and verifying information and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

A range of processing data including case outcomes on spousal visa applications, can be found at: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK and Migration transparency data - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of undertaking discussions with her Irish counterpart on establishing an all-island work visa for the island of Ireland.

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

The UK and Ireland have a close and collaborative working relationship on a range of issues, including migration and border security which is underpinned by our joint commitment to protecting the Common Travel Area (CTA) from abuse while preserving the rights of British and Irish citizens.

However, the operation of the CTA has never required the UK and Ireland to have entirely harmonised immigration arrangements and UK immigration policy is determined for the benefit of the UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with his Irish counterpart on the potential merits of creating an all-island working visa.

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

The UK and Ireland have a close and collaborative working relationship on a range of issues, including migration and border security which is underpinned by our joint commitment to protecting the Common Travel Area (CTA) from abuse while preserving the rights of British and Irish citizens.

However, the operation of the CTA has never required the UK and Ireland to have entirely harmonised immigration arrangements and UK immigration policy is determined for the benefit of the UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an all-island working visa for the island of Ireland.

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

The UK and Ireland have a close and collaborative working relationship on a range of issues, including migration and border security which is underpinned by our joint commitment to protecting the Common Travel Area (CTA) from abuse while preserving the rights of British and Irish citizens.

However, the operation of the CTA has never required the UK and Ireland to have entirely harmonised immigration arrangements and UK immigration policy is determined for the benefit of the 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 partnering with customs to monitor the importation of nitrous oxide.

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

Border Force works closely with law enforcement and our partners across the world to share intelligence in order to protect the public. We have seen a record level of drug seizures in FY2024, demonstrating police and Border Force are working relentlessly to stop illegal drugs from coming into the country and keep them off our streets.

Nitrous Oxide is a Class C controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. It is an offence for a person to import or export nitrous oxide if they intend to wrongfully inhale it or if they know, or are reckless as to whether, it is likely to be wrongfully inhaled by some other person. “Wrongful inhalation” means inhalation other than for medical or dental purposes, and which is not accidental inhalation of nitrous oxide which has been released into the atmosphere (such as in industrial processes).

Data on seizures of nitrous oxide and other controlled drugs at the UK border are published at:

• Seizures of Drugs in England and Wales, financial year ending 2024
• Border Force Transparency Data

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many requests for revocation of a deportation order her Department has received in each of the last 10 years.

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

The information you have requested regarding the revocation of deportation orders is not available from published statistics.

A deportation order requires an individual to leave the United Kingdom. It also prohibits them from re-entering the country for as long as it is in force and invalidates any leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom given to them before the Order is made or while it is in force.

The Home Office only deports those with no legal right to remain in the UK, including foreign national offenders. Individuals are only deported to their country of origin when the Home Office and, where applicable, the Courts deem it is safe to do so.

A person who is subject to a deportation order can apply to the Home Office for revocation of the order. Such an application must be made from outside of the UK after the person has been deported. Revocation of a Deportation Order does not entitle the person concerned to re-enter the United Kingdom; it renders them eligible to apply for admission under the Immigration Rules.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many deportation orders have been declared invalid in each of the last ten years.

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

The information you have requested regarding the revocation of deportation orders is not available from published statistics.

A deportation order requires an individual to leave the United Kingdom. It also prohibits them from re-entering the country for as long as it is in force and invalidates any leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom given to them before the Order is made or while it is in force.

The Home Office only deports those with no legal right to remain in the UK, including foreign national offenders. Individuals are only deported to their country of origin when the Home Office and, where applicable, the Courts deem it is safe to do so.

A person who is subject to a deportation order can apply to the Home Office for revocation of the order. Such an application must be made from outside of the UK after the person has been deported. Revocation of a Deportation Order does not entitle the person concerned to re-enter the United Kingdom; it renders them eligible to apply for admission under the Immigration Rules.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many deportation orders have been revoked in each of the last 10 years.

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

The information you have requested regarding the revocation of deportation orders is not available from published statistics.

A deportation order requires an individual to leave the United Kingdom. It also prohibits them from re-entering the country for as long as it is in force and invalidates any leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom given to them before the Order is made or while it is in force.

The Home Office only deports those with no legal right to remain in the UK, including foreign national offenders. Individuals are only deported to their country of origin when the Home Office and, where applicable, the Courts deem it is safe to do so.

A person who is subject to a deportation order can apply to the Home Office for revocation of the order. Such an application must be made from outside of the UK after the person has been deported. Revocation of a Deportation Order does not entitle the person concerned to re-enter the United Kingdom; it renders them eligible to apply for admission under the Immigration Rules.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the post-decision move on period on levels of homelessness in Canterbury.

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

From 1 September 2025, the Home Office has taken the decision to pause the 56 day move on period pilot for single adults in receipt of a positive asylum decision, with the exception of individuals who are pregnant, over the age of 65 or have a known/evidence disability, as defined by the 2010 Equality Act. All families and single adults that fall within the exception criteria granted asylum will continue to be given the 56-day pilot move on period until the end of December. We are committed to providing all our partners with appropriate notice of any further changes to the Move On period through our regular engagement forums and in writing

We closely monitor the impact of all our policies, including the move on period, on the number and occupancy of asylum hotels, the overall costs of the asylum accommodation estate, the wider effect on local communities, and any pressures placed on local authorities and public amenities. We remain committed to working closely with our partners to identify improvements and make efficiencies in supporting newly recognised refugees move on from asylum accommodation. We are committed to keeping our partners informed through regular engagement.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her priorities are to tackle illegal immigration; and how these differ from her immediate predecessor.

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

As the Home Secretary has set out, she will do whatever it takes to secure our borders; working to restore order to the asylum system, ensuring that the rules are properly respected and enforced, and working upstream to tackle those facilitating illegal migration.

The now embedded Border Security Command (BSC) is leading the national response to preventing small boats crossing the English Channel. The BSC work closely with the National Crime Agency, Border Force, Immigration Enforcement, and overseas counterparts in countries such as France, Germany, Italy, and Iraq. This collaborative approach has already led to widely publicised raids, arrests, and new bilateral agreements that will further strengthen enforcement and intelligence-sharing over the coming months.

To ensure we restore order to the asylum system, we are committed to meaningful reform of our current immigration system and processes. We will legislate to reform our approach to the application of Article 8 in the immigration system. Alongside this we will also pursue international reform, working closely with our partners in the Council of Europe. These reforms will restore the correct balance between individual rights and the wider public interest of controlling migration.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to educate communities on the rise of far right extremism.

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

This Government takes extremism seriously and has been clear that we will tackle far right extremism head on. We make no apology for that. We are committed to ensuring we have the required tools and powers needed to address this issue. Efforts to counter extremism span a broad range of Government and law enforcement activity and we must persist in our efforts to challenge extremist narratives, disrupt the activity of radicalising groups, and directly tackle the causes of radicalisation.

We work closely with frontline partners to tackle harmful ideologies, providing guidance and training on the threat from all extremist ideologies and how to spot the signs of radicalisation.

Civil Society Organisations are vital partners in the delivery of targeted Prevent project work. They support local partners in building resilience to radicalisation and supporting early intervention within communities, including countering extreme right-wing narratives.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will commission a judge-led public inquiry into the surveillance of journalists in Northern Ireland by MI5.

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

MI5’s use of covert investigatory powers is subject to strong safeguards under the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, and their related statutory Codes of Practice.

Robust independent oversight of these powers is provided by the Investigatory Powers Commissioner. This includes specific additional protections in respect of journalistic material and sources, as well as material subject to legal privilege.

The Investigatory Powers Tribunal is an independent judicial body that provides the right of redress to anyone who believes they have been the victim of unlawful action by a public authority using covert techniques.

For this reason, it is not necessary to conduct a public inquiry into the surveillance of journalists in Northern Ireland by MI5.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Computer Misuse Act 1990.

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

The Computer Misuse Act (CMA), which criminalises unauthorised access to computer systems and data, plays a vital role in ensuring that the UK has the right legislative framework to allow us to tackle cyber harms.

The Government is committed to ensuring the CMA remains up to date and effective to tackle criminality. That is why we are undertaking a review of the act, which is currently ongoing. As part of the review, we are scoping several proposals to update the act and give law enforcement enhanced tools and powers to effectively investigate and prosecute cyber criminality.

We will provide an update in due course once proposals are finalised.

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 maintaining the five year qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain for visa holders in Surrey Heath constituency.

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

The Government’s Immigration White Paper, published on 12 May 2025, announced new measures on a wide range of issues, including settlement.

This will include an expansion of the Points-Based System that will increase the standard qualifying period for settlement to ten years. However, through the expansion of the Points-Based System, individuals will also have the opportunity to reduce the qualifying period based on contributions to the UK economy and society.

I welcomed the opportunity to listen to the views of Members in the recent 8th September Westminster Hall Debate on settlement.

We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year. All will be welcome to participate. We will provide details of how the scheme will work after that consultation.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of women identified as "pregnant from Ireland" who were forcibly returned from Britain to Ireland in the 20th century and what plans they have to offer recompense to those affected.

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

The Irish Government is implementing a redress scheme which provides compensation to survivors of historical wrongs in Ireland. The Department for Work and Pensions is considering how to legislate so that UK residents who receive this compensation do not have their benefits affected. The ongoing legalisation the PQ is in relation to is Inquiry (Mother and Baby Institutions, Magdalene Laundries and Workhouses) and Redress Scheme Bill

The Home Office has, to the best of its knowledge, confirmed that it does not hold the information requested.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with counter-terrorism policing units about online reports of threats to kill directed at mosques and Muslim communities.

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

There is no excuse for violence or threats targeted at Muslim communities. The Government is committed to safeguarding the right to practise faith freely and safely, including at places of worship.

While we do not disclose details of operational discussions, the Home Secretary regularly meets Counter Terrorism Policing to discuss current threats and risks.

We have robust legislation to address threatening, abusive and harassing behaviour, including laws against inciting racial and religious hatred. Online hate is also a priority illegal harm under the Online Safety Act 2023, which places legal duties on platforms to proactively prevent and remove such content, and to take other steps to reduce abuse on their platforms.

We continue to support the police in taking strong action against those who seek to harm or intimidate communities.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are providing to mosques and Islamic centres to strengthen security following recent vandalism, desecration, and threats of violence.

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

There is no excuse for violence or threats targeted at Muslim communities and we support the police in taking strong action against those who carry out these crimes.

The Government is committed to protecting the right of individuals to practise their religion freely at their chosen places of worship and community centres. We regularly work closely with the police to assess threats and review the protections in place for communities.

The Protective Security for Mosques Scheme provides protective security measures, such as security personnel services, CCTV, intruder alarms and secure perimeter fencing, to mosques and associated Muslim faith community centres. These protective security measures are also available to Muslim faith schools. We have made up to £29.4 million available for this important work in 2025/26.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recent series of attacks on mosques across the UK in August and September.

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

There is no excuse for violence or threats targeted at Muslim communities and we support the police in taking strong action against those who carry out these crimes.

The Government is committed to protecting the right of individuals to practise their religion freely at their chosen places of worship and community centres. We regularly work closely with the police to assess threats and review the protections in place for communities.

The Protective Security for Mosques Scheme provides protective security measures, such as security personnel services, CCTV, intruder alarms and secure perimeter fencing, to mosques and associated Muslim faith community centres. These protective security measures are also available to Muslim faith schools. We have made up to £29.4 million available for this important work in 2025/26.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle antisocial behaviour from (a) illegally modified and (b) off-road bikes in the Northumbria Police area.

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

Tackling anti-social behaviour and the harm it causes is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.

The Crime and Policing Bill will give police greater powers to clamp down on anti-social behaviour involving vehicles of all types, including off-road and illegally modified e-bikes, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing these vehicles. This will allow police to put an immediate stop to offending.

The Government has recently consulted on proposals to allow the police to dispose of seized vehicles which have been used anti-socially more quickly. The consultation closed on 8 July and the Government response will be published in due course.

These combined measures will help tackle the scourge of vehicles ridden anti-socially and will send a clear message to would-be offenders and local communities that this behaviour will not be tolerated.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support (a) police forces and (b) local partnerships to protect (i) hospitality and (ii) high street businesses during peak seasons.

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

This Government wants town centres to be vibrant, welcoming places where businesses thrive and people feel safe and come to shop, socialise and live.

Police and Crime Commissioners are leading on targeted action to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour that blights our town centres and high streets as part of the Safer Streets Summer Initiative. The work is being delivered in partnership with councils, schools, health services, business, transport providers and community groups all playing a role over the summer. Under the initiative, partners have used targeted enforcement, visible policing and place-based interventions to reduce retail and street crime and anti-social behaviour in over 500 town centres and high streets across England and Wales.

Devon and Cornwall Police have listed 30 locations as part of the Safer Streets Summer Initiative and have delivered interventions to tackle retail crime including Safer Business Action Days, targeted training for police and shop staff, and wider adoption of ShopWatch and DISC radio communication systems.

In addition, the Home Office is also providing £66.3 million funding in 2025-26 to all 43 forces in England and Wales to deliver high visibility patrols in the areas worst affected by knife crime, serious violence and anti-social behaviour. As part of this funding, Devon and Cornwall Police are in receipt of £1m.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the prevalence of modern slavery and labour exploitation in the hospitality sector.

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

The Government takes reports of labour exploitation in the hospitality sector very seriously, and we remain committed to tackling the crime of modern slavery – wherever it occurs.

The Director of Labour Market Enforcement (DLME) has a statutory duty under the Immigration Act 2016 to undertake an annual assessment of the scale and nature of non-compliance in the labour market. Sectors which include hospitality were not identified as a high risk for non-compliance in the DLME’s 2025-26 annual Labour Market Enforcement Strategy.

The Government is establishing the Fair Work Agency (FWA) through the Employment Rights Bill. The FWA will bring together the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate, and HMRC’s National Minimum Wage Team. This will ensure a more cohesive and streamlined response to exploitation. The Fair Work Agency will have strong powers to investigate and take action against a range of labour market abuses, including serious exploitation and modern slavery in the hospitality sector. Once established, the FWA will take on the DLME’s role of assessing non-compliance in the labour market.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing independent modern slavery advocates for survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking.

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

The Government recognises the role of Independent Modern Slavery Advocates (IMSAs) in empowering victims of exploitation. IMSAs can play an important role in helping victims understand their rights and navigate complex systems.

Under the Home Office funded Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC), adult victims are provided with a dedicated support worker who also offers tailored assistance across social, legal, psychological and health domains. The support will continue under the new Support for Victims of Modern Slavery (SVMS) contract, when the MSVCC ends in 2027.

In developing the SVMS contract, we have engaged extensively with frontline practitioners and individuals with lived experience. We assessed the merits of different support models, to inform enhancements to the training, partnership working, and access to specialist resources for support workers, ensuring that they are well equipped to meet the complex and evolving needs of victims and to support a smooth transition from contracted support to wider services.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of including specific measures to improve the safety of women runners in the Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy.

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

This Government has been clear that the level of violence against women and girls (VAWG) in our country is intolerable, and we are treating it as the national emergency that it is.

Everyone should both be and feel safe whilst going about their day-to-day lives – and we recognise the particular vulnerability that women runners may feel. We are working across Government to use every tool available to target perpetrators and address the root causes of abuse and violence to keep all women safe.

We will go further than before to deliver a transformative approach to halve VAWG in a decade, underpinned by a new VAWG strategy, which we aim to publish shortly. This will be underpinned by an analytical sprint and Theory of Change to ensure that our approach is informed by the best available evidence.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to prevent the use of off-road bikes on common land without lawful authority.

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

Tackling anti-social behaviour and the harm it causes is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.

The Crime and Policing Bill will give police greater powers to clamp down on anti-social behaviour involving vehicles, including off-road bikes on common land without lawful authority, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing these vehicles. This will allow police to put an immediate stop to offending.

The Government has recently consulted on proposals to allow the police to dispose of seized vehicles which have been used anti-socially more quickly. The consultation closed on 8 July and the Government response will be published in due course.

These combined measures will help tackle the scourge of vehicles ridden anti-socially and will send a clear message to would-be offenders and local communities that this behaviour will not be tolerated.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to prevent the illegal use of off-road bikes.

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

Tackling anti-social behaviour and the harm it causes is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.

The Crime and Policing Bill will give police greater powers to clamp down on anti-social behaviour involving vehicles, including off-road bikes on common land without lawful authority, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing these vehicles. This will allow police to put an immediate stop to offending.

The Government has recently consulted on proposals to allow the police to dispose of seized vehicles which have been used anti-socially more quickly. The consultation closed on 8 July and the Government response will be published in due course.

These combined measures will help tackle the scourge of vehicles ridden anti-socially and will send a clear message to would-be offenders and local communities that this behaviour will not be tolerated.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to improve efficiency in DBS processing for prospective teachers.

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

As an Executive Non-Departmental Public Body of the Home Office, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is operationally independent and responsible for the service it provides. It currently operates to formalised service standards of completing 85% of Basic check applications within 2 days, 85% of Standard check applications within 3 days, and 80% of Enhanced check applications within 14 days.

Its latest performance against these service standards is available at DBS dataset 1: DBS checks, DBS Update Service, and disputes - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Prospective teachers are likely to require an Enhanced level DBS check which must be sent to police forces for local intelligence checks. It is important from a safeguarding perspective that the DBS allows sufficient time for these robust checks to take place, as these are ultimately in place to protect the most vulnerable groups in society.

Whilst the vast majority of Enhanced checks are processed within target, there are a small number of police forces that have been experiencing difficulties in meeting their target times due to extra demand. The DBS has been working closely with these affected forces to improve performance, including by providing funding for overtime and additional staff whilst the forces recruit and train new staff to process the checks. The DBS is also facilitating workload sharing between police forces so that forces with capacity can provide assistance to those forces that are struggling.

This work should help to further improve efficiency in DBS processing of Enhanced checks for all, including for prospective teachers.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of funding for specialised rural crime teams.

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

Rural crime can also have devastating consequences for countryside communities and the agricultural sector. This financial year we are providing the first Home Office funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit, a national policing unit which help forces tackle rural crime priorities and is a great example of farmers and police working together at national and local level.

Under our Safer Streets Mission reforms, rural communities will be safeguarded, with tougher measures to clamp down on equipment theft, anti-social behaviour, strengthened neighbourhood policing and stronger measures to prevent farm theft and fly-tipping.

The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will also ensure that every community in England and Wales will have named and contactable officers dealing with local issues, and that neighbourhood teams spend the majority of their time in their communities providing visible patrols and engaging with local communities and businesses. This will be supported by the delivery of up to an additional 3000 officers into neighbourhood teams by Spring next year, as part of our ambition to deliver 13,000 neighbourhood officers into police forces across England and Wales by the end of this parliament.

We worked closely with policing to develop the Neighbourhood Policing Programme. Our approach to delivery in 2025/26, which is year 1 of a 4-year programme, is designed to deliver an initial increase to the neighbourhood policing workforce in a manner that is flexible, and can be adapted to the local context and varied crime demands police forces face. The precise workforce mix is therefore a local decision.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to encourage male victims of domestic abuse to report that abuse to the authorities.

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

This Government is committed to ensuring that male victims and survivors get the support that they need and are encouraged to come forward to report abusive and violent crimes - such as stalking, domestic abuse, and sexual violence - to the authorities.

The Home Office and the Ministry of Justice fund organisations, including Respect, Galop, SignHealth, and Hourglass, which provide essential support to male victims. This includes the Men’s Advice Line, run by Respect, which offers vital support to male victims of domestic abuse. We continue to work closely with these organisations to raise awareness of the services available for male victims, addressing the barriers to reporting and ensuring that men feel supported when seeking help.

In February 2025, the Home Office announced £13.1 million funding to launch a new National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection (NCVPP). The Centre will improve the police response to VAWG, creating a change in policing attitudes to ensure that officers respond effectively to VAWG crimes, including controlling and coercive behaviour, and offer all victims consistent protection.

We are working tirelessly across government to deliver the VAWG Strategy as soon as possible, which will set out commitments for all victims, including for men and boys that are victims of abuse.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with police forces on ensuring that police (a) officers and (b) staff receive (i) mental health and (ii) self-harm prevention support.

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

This Government is committed to supporting the mental and physical wellbeing of all our police and are working closely with police leaders to ensure this.

This includes providing ongoing funding to the National Police Wellbeing Service, which provides evidence-based guidance, advice, tools and resources which can be accessed by forces. This helps Chief Constables in their duty to ensure the wellbeing of their workforce. In particular, the Service is helping forces to identify where there is most risk of impacts on mental health, and developing work around building resilience, as well as putting in place support for those who need it in response to traumatic events.

A National Action Plan for Suicide Prevention and Postvention in policing has been launched, which aims to reduce rates among the police workforce as well as enhancing data recording. The plan, which includes ensuring adequate training for the police workforce, emphasises a supportive environment that promotes mental health and combats stigma to ensure that those affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts can access appropriate and timely support.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support she is providing for the rehabilitation of injured police officers.

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

This Government greatly values the service and sacrifices made by our police officers and it is vital that they receive the right support when injured in the line of duty.

The Government is committed to supporting the mental and physical health and wellbeing of those who work in policing through the Police Covenant and has provided ongoing funding for the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS). The NPWS ensures police officers and staff have access to the health and wellbeing support they need. This includes measures to ensure that all forces meet national standards for occupational health provision and that they continually develop and improve upon those standards. The wellbeing service has also developed an evidenced-based trauma support model which is now available to forces.

It is the responsibility of individual Chief Officers to effectively manage their workforce, ensuring the appropriate health and wellbeing provisions are in place for their officers and staff.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many meetings Ministers in her Department have had with the Police Federation since 4 July 2024; and when she plans to meet the Police Federation.

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

Home Office Ministers have regular meetings as part of the process of policy development and delivery.

As part of Government transparency they are published on a quarterly basis on gov.uk

The Police Act 1996 establishes the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) as the representative body for police officers in the federated ranks in England and Wales.

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 seasonal visitor surges on levels of (a) shop theft and (b) antisocial behaviour in rural and coastal constituencies.

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

This Government recognises the great harm and misery that anti-social behaviour (ASB) and shop theft causes our communities, including during seasonal visitor peaks in coastal and rural areas.That is why tackling anti-social behaviour and shop theft are top priorities for this Government, and at the heart of our Safer Streets Mission.

We are providing over £7 million over the next three years to support the police tackle retail crime. We are supporting the implementation of the new ‘Tackling Retail Crime Together’ strategy, published by policing, retail sector representatives and industry as part of collective efforts to combat shop theft.

As part of our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, every police force in England and Wales now has a dedicated lead officer for ASB, who will work with communities to develop a local ASB action plan.

And we are legislating through the Crime and Policing Bill to strengthen powers available to the police to tackle ASB and shop theft.​ This includes new Respect Orders to tackle persistent adult ASB offenders, powers for the police to seize nuisance off-road bikes, repealing the legislation which makes shop theft of and below £200 a summary-only offence and introducing a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to reduce the cost of the firearms licence application fee.

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

Increased firearms licensing fees were introduced on 5 February 2025, enabling full cost recovery for police forces and fulfilling a manifesto commitment.

Firearms licensing fees were last updated in 2015 and had fallen significantly below the cost of delivering the service. We will keep the level of fees under close review.

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 police workforce shortages on response times to emergency calls.

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

The Government’s Safer Streets Mission sets a clear expectation for policing to deliver safer communities and improved public confidence. We are committed to giving forces the resources they need to keep the public safe.

The 2025-26 final police funding settlement provides up to £19.6 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. Total funding to police forces will be up to £17.6 billion, an increase of up to £1.2 billion compared to the 2024-25 police funding settlement – a significant increase, and more than the increase last year. This equates to a 7.1% cash increase, and 4.6% real terms increase in funding.

This includes fully covering the costs for the 2024/25 pay award, the increase in the employer national insurance contributions, £376.8 million for officer maintenance and an additional £200 million to kickstart the first phase of 13,000 additional police officers, PCSOs and special constables into neighbourhood policing roles.

It is for Chief Constables and directly elected PCCs, and Mayors with PCC functions to make operational decisions based on their local knowledge and experience. This includes how best to allocate all the resources at their disposal to provide responses to emergency calls alongside all the other services and support they provide to communities.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the financial cost of heritage crime in each of the last 10 years.

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

This Government recognises the distress and disruption that heritage theft and vandalism can cause to local communities. We have supported the work of Historic England which leads on a number of initiatives to tackle heritage crime, particularly theft from church roofs and other buildings primarily in rural locations.

We all have a part to play in preventing heritage crime. For example, the Heritage Watch scheme, a project brought together by Historic England and Country Eye Ltd encourages communities and other partners to get involved in protecting heritage buildings, by knowing how to spot the signs a crime has taken place and making it easier for local residents to report these crimes.

There is no separate recording code to disaggregate ‘heritage crime’ from the broader range of offences involved, such as theft, vandalism, arson and anti-social behaviour. The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other agencies with a range of powers to tackle anti-social behaviour, including damage to heritage sites caused by vandalism or graffiti.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) race and (b) religious hate crimes took place in Blyth and Ashington constituency between September (i) 2024 and (ii) 2025.

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

The Home Office publishes official statistics on hate crimes at the Police Force Area level. The latest published information for the year ending March 2024, including for Northumbria Police, can be found here: Hate crime, England and Wales, year ending March 2024 - GOV.UK

Information on hate crimes recorded by the police in the year ending March 2025 is due to be published on the 9 October.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help (a) encourage and (b) support the recruitment of armed forces veterans into the police.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring police forces are supported to effectively tackle crime. We are clear that visible policing is essential to restoring public confidence in the police.

We recognise that there are important opportunities for those leaving the military to join police forces. We value these people’s commitment to public service.

Following the introduction of the Police Constable Entry Programme military veterans have a range of options to join the police depending on the qualifications they may hold and the resettlement credits available to them.

Decisions about police recruitment, including how recruitment and selection processes are run, are a matter for Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners and are therefore managed locally by forces.

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 aligning Section 2 shotgun licensing with Section 1 high-powered firearms.

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

We will be undertaking a public consultation later this year on the greater alignment of the controls on shotguns with other firearms.

The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February this year, included a commitment to having a consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns. We will carefully consider the views put forward to the consultation in due course and this includes the possible impact of any changes.

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 the implementation of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee on North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.

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

The commitments set out in the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee are now making a difference to the service communities receive from their neighbourhood policing teams.

As a result of the Guarantee, communities are now benefitting from enhanced police visibility and responsiveness.

Avon and Somerset Police have been allocated £4,574,856 from the £200 million neighborhood policing fund for 2025/26. Based on their funding allocation, Avon and Somerset Police’s projected growth over 2025/26 will be 70 Police Officers (FTE).

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 aligning the licensing regime for Section 2 shotguns with that for Section 1 firearms.

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

We will be undertaking a public consultation later this year on the greater alignment of the controls on shotguns with other firearms.

The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February this year, included a commitment to having a consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns. We will carefully consider the views put forward to the consultation in due course and this includes the possible impact of any changes.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any dedicated funding has been provided to the Metropolitan Police to support the Ninja Sword Surrender Scheme.

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

The Ninja Sword Surrender Scheme ran for four weeks between 1 to 31 July 2025. The scheme allowed owners of ninja swords to surrender them at designated police stations in England and Wales and, if they wished, submit a claim for compensation, which was forwarded to the Home Office for consideration.

The scheme was directly funded by the Home Office, and no specific funding was given to police forces including the Metropolitan Police.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is her Department's policy that foreign nationals who have received a Stage 1 decision letter regarding their possible deportation following an offence resulting in a custodial sentence should remain in custody until a deportation decision has been made.

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

We make every effort to ensure that a foreign national offender’s (FNOs) removal by deportation coincides with their release from prison upon completion of their custodial sentence.

Latest published information shows that 51% (2,632) of FNOs removed between 5 July 2024 and 4 July 2025 were removed directly from prison under the Early Removal Scheme, which is a 10% increase compared to the 2,385 in the same period 12 months prior.

The public rightly expect us to maintain a firm and fair immigration system and immigration detention plays a crucial role in enabling the removal of individuals who include serious, violent, and persistent FNOs.

We do not detain people indefinitely. The law does not allow it. In each case, we must have a realistic prospect of removal in a reasonable timescale, and includes consideration given to the likelihood of risk to the public and absconding from immigration control. Published Home Office detention policy is clear that detention must only ever be used sparingly and for the shortest period necessary.

We have safeguards in place which underpin detention decisions. These include regular reviews once a person is in detention to ensure that their detention remains lawful, appropriate, and proportionate. In addition, those detained can apply to the courts at any time for bail from detention and FNOs held in detention have the option to apply to an independent immigration judge for bail at any point.

Where the Home Office cannot remove a FNO within a realistic timeframe, the individual may be released into the community.

The decision to release a foreign national offender into the community is never taken lightly. The threat of harm to the public or vulnerable individuals, victims, and their families, as well as the risk of absconding is always carefully considered. The Home Office and HMPPS work closely together to manage risk in the community.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with the Scottish Government on the effectiveness of the (a) Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 and (b) Protecting Vulnerable Groups scheme; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of updating the Disclosure and Barring Service check regime.

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

The disclosure and barring regime in Scotland is devolved and the UK Government engages regularly with the Scottish Government to ensure that the regimes work effectively together to keep the public safe.

We keep the disclosure and barring regime in England and Wales under constant review to ensure that it continues to strike an appropriate balance between keeping the public safe and enabling ex-offenders to move on with their lives.

On 9 April 2025, the Government published an update on its work to tackle child sexual abuse, available on GOV.UK: Tackling Child Sexual Abuse.

• By the end of 2025, we will introduce secondary legislation to create the ability for self-employed individuals, working in sensitive roles with children and vulnerable adults, to access higher-level Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks.
• We have introduced primary legislation to remove the supervision exemption in the Crime and Policing Bill.
• By 2026, working with ACRO Criminal Record Office & DBS, we will enable those making decisions overseas to have access to DBS barred list data.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2025 to Question 76241 on Borders: Personal Records, what the marginal difference is as a numerical value.

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

The marginal difference between the number of individuals recorded leaving the UK and the overall number of individuals who leave the UK cannot be quantified in a way suitable for publication.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish figures setting out the number of incidents of reported race hate crimes for each of the past five year since 2020.

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

The Home Office publishes official statistics on hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales. Information on race hate crimes for the last five years can be found 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, when she plans to respond to Question 71117 tabled by the hon. Member for St Albans on 29 August 2025.

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

A full and clear response to question 71117 was published on 17/09/2025.

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 a reduction in the number of civilian staff on (a) police forces and (b) warranted police officers.

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

The Government’s Safer Streets Mission sets a clear expectation for policing to deliver safer communities and improved public confidence. An effective, well-supported police service is central to achieving this.

Police staff, alongside warranted officers, play a vital role in delivering an effective police service to communities across England and Wales. As at 31 March 2025, there were 81,996 full-time equivalent (FTE) police staff and designated officers employed by the 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales. This was an increase of 1,080 (FTE) compared with 31 March 2024.

We are committed to giving forces the resources they need to keep the public safe. The 2025-26 final police funding settlement provides of up to £19.6 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. Total funding to police forces will be up to £17.6 billion, an increase of up to £1.2 billion compared to the 2024-25 police funding settlement – a significant increase, and more than the increase last year. This equates to a 7.1% cash increase, and 4.6% real terms increase in funding.

It is for Chief Constables and directly elected PCCs, and Mayors with PCC functions to make operational decisions based on their local knowledge and experience. This includes how best to allocate the resources at their disposal to provide an effective service to local communities.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's press release entitled UK-France treaty targeting illegal crossings comes into force, published on 7 August 2025, what the total capacity is of each Immigration Removal Centre.

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

The Home Office currently operates seven immigration removal centres (IRCs) throughout the UK, (six in England and one in Scotland).

As of 13 October, the Home Office has the capacity to detain around 2,400 people in IRCs. The table below sets out the current operational capacity for each IRC:

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's press release entitled UK-France treaty targeting illegal crossings comes into force, published on 7 August 2025, how many Immigration Removal Centre there are.

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

The Home Office currently operates seven immigration removal centres (IRCs) throughout the UK, (six in England and one in Scotland).

As of 13 October, the Home Office has the capacity to detain around 2,400 people in IRCs. The table below sets out the current operational capacity for each IRC:

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to the public purse was for the Independent Office for Police Conduct produce the Updated summary published for 2017 IOPC investigation linked to child sexual abuse in Rotherham.

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

On 19 September 2025, following requests from complainants and other interested persons for further detail, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) published a further summary of the Operation Amazon investigation, which formed part of the series of investigations under Operation Linden.

The IOPC does not routinely publish the costs of individual investigations and reports. The Home Office holds no additional information.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on how much it cost for the Independent Office for Police Conduct to carry out the Operation Amazon investigation linked to child sexual abuse in Rotherham.

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

I refer the Hon Member to letter sent to her from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) regarding the costs for Operation Linden. A copy of the letter was placed in the House Library. As noted in that letter, “the total operations cost of the 91 investigations [which comprised Operation Linden], calculated until end March 2021 was estimated at just over £6 Million”. The Home Office holds no additional information.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on how much it cost for the Independent Office for Police Conduct to carry out the Operation Linden investigation linked to child sexual abuse in Rotherham.

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

I refer the Hon Member to letter sent to her from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) regarding the costs for Operation Linden. A copy of the letter was placed in the House Library. As noted in that letter, “the total operations cost of the 91 investigations [which comprised Operation Linden], calculated until end March 2021 was estimated at just over £6 Million”. The Home Office holds no additional information.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the policy paper entitled Economic note: Appendix Family Reunion, suspension of new applications, published on 4 September 2025, if she will publish the equalities impact assessment for that note.

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

Impacts on vulnerable individuals and equalities considerations are at the front and centre of our work. As required through the Public Sector Equality Duty, we consider equality impacts throughout the policy development process, refugee family reunion is no exception. The Home Office will not be releasing the Equality Impact Assessment as the policy is still in development as part of wider reform.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many businesses were (a) fined and (b) prosecuted for employing illegal immigrants each year since 2015.

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

In 2015, 2206 civil penalties were issued for illegal working. Information on illegal working civil penalty statistics has been published since 2016 as part of the Home Office Immigration Transparency Data and can be found at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68a3015732d2c63f8693437d/immigration-enforcement-data-apr-jun-2025.ods on tab CP02.

The data reflects the total number of penalties issued, rather than the number of businesses affected, as fines have been imposed on both sole traders and limited companies.

The below table provides the number of convictions for employing illegal workers since 2015. Prosecution is targeted at the most persistent offenders.

Found: • The Home Office regulates the supply of controlled drugs, such as highly addictive medicines.

Found: vaccine are held variously by: the Ministry of Defence for warfighter immunisation programmes; the Home Office

Found: ultimately a question of fact, and the local authority should follow the guidance issued by the Home Office

Found: Correspondence from the Home Office regarding the journalist, Vincent Kearney’s, Investigatory Powers

Found: Dan Jarvis MBE MP Security Minister 2 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DF www.gov.uk/home-office

Found: The Environment Agency is actively working with the Home Office to improve functionality so we can upload

Found: ETM0012 - Investigation into electronic monitoring Home Office Written Evidence

Found: the retail sector HC 355 8th Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage HC 351 7th Asylum accommodation: Home Office

Found: included on the proposed Temporary Shortage List assembled by the Migration Advisory Committee and Home Office

Found: due to the sheer scale of the industry yet are intertwined with defence, energy, environment, home office

Found: (2022) 4 All-Party Parliamentary Group on Endometriosis, Endometriosis Inquiry Report (2020). 5 Home Office

Found: He has been Chief Scientific Adviser at the Home Office, President of the Royal Statistical Society

Found: At the time, the Prime Minister made the claim there was no Home Office data or statistics available

Found: By making these findings public and working closely with the Home Office, who crucially listened and

Found: access OfS public grant funding, such as funding to support the costs of teaching  apply to the Home Office

Found: This should be sponsored by all relevant Departments (Home Office, DBT and DfE) and include proposals

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

Found: I have to fess up to the fact that I was Home Office Minister responsible for the voluntary sector and

Found: on who will be their interlocutor as relates to the delivery of the NSS – the Cabinet Office, Home Office

Found: .  Encouraging threat-to-life attacks, if the Home Office puts exemptions to the payment ban in the

Found: CSSF, FCDO, Home Office, MoD) should be protected from fragmentation or institutional loss during strategic

Found: 2024-2025, the budget for Counter Terrorism Policing was approximately £1.2 billion while the Home Office

Found: Policy coordination without technical AI expertise  DCMS: Digital policy without security context  Home Office

Found: sector supports the work of UKIC and law enforcement agencies, and of HMG departments including the Home Office

Found: sector supports the work of UKIC and law enforcement agencies, and of HMG departments including the Home Office

Found: identity programs and critical government services in the UK and internationally, including for the Home Office

Found: I have to fess up to the fact that I was Home Office Minister responsible for the voluntary sector and

Found: Not applying the Decent Homes Standard to short term lets, home office accommodation and temporary accommodation

Found: battle, documented in emails to MPs, local Councillors, Police, HMRC, Environmental Health, and the Home Office

Found: will not accept these offers, accommodation of this kind is increasingly being procured by the Home Office

Found: including Housing Benefit and Council Tax reductions, which are classified as ‘public funds’ by the Home Office

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

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Timpson on 22 September (HL10345), whether the positions of Director General of Operations and Chief Operating Officer for Prisons have now been filled on a permanent basis; and what role the Senior Leadership Committee has played in recruitment to these posts.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The roles of Director General of Operations and Chief Operating Officer for Prisons are currently being filled on an interim basis. The recruitment position is unchanged from my reply of 22 September.

Senior Leadership Committee (SLC) membership is currently made up of: Permanent Secretary, Home Office (who serves as the Chair); Permanent Secretary, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; Permanent Secretary, HM Treasury; Chief Executive of the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government; Permanent Secretary, Department for Education; Government Chief People Officer (Cabinet Office), Permanent Secretary, Department for Work & Pensions; and Director General, MI5. As set out in the Civil Service Senior Appointments Protocol, the First Civil Service Commissioner also sits on the SLC as a permanent member. There are currently no representatives from the Ministry of Justice on the SLC.

Civil Service Commissioners must chair all permanent competitions for posts at SCS Pay Band 4 (Permanent Secretary) and SCS Pay Band 3 (Director General) level. This requirement applies both to open (external) competitions and to Civil Service-wide (internal) competitions. Commissioners do not have involvement in appointments where an exception is granted, although these are reported to the Commission on a quarterly basis. The current appointments were made under exceptions due to the temporary nature of the arrangements. Any future permanent recruitment will follow the Civil Service Recruitment Principles and be chaired by a Civil Service Commissioner.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Timpson on 22 September (HL10345), whether the Senior Leadership Committee included representatives from the Ministry of Justice; and whether the recruitment process involved the Civil Service Commission or the use of an exception under the Civil Service recruitment principles.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The roles of Director General of Operations and Chief Operating Officer for Prisons are currently being filled on an interim basis. The recruitment position is unchanged from my reply of 22 September.

Senior Leadership Committee (SLC) membership is currently made up of: Permanent Secretary, Home Office (who serves as the Chair); Permanent Secretary, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero; Permanent Secretary, HM Treasury; Chief Executive of the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government; Permanent Secretary, Department for Education; Government Chief People Officer (Cabinet Office), Permanent Secretary, Department for Work & Pensions; and Director General, MI5. As set out in the Civil Service Senior Appointments Protocol, the First Civil Service Commissioner also sits on the SLC as a permanent member. There are currently no representatives from the Ministry of Justice on the SLC.

Civil Service Commissioners must chair all permanent competitions for posts at SCS Pay Band 4 (Permanent Secretary) and SCS Pay Band 3 (Director General) level. This requirement applies both to open (external) competitions and to Civil Service-wide (internal) competitions. Commissioners do not have involvement in appointments where an exception is granted, although these are reported to the Commission on a quarterly basis. The current appointments were made under exceptions due to the temporary nature of the arrangements. Any future permanent recruitment will follow the Civil Service Recruitment Principles and be chaired by a Civil Service Commissioner.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much funding was allocated to English for Speakers of Other Languages provision in 2024-25; what is the budget for 2025-26; and what proportion in each case was allocated as grants to local authorities.

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

Funding for adults to develop the English language skills they need is made available across government – from the Home Office, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Education.

The department supports adults aged 19+ in England who speak English as a second or additional language to access English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision through the Adult Skills Fund (ASF), subject to eligibility requirements. ESOL funding is not ringfenced.

Currently 68% of the ASF is devolved to 12 Strategic Authorities and the Greater London Authority. These are responsible for deciding how to make best use of their ASF to meet their local needs, including ESOL.

The department continues to be responsible for the remaining ASF non-devolved areas although colleges, local authorities and other training providers in non-devolved areas have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their ASF allocation to meet local skills needs, including ESOL provision.

The department supports 16 to 19-year-olds through funding that is allocated to schools and colleges and enables students to take part in either study programmes or T Levels, which includes funding specifically for English courses where appropriate.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the number of civil servants working from home for three days a week or more is increasing or decreasing.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Data on Civil Service Headquarters (HQ) occupancy is collected and published quarterly on GOV.UK for all HQ buildings of Whitehall Departments, Office for Scotland, Office for Wales and Northern Ireland Office.

Data for the latest period for which data is available is copied below. No other information on occupancy data or workforce attendance is gathered centrally.

Departments manage their own arrangements for monitoring workforce attendance. Heads of departments have agreed that 60% minimum office attendance for most staff continues to be the best balance of working for the Civil Service.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of crime on inbound tourism to the UK.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

While DCMS has not made a specific assessment of the impact of crime on inbound tourism, we work closely with the Home Office, police and local partners to ensure that visitors to the UK have a safe and enjoyable experience.

Through our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, we will place thousands of additional police officers and police community support officers in neighbourhood policing roles. This will provide a more visible and effective service to the public, with each neighbourhood having a named, contactable officer dealing with local issues, including robbery and theft from the person.

The Government recognises the serious impact that crime has on public safety, both in terms of the harm caused to victims and the wider implications for tourism.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help protect the (a) animal and (b) plant export sector from risks posed by illegal meat imports.

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

Defra is working with the Home Office, Border Force and Dover Port Health Authority to ensure that operations around detecting illegal meat imports are as effective as possible and have allocated this financial year £3.1 million to Dover Port Health Authority. We are also working with port and airport operators to ensure travellers are aware of the new restrictions on bringing in animal products for personal use. In most cases there is no risk to plant exports as a result of the animal disease risk posed by illegal meat imports, with the exception of the export of hay and straw.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that meat imported illegally into the UK is seized at the border.

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

This is a devolved matter and the information provided therefore relates to England only.

Defra is working closely with the Home Office and the Food Standards Agency to tackle meat smuggling, with the support of Border Force, port health authorities and local authorities.

Defra has committed £3.1 million for Dover Port Health Authority to work in partnership with Border Force in seizing meat smuggled via the Port of Dover in 2025/26, additional to over £9m of funding provided to date.

Defra is considering the recommendations in the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee’s report on meat smuggling.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the opportunities for the promotion of industrial hemp.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Growers are the best judge of what planting is suited to their land type and long-term agronomic strategy, but Defra recognises the valuable addition industrial hemp can be to some farms as a break crop.

Defra and the Home Office have listened carefully to experienced growers, and we believe that the changes to the Home Office hemp licensing system, currently in delivery, will be key to unlocking the crop’s huge potential. These reforms will enable an expansion of the growing area, better alignment of licences with the farming calendar and rotation planning, and an increase in the number of varieties growers can access.

Defra has also commissioned several studies looking at hemp cultivation, to better understand how the crop can contribute to achieving environmentally sustainable actions.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what role UK diplomatic posts in the Gulf region will play in monitoring and supporting implementation of the enhanced partnership with the United Arab Emirates on illicit finance.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK-UAE Partnership to Tackle Illicit Financial Flows, chaired by the Home Office, is a cross-governmental effort to strengthen operational cooperation and disrupt financial crime. A senior UAE delegation visited the UK on 2 and 3 September to advance this work. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) sets and evaluates countries against global standards, which is a separate and technical process. Our bilateral engagement complements implementation of the FATF standards and supports international financial integrity.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of how the UK-UAE partnership on illicit finance will interact with multilateral initiatives such as the Financial Action Task Force.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK-UAE Partnership to Tackle Illicit Financial Flows, chaired by the Home Office, is a cross-governmental effort to strengthen operational cooperation and disrupt financial crime. A senior UAE delegation visited the UK on 2 and 3 September to advance this work. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) sets and evaluates countries against global standards, which is a separate and technical process. Our bilateral engagement complements implementation of the FATF standards and supports international financial integrity.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase resource allocation for wildlife licensing applications under the Deer Act 1991 and the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to improve interdepartmental communication between the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Home Office on this matter and to streamline deer licence applications.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra has no current plans to increase resource allocation for wildlife licensing applications under the Deer Act 1991.

The Home Office assesses applications for the use of animals in science under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. This legislation is not the same as wildlife licensing applications.

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