Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 23 December 2025 (HL12716), what is the timeline and development plan for non-statutory guidance to be issued to all relevant frontline practitioners safeguarding children from criminal exploitation to ensure a range of stakeholders can contribute; and what steps they will take to mitigate limitations to non-statutory guidance, including inconsistencies across documents and delays in updating guidance that is not statutory.

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

The Crime and Policing Bill includes a provision for statutory guidance to be issued to relevant law enforcement officers about their role in preventing, detecting and investigating the new child criminal exploitation (CCE) offence and about their functions relating to the new CCE prevention orders being introduced in the Bill.

We also intend to issue non-statutory guidance for other frontline practitioners to support them to understand the new CCE offence and orders. We will work with stakeholders and other relevant Government departments to develop the guidance to ensure that it provides clear and effective information on disrupting the criminal exploitation of children and supporting victims. The new guidance will supplement existing statutory guidance and will be published in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs will consider the role that religion or culture played in enabling or facilitating abuse by grooming gangs, and not only the role that those factors played in responses to the abuse, as outlined in paragraph 4.3 of the draft terms of reference.

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

On 9 December 2025, the Home Secretary published the draft Terms of Reference for the Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs and asked the Chair to consult on them.

Following the consultation, the Chair will make recommendations to the Home Secretary. Final Terms of Reference will be agreed and published by 31 March 2026. The Home Secretary has been clear (in her Oral Statement of 9 December) that the inquiry will consider, explicitly, the background of offenders – including their ethnicity, religion and culture – and whether the authorities failed to properly investigate what happened out of a misplaced desire to protect community cohesion. The inquiry will act without fear or favour, identifying individual, institutional and systemic failure, inadequate organisational responses, and failures of leadership.

The Home Secretary has also commissioned new research from UK Research and Innovation to address longstanding gaps in our understanding of perpetrators’ backgrounds and motivations, including factors such as ethnicity and religion.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the commitment in the Replacing Animals in Science Strategy, published in November 2025, to "accelerate uptake in alternative methods through reform of animals in science regulation", and reports of non-compliance described in the Animals in Science Regulation Unit Annual Report 2024, published in December 2025, whether they plan to undertake a wider review of the adequacy of regulation in this area; what steps they will be taking to prevent non-compliance; and whether they plan to review the wider performance of the Animals in Science Regulation Unit, including its use of sanctions in response to non-compliance.

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

The Government remains fully committed to continuous improvement in the regulation of the use of animals in science, and to strengthening the UK’s position as a global leader in science and innovation. As part of this, the Home Office is in the final stages of delivering a comprehensive programme of regulatory reform to further strengthen the Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU), ensuring confidence in the regulatory system and maintaining robust compliance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA).

As part of the reform programme, the number of inspectors will increase from 14.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions at the end of 2017 to 22 FTE positions by March 2026.

All licensed establishments must fully uphold the standards for animal welfare set out in ASPA and in the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used for Scientific Purposes. ASRU conducts regular audits to assure compliance and takes any instance of non-compliance extremely seriously.

ASRU’s published Compliance Policy (www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-testing-and-research-compliance-with-aspa) sets out how the regulator identifies, investigates and responds to potential incidents of non‑compliance, and how it applies appropriate and proportionate measures and sanctions where breaches are found. Through the delivery of this policy, the regulator aims to minimise the risk of future non‑compliance.

The Government’s strategy Replacing Animals in Science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods sets out a long-term vision to accelerate the development and use of nonanimal approaches. The Home Office will continue to apply ASPA’s rigorous licensing framework, ensuring that animals are only used where no validated non-animal alternative exists.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what qualifications and professional experience will be required when proposed Immigration Adjudicators are recruited to replace First-tier Tribunal Judges in asylum cases in the Immigration and Asylum Chamber.

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

Further detail will be set out in due course, including the eligibility criteria and regulation of adjudicators.

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 a police hotline for reporting incidents of political intimidation towards (a) Hong Kongers and (b) others in the UK by the Chinese Communist Party.

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

The first duty of this Government is to keep the country safe. Any attempt by any foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK will never be tolerated, irrespective of where the threat emanates.

The Defending Democracy Taskforce’s review of TNR, carried out with Counter Terrorism Policing, examined how best to encourage reporting and ensure cases are taken seriously and handled appropriately.

Existing reporting functions are efficient, effective, and well recognised, with trained officers and staff handling crime reports 24/7. This enables immediate police deployment in emergencies and provides clear routes to escalate potential state‑linked incidents to Counter Terrorism Policing for expert assessment and victim support.

State threats training is being rolled out across all 45 territorial forces, including upskilling 999 call handlers on TNR, to strengthen frontline identification and response.

Anyone who believes they are a victim of state‑directed activity should report to the police via 101, 999, or at a local station. Allegations of unlawful activity will be handled sensitively, treated seriously, and swiftly investigated in line with UK law.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department will be taking to prevent establishments licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 from keeping animals in sub-standard facilities.

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

All licenced establishments must meet the minimum required standards for care and accommodation, as set out in the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used for Scientific Purposes (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-practice-for-the-housing-and-care-of-animals-bred-supplied-or-used-for-scientific-purposes).

The Home Office Regulator conducts both announced and unannounced audits to assure establishments’ compliance with the required standards in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, the Code of Practice and their individual licence conditions.

In confirmed cases of non-compliance, the Regulator applies remedies aimed at minimising the risk of future recurrence, in line with its compliance policy (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-testing-and-research-compliance-with-aspa). The Regulator will continue to publish all cases of non-compliance in its Annual Reports, where it considers root causes of and key learnings from non-compliance and makes recommendations to reduce future risk. (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/animals-in-science-regulation-unit-annual-reports).

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many refugees they expect to be resettled in the UK through the UK Resettlement Scheme in 2026.

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

The UK has a proud history of providing protection and we continue to welcome refugees and people in need through our safe and legal routes.

As announced in Restoring Order and Control, we are developing new capped sponsored refugee pathways. These will include education, labour and community routes. This transformative change to safe and legal routes will revolutionise the way in which we offer opportunities to refugees. The Home Office is working with partners, including local authorities, to design and operationalise these routes.

As part of the fundamental change to the UK’s protection offer, the annual cap will be set in consultation with local authorities, partners, and community sponsors. The approach will reflect community capacity to welcome and support refugees.

The number of refugees resettled through the UKRS in any given year will depend on a range of factors, including the capacity of local authorities to welcome, accommodate and integrate refugees.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to consult local authorities when setting the cap for refugee arrivals through safe and legal routes.

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

The UK has a proud history of providing protection and we continue to welcome refugees and people in need through our safe and legal routes.

As announced in Restoring Order and Control, we are developing new capped sponsored refugee pathways. These will include education, labour and community routes. This transformative change to safe and legal routes will revolutionise the way in which we offer opportunities to refugees. The Home Office is working with partners, including local authorities, to design and operationalise these routes.

As part of the fundamental change to the UK’s protection offer, the annual cap will be set in consultation with local authorities, partners, and community sponsors. The approach will reflect community capacity to welcome and support refugees.

The number of refugees resettled through the UKRS in any given year will depend on a range of factors, including the capacity of local authorities to welcome, accommodate and integrate refugees.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to page 37 of the Animals in Science Regulation Unit Annual Report 2024, published in December 2025, what specific issues the item "significant issues of concern regarding farm and large animal facilities" refers to.

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

All licensed establishments must uphold the standards for animal welfare set out in ASPA and in the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used for Scientific Purposes. The Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) takes instances of potential non-compliance very seriously and thoroughly investigates all non-compliance concerns.

ASRU publishes an annual report that sets out all confirmed non‑compliance cases along with any enforcement actions taken (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/animals-in-science-regulation-unit#annual-reports).

With reference to page 37 of the ASRU Annual Report 2024, the item “significant issues of concern regarding farm and large animal facilities” refers specifically to a breach of Establishment Licence Standard Condition 4.7. This condition requires licence holders to maintain standards of care and accommodation set out in the Code of Practice available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/code-of-practice-for-the-housing-and-care-of-animals-bred-supplied-or-used-for-scientific-purposes.

ASRU’s published Compliance Policy (www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-testing-and-research-compliance-with-aspa) provides information on how the regulator identifies, investigates and responds to potential incidents of non‑compliance, and how proportionate measures and sanctions are applied where breaches are found which seek to prevent future recurrence.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of Report Fraud in responding to cases raised by hon. Members; and if she will have discussions with Report Fraud on its performance in relation to such cases.

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

Report Fraud replaced Action Fraud in December 2025. The new service provides improved reporting tools, enhanced victim support, and stronger analytical capability, helping to deliver a more coordinated and effective police response to fraud.

As part of this transition, significant improvements are being made to performance oversight. Better management information will be available to track and monitor service performance, including the handling of cases raised by hon. Members. A new performance dashboard will support both the City of London Police and the Home Office in monitoring outcomes and identifying emerging fraud threats through reporting data.

The Home Office regularly reviews the performance of Report Fraud with the City of London Police and will continue to engage with them to ensure the service is delivering improved outcomes for victims and strengthening the national response to fraud.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Animals in Science Regulation Unit Annual Report 2024, published in December 2025, what were the reasons for three establishment licences being revoked.

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

The Animals in Science Regulation Unit Annual Report is the regulator’s public account of its work overseeing the use of animals in science under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. It includes information on licensing, compliance activity and enforcement outcomes to provide transparency and assurance about the operation of the regulatory framework.

The three establishment licences reported as revoked in 2024 were withdrawn because the establishments had stopped conducting regulated procedures under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. In such cases, licence revocation is an administrative step, confirming that an establishment is no longer required to maintain a licence.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what professional regulatory body will be responsible for proposed Immigration Adjudicators.

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

Further detail will be set out in due course, including the eligibility criteria and regulation of adjudicators.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to (a) identify and (b) detain Islamic extremists.

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

This Government takes extremism seriously. We are committed to ensuring we have the required tools and powers to counter the activities of extremists. This includes challenging extremist narratives by taking a more muscular approach to identifying and watchlisting extremists, and ensuring dangerous overseas hate preachers and extremists are unable to enter the UK to spread their divisive rhetoric.

Islamist extremism continues to be one of the biggest threats we face and is at the heart of our approach to countering extremism and terrorism. We focus on the individuals, groups and environments, online and offline, which foster and enable hatred, and those who reject the fundamental values of our society and whose purpose is to divide and to terrify communities. These extremists must be challenged, and where their activities fall foul of our laws on hate speech, on public order, or on terrorism they will rightly be investigated and prosecuted.

The UK has one of the most robust counter-terrorism frameworks in the world which is deliberately widely drawn to capture the ever-diversifying nature of the terrorist threat that we face. This includes a wide range of terrorist offences and specialised powers for the police and Security Service to investigate and disrupt terrorist activity, support prosecution, and manage terrorist offenders, where activity meets appropriate thresholds. It is a matter for the operationally independent Police, Crown Prosecution Service and courts to decide if a crime has been committed.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the extent to which the ten recommendations from the IOPC report 'National learning recommendations and responses - EIP searches of children, published on 19 March 2024 have been implemented.

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

The Independent Office for Police Conduct’s (IOPC) ‘National Learning Recommendations re: Exposure of Intimate Parts Searches of Children’ report made ten recommendations. Seven recommendations have been fully implemented, and work is ongoing for the other three. Progress on these is set out below:

• Recommendation 1, Updating Authorised Professional Practice Guidance: The College of Policing has reviewed and is in the process of updating the Authorised Professional Practice guidance, which will embed trauma-informed and child-centred principles.

• Recommendation 2, Provision of Appropriate Adults: The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has worked closely with forces to ensure that officers understand the legislative requirements for providing Appropriate Adults during searches of children. They have also engaged with stakeholders to develop and disseminate clear information to help children in custody understand how Appropriate Adults can and should support them.

• Recommendation 3, Child First Approach: The College of Policing is reviewing and updating guidance and training materials to reinforce a child-centred, trauma-informed, approach to searches of children.

• Recommendation 4, Coordination of National Policing Response: The Home Office has fostered greater collaboration across policing partners by convening regular engagement with the NPCC, College of Policing, and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, to ensure that the response to the IOPC’s recommendations is coordinated, evidence-based and embedded in frontline practice.

• Recommendation 5, Annual Data Requirements (ADR): The ADR has been significantly expanded to create a more comprehensive and robust dataset, enabling clearer monitoring of police practice and better-informed safeguarding assessments. Forces are now required to provide detailed and consistent information on searches that expose intimate parts, both in custody and under stop and search powers. This includes the geographic location of the search, whether a supervisor was consulted, and whether an Appropriate Adult was present. The latest stop and search data, published on GOV.UK recently (Stop and search, arrests, and mental health detentions, March 2025 - GOV.UK), includes additional details on strip searches. Data on searches in custody is due to be published in March 2026.

• Recommendation 6, Data Collection and Monitoring: The NPCC has implemented regular data monitoring procedures, so that the circumstances and rationale for child strip searches are consistently reviewed. Any issues or learning identified through these reviews are addressed by the Custody Leadership Team within each force, helping drive improvements in practice.

• Recommendation 7, Authorisation Guidance: The NPCC has reviewed and strengthened authorisation processes for exposure of intimate parts searches. It has also recommended that a senior officer must authorise the strip search of a child, ensuring decisions are made with the necessary accountability, justification, necessity and proportionality.

• Recommendation 8, Research Around Trauma: The College of Policing has enhanced its evidence base and incorporated key findings related to the trauma experienced by children during strip searches into their products.

• Recommendation 9, Voice of the Child: Relevant guidance and training products are being reviewed and updated by the College of Policing, to ensure the ‘Voice of the Child’ is more consistently reflected.

Recommendation 10, Mandatory Safeguarding Referral following exposure of intimate parts searches: The Home Office has led system-wide consultations to consider amendments to Code A and C of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (1984), including mandating a safeguarding referral for any child who is subject to an exposure of intimate parts search. The Government is committed to introducing new legal safeguards around the strip search of children as soon as possible.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the answer of 9 December 2025, to Question HL12288, on Council tax, what is the increase in police spending power on average across the Phase 2 settlement excluding the revenue raised from increasing council tax.

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

The provisional police funding settlement (18 December) published that total funding to Territorial Police Forces will be up to £18.3 billion, an increase of up to £746 million compared to the 2025-26 police funding settlement. This equates to a 4.2% cash increase and a 2.0% real terms increase for the policing system. Total grant funding to Police and Crime Commissioners will increase by up to £382 million next year, a 3.3% cash increase.

Council tax levels are a local decision, and elected Police and Crime Commissioners will rightly want to consider the balance between increasing resources for policing local communities and the overall council tax burden.

Police funding is agreed on an annual basis and allocations beyond 2026–27 will be determined as part of future police funding settlements.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the Animals in Science Regulation Unit Annual Report 2024, published in December 2025, what assessment they have made of the incident in which 26 mice were found to have drowned when their cage flooded overnight due to a leaking water valve; whether they have considered the adequacy of a 'letter of reprimand' being issued as a sanction in response; and what actions they will be taking to prevent animals who are being kept for the purpose of scientific experiments from drowning in future.

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

All licensed establishments must fully uphold the required standards for animal welfare as set out in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) and the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used for Scientific Purposes. The Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) conducts audits to assure establishments’ compliance and takes matters of non-compliance very seriously.

Regarding the incidents referenced, ASRU investigated the incidents and acted according to the published compliance framework (www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-testing-and-research-compliance-with-aspa) which explains how ASRU identifies and investigates potential incidents of non-compliance and decides on appropriate and proportionate measures and remedies where non-compliance has been found to occur. Through delivery of the compliance policy the Regulator aims to reduce the risk of future non-compliance.

All cases of non-compliance are thoroughly investigated, and the outcomes are published in ASRU’s annual report.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of their weapon surrender bins on reducing violent crime.

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

The Government did not fund and provide surrender bins prior to 2025, when the Government funded 37 surrender bins, with 33 bins located in London, 1 in Greater Manchester and 3 in the West Midlands to support the extended knife surrender scheme held in July last year.

A total of 2,787 knives and weapons were deposited in the surrender bins.

Since the installation, one bin in London has been vandalised by graffiti.

The maintenance costs in 2025/26 for the surrender bins is £32,500 which includes the collection and disposal of surrendered weapons.

In relation to the impact of the surrender bins, the data the Government published demonstrates that they are being well used. The Government promoted the use of the surrender bins during the extended surrender arrangements and is continuing to encourage their use through engagement with the relevant local authorities and community safety leads.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to publicise the locations of their weapon surrender bins.

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

The Government did not fund and provide surrender bins prior to 2025, when the Government funded 37 surrender bins, with 33 bins located in London, 1 in Greater Manchester and 3 in the West Midlands to support the extended knife surrender scheme held in July last year.

A total of 2,787 knives and weapons were deposited in the surrender bins.

Since the installation, one bin in London has been vandalised by graffiti.

The maintenance costs in 2025/26 for the surrender bins is £32,500 which includes the collection and disposal of surrendered weapons.

In relation to the impact of the surrender bins, the data the Government published demonstrates that they are being well used. The Government promoted the use of the surrender bins during the extended surrender arrangements and is continuing to encourage their use through engagement with the relevant local authorities and community safety leads.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many weapons were placed in their surrender bins in (1) 2023, (2) 2024, and (3) 2025, broken down by (a) category of weapons, and (b) region.

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

The Government did not fund and provide surrender bins prior to 2025, when the Government funded 37 surrender bins, with 33 bins located in London, 1 in Greater Manchester and 3 in the West Midlands to support the extended knife surrender scheme held in July last year.

A total of 2,787 knives and weapons were deposited in the surrender bins.

Since the installation, one bin in London has been vandalised by graffiti.

The maintenance costs in 2025/26 for the surrender bins is £32,500 which includes the collection and disposal of surrendered weapons.

In relation to the impact of the surrender bins, the data the Government published demonstrates that they are being well used. The Government promoted the use of the surrender bins during the extended surrender arrangements and is continuing to encourage their use through engagement with the relevant local authorities and community safety leads.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many of their weapon surrender bins were vandalised in (1) 2023, (2) 2024, and (3) 2025, broken down by region.

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

The Government did not fund and provide surrender bins prior to 2025, when the Government funded 37 surrender bins, with 33 bins located in London, 1 in Greater Manchester and 3 in the West Midlands to support the extended knife surrender scheme held in July last year.

A total of 2,787 knives and weapons were deposited in the surrender bins.

Since the installation, one bin in London has been vandalised by graffiti.

The maintenance costs in 2025/26 for the surrender bins is £32,500 which includes the collection and disposal of surrendered weapons.

In relation to the impact of the surrender bins, the data the Government published demonstrates that they are being well used. The Government promoted the use of the surrender bins during the extended surrender arrangements and is continuing to encourage their use through engagement with the relevant local authorities and community safety leads.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how much they spent on maintaining weapon surrender bins in (1) 2023, (2) 2024, and (3) 2025.

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

The Government did not fund and provide surrender bins prior to 2025, when the Government funded 37 surrender bins, with 33 bins located in London, 1 in Greater Manchester and 3 in the West Midlands to support the extended knife surrender scheme held in July last year.

A total of 2,787 knives and weapons were deposited in the surrender bins.

Since the installation, one bin in London has been vandalised by graffiti.

The maintenance costs in 2025/26 for the surrender bins is £32,500 which includes the collection and disposal of surrendered weapons.

In relation to the impact of the surrender bins, the data the Government published demonstrates that they are being well used. The Government promoted the use of the surrender bins during the extended surrender arrangements and is continuing to encourage their use through engagement with the relevant local authorities and community safety leads.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many weapon surrender bins they had in operation in (1) 2023, (2) 2024, and (3) 2025, broken down by region.

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

The Government did not fund and provide surrender bins prior to 2025, when the Government funded 37 surrender bins, with 33 bins located in London, 1 in Greater Manchester and 3 in the West Midlands to support the extended knife surrender scheme held in July last year.

A total of 2,787 knives and weapons were deposited in the surrender bins.

Since the installation, one bin in London has been vandalised by graffiti.

The maintenance costs in 2025/26 for the surrender bins is £32,500 which includes the collection and disposal of surrendered weapons.

In relation to the impact of the surrender bins, the data the Government published demonstrates that they are being well used. The Government promoted the use of the surrender bins during the extended surrender arrangements and is continuing to encourage their use through engagement with the relevant local authorities and community safety leads.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the UK–France Agreement on the Prevention of Dangerous Journeys, published on 5 August 2025, whether those applying to come to the UK can only provide their biometrics in Paris; and whether there are other locations in France where those biometrics can be taken.

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

Under the UK-France Agreement on the Prevention of Dangerous Journeys, eligible individuals seeking to come to the UK must provide their biometrics at the visa application centre in Paris, France, in order to proceed.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many full-time equivalent police officers were recorded for Essex Police in each of the years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024; and what comparative data the Government holds on changes in officer numbers for Essex Police since 2019.

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

The Home Office collects and publishes data on the size of the police workforce in England and Wales, on a bi-annual basis, as at 31 March and 30 September each year in the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales.

Data for this release are collected at Police Force Area (PFA) level as a snapshot at 31 March and 30 September only. As such, data for Essex Police as at 1 July 2024 is not available.

The latest information covers the situation as at 31 March 2025. Information on the number of police officers (on both a full-time equivalent and headcount basis), broken down by PFA, at the end of each financial year (31 March) from 2007 to 2025 can be found in the ‘Police Workforce Open Data Table’ here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/687f314d8adf4250705c96fa/open-data-table-police-workforce-230725.ods.

Data on the police workforce as at 30 September 2025 is due to be published on 28 January 2026.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) headcount and (b) full time equivalent police officer workforce was on (a) 1 July 2024 and (b) the most recent date for which data is available in Essex Police; and what the net change was over that period.

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

The Home Office collects and publishes data on the size of the police workforce in England and Wales, on a bi-annual basis, as at 31 March and 30 September each year in the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales.

Data for this release are collected at Police Force Area (PFA) level as a snapshot at 31 March and 30 September only. As such, data for Essex Police as at 1 July 2024 is not available.

The latest information covers the situation as at 31 March 2025. Information on the number of police officers (on both a full-time equivalent and headcount basis), broken down by PFA, at the end of each financial year (31 March) from 2007 to 2025 can be found in the ‘Police Workforce Open Data Table’ here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/687f314d8adf4250705c96fa/open-data-table-police-workforce-230725.ods.

Data on the police workforce as at 30 September 2025 is due to be published on 28 January 2026.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of merging (i) shotgun and (ii) rifle licensing systems on (a) Police Firearms forces and (b) the number of officers dealing with applications.

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

The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February 2025, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public safety. The Government response set out the reasons why the Government considers this consultation to be important, and we intend to publish this shortly.

We will carefully consider all of the views put forward in response to the consultation once it is published, before taking any decisions on whether and what changes may be necessary in the interests of public safety. The Government will also provide an assessment of the impact of any changes that we intend to bring forward, including to policing and to the business community in rural areas, at the relevant time.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of merging (i) shotgun and (ii) rifle licensing systems on people undertaking wildlife management.

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

The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February 2025, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public safety. The Government response set out the reasons why the Government considers this consultation to be important, and we intend to publish this shortly.

We will carefully consider all of the views put forward in response to the consultation once it is published, before taking any decisions on whether and what changes may be necessary in the interests of public safety. The Government will also provide an assessment of the impact of any changes that we intend to bring forward, including to policing and to the business community in rural areas, at the relevant time.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of merging (i) shotgun and (ii) rifle licensing systems on clay target shooting businesses.

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

The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February 2025, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public safety. The Government response set out the reasons why the Government considers this consultation to be important, and we intend to publish this shortly.

We will carefully consider all of the views put forward in response to the consultation once it is published, before taking any decisions on whether and what changes may be necessary in the interests of public safety. The Government will also provide an assessment of the impact of any changes that we intend to bring forward, including to policing and to the business community in rural areas, at the relevant time.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of merging (i) shotgun and (ii) rifle licensing systems on the backlog for firearms licensing.

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

The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February 2025, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public safety. The Government response set out the reasons why the Government considers this consultation to be important, and we intend to publish this shortly.

We will carefully consider all of the views put forward in response to the consultation once it is published, before taking any decisions on whether and what changes may be necessary in the interests of public safety. The Government will also provide an assessment of the impact of any changes that we intend to bring forward, including to policing and to the business community in rural areas, at the relevant time.

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 proposed changes to the licensing regime for shotgun ownership on the rural economy.

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

The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February 2025, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public safety. The Government response set out the reasons why the Government considers this consultation to be important, and we intend to publish this shortly.

We will carefully consider all of the views put forward in response to the consultation once it is published, before taking any decisions on whether and what changes may be necessary in the interests of public safety. The Government will also provide an assessment of the impact of any changes that we intend to bring forward, including to policing and to the business community in rural areas, at the relevant time.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the reasons for which stop and search for items related to protest is used much more frequently by some police forces than others.

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

The Public Order Act 2023 includes stop and search powers for police to search for and seize articles related to protest-related offences.

The Home Office publishes statistics on use of stop and search powers, the latest are at: Stop and search, arrests, and mental health detentions, March 2025 - GOV.UK

While overall numbers are small, the figures show that protest related searches are more concentrated in the Metropolitan Police Service, Surrey and Sussex.

The management of protests is an operational matter for the police. It is for chief constables and their officers to make decisions about the use of stop and search powers in response to local needs.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the findings of the Independent Review of Public Order and Hate Crime Legislation will be available to i) the Home Affairs Select Committee and ii) hon. Members before the Crime and Policing Bill returns to the Commons.

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

Following the appalling attack on a synagogue in Manchester on 2 October 2025, the Home Secretary announced an independent review of public order and hate crime legislation on 5 October. The Review is being led by Lord Ken Macdonald of River Glaven KC, supported by former Assistant Chief Constable Owen Weatherill KPM.

The Review is due to submit its report to the Home Secretary in Spring 2026.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she expects to (a) receive the findings of the Independent Review of Public Order and Hate Crime Legislation, (b) share those findings with hon. Members and (c) publish those findings.

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

Following the appalling attack on a synagogue in Manchester on 2 October 2025, the Home Secretary announced an independent review of public order and hate crime legislation on 5 October. The Review is being led by Lord Ken Macdonald of River Glaven KC, supported by former Assistant Chief Constable Owen Weatherill KPM.

The Review is due to submit its report to the Home Secretary in Spring 2026.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to abolish laws which criminalise brothel keeping.

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

Criminal justice is devolved to Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Home Office is responsible for legislation in England and Wales. Under the current law in England and Wales, the acts of buying and selling sex are not in themselves illegal. There are existing offences related to sexual exploitation in the Sexual Offences Act 2003 including causing or inciting prostitution for gain, controlling prostitution for gain, and paying for the services of a prostitute subjected to force, threats or any other form of coercion or deception.

On 18 December 2025, the Government published Freedom from violence and abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/freedom-from-violence-and-abuse-a-cross-government-strategy. In this strategy, the Government committed to reviewing how the law addresses prostitution (this includes brothel keeping legislation) to ensure it better protects women and girls. Further details will be set out in due course. The Home Office engages regularly with organisations that represent sex workers, sexually exploited adults, people trafficked for sex, the police and other relevant stakeholders.

For example, on 16 July 2025, the Home Office launched a public call for evidence on how the Government can improve the process of identifying victims of modern slavery and human trafficking, including for victims of sexual exploitation. This call for evidence provided an opportunity to hear views of survivors, first responders, law enforcement and prosecution services, devolved administrations, non-governmental organisations and any groups or people with an interest in the modern slavery victim identification system. The call for evidence closed on 8 October 2025 and a report summarising the key findings and themes will be published early this year.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will take steps to decriminalise sex work throughout the UK.

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

Criminal justice is devolved to Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Home Office is responsible for legislation in England and Wales. Under the current law in England and Wales, the acts of buying and selling sex are not in themselves illegal. There are existing offences related to sexual exploitation in the Sexual Offences Act 2003 including causing or inciting prostitution for gain, controlling prostitution for gain, and paying for the services of a prostitute subjected to force, threats or any other form of coercion or deception.

On 18 December 2025, the Government published Freedom from violence and abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/freedom-from-violence-and-abuse-a-cross-government-strategy. In this strategy, the Government committed to reviewing how the law addresses prostitution (this includes brothel keeping legislation) to ensure it better protects women and girls. Further details will be set out in due course. The Home Office engages regularly with organisations that represent sex workers, sexually exploited adults, people trafficked for sex, the police and other relevant stakeholders.

For example, on 16 July 2025, the Home Office launched a public call for evidence on how the Government can improve the process of identifying victims of modern slavery and human trafficking, including for victims of sexual exploitation. This call for evidence provided an opportunity to hear views of survivors, first responders, law enforcement and prosecution services, devolved administrations, non-governmental organisations and any groups or people with an interest in the modern slavery victim identification system. The call for evidence closed on 8 October 2025 and a report summarising the key findings and themes will be published early this year.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has held recent discussions with (a) sex workers and (b) representative organisations on the law on prostitution.

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

Criminal justice is devolved to Scotland and Northern Ireland. The Home Office is responsible for legislation in England and Wales. Under the current law in England and Wales, the acts of buying and selling sex are not in themselves illegal. There are existing offences related to sexual exploitation in the Sexual Offences Act 2003 including causing or inciting prostitution for gain, controlling prostitution for gain, and paying for the services of a prostitute subjected to force, threats or any other form of coercion or deception.

On 18 December 2025, the Government published Freedom from violence and abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/freedom-from-violence-and-abuse-a-cross-government-strategy. In this strategy, the Government committed to reviewing how the law addresses prostitution (this includes brothel keeping legislation) to ensure it better protects women and girls. Further details will be set out in due course. The Home Office engages regularly with organisations that represent sex workers, sexually exploited adults, people trafficked for sex, the police and other relevant stakeholders.

For example, on 16 July 2025, the Home Office launched a public call for evidence on how the Government can improve the process of identifying victims of modern slavery and human trafficking, including for victims of sexual exploitation. This call for evidence provided an opportunity to hear views of survivors, first responders, law enforcement and prosecution services, devolved administrations, non-governmental organisations and any groups or people with an interest in the modern slavery victim identification system. The call for evidence closed on 8 October 2025 and a report summarising the key findings and themes will be published early this year.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her Department publishing an open opportunity contract on 6 January 2026 entitled Home Office Returns Reintegration Programme (HORRP) - Phase 3 - 2026 – 2028, whether her Department plans to issue similar contracts to support deportations to other countries.

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

This programme plays a crucial part in negotiating returns arrangements with other countries, which is essential to making returns of their citizens effective and sustainable, so we will continue working with countries worldwide to achieve this.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to give Ukrainians who have come to the UK under the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme clarity on their future immigration status.

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

Those who have been granted sanctuary in the UK under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, are able to apply for further permission to stay through the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme (UPE).

On 1 September, the Government announced in parliament that the UPE Scheme would be extended for an additional 24 months to enable those eligible to obtain a further period of permission following their initial permission under UPE.

Individuals who currently have permission under the UPE scheme will be able to apply for the extension online, in advance of their current permission expiring. More detail on the application process will follow in due course.

The UPE extension reflects a generous and meaningful commitment to support those displaced by the conflict, while also respecting the Ukrainian Government’s strong desire for the future return of its citizens when it is safe to do so. The Government will continue to monitor developments in Ukraine closely and act responsibly in its response.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact on the welfare of military families living in accommodation next to the Cameron Barracks, in light of the site now being used as asylum accommodation.

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

Consideration of this site is ongoing and any final decision to utilise any site for the intended purposes will be made once the relevant factors have been properly considered.

The Home Office continues to engage regularly with representatives from the local authority, NHS, Police, and other local partners – via an Operational Working Group in addition to bi-lateral conversations.

Safety and security of residents, staff and the neighbouring community will remain central to any decisions. We will ensure that any development is safe, appropriate, and compliant with planning regulations.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what formal process has been followed regarding the change of use of the Cameron Barracks.

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

Consideration of this site is ongoing and any final decision to utilise any site for the intended purposes will be made once the relevant factors have been properly considered.

The Home Office continues to engage regularly with representatives from the local authority, NHS, Police, and other local partners – via an Operational Working Group in addition to bi-lateral conversations.

Safety and security of residents, staff and the neighbouring community will remain central to any decisions. We will ensure that any development is safe, appropriate, and compliant with planning regulations.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the adequacy of a five-day response window for community consultation on proposals for large-scale asylum accommodation; and whether guidance will be revised to ensure adequate time is provided for local residents and stakeholders to respond.

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

The Home Office remain committed to ensuring that any impact on local communities is kept to a minimum. Consultation with local authority officials forms a vital part of procurement of asylum accommodation. 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 at the earliest opportunity to inform procurement. However, to protect the safety and security of those being housed in Dispersal Accommodation (DA), we do not consult with local residents or publish details of DA address in the public domain.

Our accommodation providers ensure that consultation with local authorities is carried out in accordance with the requirements and standards set out in the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts. We work closely with statutory partners throughout the process to ensure effective coordination and oversight.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what oversight her Department has of consultation processes undertaken by private asylum accommodation providers when proposing new accommodation sites; and what minimum standards are required to ensure engagement with local communities.

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

The Home Office remain committed to ensuring that any impact on local communities is kept to a minimum. Consultation with local authority officials forms a vital part of procurement of asylum accommodation. 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 at the earliest opportunity to inform procurement. However, to protect the safety and security of those being housed in Dispersal Accommodation (DA), we do not consult with local residents or publish details of DA address in the public domain.

Our accommodation providers ensure that consultation with local authorities is carried out in accordance with the requirements and standards set out in the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts. We work closely with statutory partners throughout the process to ensure effective coordination and oversight.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her Department publishing an open opportunity contract on 6 January 2026 entitled Home Office Returns Reintegration Programme (HORRP) - Phase 3 - 2026 – 2028, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of this scheme on the future number of illegal migrants coming to the UK from (a) Algeria and (b) Sri Lanka.

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

Since 2021, the UK has seen record numbers of people arriving illegally and claiming asylum, with increasing pressure on public services and accommodation – this scheme is designed to improve returns cooperation with these countries, support those being returned to their country of origin, and ultimately remove more people.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the cost of providing recreational activities and health services to asylum seekers at the Cameron barracks.

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

Consideration of this site is ongoing and any final decision to utilise any site for the intended purposes will be made once the relevant factors have been properly considered.

The Home Office continues to engage regularly with representatives from the local authority, NHS, Police, and other local partners – via an Operational Working Group in addition to bi-lateral conversations.

Safety and security of residents, staff and the neighbouring community will remain central to any decisions. We will ensure that any development is safe, appropriate, and compliant with planning regulations.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to engage with local communities in Inverness, in light of the decision to use the Cameron barracks as asylum accommodation.

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

Consideration of this site is ongoing and any final decision to utilise any site for the intended purposes will be made once the relevant factors have been properly considered.

The Home Office continues to engage regularly with representatives from the local authority, NHS, Police, and other local partners – via an Operational Working Group in addition to bi-lateral conversations.

Safety and security of residents, staff and the neighbouring community will remain central to any decisions. We will ensure that any development is safe, appropriate, and compliant with planning regulations.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether asylum seekers at the Cameron barracks will have access to publicly-funded therapists.

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

Consideration of this site is ongoing and any final decision to utilise any site for the intended purposes will be made once the relevant factors have been properly considered.

The Home Office continues to engage regularly with representatives from the local authority, NHS, Police, and other local partners – via an Operational Working Group in addition to bi-lateral conversations.

Safety and security of residents, staff and the neighbouring community will remain central to any decisions. We will ensure that any development is safe, appropriate, and compliant with planning regulations.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish the feasibility study conducted by the University of Birmingham in 2023–24 on the possibility of developing prevalence estimates for female genital mutilation and forced marriage.

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

The violence against women and girls (VAWG) strategy committed to conducting an additional study, building on the University of Birmingham study, to explore the viability of the recommended approach in producing a national prevalence estimate for forced marriage and FGM.

This study is due to conclude in March after which the Government will review the findings of both studies in the round and consider next steps, including publication.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for government’s most important contracts, Data for July to September 2025, published on 25 December 2025, how customer satisfaction with cultural sensitivity is monitored for the Security Guarding Services contract with MITIE SECURITY LIMITED.

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

The Security Guarding Services contract KPI relating to cultural sensitivity is a qualitative KPI and is measured through a Customer Satisfaction evaluation survey completed on a quarterly basis. The KPI is monitored and reported through the contract management meetings held with Mitie Security Limited.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department publishing an open opportunity contract on 6 January 2026 entitled Home Office Returns Reintegration Programme (HORRP) - Phase 3 - 2026 – 2028, how many additional removals does she estimate this scheme will result in.

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

We have an ambitious target of continuously increasing returns in the coming years, and this contract will play an important supporting role in helping us deliver on that objective.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the (a) value for money and (b) adequacy of the performance of contracts held by private asylum accommodation providers under the asylum accommodation programme; and how her Department plans to ensure accountability for the use of public funds under these contracts.

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

Over the past year, the Home Office has significantly strengthened its approach to assuring Key Performance Indicator (KPI) data and applying service credits where providers fail to meet contractual obligations. Our inspection and assurance regime is risk-based and proportionate to contract value, combining scheduled and unannounced visits.

As a result of reforms to its contract management capability, the Department has recovered £74 million in the current financial year through profit-share repayments and service credits. We will continue to strengthen transparency and oversight and enhance our MI platforms to optimise assurance and inspection activity.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her Department publishing an open opportunity contract on 6 January 2026 entitled Home Office Returns Reintegration Programme (HORRP) - Phase 3 - 2026 – 2028, whether there will be a cap on the quantity of financial assistance provided under the scheme to help migrants with setting up a business.

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

The in-kind (non-cash) provision to assist returning individuals to set up a business or access locally available educational or training opportunities through the programme is capped at £1500. The £1500 Returnee Educational and Entrepreneurship Fund (REEF) is a ring-fenced amount that those who signed-up to the programme can apply for following arrival. They will have to submit a business proposal to either set up a business, further education or vocational training. If the proposal is successful then the delivery partner procures everything in the individual's behalf so no funds are provided to the returnee.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her Department publishing an open opportunity contract on 6 January 2026 entitled Home Office Returns Reintegration Programme (HORRP) - Phase 3 - 2026 – 2028, whether the funding to support legal migration pathways and recruitment in third countries will include migration to Europe.

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

Support provided by the HO Returns Reintegration Programme is only in relation to potentially migrating to a third country and not back to the UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the answer of 7 January 2026 to Question HL13000 on Police and Crime Commissioners, whether those savings include the operational costs of PCC functions being transferred to the offices of elected combined authority mayors.

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

As set out in the government’s answer to Question HL13000, we expect to be able to save at least £20m per annum from 2028/29 as a result of aligning back office and support arrangements for policing governance with wider local government functions.

This includes savings as a result of transferring PCC functions to combined authority mayors.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for government’s most important contracts, Data for July to September 2025, published on 25 December 2025, what the Key Performance Indicators are for the (a) Digitise Delivery Support contract with DELOITTE MCS LTD and (b) QAT74 End to End Testing contract with LA International Computer Consultants Limited.

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

For Digitise Delivery Support contract with DELOITTE MCS LTD performance is managed through Balanced score card performance process by the Migration Border Tech Portfolio business. Performance assessed the supplier against themes :

- Performance to pay process

- Service requests and onboarding

- Delivery of the outcome of the various roles; project management, partnering behaviours and value add services and social value.

For QAT74 End to End Testing contract with LA International Computer Consultants Limited, the KPIs are :

- Partnering Behaviours

- Delivery

- Value Add

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 extending to county councils the provisions of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 on issuing closure notices in cases of illegal trading of tobacco and vaping products on the high street.

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

The closure power, under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, enables police or local councils - including county councils where there is no district council - to close premises quickly which are being used to commit nuisance or disorder.

The closure power, along with all the powers in the 2014 Act, is deliberately local in nature, and it is for local agencies to determine whether its use is appropriate and meets the legal test in the specific circumstances.

The global supply of illicit tobacco is significant and the high profit margins continue to attract organised criminal networks. HMRC are fully aware of this threat and take robust, coordinated action in response. Working in close partnership across government, we target production at its source, intercept illicit products at the border and in retail environments, and pursue and prosecute those involved in the illicit tobacco trade.

Stubbing out the problem: A new strategy to tackle illicit tobacco - GOV.UK sets out how HMRC, Border Force and partner agencies tackle illicit tobacco. It seeks to target loopholes at all stages of the supply chain, to keep ahead of the criminals. The strategy:

• sets out a new root and branch approach - which targets the demand for illicit trade (the consumers that criminals seek to exploit) as well as the supply (the criminals themselves).
• is supported by over £100 million new funding to boost HMRC and Border Force enforcement capability.
• establishes a new, cross-government Illicit Tobacco Taskforce – combining the operational, investigative and intelligence expertise of various agencies, and enhancing their ability to disrupt organised crime.

National Trading Standards plays a key part in tackling illicit tobacco at a local level. It provides both a visible and tangible deterrent that organised criminality and anti-social behaviour surrounding the supply of illicit tobacco will not be tolerated. HMRC values the close working partnership it has with National Trading Standards through Operation CeCe and is committed to building on its success by increasing the level of funding available to Trading Standards. This means that we can have an even greater impact in tackling the illicit tobacco trade, undertaking more visits, creating more disruption, detecting and seizing more illicit product, tackling underage sales and reducing community harm.

HMRC is progressing preparations for the 1 October 2026 introduction of Vaping Products Duty with a strong focus on compliance readiness and illicit market risk.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department issues to local authorities, police forces and licensed premises on the operation of Pubwatch schemes.

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

Pubwatch schemes are voluntary, licensee-led local partnerships that operate independently of Government. Advice and practical resources for such schemes are provided by the National Pubwatch charity, which supports local groups across the country.

Separately, the Home Secretary issues statutory section 182 guidance under the Licensing Act 2003 to licensing authorities in England and Wales on the discharge of their functions. Licensing authorities must have regard to this guidance, which supports partnership working between licensing authorities, the police and industry to promote the four licensing objectives.

The section 182 guidance does not set operational requirements for Pubwatch schemes but does recognise and support industry led schemes such as Pubwatch as examples of good practice in promoting safer, well run licensed premises.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to assess the importance of maintaining the temporary shortage list status of dancers and choreographers (standard occupational classification code 3414); and what assessment they have made of the impact of recent changes to salary thresholds and visa restrictions on professional dance companies and the UK performing arts industry.

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

We have commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review the new Temporary Shortage List (TSL), which provides limited exemptions from the skills threshold. The MAC are due to report in the summer and we will consider their recommendations at that time.

An impact assessment of changes to the Skilled Worker immigration route has been published alongside the statement of changes.

There are also provisions within the immigration system for dancers to use the Temporary Work – Creative Worker and Visitor routes.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the Animals in Science Regulation Unit Annual Report 2024, published in December 2025, what steps they are taking to prevent and sanction non-compliance to regulations including (1) the re-use of animals for testing without licence, (2) depriving animals used for testing of food and water and, (3) animals used for testing dying due to drowning or starvation.

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

The Government remains fully committed to continuous improvement in the regulation of the use of animals in science, and to strengthening the UK’s position as a global leader in science and innovation. As part of this, the Home Office is in the final stages of delivering a comprehensive programme of regulatory reform to further strengthen the Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU), ensuring confidence in the regulatory system and maintaining robust compliance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA).

As part of the reform programme, the number of inspectors will increase from 14.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions at the end of 2017 to 22 FTE positions by March 2026.

All licensed establishments must fully uphold the standards for animal welfare set out in ASPA and in the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used for Scientific Purposes. ASRU conducts regular audits to assure compliance and takes any instance of non-compliance extremely seriously.

ASRU’s published Compliance Policy (www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-testing-and-research-compliance-with-aspa) sets out how the regulator identifies, investigates and responds to potential incidents of non‑compliance, and how it applies appropriate and proportionate measures and sanctions where breaches are found. Through the delivery of this policy, the regulator aims to minimise the risk of future non‑compliance.

The Government’s strategy Replacing Animals in Science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods sets out a long-term vision to accelerate the development and use of nonanimal approaches. The Home Office will continue to apply ASPA’s rigorous licensing framework, ensuring that animals are only used where no validated non-animal alternative exists.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the Animals in Science Regulation Unit Annual Report 2024, published in December 2025, what assessment they have made of the two incidents in which live animals were found to have been accidentally put into waste bags; whether they have considered the adequacy of 'letters of reprimand' being issued as a sanction in response; and what actions they will be taking to prevent such incidents from taking place in future.

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

All licensed establishments must fully uphold the required standards for animal welfare as set out in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) and the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used for Scientific Purposes. The Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) conducts audits to assure establishments’ compliance and takes matters of non-compliance very seriously.

Regarding the incidents referenced, ASRU investigated the incidents and acted according to the published compliance framework (www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-testing-and-research-compliance-with-aspa) which explains how ASRU identifies and investigates potential incidents of non-compliance and decides on appropriate and proportionate measures and remedies where non-compliance has been found to occur. Through delivery of the compliance policy the Regulator aims to reduce the risk of future non-compliance.

All cases of non-compliance are thoroughly investigated, and the outcomes are published in ASRU’s annual report.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to respond to correspondence of (a) 2 December 2025, (b) 2 January 2026 and (c) 20 January 2026 from the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs.

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

The Minister for Policing responded on 29 January.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been deported from the USA to the UK in each year since 2016.

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

The UK and US have a bilateral arrangement to proactively share information about criminals being deported from the UK to US and the US to UK. This came into effect on 29 July 2020. International partners are not obliged to notify each other about the deportation or removal of individuals to another country. Notifications from the US to UK are received and processed by the ACRO Criminal Records Office (ACRO).

ACRO has recorded receipt of the following number of notifications from the US since 29 July 2020:

The Home Office does not produce official statistics on this topic.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the total annual cost of interpretation and translation services for asylum seekers in each of the last three years.

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

The information requested is not centrally held and 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 steps her Department took in 2025 to help support scrutiny by (a) the Public Accounts Committee and (b) other hon. Members of the (i) costs and (ii) service content of asylum accommodation contracts; and whether any data was withheld.

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

The Home Office has published details of the AASC contracts, including the Statement of Requirements which gives a detailed breakdown of all the services to be undertaken by our accommodation providers and to the standards we expect. Full details of this can be found here: http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2018-1112/AASC_-_Schedule_2_-_Statement_of_Requirements.pdf

Information on asylum expenditure is published in the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts.

In addition, the Home Office and Ministers have provided written and oral evidence about asylum support and accommodation to the Home Affairs Select Committee and to the Public Accounts Committee - copies and transcripts are available from the Committees’ websites.

Data and information related to commercially sensitive information, performance management and other confidential aspects of the contracts and services are withheld to protect the commercial and legal position of the Home Office and its contracted Providers.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department spent on (a) recreational activities, (b) leisure provision and (c) community engagement activities for migrants who arrived in the UK illegally by (i) provider and (ii) type of activity in 2025.

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

The Home Office holds a contract with Changing Lives Ltd, now operating as Simply Active Group CIC, for the provision of a structured programme of recreational activity at Wethersfield. The contract commenced on 26 August 2024 and is scheduled to end on 19 February 2026.

The original contract can be viewed on Contracts Finder: Recreational Activity Provision - Contracts Finder.

The Home Office does not pay its Accommodation Providers to deliver recreational activities across the estate.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department spent on security provision at hotels and other accommodation sites housing migrants who arrived in the UK illegally by contractor, region, and cost per site in 2025.

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

We do not report and hold data at this granularity and would only be obtainable at disproportionate cost.

The Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office annual report and accounts: 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department spent on cleaning, maintenance and repair services at hotel and contingency accommodation sites by supplier and cost per (a) room and (b) site in 2025.

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

We do not report and hold data at this granularity and would only be obtainable at disproportionate cost.

The Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office annual report and accounts: 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department spent on (a) food provision, by dietary requirement and (b) catering by (i) supplier and (ii) cost per person per day for migrants who arrived in the UK illegally who are housed in (A) hotels and (B) other accommodation sites in 2025.

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

We do not report and hold data at this granularity and would only be obtainable at disproportionate cost.

The Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office annual report and accounts: 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department spent on (a) laundry services, including contracted laundries, (b) on-site services and (c) reimbursements by (i) supplier and (ii) accommodation site type in 2025.

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

We do not report and hold data at this granularity and would only be obtainable at disproportionate cost.

The Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office annual report and accounts: 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to publish in full the service specifications, unit prices, and key performance indicators attached to asylum accommodation contracts that operated in 2025.

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

The Home Office’s asylum contracts are publicly available on Contracts Finder. Copies of the contracts, including redactions, are available at the below links.

Commercially sensitive information (including pricing details) and information related to performance management of services (including service credits) are redacted to allow the Home Office to obtain maximum value during the lifetime of its contracts.

The Home Office has no current plans to publish any further information related to its asylum contracts, other than the information already publicly available.

Information on the requested contracts is available below:

Serco - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NW - Contracts Finder, AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract MEE - Contracts Finder

Mears - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NEYH - Contracts Finder, AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Scotland - Contracts Finder, AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NI - Contracts Finder

CRH - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Wales - Contracts Finder, AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract South - Contracts Finder

CTM -CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract - Contracts Finder, Contract for the Provision of Asylum Accommodation and Travel Services - Contracts Finder

PFS - Support Payment Card - Contracts Finder

Migrant Help - AIRE - Advice Issue Reporting and Elligibility - Contracts Finder

Mitie Limited - Provision of Security Services at Home Office Contingency Accommodation - Contracts Finder

British Refugee Council - Independent Unaccompanied Asylum-seeking Children (UASCs) Support Service - Contracts Finder

thebigword Group Limited - Language Services - Translation & Interpretation - Contracts Finder

VF Services (UK) Limited - Contract for the provision of Home Office and Asylum Interviews - Contracts Finder

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of her Department's asylum accommodation contract terms and schedules relating to services and unit costs were redacted; and on what grounds those redactions were made.

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

The Home Office’s asylum contracts are publicly available on Contracts Finder. Copies of the contracts, including redactions, are available at the below links.

Commercially sensitive information (including pricing details) and information related to performance management of services (including service credits) are redacted to allow the Home Office to obtain maximum value during the lifetime of its contracts.

The Home Office has no current plans to publish any further information related to its asylum contracts, other than the information already publicly available.

Information on the requested contracts is available below:

Serco - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NW - Contracts Finder, AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract MEE - Contracts Finder

Mears - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NEYH - Contracts Finder, AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Scotland - Contracts Finder, AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NI - Contracts Finder

CRH - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Wales - Contracts Finder, AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract South - Contracts Finder

CTM -CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract - Contracts Finder, Contract for the Provision of Asylum Accommodation and Travel Services - Contracts Finder

PFS - Support Payment Card - Contracts Finder

Migrant Help - AIRE - Advice Issue Reporting and Elligibility - Contracts Finder

Mitie Limited - Provision of Security Services at Home Office Contingency Accommodation - Contracts Finder

British Refugee Council - Independent Unaccompanied Asylum-seeking Children (UASCs) Support Service - Contracts Finder

thebigword Group Limited - Language Services - Translation & Interpretation - Contracts Finder

VF Services (UK) Limited - Contract for the provision of Home Office and Asylum Interviews - Contracts Finder

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help ensure that new asylum seeker accommodation is equitably dispersed between the regions and nations of the United Kingdom.

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

The department operates a Full Dispersal model which works to ensure that asylum accommodation is equitably and fairly spread out across regions and nations of the United Kingdom, meaning that a small number of local authorities are not unduly burdened.

To facilitate this, we have developed Asylum Accommodation Plans in partnership with Local Government which set out our approach to the procurement and occupancy of Dispersal Accommodation across the UK.

The Plans are underpinned by an indexing model which weights three key overarching factors. Indexing provides a flexible, transparent evidence-based for the dispersal of the national asylum-seeking population to ensure equity remains at the core. The overarching factors are:

• The current housing market and viability
• Social factors including pressures on local services
• Existing population including extant Home Office cohorts

These three factors ensure the plans are evidence- based and strike a balance between equity and availability, as well as for the first time considering various pressures in local areas which we have worked on with The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The plans and indexing are reviewed regularly to ensure the plans are flexible to changing external factors.

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 the introduction of buffer zones around asylum accommodation.

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

The Home Office keeps the security of asylum accommodation sites under continual review, and the safety of asylum seekers and the local communities in which accommodation is located will always be our priority.

While the Home Office recognises the merit in measures that help ensure safe access to accommodation, there are no clear powers within existing legislation that would enable the Secretary of State to create buffer zones around asylum accommodation. Local authorities may impose Public Spaces Protection Orders under section 59 of the Anti‑social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, and the police have powers under section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, but these powers do not extend to the Secretary of State.

The Home Office continues to work closely with police, security teams, local authorities and other partners to ensure all accommodation sites are managed safely and securely. These stakeholders regularly attend Multi‑Agency Forums to provide updates and address concerns, including issues relating to protests or public order.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many hotels and other accommodation sites were used for illegal migrant accommodation in 2025; and what the average occupancy was across those sites.

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

At its peak under the previous government, around 400 hotels were used to accommodate asylum seekers – costing £9 million per day. That figure is now under 200 - the government remains committed no longer using hotels to accommodate asylum seekers by the end of this Parliament.

The Home Office does not publish data on the utilisation of asylum accommodation. We aim to utilise our estate as fully as possible, however, as with all types of accommodation properties may be temporarily vacant for a variety of operational reasons, including the need for maintenance or refurbishment work, or while awaiting allocation to new occupants following the departure of previous residents.

Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation, including hotels, and by local authority can be found within the Asy_D11 tab for our most recent statistics release: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost was of services provided (a) within and (b) alongside hotel accommodation in 2025 by provider and contract.

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

We do not report and hold data at this granularity, including by method of arrival, and would only be obtainable at disproportionate cost.

The Asylum Accommodation and Support Contract (AASC) Requirements below gives a detailed breakdown of all the services to be undertaken by our accommodation providers and to the standards we expect. Full details of this can be found here: http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2018-1112/AASC_-_Schedule_2_-_Statement_of_Requirements.pdf.

The Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure in the: Home Office annual report and accounts: 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the spend was on private healthcare services provided to illegal migrants housed in hotels and other accommodation in 2025.

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

Healthcare for asylum seekers in Home Office accommodation including hotels and large, former military, sites is provided through the NHS in line with national guidance for newly arrived migrants.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost was of providing accommodation in hotels and other contingency accommodation to illegal migrants in 2025.

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

We do not report and hold data at this granularity, including by method of arrival, and would only be obtainable at disproportionate cost.

The Asylum Accommodation and Support Contract (AASC) Requirements below gives a detailed breakdown of all the services to be undertaken by our accommodation providers and to the standards we expect. Full details of this can be found here: http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2018-1112/AASC_-_Schedule_2_-_Statement_of_Requirements.pdf.

The Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure in the: Home Office annual report and accounts: 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department spent on translation and interpretation services provided to migrants who arrived in the UK illegally who are in hotels and other accommodation by provider and language in 2025.

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

The information requested is not centrally held and 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 was the cost to the public purse of translation and interpretation services by her Department for asylum seekers in Great Yarmouth constituency in each of the last five years.

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

The information requested is not centrally held and 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, how inaccuracies in vehicle databases are accounted for when ANPR data is used in policing decisions.

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

ANPR is a valuable tool to help the police tackle crime and keep the road safe. We keep the effectiveness of police and law enforcement use of ANPR under regular review, to ensure it remains a robust tool for identifying vehicles of interest to the police and drivers who break the law. Reads in the National ANPR Service are usually accompanied by a close-up image of the number plate (plate patch) and an overview image of the vehicle to enable users to corroborate the data.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce knife crime in rural areas.

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

We are already making clear progress against our ambition to halve knife crime. In our first year, police-recorded knife crime offences fell by 5%, the first reduction in four years.

Knife homicides have also fallen by almost 20% over the last year, and we have seen a 10% reduction in hospital admissions for stabbings.

Whilst most knife crime occurs in urban centres, our national target to halve knife crime and whole society approach will reach every area. Our approach to tackling knife crime is centred around targeted interventions and enforcement, tough new legislation to remove dangerous weapons from our streets and working across government to tackle the root causes of knife crime where they are needed most.

We have banned zombie knives and ninja swords and are holding online sellers criminally responsible removing almost 60,000 knives from streets in England and Wales. We are taking a range of action in the Crime and Policing Bill to strengthen legislation on knives.

New crime mapping tools are already allowing us to identify highly specific knife crime hotspots and focus police and community safety resources where they are needed most. Further investment in cutting-edge capabilities, such as knife detection technology, improved data platforms, and live facial recognition will further enhance our ability to target knife crime.

Our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will deliver 13,000 additional neighbourhood policing personnel by the end of this Parliament, including up to 3,000 by March 2026. It will also ensure that every community, including rural communities, has named and contactable officers they can turn to.

This Government is clear that when you report a crime, it should be properly investigated with victims having faith that justice will be delivered, and criminals will be punished – no matter where you live. Rural communities can be assured that visible, neighbourhood policing is returning to our communities.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to review the police funding formula before the next comprehensive spending review.

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

The Home Secretary considers the distribution of funding each year to ensure decisions promote police efficiency, effectiveness and support the Government’s wider programme of reform.

Further details regarding police funding for 2026-27 will be set out in the upcoming Final Police Funding Settlement.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help tackle the use of Royal Mail to transport illegal drugs into the UK.

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

Illegal drugs have a devastating impact on the health of individuals and communities. Deaths relating to drug misuse in England and Wales rose to 3,736 in 2024, with a total annual cost to society of over £20 billion.

The Home Office and operational partners are working to disrupt the supply chain of illegal drugs across all trafficking modes into the UK. Our disruptive approach to illegal drug smuggling prioritises engagement with international partners, coupled with pursuing the criminals behind drug trafficking, and activity to seize drugs at the border.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the reliability of ANPR data in (a) preventing and (b) detecting (i) road traffic and (ii) wider criminal offences.

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

ANPR is a valuable tool to help the police tackle crime and keep the road safe. We keep the effectiveness of police and law enforcement use of ANPR under regular review, to ensure it remains a robust tool for identifying vehicles of interest to the police and drivers who break the law. Reads in the National ANPR Service are usually accompanied by a close-up image of the number plate (plate patch) and an overview image of the vehicle to enable users to corroborate the data.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many civil servants employed by their Department work in roles primarily focused on (a) transgender policy, (b) diversity, (c) equity and (d) inclusion; and at what annual salary cost.

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

There are no roles primarily focused on transgender policy.

Within central HR there are 18 roles primarily focused on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) - a total of 16.06 FTE.

The total aggregate annual salary cost based on the latest reporting period for Jan 25/26 is: £918,348.60.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department uses artificial intelligence for decision making on immigration applications.

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

Where appropriate, we use AI to improve productivity and effectiveness in our public services. All applications made under the Immigration Rules are considered and decided by trained human decision-makers.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to phase out the use of crustaceans in scientific experimentation.

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

The Government is committed to non-animal alternatives in science and has published a strategy which sets out our long-term vision for a world where the use of animals in science is eliminated in all but exceptional circumstances. The strategy is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/replacing-animals-in-science-strategy/replacing-animals-in-science-a-strategy-to-support-the-development-validation-and-uptake-of-alternative-methods

The strategy does not preclude the development of alternatives to the use of animal species not currently covered by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) protections, including decapod crustaceans.

The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 recognised decapod crustaceans as sentient beings. The Government remains committed to an evidence-based and proportionate approach to setting welfare standards for decapod crustaceans, both for those caught for human consumption and those used in scientific research.

The Home Office is carefully considering next steps, in collaboration with other relevant departments, on whether decapod crustaceans should be brought within the scope of ASPA.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2026 to Question 99931, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of illegal number plates on national security, serious organised crime, terrorism and the effectiveness of ANPR systems.

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

Vehicle registration marks are essential for identifying vehicles involved in crime. Individuals engaged in serious and organised crime, terrorism and other high‑harm offending often rely on the UK’s road network to facilitate their criminal activities.

We work closely with policing partners, the DVLA and other agencies to understand and mitigate risks posed by illegal or obscured number plates. The Home Office supports efforts to prevent their use and to strengthen ANPR effectiveness through investment and enforcement activity. ANPR remains a valuable tool to help the police tackle crime and keep the road safe. We keep the effectiveness of ANPR use under regular review, to ensure it remains a robust tool for identifying vehicles of interest and those engaged in criminal activities.

Comprehensive advice and guidance is available via the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) and the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO), which includes signposting to a suite of Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) products and counter-measures. The specialist advice regarding HVM includes up-to-date technical resources and best practice advice regarding their deployment, and is available from these organisations.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department spent on (a) legal advice and (b) other support services for migrants who arrived in the UK illegally who are in accommodation by contract in 2025.

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

The Home Office does not hold the requested data on the provision of legal advice. Asylum seekers may be eligible for legal aid, which is administered by the Legal Aid Agency in the Ministry of Justice.

Regarding other services, the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contract (AASC) Statement of Requirements provides a detailed breakdown of all services that accommodation providers must deliver, along with the standards expected of them. The full document is available here:

http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2018-1112/AASC_-_Schedule_2_-_Statement_of_Requirements.pdf

The Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure, including services such as AASC and AIRE, within its Annual Report and Accounts. These can be found on GOV.UK here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ho-annual-reports-and-accounts

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what services were contracted and delivered on-site within hotels housing illegal migrants in 2025, including medical services, transport, catering, security, and welfare support.

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

The Home Office holds nine contracts for the provision of asylum accommodation and support services across the UK. Information related to these contracts, including the services delivered under them, is publicly available at the links below.

Hotel accommodation is managed directly by the contracted providers. Services delivered on-site typically include food and catering, laundry, security, and basic welfare support. These services are provided to ensure safe and suitable living conditions for asylum seekers and to help manage pressures on local authorities and public services while individuals await a decision on their claim.

Serco

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NW - Contracts Finder

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract MEE - Contracts Finder

Mears

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NEYH - Contracts Finder

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Scotland - Contracts Finder

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NI - Contracts Finder

CRH

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Wales - Contracts Finder

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract South - Contracts Finder

CTM

CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract - Contracts Finder

Contract for the Provision of Asylum Accommodation and Travel Services - Contracts Finder

Found: Biosecurity at the border: Britain’s illegal meat crisis, HC1926, 8 September 202524 made up of Defra, Home Office

Found: privacy, safety or political expression” and stated that Addressed to Minister Sarah Jones MP Home Office

Found: being refused, we sought to ask Ministers: “whether TheCityUK has made representations to the Home Office

Found: This is why we’re very concerned about the recent Home Office announcements on ‘earned settlement’,

Found: before the end of the contract is the Service Desk contract that we delivered on behalf of the Home Office

Found: Reoffending Ministry of Justice Minister Norris Minister for Border Security and Asylum Home Office

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

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

Found: Letter to the (then) Chair from Alex Norris MP, Minister for Border Security and Asylum at the Home Office

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

Found: and regulatory environment and a new approach is urgently needed if we are to ensure that the Home Office

Found: and the third sector as well as other government departments, including but not limited to the Home Office

Found: Refugees who are provided with settlement status are urged by the Home Office to open a bank account

Found: Ofqual maintains an effective working relationship with the Home Office, in its regulatory role, regarding

Found: The Home Office has done this, for example, by creating obstacles to improvements in security features

Found: It should include the Prime Minister, Chancellor, DSIT, DBT, the Home Office, MoD, DHSC, DESNZ, DWP

Found: Cabinet Office, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Department for Business and Trade, the Home Office

Found: transparent and secure. 101 Qq 1–20 102 Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 103 Home Office

Found: part of the application for a Creative Visit visa the applicant will also need to satisfy the Home Office

Found: Justice 7 S.I. 2025/1231 7 The Parole Board (Amendment) Rules 2025 Appendix 2: Memorandum from the Home Office

Found: In addition, the Security Minister’s role is split across the Cabinet Office and the Home Office, the

Found: practice on workforce planning across government and are engaging closely with colleagues in the Home Office

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

Found: Dr Irene Zempi, Associate Professor of Criminology at Nottingham Trent University (GIS0006) 8 Home Office

Found: Dr Irene Zempi, Associate Professor of Criminology at Nottingham Trent University (GIS0006) 8 Home Office

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

Found: Letter from Sarah Jones MP, Minister of State for Policing and Crime, Home Office, ref Forensic Science

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the potential impact of social media use on children’s mental health.

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

I share the worries of parents and many of those in the medical profession; the question is not whether the government will act, but how. These are nuanced issues on which there are a diverse range of views; that is why we are launching a consultation and national conversation on next steps. We are also working closely across government on these topics, with DHSC, as well as Ofcom, DfE, and the Home Office. Furthermore, the Department for Education will be producing guidance on screentime.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to ensure regulators, industry, academia, civil society and NGOs can contribute on equal terms to shaping and overseeing delivery of the strategy entitled, Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods.

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

The Government consulted regulators, industry, academia and civil society during the development of the Replacing Animals in Science strategy and will continue to do so during strategy implementation, including via the Home Office-led forums. This includes collaboration with civil society organisations with expertise in this area, including animal welfare organisations and learned societies, and other interested groups. We will also include regulators within our governance, given the importance of regulatory acceptance. Any work to phase out animal testing and regulatory procedures, must be science-led and in lock step with partners.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the amount paid in Universal Credit to claimants recorded as non-UK nationals by month since 1 July 2024.

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

Non-British and Irish nationals typically cannot access Universal Credit until they have been granted settlement after 5 years of lawful residence in the UK. The Home Office are consulting on doubling the standard qualifying period for settlement from 5 to 10 years. Exceptionally, some groups can access sooner, including people protected by the Withdrawal Agreement and Afghans and Ukrainians who have fled those countries.

Universal Credit awards are paid to households, so it is not possible to break payments down to individual members of a household.

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 merits of including individuals on spouse visas who have the right to work and contribute to the NHS among the priority groups for NHS specialty training offers.

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

The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill was introduced to Parliament on 13 January 2026. The bill delivers the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, published in July 2025, to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors who have worked in the National Health Service for a significant period for specialty training.

For specialty training places starting in 2026, NHS experience is being represented by immigration status as people with a settled immigration status are more likely to have worked in the NHS for longer. For specialty training posts starting from 2027 onwards, this provision will not apply automatically. Instead, it will be possible to make regulations to specify additional groups who will be prioritised, where they are likely to have significant experience working as a doctor either in the NHS in England, Scotland, or Wales, or in health and social care in Northern Ireland, or by reference to their immigration status.

Individuals on spouse visas are not included in the prioritised group for specialty training posts starting in 2026, because it is not a good indicator of likely NHS experience. The Department of Health and Social Care worked closely with the Home Office on the development of the bill.

Applicants on spouse visas will still be able to apply and will be offered places if vacancies remain after prioritised applicants have received offers.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people brought to the United Kingdom under the Gaza scholarship students route claim (a) Universal Credit, (b) PIP and (c) other benefits.

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

The majority of migrants on temporary, time-limited visas (such as for work or study) are subject to a No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) condition for at least 5 years. This restricts them from accessing certain public funded benefits and services. DWP cannot pay public funds benefits (such as Universal Credit) to individuals where the Home Office has applied an NRPF condition to their immigration status.

Students who are supported to exit Gaza are still required to meet all of the requirements of the student route, and are subject to the same No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) conditions.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many investigations are currently open into incorrect residency claims for student finance.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We are resolute in our commitment to protecting public money in higher education and are taking firm action to address serious concerns about exploitation of the student funding system.

Eligibility for student finance is not based solely on nationality, but on a person’s immigration status and residency. To be eligible, a student must be ordinarily resident in England and be settled or have a recognised connection with the UK. Students must also have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands (Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and/or the British Overseas Territories) for the three years prior to the first day of the first academic year of their course.

There are exceptions to these requirements for some individuals. For example, there is an exception to the requirement to be settled for those who are covered by the EU Withdrawal Agreement.

To qualify for support, applicants must provide the Student Loans Company (SLC) with evidence of their eligibility. This includes evidence of their identity, immigration status and ordinary residence.

SLC have robust procedures in place to check student finance eligibility, including data-sharing with Home Office and HM Passport Office. When required, the SLC will contact the Home Office to confirm an applicant’s immigration status and ordinary residence.

Nationality is an optional field when creating a student finance account, however, it is mandatory for the full application for support to be processed. Nationality will always be checked as part of verifying a person’s identity and where appropriate as part of verifying their immigration status. Applications that are incomplete for any of SLC’s identity, immigration status or residence history checks are not approved for student finance.

A student does not qualify for student finance if they have shown themselves by their conduct to be ‘unfitted’ to receive support, such as providing falsified documents. Depending on the nature of being found unfitted, the student’s details may be added to the Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance System (CIFAS) database. SLC does record details of students who have been made ineligible for student finance. However, the data is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The department does not hold the data in a format that can provide information on investigations that are currently open into incorrect residency claims for student finance.

SLC has advised the department that it has strengthened its integration with Home Office systems for the purposes of establishing eligibility for student finance.

Table 1: Number of cases of misrepresentation in student finance applications have been identified in each of the last five years.

Table 1 shows data for undergraduate applications which have been found to warrant sanctions for false evidence on application. Applications with residency fraud have failed checks for UK nationals, Irish citizens or ‘settled status’ in the UK to verify information on the following eligibility criteria: their home is in England, they’ve been continuously living in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for three years before the first day of the first academic year (apart from temporary absences such as holidays). Applications with migrant worker fraud have failed checks or submitted false evidence to claim migrant worker status and access student finance. From 2022 onwards the number of cases linked to migrant worker students increased, initially due to a law enforcement referral and then due to collective and increased focus on fraud.

Table 2: Value and volume of income-contingent repayment loans due for repayment from Student Finance England (SFE) borrowers who were domiciled in England at the time of the loan whose income is not verified, as a proportion of the total loan book as at 10/12/2025.

Table 2 shows the value and volume of all SFE income-contingent repayment loans for students who were domiciled in England at the time of the loan whose income was not verified, as a proportion of the total loan book. The main reasons for income which is not verified is that they have been matched by HMRC but have no employment details recorded or they have moved overseas and are no longer part of the UK tax system. SLC proactively attempt to trace and contact all borrowers whose income is not verified to correctly classify the situation and take the required action.

The department does not hold the data to provide accurate loan write-off rates (the proportion of loans which have been written off) in the form requested. Due to the way in which the data is held, analysts in the department would not be able to provide this information you have requested without exceeding the disproportionate cost threshold.

Table 3 shows the number of full-time undergraduate students who were domiciled in England who received their first loan payment whilst they were under the age of 18 in each of the last ten years.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the value of student loans for which accurate income data is not currently held; and what proportion of the loan book this represents.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We are resolute in our commitment to protecting public money in higher education and are taking firm action to address serious concerns about exploitation of the student funding system.

Eligibility for student finance is not based solely on nationality, but on a person’s immigration status and residency. To be eligible, a student must be ordinarily resident in England and be settled or have a recognised connection with the UK. Students must also have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands (Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and/or the British Overseas Territories) for the three years prior to the first day of the first academic year of their course.

There are exceptions to these requirements for some individuals. For example, there is an exception to the requirement to be settled for those who are covered by the EU Withdrawal Agreement.

To qualify for support, applicants must provide the Student Loans Company (SLC) with evidence of their eligibility. This includes evidence of their identity, immigration status and ordinary residence.

SLC have robust procedures in place to check student finance eligibility, including data-sharing with Home Office and HM Passport Office. When required, the SLC will contact the Home Office to confirm an applicant’s immigration status and ordinary residence.

Nationality is an optional field when creating a student finance account, however, it is mandatory for the full application for support to be processed. Nationality will always be checked as part of verifying a person’s identity and where appropriate as part of verifying their immigration status. Applications that are incomplete for any of SLC’s identity, immigration status or residence history checks are not approved for student finance.

A student does not qualify for student finance if they have shown themselves by their conduct to be ‘unfitted’ to receive support, such as providing falsified documents. Depending on the nature of being found unfitted, the student’s details may be added to the Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance System (CIFAS) database. SLC does record details of students who have been made ineligible for student finance. However, the data is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The department does not hold the data in a format that can provide information on investigations that are currently open into incorrect residency claims for student finance.

SLC has advised the department that it has strengthened its integration with Home Office systems for the purposes of establishing eligibility for student finance.

Table 1: Number of cases of misrepresentation in student finance applications have been identified in each of the last five years.

Table 1 shows data for undergraduate applications which have been found to warrant sanctions for false evidence on application. Applications with residency fraud have failed checks for UK nationals, Irish citizens or ‘settled status’ in the UK to verify information on the following eligibility criteria: their home is in England, they’ve been continuously living in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for three years before the first day of the first academic year (apart from temporary absences such as holidays). Applications with migrant worker fraud have failed checks or submitted false evidence to claim migrant worker status and access student finance. From 2022 onwards the number of cases linked to migrant worker students increased, initially due to a law enforcement referral and then due to collective and increased focus on fraud.

Table 2: Value and volume of income-contingent repayment loans due for repayment from Student Finance England (SFE) borrowers who were domiciled in England at the time of the loan whose income is not verified, as a proportion of the total loan book as at 10/12/2025.

Table 2 shows the value and volume of all SFE income-contingent repayment loans for students who were domiciled in England at the time of the loan whose income was not verified, as a proportion of the total loan book. The main reasons for income which is not verified is that they have been matched by HMRC but have no employment details recorded or they have moved overseas and are no longer part of the UK tax system. SLC proactively attempt to trace and contact all borrowers whose income is not verified to correctly classify the situation and take the required action.

The department does not hold the data to provide accurate loan write-off rates (the proportion of loans which have been written off) in the form requested. Due to the way in which the data is held, analysts in the department would not be able to provide this information you have requested without exceeding the disproportionate cost threshold.

Table 3 shows the number of full-time undergraduate students who were domiciled in England who received their first loan payment whilst they were under the age of 18 in each of the last ten years.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students agreed to receive a student loan whilst they were under the age of 18 in each of the last 10 years.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We are resolute in our commitment to protecting public money in higher education and are taking firm action to address serious concerns about exploitation of the student funding system.

Eligibility for student finance is not based solely on nationality, but on a person’s immigration status and residency. To be eligible, a student must be ordinarily resident in England and be settled or have a recognised connection with the UK. Students must also have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands (Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and/or the British Overseas Territories) for the three years prior to the first day of the first academic year of their course.

There are exceptions to these requirements for some individuals. For example, there is an exception to the requirement to be settled for those who are covered by the EU Withdrawal Agreement.

To qualify for support, applicants must provide the Student Loans Company (SLC) with evidence of their eligibility. This includes evidence of their identity, immigration status and ordinary residence.

SLC have robust procedures in place to check student finance eligibility, including data-sharing with Home Office and HM Passport Office. When required, the SLC will contact the Home Office to confirm an applicant’s immigration status and ordinary residence.

Nationality is an optional field when creating a student finance account, however, it is mandatory for the full application for support to be processed. Nationality will always be checked as part of verifying a person’s identity and where appropriate as part of verifying their immigration status. Applications that are incomplete for any of SLC’s identity, immigration status or residence history checks are not approved for student finance.

A student does not qualify for student finance if they have shown themselves by their conduct to be ‘unfitted’ to receive support, such as providing falsified documents. Depending on the nature of being found unfitted, the student’s details may be added to the Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance System (CIFAS) database. SLC does record details of students who have been made ineligible for student finance. However, the data is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The department does not hold the data in a format that can provide information on investigations that are currently open into incorrect residency claims for student finance.

SLC has advised the department that it has strengthened its integration with Home Office systems for the purposes of establishing eligibility for student finance.

Table 1: Number of cases of misrepresentation in student finance applications have been identified in each of the last five years.

Table 1 shows data for undergraduate applications which have been found to warrant sanctions for false evidence on application. Applications with residency fraud have failed checks for UK nationals, Irish citizens or ‘settled status’ in the UK to verify information on the following eligibility criteria: their home is in England, they’ve been continuously living in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for three years before the first day of the first academic year (apart from temporary absences such as holidays). Applications with migrant worker fraud have failed checks or submitted false evidence to claim migrant worker status and access student finance. From 2022 onwards the number of cases linked to migrant worker students increased, initially due to a law enforcement referral and then due to collective and increased focus on fraud.

Table 2: Value and volume of income-contingent repayment loans due for repayment from Student Finance England (SFE) borrowers who were domiciled in England at the time of the loan whose income is not verified, as a proportion of the total loan book as at 10/12/2025.

Table 2 shows the value and volume of all SFE income-contingent repayment loans for students who were domiciled in England at the time of the loan whose income was not verified, as a proportion of the total loan book. The main reasons for income which is not verified is that they have been matched by HMRC but have no employment details recorded or they have moved overseas and are no longer part of the UK tax system. SLC proactively attempt to trace and contact all borrowers whose income is not verified to correctly classify the situation and take the required action.

The department does not hold the data to provide accurate loan write-off rates (the proportion of loans which have been written off) in the form requested. Due to the way in which the data is held, analysts in the department would not be able to provide this information you have requested without exceeding the disproportionate cost threshold.

Table 3 shows the number of full-time undergraduate students who were domiciled in England who received their first loan payment whilst they were under the age of 18 in each of the last ten years.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what checks are undertaken to verify eligibility for student finance among applicants who have recently entered the UK.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We are resolute in our commitment to protecting public money in higher education and are taking firm action to address serious concerns about exploitation of the student funding system.

Eligibility for student finance is not based solely on nationality, but on a person’s immigration status and residency. To be eligible, a student must be ordinarily resident in England and be settled or have a recognised connection with the UK. Students must also have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands (Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and/or the British Overseas Territories) for the three years prior to the first day of the first academic year of their course.

There are exceptions to these requirements for some individuals. For example, there is an exception to the requirement to be settled for those who are covered by the EU Withdrawal Agreement.

To qualify for support, applicants must provide the Student Loans Company (SLC) with evidence of their eligibility. This includes evidence of their identity, immigration status and ordinary residence.

SLC have robust procedures in place to check student finance eligibility, including data-sharing with Home Office and HM Passport Office. When required, the SLC will contact the Home Office to confirm an applicant’s immigration status and ordinary residence.

Nationality is an optional field when creating a student finance account, however, it is mandatory for the full application for support to be processed. Nationality will always be checked as part of verifying a person’s identity and where appropriate as part of verifying their immigration status. Applications that are incomplete for any of SLC’s identity, immigration status or residence history checks are not approved for student finance.

A student does not qualify for student finance if they have shown themselves by their conduct to be ‘unfitted’ to receive support, such as providing falsified documents. Depending on the nature of being found unfitted, the student’s details may be added to the Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance System (CIFAS) database. SLC does record details of students who have been made ineligible for student finance. However, the data is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The department does not hold the data in a format that can provide information on investigations that are currently open into incorrect residency claims for student finance.

SLC has advised the department that it has strengthened its integration with Home Office systems for the purposes of establishing eligibility for student finance.

Table 1: Number of cases of misrepresentation in student finance applications have been identified in each of the last five years.

Table 1 shows data for undergraduate applications which have been found to warrant sanctions for false evidence on application. Applications with residency fraud have failed checks for UK nationals, Irish citizens or ‘settled status’ in the UK to verify information on the following eligibility criteria: their home is in England, they’ve been continuously living in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for three years before the first day of the first academic year (apart from temporary absences such as holidays). Applications with migrant worker fraud have failed checks or submitted false evidence to claim migrant worker status and access student finance. From 2022 onwards the number of cases linked to migrant worker students increased, initially due to a law enforcement referral and then due to collective and increased focus on fraud.

Table 2: Value and volume of income-contingent repayment loans due for repayment from Student Finance England (SFE) borrowers who were domiciled in England at the time of the loan whose income is not verified, as a proportion of the total loan book as at 10/12/2025.

Table 2 shows the value and volume of all SFE income-contingent repayment loans for students who were domiciled in England at the time of the loan whose income was not verified, as a proportion of the total loan book. The main reasons for income which is not verified is that they have been matched by HMRC but have no employment details recorded or they have moved overseas and are no longer part of the UK tax system. SLC proactively attempt to trace and contact all borrowers whose income is not verified to correctly classify the situation and take the required action.

The department does not hold the data to provide accurate loan write-off rates (the proportion of loans which have been written off) in the form requested. Due to the way in which the data is held, analysts in the department would not be able to provide this information you have requested without exceeding the disproportionate cost threshold.

Table 3 shows the number of full-time undergraduate students who were domiciled in England who received their first loan payment whilst they were under the age of 18 in each of the last ten years.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the compliance rates with the three-year UK residency requirement among student finance applicants.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We are resolute in our commitment to protecting public money in higher education and are taking firm action to address serious concerns about exploitation of the student funding system.

Eligibility for student finance is not based solely on nationality, but on a person’s immigration status and residency. To be eligible, a student must be ordinarily resident in England and be settled or have a recognised connection with the UK. Students must also have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands (Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and/or the British Overseas Territories) for the three years prior to the first day of the first academic year of their course.

There are exceptions to these requirements for some individuals. For example, there is an exception to the requirement to be settled for those who are covered by the EU Withdrawal Agreement.

To qualify for support, applicants must provide the Student Loans Company (SLC) with evidence of their eligibility. This includes evidence of their identity, immigration status and ordinary residence.

SLC have robust procedures in place to check student finance eligibility, including data-sharing with Home Office and HM Passport Office. When required, the SLC will contact the Home Office to confirm an applicant’s immigration status and ordinary residence.

Nationality is an optional field when creating a student finance account, however, it is mandatory for the full application for support to be processed. Nationality will always be checked as part of verifying a person’s identity and where appropriate as part of verifying their immigration status. Applications that are incomplete for any of SLC’s identity, immigration status or residence history checks are not approved for student finance.

A student does not qualify for student finance if they have shown themselves by their conduct to be ‘unfitted’ to receive support, such as providing falsified documents. Depending on the nature of being found unfitted, the student’s details may be added to the Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance System (CIFAS) database. SLC does record details of students who have been made ineligible for student finance. However, the data is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The department does not hold the data in a format that can provide information on investigations that are currently open into incorrect residency claims for student finance.

SLC has advised the department that it has strengthened its integration with Home Office systems for the purposes of establishing eligibility for student finance.

Table 1: Number of cases of misrepresentation in student finance applications have been identified in each of the last five years.

Table 1 shows data for undergraduate applications which have been found to warrant sanctions for false evidence on application. Applications with residency fraud have failed checks for UK nationals, Irish citizens or ‘settled status’ in the UK to verify information on the following eligibility criteria: their home is in England, they’ve been continuously living in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for three years before the first day of the first academic year (apart from temporary absences such as holidays). Applications with migrant worker fraud have failed checks or submitted false evidence to claim migrant worker status and access student finance. From 2022 onwards the number of cases linked to migrant worker students increased, initially due to a law enforcement referral and then due to collective and increased focus on fraud.

Table 2: Value and volume of income-contingent repayment loans due for repayment from Student Finance England (SFE) borrowers who were domiciled in England at the time of the loan whose income is not verified, as a proportion of the total loan book as at 10/12/2025.

Table 2 shows the value and volume of all SFE income-contingent repayment loans for students who were domiciled in England at the time of the loan whose income was not verified, as a proportion of the total loan book. The main reasons for income which is not verified is that they have been matched by HMRC but have no employment details recorded or they have moved overseas and are no longer part of the UK tax system. SLC proactively attempt to trace and contact all borrowers whose income is not verified to correctly classify the situation and take the required action.

The department does not hold the data to provide accurate loan write-off rates (the proportion of loans which have been written off) in the form requested. Due to the way in which the data is held, analysts in the department would not be able to provide this information you have requested without exceeding the disproportionate cost threshold.

Table 3 shows the number of full-time undergraduate students who were domiciled in England who received their first loan payment whilst they were under the age of 18 in each of the last ten years.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applications for student finance have been refused due to insufficient residency evidence in each of the last ten years.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We are resolute in our commitment to protecting public money in higher education and are taking firm action to address serious concerns about exploitation of the student funding system.

Eligibility for student finance is not based solely on nationality, but on a person’s immigration status and residency. To be eligible, a student must be ordinarily resident in England and be settled or have a recognised connection with the UK. Students must also have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands (Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and/or the British Overseas Territories) for the three years prior to the first day of the first academic year of their course.

There are exceptions to these requirements for some individuals. For example, there is an exception to the requirement to be settled for those who are covered by the EU Withdrawal Agreement.

To qualify for support, applicants must provide the Student Loans Company (SLC) with evidence of their eligibility. This includes evidence of their identity, immigration status and ordinary residence.

SLC have robust procedures in place to check student finance eligibility, including data-sharing with Home Office and HM Passport Office. When required, the SLC will contact the Home Office to confirm an applicant’s immigration status and ordinary residence.

Nationality is an optional field when creating a student finance account, however, it is mandatory for the full application for support to be processed. Nationality will always be checked as part of verifying a person’s identity and where appropriate as part of verifying their immigration status. Applications that are incomplete for any of SLC’s identity, immigration status or residence history checks are not approved for student finance.

A student does not qualify for student finance if they have shown themselves by their conduct to be ‘unfitted’ to receive support, such as providing falsified documents. Depending on the nature of being found unfitted, the student’s details may be added to the Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance System (CIFAS) database. SLC does record details of students who have been made ineligible for student finance. However, the data is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The department does not hold the data in a format that can provide information on investigations that are currently open into incorrect residency claims for student finance.

SLC has advised the department that it has strengthened its integration with Home Office systems for the purposes of establishing eligibility for student finance.

Table 1: Number of cases of misrepresentation in student finance applications have been identified in each of the last five years.

Table 1 shows data for undergraduate applications which have been found to warrant sanctions for false evidence on application. Applications with residency fraud have failed checks for UK nationals, Irish citizens or ‘settled status’ in the UK to verify information on the following eligibility criteria: their home is in England, they’ve been continuously living in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for three years before the first day of the first academic year (apart from temporary absences such as holidays). Applications with migrant worker fraud have failed checks or submitted false evidence to claim migrant worker status and access student finance. From 2022 onwards the number of cases linked to migrant worker students increased, initially due to a law enforcement referral and then due to collective and increased focus on fraud.

Table 2: Value and volume of income-contingent repayment loans due for repayment from Student Finance England (SFE) borrowers who were domiciled in England at the time of the loan whose income is not verified, as a proportion of the total loan book as at 10/12/2025.

Table 2 shows the value and volume of all SFE income-contingent repayment loans for students who were domiciled in England at the time of the loan whose income was not verified, as a proportion of the total loan book. The main reasons for income which is not verified is that they have been matched by HMRC but have no employment details recorded or they have moved overseas and are no longer part of the UK tax system. SLC proactively attempt to trace and contact all borrowers whose income is not verified to correctly classify the situation and take the required action.

The department does not hold the data to provide accurate loan write-off rates (the proportion of loans which have been written off) in the form requested. Due to the way in which the data is held, analysts in the department would not be able to provide this information you have requested without exceeding the disproportionate cost threshold.

Table 3 shows the number of full-time undergraduate students who were domiciled in England who received their first loan payment whilst they were under the age of 18 in each of the last ten years.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department collects data on loan write-off rates broken down by borrower residency status at the time of issuing the loan.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We are resolute in our commitment to protecting public money in higher education and are taking firm action to address serious concerns about exploitation of the student funding system.

Eligibility for student finance is not based solely on nationality, but on a person’s immigration status and residency. To be eligible, a student must be ordinarily resident in England and be settled or have a recognised connection with the UK. Students must also have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands (Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and/or the British Overseas Territories) for the three years prior to the first day of the first academic year of their course.

There are exceptions to these requirements for some individuals. For example, there is an exception to the requirement to be settled for those who are covered by the EU Withdrawal Agreement.

To qualify for support, applicants must provide the Student Loans Company (SLC) with evidence of their eligibility. This includes evidence of their identity, immigration status and ordinary residence.

SLC have robust procedures in place to check student finance eligibility, including data-sharing with Home Office and HM Passport Office. When required, the SLC will contact the Home Office to confirm an applicant’s immigration status and ordinary residence.

Nationality is an optional field when creating a student finance account, however, it is mandatory for the full application for support to be processed. Nationality will always be checked as part of verifying a person’s identity and where appropriate as part of verifying their immigration status. Applications that are incomplete for any of SLC’s identity, immigration status or residence history checks are not approved for student finance.

A student does not qualify for student finance if they have shown themselves by their conduct to be ‘unfitted’ to receive support, such as providing falsified documents. Depending on the nature of being found unfitted, the student’s details may be added to the Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance System (CIFAS) database. SLC does record details of students who have been made ineligible for student finance. However, the data is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The department does not hold the data in a format that can provide information on investigations that are currently open into incorrect residency claims for student finance.

SLC has advised the department that it has strengthened its integration with Home Office systems for the purposes of establishing eligibility for student finance.

Table 1: Number of cases of misrepresentation in student finance applications have been identified in each of the last five years.

Table 1 shows data for undergraduate applications which have been found to warrant sanctions for false evidence on application. Applications with residency fraud have failed checks for UK nationals, Irish citizens or ‘settled status’ in the UK to verify information on the following eligibility criteria: their home is in England, they’ve been continuously living in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for three years before the first day of the first academic year (apart from temporary absences such as holidays). Applications with migrant worker fraud have failed checks or submitted false evidence to claim migrant worker status and access student finance. From 2022 onwards the number of cases linked to migrant worker students increased, initially due to a law enforcement referral and then due to collective and increased focus on fraud.

Table 2: Value and volume of income-contingent repayment loans due for repayment from Student Finance England (SFE) borrowers who were domiciled in England at the time of the loan whose income is not verified, as a proportion of the total loan book as at 10/12/2025.

Table 2 shows the value and volume of all SFE income-contingent repayment loans for students who were domiciled in England at the time of the loan whose income was not verified, as a proportion of the total loan book. The main reasons for income which is not verified is that they have been matched by HMRC but have no employment details recorded or they have moved overseas and are no longer part of the UK tax system. SLC proactively attempt to trace and contact all borrowers whose income is not verified to correctly classify the situation and take the required action.

The department does not hold the data to provide accurate loan write-off rates (the proportion of loans which have been written off) in the form requested. Due to the way in which the data is held, analysts in the department would not be able to provide this information you have requested without exceeding the disproportionate cost threshold.

Table 3 shows the number of full-time undergraduate students who were domiciled in England who received their first loan payment whilst they were under the age of 18 in each of the last ten years.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many cases of suspected misrepresentation in student finance applications have been identified in each of the last five years; and what proportion of these involved applicants providing insufficient or unverifiable residency documentation.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We are resolute in our commitment to protecting public money in higher education and are taking firm action to address serious concerns about exploitation of the student funding system.

Eligibility for student finance is not based solely on nationality, but on a person’s immigration status and residency. To be eligible, a student must be ordinarily resident in England and be settled or have a recognised connection with the UK. Students must also have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands (Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and/or the British Overseas Territories) for the three years prior to the first day of the first academic year of their course.

There are exceptions to these requirements for some individuals. For example, there is an exception to the requirement to be settled for those who are covered by the EU Withdrawal Agreement.

To qualify for support, applicants must provide the Student Loans Company (SLC) with evidence of their eligibility. This includes evidence of their identity, immigration status and ordinary residence.

SLC have robust procedures in place to check student finance eligibility, including data-sharing with Home Office and HM Passport Office. When required, the SLC will contact the Home Office to confirm an applicant’s immigration status and ordinary residence.

Nationality is an optional field when creating a student finance account, however, it is mandatory for the full application for support to be processed. Nationality will always be checked as part of verifying a person’s identity and where appropriate as part of verifying their immigration status. Applications that are incomplete for any of SLC’s identity, immigration status or residence history checks are not approved for student finance.

A student does not qualify for student finance if they have shown themselves by their conduct to be ‘unfitted’ to receive support, such as providing falsified documents. Depending on the nature of being found unfitted, the student’s details may be added to the Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance System (CIFAS) database. SLC does record details of students who have been made ineligible for student finance. However, the data is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The department does not hold the data in a format that can provide information on investigations that are currently open into incorrect residency claims for student finance.

SLC has advised the department that it has strengthened its integration with Home Office systems for the purposes of establishing eligibility for student finance.

Table 1: Number of cases of misrepresentation in student finance applications have been identified in each of the last five years.

Table 1 shows data for undergraduate applications which have been found to warrant sanctions for false evidence on application. Applications with residency fraud have failed checks for UK nationals, Irish citizens or ‘settled status’ in the UK to verify information on the following eligibility criteria: their home is in England, they’ve been continuously living in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for three years before the first day of the first academic year (apart from temporary absences such as holidays). Applications with migrant worker fraud have failed checks or submitted false evidence to claim migrant worker status and access student finance. From 2022 onwards the number of cases linked to migrant worker students increased, initially due to a law enforcement referral and then due to collective and increased focus on fraud.

Table 2: Value and volume of income-contingent repayment loans due for repayment from Student Finance England (SFE) borrowers who were domiciled in England at the time of the loan whose income is not verified, as a proportion of the total loan book as at 10/12/2025.

Table 2 shows the value and volume of all SFE income-contingent repayment loans for students who were domiciled in England at the time of the loan whose income was not verified, as a proportion of the total loan book. The main reasons for income which is not verified is that they have been matched by HMRC but have no employment details recorded or they have moved overseas and are no longer part of the UK tax system. SLC proactively attempt to trace and contact all borrowers whose income is not verified to correctly classify the situation and take the required action.

The department does not hold the data to provide accurate loan write-off rates (the proportion of loans which have been written off) in the form requested. Due to the way in which the data is held, analysts in the department would not be able to provide this information you have requested without exceeding the disproportionate cost threshold.

Table 3 shows the number of full-time undergraduate students who were domiciled in England who received their first loan payment whilst they were under the age of 18 in each of the last ten years.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many student-loan recipients are recorded with incomplete or inaccurate residency or nationality data.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

We are resolute in our commitment to protecting public money in higher education and are taking firm action to address serious concerns about exploitation of the student funding system.

Eligibility for student finance is not based solely on nationality, but on a person’s immigration status and residency. To be eligible, a student must be ordinarily resident in England and be settled or have a recognised connection with the UK. Students must also have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands (Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and/or the British Overseas Territories) for the three years prior to the first day of the first academic year of their course.

There are exceptions to these requirements for some individuals. For example, there is an exception to the requirement to be settled for those who are covered by the EU Withdrawal Agreement.

To qualify for support, applicants must provide the Student Loans Company (SLC) with evidence of their eligibility. This includes evidence of their identity, immigration status and ordinary residence.

SLC have robust procedures in place to check student finance eligibility, including data-sharing with Home Office and HM Passport Office. When required, the SLC will contact the Home Office to confirm an applicant’s immigration status and ordinary residence.

Nationality is an optional field when creating a student finance account, however, it is mandatory for the full application for support to be processed. Nationality will always be checked as part of verifying a person’s identity and where appropriate as part of verifying their immigration status. Applications that are incomplete for any of SLC’s identity, immigration status or residence history checks are not approved for student finance.

A student does not qualify for student finance if they have shown themselves by their conduct to be ‘unfitted’ to receive support, such as providing falsified documents. Depending on the nature of being found unfitted, the student’s details may be added to the Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance System (CIFAS) database. SLC does record details of students who have been made ineligible for student finance. However, the data is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

The department does not hold the data in a format that can provide information on investigations that are currently open into incorrect residency claims for student finance.

SLC has advised the department that it has strengthened its integration with Home Office systems for the purposes of establishing eligibility for student finance.

Table 1: Number of cases of misrepresentation in student finance applications have been identified in each of the last five years.

Table 1 shows data for undergraduate applications which have been found to warrant sanctions for false evidence on application. Applications with residency fraud have failed checks for UK nationals, Irish citizens or ‘settled status’ in the UK to verify information on the following eligibility criteria: their home is in England, they’ve been continuously living in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for three years before the first day of the first academic year (apart from temporary absences such as holidays). Applications with migrant worker fraud have failed checks or submitted false evidence to claim migrant worker status and access student finance. From 2022 onwards the number of cases linked to migrant worker students increased, initially due to a law enforcement referral and then due to collective and increased focus on fraud.

Table 2: Value and volume of income-contingent repayment loans due for repayment from Student Finance England (SFE) borrowers who were domiciled in England at the time of the loan whose income is not verified, as a proportion of the total loan book as at 10/12/2025.

Table 2 shows the value and volume of all SFE income-contingent repayment loans for students who were domiciled in England at the time of the loan whose income was not verified, as a proportion of the total loan book. The main reasons for income which is not verified is that they have been matched by HMRC but have no employment details recorded or they have moved overseas and are no longer part of the UK tax system. SLC proactively attempt to trace and contact all borrowers whose income is not verified to correctly classify the situation and take the required action.

The department does not hold the data to provide accurate loan write-off rates (the proportion of loans which have been written off) in the form requested. Due to the way in which the data is held, analysts in the department would not be able to provide this information you have requested without exceeding the disproportionate cost threshold.

Table 3 shows the number of full-time undergraduate students who were domiciled in England who received their first loan payment whilst they were under the age of 18 in each of the last ten years.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the value for money delivered through the 2003 - 2005 redevelopment of 2 Marsham Street.

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

The Department has not undertaken a dedicated, standalone assessment of the value for money delivered specifically through the 2003–2005 redevelopment of 2 Marsham Street. However, the National Audit Office reviewed the associated Private Finance Initiative arrangements for the new Home Office headquarters in 2003. The NAO concluded that the Home Office had secured a good price through a well‑run competition, with risks appropriately allocated and favourable financing obtained. The report indicated that the project was expected to deliver value for money, provided the remaining accommodation and property‑related risks were managed effectively.

The Public Accounts Committee’s Eighteenth Report (2003–04) further found that commissioning a new building rather than refurbishing the three former Marsham Towers offered better value for money, avoided the business disruption and costs of temporary accommodation, and supported the consolidation of government estate functions. The Committee noted that the redevelopment contract, valued at £311 million (net present cost), was selected as the most cost‑effective option following full competition.

These independent assessments confirmed that the redevelopment represented value for money for the taxpayer at the point the investment decision was taken. The Treasury has made no subsequent assessment that contradicts these findings.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Crime and Police Bill 2024-26, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of training for reporting child sexual abuse for (a) school teachers and (b) people who volunteer to deliver services for children.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The government already sets clear expectations through statutory and non-statutory guidance that those engaging with children should make an immediate referral to the relevant local authority children’s social care or police if they are concerned about a child, including the reporting of child sexual abuse.

Recognising that support is necessary, the Home Office provides funds to the independent Centre for Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse to further strengthen the ability of professionals to understand, identify and respond appropriately to concerns of child sexual abuse through the provision of evidence-based training and practice resources.

Everyone who is responsible for the safety and wellbeing of children should receive appropriate training on such referral processes.

Mandatory reporting introduces a legal duty for those who work with children in a relevant activity to report child sexual abuse to the police or social services. We have committed to delaying commencement of the duty to ensure sectors are prepared for its introduction.

The government will set out clear guidance on the operation of the duty. We will work with regulators and professional standards-setting bodies to ensure the requirements of the new duty are clearly communicated ahead of implementation.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on proposals to move English language testing for immigration purposes to a digital by default approach.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Home Office English Language Testing (HOELT) programme team have had preliminary scoping conversations with the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) Commercial Innovation Hub, including the Government Digital Service prior to launch of the live procurement.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to WPQ 103428 answered on 19 January 2026 on Speed Limit: Fines, what National Highways' planned timescale is for the implementation of the solution to the speed camera anomaly.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

As set out in response to WPQ 103428 on 19 January, a Home Office approved solution to this issue has been agreed, and National Highways and the police are continuing to work together to implement this as a priority.

In the meantime, National Highways has put in place measures including increased Traffic Patrol Officers, alongside the existing tactics that the police use to enforce speed limits on the Strategic Road Network including mobile camera deployments, roads policing patrols and average speed sites.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions has he had with the Home Secretary on the reclassification of ketamine as a Class A substance.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department of Health and Social Care takes seriously addressing harms from ketamine. We are working with partners across Government, including Home Office, to respond to existing and new drug threats and to reduce and prevent the health harms they cause. This includes launching a recent media campaign alerting young people to the dangers of ketamine through providing £3.4 billion for drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services over the next three years.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has considered the potential merits of creating a national mail order fraud database for (a) retailers, (b) delivery companies, (c) customers and (d) other relevant parties to log delivery issues.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Department for Business and Trade has not made an assessment on creating a national mail order fraud database. Led by the Home Office, the Government will be setting out its approach to tackling all types of fraud in its upcoming Fraud Strategy.

Report Fraud is the new national reporting service for fraud and for cyber crime operated by City of London Police. They also take information reports on attempted frauds. Reports submitted to Report Fraud are considered by the service’s National Crime Analysis Service and evaluated to assess the information available which could assist an investigation.

Found: Out of scope of this report Home Office ● Leads national drugs policy and enforcement strategy.

Found: Uses Home Office definitions for both. Uses Home Office definitions for both.

Found: To give the leadership and direction needed, the Ministry of Justice should work with the Home Office

Found: population-projections-2025-to-2030--2 For these projections, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the Home Office

Found: any time prior to the Commencement Date and/or during the term of this Contract appeared on the Home Office

Found: Probation Service (HMPPS), Ministry of Defence (MOD), the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), Home Office

Found: Therefore, the Home Office led the policy response to small boats, with input and, where necessary,

Found: It included a recommendation that the Home Office should overhaul the Immigration Rules and redraft

Found: It included a recommendation that the Home Office should overhaul the Immigration Rules and redraft

Found: It included a recommendation that the Home Office should overhaul the Immigration Rules and redraft

Found: Revenue & Customs 17851 Juan Bolivar Circus Boy HM Treasury 18258 Grayson Perry Map of Nowhere Home Office

Found: Our engagement with the Home Office and other government agencies is instrumental in ensuring that we

Found: Andy started his career at the Home Office where he was also seconded to a development agency.

Found: Equality and Human Rights Commission, the NHS Advisory Board, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Home Office

Found: Equality and Human Rights Commission, the NHS Advisory Board, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Home Office

Found: Gambling Commission • The Health and Safety Executive • His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs • The Home Office

Found: manslaughter abroad guidance in collaboration with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), the Home Office

Found: 2006WasteWasteAccidental fires5C2biiEmission factor * activityCR,OTHDCLG fire statistics, FSGB, Home Office

Found: Finally, investment will be needed by the Home Office and the police in facilities to enable police

Found: I have met with Ministers from the MoJ, as well as two former Lord Chancellors, and the Home Office

Found: v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2001] 2 AC 532 at para 5, per Lord Bingham. 23 Home Office

Found: individuals which matched to treatment group units and were then weighted. 1 2 Index Offence is based on Home Office

Found: individuals which matched to treatment group units and were then weighted. 2 Index Offence is based on Home Office

Found: Home Office counting rules for recorded crime -data.gov.uk (opens in a new window) [note 8] Recall reasons

Found: range of agencies (His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service8, the Youth Justice Board and the Home Office

Found: Criminal Justice System Statistics publication: Proceedings and Outcomes by Home Office Code 2010 to

Found: Note 10The offence groupings used in this tool broadly align with the groups presented by the Home Office

Found: Note 10The offence groupings used in this tool broadly align with the groups presented by the Home Office

Found: Notes Offence group classification - Q3 2025 This classification document is used to define the Home Office

Found: [note 19] The Home Office collates and publishes recorded crime data supplied by the 43 territorial police

Found: more detailed offence groups shown in this table broadly align with the groups presented by the Home Office

Found: Note 10The offence groupings used in this tool broadly align with the groups presented by the Home Office

Found: Note 10The offence groupings used in this tool broadly align with the groups presented by the Home Office

Found: Note 10The offence groupings used in this tool broadly align with the groups presented by the Home Office

Found: Criminal Justice System Statistics publication: Proceedings and Outcomes by Home Office Code 2017 to

Found: It broadly aligns with the classification used by the Home Office for crime statistics, although there

Found: Note 10The offence groupings used in this tool broadly align with the groups presented by the Home Office

Found: more detailed offence groups shown in this table broadly align with the groups presented by the Home Office

Found: more detailed offence groups shown in this table broadly align with the groups presented by the Home Office

Found: HMPPS does not use the Home Office counting rule definitions of Actual Bodily Harm (ABH), Grievous Bodily

Found: Page 1 of 13 Published for Home Office staff on 23 June 2025

Found: Probation Service (HMPPS), Ministry of Defence (MOD), the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), Home Office

Found: Page 1 of 40 Published for Home Office staff on 13 October 2025

Found: Immigration Services Commissioner, detailed information on the IAA’s enforcement powers, and key Home Office

Found: Andy started his career at the Home Office where he was also seconded to a development agency.

Found: week in post, I’m incredibly grateful for the warm welcome I’ve received from SIA colleagues, the Home Office

Found: Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Minister for Security) at the Home Office - advice under the Business

Found: Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), the Home Office

Found: The Home Office partially agreed to this recommendation and intends to reduce the cooling-off period

Found: To give the leadership and direction needed, the Ministry of Justice should work with the Home Office

Found: , DfT Central, the Government Property Agency, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency and the Home Office

Found: Full GGC disclosures are published by the Home Office in its Annual Report and Accounts.

Found: It sets out a national commitment from the Home Office, the Department of Health and Social Care, the

Found: Home Office counting rules for recorded crime -data.gov.uk (opens in a new window) [note 8] Recall reasons

Found: HMPPS does not use the Home Office counting rule definitions of Actual Bodily Harm (ABH), Grievous Bodily

Found: v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2001] 2 AC 532 at para 5, per Lord Bingham. 23 Home Office

Found: Chief officers’ decisions on whether to disclose ‘soft intelligence’ must be in line with Home Office

Found: Finally, investment will be needed by the Home Office and the police in facilities to enable police

Found: I have met with Ministers from the MoJ, as well as two former Lord Chancellors, and the Home Office

Found: Statutory guidance published by the Home Office in April 2023 and CPS Legal Guidance (cited in numerous

Found: SIGNED_SR_Bill_IA_1_ Sept_2025_FINAL__SIGNED_.pdf For these projections, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the Home Office

Found: population-projections-2025-to-2030--2 For these projections, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the Home Office

Found: However, it was suggested that we also invite a representative from the Home Office/legislative side

Found: Stop It Now Stop It Now Under Pressure Under Pressure Training | Zero Tolerance UK Home Office

Found: "those who have moved away from their home office, understanding it was at their own risk and could

Found: . • Any involvement or consultation with the Scottish Government, Home Office, local authorities, or

Found: With more employees working from home, rising costs associated with energy, technology, and home office

Found: carried out at the UK and European level with the UK Government, including counterparts in the Home Office

Found: Directorate Scottish Government [Redacted – S38(1)(b)] I AM CURRENTLY WORKING FLEXIBLY BETWEEN HOME & OFFICE

Found: • Progress made with the Home Office to support the establishment of Scotland’s first drug checking

Found: These describe location, salary, seniority, skill requirements, home/office working, and more.

Found: I witnessed the impact of this at the Home Office in 2010-2012, and it was not ideal for efficiency.

Found: on housing and homelessness services in Scotland from newly recognised refugees who have left Home Office

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding its plans to undertake a consultation on merging sections 1 and 2 of the Firearms Act 1968 under a single licensing system.

Answered by Constance, Angela - Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs

As firearms legislation is reserved, the Scottish Government maintains engagement with Home Office officials on preparations for the public consultation planned for early 2026. This work will continue through established stakeholder forums comprising the Home Office, Police Scotland, shooting representative bodies, and Scottish Government officials. This process will ensure that perspectives from all relevant sectors are appropriately captured and that consultation responses are assessed in a thorough and balanced manner.

We understand that the consultation will seek views on strengthening shotgun licensing controls, bringing them more into line with those applied to other firearms in the interests of public safety and in light of the recommendations made. Any outcomes from the consultation relating to the potential merging of section 1 and section 2 firearms will be addressed within the resulting recommendations.

Found: I offered clarity that Clearsprings Ready Homes were not able, under Home Office contract terms and

Found: I offered clarity that Clearsprings Ready Homes were not able, under Home Office contract terms and

Found: ensures every local policing body in England and Wales receives the same percentage increase in Home Office

Found: The Home Office has confirmed that all Welsh police forces will receive an increase of 4.022% in core

Found: Police Revenue Funding Notes: 1.Following the 2015 Comprehensive Spending Review, the Home Office

Found: Today, the Home Office published the final Police Grant allocations for policing bodies in England and

Found: GOV.UK; Home Office. Welsh Government. (2022, May 24).

Found: Since that announcement, there has been significant and constructive discussion between the Home Office

Found: under the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 20019 (ATCSA) which is the responsibility of the Home Office