Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with the Metropolitan Police on the case of Hasan Ali al-Taraki.

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

The Home Office does not comment on individual cases.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of occasions the police has (a) investigated and (b) charged abortion practitioners in relation to abortions suspected to have taken place on the basis of sex in each of the last ten years.

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

The Home Office collects and publishes information on the number of notifiable offences and their investigative outcomes recorded by the police in England and Wales. This includes the number of offences of procuring illegal abortion and intentional destruction of a viable unborn child. This information is published as official statistics each quarter and the latest information, to the year ending June 2025, can be accessed here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/police-recorded-crime-and-outcomes-open-data-tables

Information is not held on whether the abortion took place on the basis of sex or the status of the individual charged.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons police forces reported to the Home Office the ethnicity of victims of racially and religiously aggravated crimes in 40 per cent of cases in the year ending 31 March 2025.

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

Police forces are required to send ethnicity data for victims of racially or religiously aggravated offences to the Home Office under the Annual Data Requirement (ADR). The Home Office publishes these data annually, with the figures based on self-defined ethnicity.

There are several reasons why these data are not available for every offence recorded. Some crimes, such as racially or religiously aggravated public fear, alarm or distress, will not have a single identifiable victim. This is a public order offence and can be a crime against the state rather than a specific victim. For other offences, the victim may not want to give their ethnicity to the police. There may also be IT issues for certain forces in supplying these data.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of The Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 2025 on the ability of (a) students and (b) academics to protest the use of animals in scientific research by universities.

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

On Thursday 27 November 2025, the Home Office laid an affirmative Statutory Instrument in Parliament to amend Section 7 and Section 8 of the Public Order Act 2023. This will amend the list of key national infrastructure within Section 7 of the Act, to add the Life Sciences sector and define the Life Sciences sector in Section 8 of the Act.

The definition of ‘Life Sciences sector’ for the purpose of this legislation to be added to Section 8 of the Act is: “infrastructure that primarily facilitates pharmaceutical research, or the development or manufacturing of pharmaceutical products; or which is used in connection to activities authorised under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986”.

Under Section 7 of the Public Order Act 2023, a person commits an offence if:

• They do an act which interferes with the use or operation of any key national infrastructure in England and Wales, and
• They intend that act to interfere with the use or operation of such infrastructure or are reckless as to whether it will do so.

The amendment is designed to address only certain behaviours impacting the Life Sciences sector. It does not ban protests. It specifically targets deliberate or reckless interference with infrastructure within the Life Sciences sector, that could undermine our sovereign capability to prepare for and respond to a pandemic.

Whether an activity meets the criminal threshold within Section 7 of the Public Order Act 2023 will be fact specific and is an operational matter for the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and the courts, who are all operationally independent from the government.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of The Public Order Act 2023 (Interference With Use or Operation of Key National Infrastructure) Regulations 2025 on the ability of the public to protest the use of beagles in scientific research.

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

On Thursday 27 November 2025, the Home Office laid an affirmative Statutory Instrument in Parliament to amend Section 7 and Section 8 of the Public Order Act 2023. This will amend the list of key national infrastructure within Section 7 of the Act, to add the Life Sciences sector and define the Life Sciences sector in Section 8 of the Act.

Under Section 7 of the Act, a person commits an offence if:

• They do an act which interferes with the use or operation of any key national infrastructure in England and Wales, and
• They intend that act to interfere with the use or operation of such infrastructure or are reckless as to whether it will do so.

The amendment is designed to address only certain behaviours impacting the Life Sciences sector. It does not ban protests. It specifically targets deliberate or reckless interference with infrastructure within the Life Sciences sector, that could undermine our sovereign capability to prepare for and respond to a pandemic.

Whether an activity, online or otherwise, meets the criminal threshold within Section 7 of the Public Order Act 2023 will be fact specific and is an operational matter for the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and the courts, who are all operationally independent from the government.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) full time equivalent police officers and (b) headcount police officers there were in Essex Police as at 31 March in each financial year since 2019-20; and how many police officers (i) joined and (ii) left Essex Police in each of those years.

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

The Home Office collects and publishes data on the number of police officers in post, and police officers joining and leaving the police service, on both a headcount and full-time equivalent basis, in the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales.

Information on the number of police officers in post in Essex Police as at 31 March 2007 to 2025 can be found in the ‘Workforce Open Data Table’ here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/687f314d8adf4250705c96fa/open-data-table-police-workforce-230725.ods.

Information on the number of police officers joining Essex Police between the years ending 31 March 2007 to 2025 can be found in the ‘Joiners Open Data Table’ here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/687a363b312ee8a5f0806b7b/open-data-table-police-workforce-joiners-230725.ods.

Information on the number of police officers leaving Essex Police between the years ending 31 March 2007 to 2025 can be found in the ‘Leavers Open Data Table’ here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/687a364d312ee8a5f0806b7c/open-data-table-police-workforce-leavers-230725.ods.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what considerations has she made regarding the adequacy of the classification of ketamine as a Class A illicit substance.

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

Ketamine is a dangerous substance, which can cause irreversible bladder damage and in some cases death. We are concerned about the harms ketamine causes and the rise in ketamine use, particularly among young people. In October 2025 the Department for Health and Social Care launched a campaign to alert young people to the dangers of this drug.

Home Office Ministers have had discussions about these harms, including with families who have tragically lost relatives as a result of taking ketamine and who have shared their own perspectives on the appropriate classification of ketamine within the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (‘the MDA’).

In January 2025 the Government asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to provide an updated harms assessment of ketamine, advice on reducing those harms, and advice on whether ketamine should be moved from Class B to Class A within the MDA. The ACMD carried out a public call for evidence in August 2025, and we expect to receive its report soon. We will then carefully consider its recommendations.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions about the reclassification of ketamine.

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

Ketamine is a dangerous substance, which can cause irreversible bladder damage and in some cases death. We are concerned about the harms ketamine causes and the rise in ketamine use, particularly among young people. In October 2025 the Department for Health and Social Care launched a campaign to alert young people to the dangers of this drug.

Home Office Ministers have had discussions about these harms, including with families who have tragically lost relatives as a result of taking ketamine and who have shared their own perspectives on the appropriate classification of ketamine within the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (‘the MDA’).

In January 2025 the Government asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to provide an updated harms assessment of ketamine, advice on reducing those harms, and advice on whether ketamine should be moved from Class B to Class A within the MDA. The ACMD carried out a public call for evidence in August 2025, and we expect to receive its report soon. We will then carefully consider its recommendations.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to refuse consideration of the written evidence submitted by the Muslim Council of Britain to the Independent Review of Public Order and Hate Crime Legislation.

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

Following the appalling attack on a synagogue in Manchester on 2 October, the Home Secretary announced an independent review of public order and hate crime legislation on 5 October 2025. 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 engaging extensively with representatives of a wide range of sectors, including faith groups and community organisations, to ensure that all perspectives are considered. Given the Review is independent, it is for the Chair leading it to determine which groups and organisations he wishes to engage with.

Once the Review concludes, the Home Secretary will carefully consider its findings and recommendations before setting out her next steps.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to page 26 of the Animal Welfare Strategy for England, published on 22 December 2025, whether she plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) making wildlife crimes notifiable and (b) including them in national crime statistics.

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

Wildlife crime can have devastating consequences for our natural environments and countryside communities. This Government is committed to reducing crime in rural areas and anyone exploiting or deliberately harming British wildlife should face the full force of the law.

There are currently no plans to make wildlife crimes notifiable (which would result in them being included in the national crime statistics). Any non-notifiable wildlife crime reported to the police can still be investigated where appropriate, as Chief Constables have operational independence to tackle the crimes that matter most to their communities.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many retailers have been prosecuted for the sale of non-compliant or illegal vaping products in each of the last five years in (a) Suffolk Coastal, (b) Suffolk and (c) East Anglia.

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

The Home Office does not hold information on prosecutions for the sale of illegal vaping products as the prosecuting authority for such offences is primarily local authority Trading Standards departments.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department records the nationality and immigration status of people arrested for public order related offences at protests.

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

The Home Office collects and publishes data on arrests in England and Wales by offence group as part of the ‘Police Powers and Procedures’ statistical series, available here: Police powers and procedures England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK

However, as part of this collection data is not collected centrally on the nationality or immigration status of people arrested, or whether the arrest occurred at a protest.

While not routinely collected as part of the statistical data collection, in instances where the police believe the individual arrested is a foreign national, they should contact Immigration Enforcement’s National Control and Command Unit (NCCU). The contact would lead to the recording of details which would include the individual’s nationality. The details provided by the individual allow NCCU to complete an immigration status check to establish the person’s status in the UK, this would also be recorded on HO systems once established. To clarify, such a recording would only take place following contact from the police.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help ensure that rural police forces are additionally resourced to prosecute newly proscribed rural crimes.

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

I refer the Hon. Member to UIN 97588 answered on 15th December 2025.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential need for further legislative or operational measures to prevent, disrupt, and dismantle extremist networks that pose a threat to public safety.

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

The police have a range of tools and powers to counter the activities of extremist networks including Counter-Terrorism, hate crime, public order and wider public safety legislation. Where extremists breach criminal thresholds we will take action.Since the start of 2020, MI5 and the police have disrupted 19 late-stage attack plots and have intervened in many hundreds of developing threats.

The Prevent programme plays a fundamental role in protecting the public from the threat of terrorism and remains a vital tool for early intervention. Prevent is continuously improving to ensure it has the capabilities it needs to reduce terrorism risk.Since the introduction of the Prevent duty in 2015, just under 6,000 people have been supported to move away from violent ideologies that could have resulted in harm to themselves, or others, or taken them down a pathway to terrorist offending.

The Home Office has also commissioned an independent evaluation of Channel, Prevent’s multi-agency early intervention programme, to assess whether it is effective at reducing individuals’ susceptibility to radicalisation. The evaluation is expected to report findings in 2026.We are progressing activity to challenge extremist narratives including working to ensure dangerous overseas hate preachers and extremists are unable to enter the UK to spread their divisive rhetoric.

Finally, the Desistance and Disengagement Programme, which helps to manage the risk of individuals who have already been involved in terrorism or terrorism related activity, has been independently evaluated. The majority of recommendations from that evaluation have already been implemented.

We constantly review the evolving landscape and we are committed to ensuring we have the required tools and powers needed to address this issue.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of technology-facilitated abuse incidents reported to the police in each of the last five years.

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

The Home Office does not hold data on technology-facilitated abuse incidents recorded by police forces in England and Wales.

The rapid development of technology has provided additional spaces for technology facilitated abuse and violence against women and girls (VAWG) to be perpetrated and has equipped perpetrators with new ways to harass, intimidate, stalk and coerce women and girls.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish a list of all companies that are contracted by the Department to provide asylum related services.

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

The Home Office holds one contract with Migrant Help for the provision of asylum services. The overall value for the 10-year contract (2019-2029) is £235,000,000. Information on this contract is publicly available: AIRE - Advice Issue Reporting and Elligibility - Contracts Finder

The AIRE – Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility contract held with Migrant Help includes 24-hour service provisions. Information on this contract is publicly available: AIRE - Advice Issue Reporting and Elligibility - Contracts Finder

The Home Office holds contracts with the following companies for asylum related services. This information is publicly available:

Serco Ltd- AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NW - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract MEE - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

Mears Ltd - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NEYH - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Scotland - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NI - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

Clearsprings Ready Homes Ltd - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Wales - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract South - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

Corporate Travel Management (North) Limited - CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract - Contracts Finder Contract start date 26 February 2023

Contract for the Provision of Asylum Accommodation and Travel Services - Contracts Finder Contract start date 23 April 2025

Prepaid Financial Services Limited - Support Payment Card - Contracts Finder Contract Start Date 27 February 2021

Migrant Help - AIRE - Advice Issue Reporting and Elligibility - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

Mitie Limited - Provision of Security Services at Home Office Contingency Accommodation - Contracts Finder Contract Start Date 16 September 2022

British Refugee Council - Independent Unaccompanied Asylum-seeking Children (UASCs) Support Service - Contracts Finder Contract Start Date 9 February 2022

thebigword Group Limited - Language Services - Translation & Interpretation - Contracts Finder Contract Start Date 29 February 2024

VF Services (UK) Limited - Contract for the provision of Home Office and Asylum Interviews - Contracts Finder Contract Start Date 6 August 2024

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what is the total value of contracts her Department holds with Migrant Help, broken down by financial year since 2020.

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

The Home Office holds one contract with Migrant Help for the provision of asylum services. The overall value for the 10-year contract (2019-2029) is £235,000,000. Information on this contract is publicly available: AIRE - Advice Issue Reporting and Elligibility - Contracts Finder

The AIRE – Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility contract held with Migrant Help includes 24-hour service provisions. Information on this contract is publicly available: AIRE - Advice Issue Reporting and Elligibility - Contracts Finder

The Home Office holds contracts with the following companies for asylum related services. This information is publicly available:

Serco Ltd- AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NW - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract MEE - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

Mears Ltd - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NEYH - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Scotland - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NI - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

Clearsprings Ready Homes Ltd - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Wales - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract South - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

Corporate Travel Management (North) Limited - CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract - Contracts Finder Contract start date 26 February 2023

Contract for the Provision of Asylum Accommodation and Travel Services - Contracts Finder Contract start date 23 April 2025

Prepaid Financial Services Limited - Support Payment Card - Contracts Finder Contract Start Date 27 February 2021

Migrant Help - AIRE - Advice Issue Reporting and Elligibility - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

Mitie Limited - Provision of Security Services at Home Office Contingency Accommodation - Contracts Finder Contract Start Date 16 September 2022

British Refugee Council - Independent Unaccompanied Asylum-seeking Children (UASCs) Support Service - Contracts Finder Contract Start Date 9 February 2022

thebigword Group Limited - Language Services - Translation & Interpretation - Contracts Finder Contract Start Date 29 February 2024

VF Services (UK) Limited - Contract for the provision of Home Office and Asylum Interviews - Contracts Finder Contract Start Date 6 August 2024

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any contracts her Department holds with Migrant Help include 24-hour service provisions.

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

The Home Office holds one contract with Migrant Help for the provision of asylum services. The overall value for the 10-year contract (2019-2029) is £235,000,000. Information on this contract is publicly available: AIRE - Advice Issue Reporting and Elligibility - Contracts Finder

The AIRE – Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility contract held with Migrant Help includes 24-hour service provisions. Information on this contract is publicly available: AIRE - Advice Issue Reporting and Elligibility - Contracts Finder

The Home Office holds contracts with the following companies for asylum related services. This information is publicly available:

Serco Ltd- AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NW - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract MEE - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

Mears Ltd - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NEYH - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Scotland - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NI - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

Clearsprings Ready Homes Ltd - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Wales - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract South - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

Corporate Travel Management (North) Limited - CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract - Contracts Finder Contract start date 26 February 2023

Contract for the Provision of Asylum Accommodation and Travel Services - Contracts Finder Contract start date 23 April 2025

Prepaid Financial Services Limited - Support Payment Card - Contracts Finder Contract Start Date 27 February 2021

Migrant Help - AIRE - Advice Issue Reporting and Elligibility - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

Mitie Limited - Provision of Security Services at Home Office Contingency Accommodation - Contracts Finder Contract Start Date 16 September 2022

British Refugee Council - Independent Unaccompanied Asylum-seeking Children (UASCs) Support Service - Contracts Finder Contract Start Date 9 February 2022

thebigword Group Limited - Language Services - Translation & Interpretation - Contracts Finder Contract Start Date 29 February 2024

VF Services (UK) Limited - Contract for the provision of Home Office and Asylum Interviews - Contracts Finder Contract Start Date 6 August 2024

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer to written question 78022, what proportion of the 7,130 arrests have resulted in one or more deportations since 5 July 2024.

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

The information you have requested is published at Illegal working and enforcement activity to the end of December 2025 - GOV.UK

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department holds on the number of asylum seekers who have voluntarily visited their country of origin while their asylum claim is being processed.

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

Requests to leave the UK whilst continuing to pursue an asylum claim will only be accepted in the most exceptional circumstances such as the serious illness or death of a close family member or access to medical treatment abroad as it is unavailable in the UK.

If the claimant does not seek permission to travel before leaving the UK, or the request is not responded to by the Home Office, before the claimant has left the UK, all circumstances will be taken into account before proceeding to withdrawal action.

Under paragraph 333C(b)(ii) of the Immigration Rules, an application may be treated as implicitly withdrawn if the applicant leaves the United Kingdom (without authorisation) at any time before the conclusion of their application for asylum.

In the Immigration System Statistics data tables, published quarterly, withdrawals are categorised into implicit (non- substantiated) and other withdrawals (including explicit). However, we do not report on withdrawals in greater detail than that, for example, according to whether someone has returned to their country of origin as it is not held in a reportable format.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the transparency data entitled Returns from the UK and illegal working activity from 5 July 2024 to 4 January 2025, published on 12 January 2026, how many of the enforced returns of people with no legal right to remain in the UK were located in Northern Ireland.

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

Obtaining the specific information requested would involve collating and verifying information from multiple systems owned by multiple teams across the Home Office and, therefore, could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what contracts her Department has with Migrant Help for the provision of services to asylum seekers.

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

The Home Office holds one contract with Migrant Help for the provision of asylum services. The overall value for the 10-year contract (2019-2029) is £235,000,000. Information on this contract is publicly available: AIRE - Advice Issue Reporting and Elligibility - Contracts Finder

The AIRE – Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility contract held with Migrant Help includes 24-hour service provisions. Information on this contract is publicly available: AIRE - Advice Issue Reporting and Elligibility - Contracts Finder

The Home Office holds contracts with the following companies for asylum related services. This information is publicly available:

Serco Ltd- AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NW - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract MEE - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

Mears Ltd - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NEYH - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Scotland - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NI - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

Clearsprings Ready Homes Ltd - AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Wales - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract South - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

Corporate Travel Management (North) Limited - CCTM22A01 Provision of Bridging Accommodation and Travel Services Contract - Contracts Finder Contract start date 26 February 2023

Contract for the Provision of Asylum Accommodation and Travel Services - Contracts Finder Contract start date 23 April 2025

Prepaid Financial Services Limited - Support Payment Card - Contracts Finder Contract Start Date 27 February 2021

Migrant Help - AIRE - Advice Issue Reporting and Elligibility - Contracts Finder Contract Start date 1 March 2019

Mitie Limited - Provision of Security Services at Home Office Contingency Accommodation - Contracts Finder Contract Start Date 16 September 2022

British Refugee Council - Independent Unaccompanied Asylum-seeking Children (UASCs) Support Service - Contracts Finder Contract Start Date 9 February 2022

thebigword Group Limited - Language Services - Translation & Interpretation - Contracts Finder Contract Start Date 29 February 2024

VF Services (UK) Limited - Contract for the provision of Home Office and Asylum Interviews - Contracts Finder Contract Start Date 6 August 2024

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many foreign nationals have had their visas revoked since 2010, broken down by type of grounds for refusal.

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

The Home Office do not currently publish data in relation to decisions to cancel permission to enter or permission to stay. The information requested can’t be obtained without disproportionate cost.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of illegal migration on risks to the public.

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

The Border Security Command (BSC) whose work is imperative not only to stop criminals from entering the UK via small boats in the first place but to stop anyone from making these dangerous journeys. This is why the BSC is working with partners internationally to tackle and disrupt organised immigration crime gangs.

All individuals arriving in the UK via small boats undergo a comprehensive screening process. This is designed to gather key information about each person, including any indicators of criminality.

As part of this process, the Home Office collects biometric data—such as facial images and fingerprints—to verify identity. These biometrics are checked against Home Office systems and other law enforcement databases, including Interpol’s wanted list. This enables us to identify individuals, assess whether they pose a risk to public safety, and determine any breaches of immigration law. These checks are essential to maintaining a secure, fair, and effective immigration system.

In line with the Refugee Convention, refugee status will be denied to those who have committed serious crimes, pose a danger to the community, or present a threat to national security.

For further details on security checks during the asylum screening process, please refer to Gov.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the scale of illegal migration to the UK.

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

The Home Office publishes statistics on detected arrivals via illegal routes to the UK in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on detected arrivals by illegal routes is published in table Irr_D01 of the ‘Irregular migration to the UK detailed datasets’, with the latest data up to the end of September 2025.

The Government has taken significant steps to address illegal migration and its Plan for Change sets out our ambition to secure borders and control immigration. We are committed to tackling illegal migration and the criminal networks which facilitate it. Since July 2024, nearly 50,000 individuals without lawful status have been returned from the UK. Our agreement with France means that those arriving by small boats can be detained and returned to France.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of UK asylum and visa policies, in the context of Iranian nationals potentially seeking refuge.

Answered by Alex Norris - 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. However, there is no provision within our Immigration Rules for someone to be allowed to travel to the UK to seek asylum or temporary refuge. Whilst we sympathise with people in many difficult situations around the world, we are not bound to consider asylum claims from the very large numbers of people overseas who might like to come here. Those who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety.

Our visa policy is kept under review. Iran is a visa national country, and we will assess any visa applications against the relevant immigration rules in the normal way.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people convicted of illegal entry since the commencement of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 have received the maximum sentence available for that offence; and what assessment she has made of the potential implications for his policies of that figure.

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

There have been no prosecutions resulting in the maximum sentence for illegal entry.

Maximum sentences are in place to deal with the most serious and egregious offenders, and their usage is not expected to be a commonplace occurrence.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what impact on applications for refugee status in the UK transpires when an applicant's home country refuses to share criminal activity data with UK authorities.

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

The Home Office performs mandatory and case-by-case verification and security checks on individuals applying to enter or remain in the UK. To protect the integrity of the specific identity and security checking processes that are conducted, information about them is not disclosed publicly.

We will deny the benefits of refugee status to those who commit serious crimes and are a danger to the community or those who are a threat to national security. Article 1F of the Refugee Convention and Section 72 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 allow us to exclude individuals from protection status where there are serious reasons to show they have committed a particularly serious crime or pose a danger to the community.

In accordance with our obligations under the Refugee Convention and domestic law, we do not disclose information about an individual’s asylum claim to their home country or seek information in a way that could expose them, or any family who remain in that country, to serious risk.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which countries currently refuse to share criminal record data with UK immigration authorities as part of visa or refugee application processes.

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

The Home Office performs mandatory and case-by-case verification and security checks on individuals applying to enter or remain in the UK. To protect the integrity of the specific identity and security checking processes that are conducted, information about them is not disclosed publicly.

We will deny the benefits of refugee status to those who commit serious crimes and are a danger to the community or those who are a threat to national security. Article 1F of the Refugee Convention and Section 72 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 allow us to exclude individuals from protection status where there are serious reasons to show they have committed a particularly serious crime or pose a danger to the community.

In accordance with our obligations under the Refugee Convention and domestic law, we do not disclose information about an individual’s asylum claim to their home country or seek information in a way that could expose them, or any family who remain in that country, to serious risk.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether recruitment agencies are permitted to sponsor Highly Skilled Worker Visas under current immigration rules.

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

The basis on which UK employers holding a Skilled Worker sponsor licence can sponsor skilled workers to come to the UK is set out in the relevant Sponsor Guidance. This can be found on Gov.uk at: Sponsorship: guidance for employers and educators - GOV.UK

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, under what mechanisms is InterMarine able to sponsor Highly Skilled Worker Visas .

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

The basis on which UK employers holding a Skilled Worker sponsor licence can sponsor skilled workers to come to the UK is set out in the relevant Sponsor Guidance. This can be found on Gov.uk at: Sponsorship: guidance for employers and educators - GOV.UK

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what safeguards are in place to protect individuals on the Health and Care Worker visa who report that they have been asked to pay additional sums to their employer in order to maintain their visa sponsorship and continue residing and working in the UK; and what steps are being taken to investigate and penalise employers unlawfully extracting such payments and ensure migrants in this situation can (a) report safely without fear of visa cancellation, (b) access alternative sponsorship or settlement options and (c) receive compensation or redress for exploitation.

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

All reports of H&C visa holders being forced to pay additional sums are investigated. The sponsor guidance expressly prohibits certain specific costs being passed onto workers. Since the introduction of care workers to the Health and Care Worker visa, UKVI have revoked the licence of more than 1000 sponsors who were operating in the social care sector.

The Home Office continues to work closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) funded Regional Partnerships to support care workers, who have been impacted by exploitative employers.

DHSC are funding 15 regional hubs in England, made up of Local Authorities and Directors of Adult Social Services. UKVI work very closely with the Regional Partnerships in order to fund working together to support displaced workers gain new roles within the care sector and to respond to unethical practices. Where broader concerns are identified, these are referred to the relevant authorities.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of retrospective settlement changes proposed in their ‘Earned Settlement’ consultation on the UK's national resilience, specifically regarding the retention of cyber security and data science personnel in critical national infrastructure sectors.

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

The earned settlement model, proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.

The consultation seeks views on whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement, in order to ease the impact of changes for particular groups or preserve already afforded permissions by the previous system. No transitional arrangements have been decided upon yet.

Details of the earned settlement model, including any transitional arrangements for those already in the UK, will be finalised following that consultation. The final model will also be subject to economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how the retrospective application of new settlement rules is consistent with the principles of administrative fairness and legitimate expectation for residents who entered the United Kingdom under the previous statutory framework.

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

The earned settlement model, proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.

The consultation seeks views on whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement. Transitional arrangements refer to temporary measures or rules put in place to manage the shift from one system, or policy framework, to another. Details of the earned settlement model, including any transitional arrangements for those already in the UK, will be finalised following that consultation.

The final model will also be subject to economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.

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 violence against women and girls on the number of people going missing.

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

Violence against women and girls is a national emergency, and we’ve made it our mission to halve it in a decade. We are deploying the full power of the state through our VAWG Strategy, which was published on 18th December 2025.

Every missing person case deserves a swift and thorough response from all safeguarding agencies. We also recognise the link between a person going missing and their vulnerability to violence against women and girls, which is why tackling VAWG remains central to our approach.

The Missing Persons Authorised Professional Practice, established by the College of Policing, provides a comprehensive national framework that police forces in England and Wales must follow in missing person investigations. Within this, the National Crime Agency (NCA) publishes an annual report setting out available data on missing persons.

Missing People Ltd has been in receipt of Home Office funding for its core support services since 2011, including its helpline. This is in recognition of the work of the police as a multiagency safeguarding partner and the role in some missing cases.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what additional resources she plans to provide to ensure the police can meet the expectation set out in the Freedom From Violence and Abuse Strategy for police forces to follow the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme.

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

We know that more needs to be done to ensure the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme is as effective as it can be for victims and survivors.

We are working closely with the Independent Office for Police and Conduct and National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection to review the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, and better understand the barriers forces face when applying the statutory guidance, including any resourcing implications.

In the VAWG Strategy, we committed to create a clearer, more consistent framework for police and other agencies to improve implementation of the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme. We will also develop and roll out a digital tool, to support the police to make better decisions when disclosing to victims and survivors.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure police are aware of the potential impact of violence against women and girls has on the number of people missing people.

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

Violence against women and girls is a national emergency, and we’ve made it our mission to halve it in a decade. We are deploying the full power of the state through our VAWG Strategy, which was published on 18th December 2025.

Every missing person case deserves a swift and thorough response from all safeguarding agencies. We also recognise the link between a person going missing and their vulnerability to violence against women and girls, which is why tackling VAWG remains central to our approach.

The Missing Persons Authorised Professional Practice, established by the College of Policing, provides a comprehensive national framework that police forces in England and Wales must follow in missing person investigations. Within this, the National Crime Agency (NCA) publishes an annual report setting out available data on missing persons.

Missing People Ltd has been in receipt of Home Office funding for its core support services since 2011, including its helpline. This is in recognition of the work of the police as a multiagency safeguarding partner and the role in some missing cases.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of including missing people in future work to tackle violence against women and girls.

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

Violence against women and girls is a national emergency, and we’ve made it our mission to halve it in a decade. We are deploying the full power of the state through our VAWG Strategy, which was published on 18th December 2025.

Every missing person case deserves a swift and thorough response from all safeguarding agencies. We also recognise the link between a person going missing and their vulnerability to violence against women and girls, which is why tackling VAWG remains central to our approach.

The Missing Persons Authorised Professional Practice, established by the College of Policing, provides a comprehensive national framework that police forces in England and Wales must follow in missing person investigations. Within this, the National Crime Agency (NCA) publishes an annual report setting out available data on missing persons.

Missing People Ltd has been in receipt of Home Office funding for its core support services since 2011, including its helpline. This is in recognition of the work of the police as a multiagency safeguarding partner and the role in some missing cases.

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Found: Correspondence from the Joint Committee on Human Rights to the Minister of State at the Home Office regarding

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Found: Home Office Oral Evidence

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Found:  How effective is PSNI co-ordination with the Home Office and other agencies in policing the Common

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Found: We note the ICO has also recommended to the Home Office that there needs to be exemptions for legitimate

Found: We ran the allocations process from FCDO, where we spoke to DSIT, DEFRA, DESNZ, the Home Office and

Found: the effectiveness of the Online Safety Act through a comprehensive programme with Ofcom and the Home Office

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Found: The Home Office have confirmed they currently utilise 14 hotels in Scotland to house asylum

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Found: For a small number of incidents, Home Office Police Forces have provided Defence with support, however

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Found: This would include the Home Office, Ministry of Justice, Legal Aid Agency, local government, and others

Found: 1 of 4 Introduction Serco is a trusted provider of asylum accommodation on behalf of the Home Office

Found: Joint Home Office and HMCTS capacity plan for appeals ● Who: HMCTS/MoJ with Home Office. ● What: Capacity

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Found: Monday 14 July 2025 from the Department for Work and Pensions, the Planning Inspectorate and the Home Office

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Found: Monday 14 July 2025 from the Department for Work and Pensions, the Planning Inspectorate and the Home Office

Found: Monday 14 July 2025 from the Department for Work and Pensions, the Planning Inspectorate and the Home Office

Found: The Home Office underwent a regulatory reform programme last year, recruiting a small cadre of temporary

Found: The Home Office underwent a regulatory reform programme last year, recruiting a small cadre of temporary

Found: The Home Office underwent a regulatory reform programme last year, recruiting a small cadre of temporary

Found: The Home Office underwent a regulatory reform programme last year, recruiting a small cadre of temporary

Found: The Home Office underwent a regulatory reform programme last year, recruiting a small cadre of temporary

Found: The Home Office underwent a regulatory reform programme last year, recruiting a small cadre of temporary

Found: Monday 14 July 2025 from the Department for Work and Pensions, the Planning Inspectorate and the Home Office

Found: do not want our office—and it would not be right or needed for our office—to be the size of the Home Office

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Found: served in the Home Office at different points, and some of us have certain views about the Home Office

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what conversations he has had with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that enforcement against non-compliant vaping products will be effectively coordinated once the Tobacco and Vapes Bill is enacted.

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

Officials in the Department of Health and Social Care regularly meet with officials from other departments, including HM Treasury, HM Revenue and Customs, the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, the Office for Product Safety and Standards, Border Force, and the Home Office, as well as National Trading Standards, to share intelligence and ensure a coordinated approach to the enforcement of our rules on vaping products. This coordinated approach to enforcement will continue once the Tobacco and Vapes Bill becomes law.

Furthermore, in 2025/26, we are investing £30 million of new funding in total for enforcement agencies including Trading Standards, Border Force, and HM Revenue and Customs, to tackle the illicit and underage sale of tobacco and vapes, and to help enforce the law. As part of this, the Government is investing £10 million of new funding in 2025/26 in Trading Standards. This funding is being used to boost the Trading Standards workforce by hiring 94 apprentices across England.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of families, who had their child benefit reinstated following the review into those who were suspended during the period of data-sharing between HMRC and the Home Office, were found to be eligible as a result of PAYE checks.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

As HMRC informed the Treasury Select Committee in its letter dated 14 November 2025, it is unable to completely disaggregate the number of cases where eligibility was confirmed via a subsequent PAYE check from those where evidence was provided by the customer.

The information from the pilot remains HMRC’s best assessment of the effectiveness of the activity using international travel data to reduce error and fraud.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 19 January 2026 to question 105591 on Veterans: Visas, what issues he has encountered in the delivery of a visa fee waiver for dependents of Commonwealth veterans.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence continues to work closely with the Home Office on the Government’s commitment to waive visa fees for non-UK veterans and their dependants. This work is ongoing, and the Department will update Parliament in the usual way once cross Government decisions have been finalised.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on national guidance for dealing with incidents involving lithium-ion batteries on the strategic road network.

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

The Department for Transport works closely with the Home Office and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government on lithium battery safety. The Government has published guidance for roadside recovery operators working with electric vehicles, many of which contain a lithium battery. This guidance is applicable to incidents on the Strategic Road Network. National Highways continues to work with emergency services to ensure that any incidents are resolved as effectively as possible.

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 help prevent the misuse of VoIP services for scam and nuisance calls.

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

Tackling scam and nuisance calls are a priority for the Government, including via VoIP.

Unsolicited direct marketing calls are regulated by the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 and enforced by the Information Commissioner. Organisations must not make live marketing calls to a number that is registered on the Telephone Preference Service list or make automated marketing calls unless the recipient has specifically consented to receive them.

Government works closely industry and recently published the second Telecommunications Fraud Sector Charter, including actions to strengthen trust in voice communications. The Home Office will also publish its new Fraud Strategy with measures to prevent scam calls early this year.

Government also works closely with Ofcom who have a duty to protect consumers and a duty to ensure that UK numbers are not misused. Ofcom has made several changes in recent years, including since January 2025 under new rules by Ofcom operators have had to block calls from abroad which present as a UK numbers.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the commitment to end the discharge of newborn babies into bed and breakfast accommodation or other unsuitable shared housing applies to all families, including those seeking asylum and those subject to No Recourse to Public Funds.

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

The Government has committed to ending the practice of discharging newborn babies into bed and breakfast or other unsuitable shared accommodation through the Child Poverty Strategy. We are working closely across Government, including with Home Office, to consider its implementation and any other associated impacts.

Asylum seeking families can access some of the support set out in the Child Poverty Strategy, including Best Start Family Hubs in England.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what timetable has been set for establishing a single national redress scheme for survivors of child sexual abuse in England and Wales, in the context of the recommendation of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government recognises the importance of victims and survivors being able to seek redress from institutions for sexual abuse suffered during childhood and that redress can take several forms.

The Government is not currently taking forward any further steps on the IICSA proposal for a separate, national financial redress scheme for all victims and survivors of child sexual abuse with a connection to state or non-state institutions.

To support victims in seeking redress, we are removing the three-year limitation period for civil claims in cases of child sexual abuse. The Government is also working to improve awareness of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme through campaigns and consultation.

The Home Office published a Progress Update on Tackling Sexual Abuse in April 2025, where further information can be found.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the letter of 14 January 2025 from the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs and the Secretary of State for the Home Department to the Planning Inspectorate on the Chinese Embassy planning application, whether she had seen plans for the basement before sending that letter.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

An independent planning decision has been made by the Secretary of State for Housing Communities and Local Government. I can assure the Rt Hon Member that both the Home Office and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office have considered the full breadth of national security issues in relation to the proposed new Embassy.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to expand access to drug checking services, naloxone, and other overdose prevention measures.

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

Every drug-related death is a tragedy, and the Government is taking a public health approach to prevent these deaths and reduce harms from drugs.

Expanding access to naloxone, a life-saving overdose medication, has never been more important. In addition to the changes made in 2024 to expand access, we recently launched a ten-week United Kingdom-wide public consultation on further legislative options to expand access to take-home and emergency use naloxone.

The Government facilitates Drug Checking Facilities provided that the possession and supply of controlled drugs are licensed by the Home Office, or exceptionally, relevant exemptions under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 may apply.  Drug Checking Facilities must not condone drug use and should only be delivered where licensed and operated responsibly in line with Government policy to ensure that they discourage drug use and signpost potential users to treatment and support.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions have taken place with the Home Office regarding proposed changes to rules around indefinite leave to remain for health workers and the impact this could have on the viability of the NHS 10-year workforce plan.

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

No assessment has been made as to the impact of the proposed changes to rules around indefinite leave to remain for health workers on the viability of the National Health Service 10 Year Workforce Plan.

The Government has launched a consultation on proposals to reform the current settlement rules in favour of an “earned settlement” model, that considers factors such as contribution, integration, and conduct. The consultation, which runs until 12 February 2026, seeks views on how these reforms should apply to different groups, including health and care workers. The consultation is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/earned-settlement

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions she has had with the Home Office on enforcement of offences relating to pavement cycling and powered scooter use.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Secretary of State has had no recent discussions with the Home Office on these matters.

Officials are however in regular contact with the Home Office concerning e-scooters.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what date (i) HMRC and (ii) ministers in her Department were notified of child benefit claimants incorrectly having benefits stopped due to data sharing with the Home Office.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC use international travel data and other checks to help tackle Child Benefit error and fraud, which is expected to save around £350 million over the next five years.

As HMRC scaled up the work through September and into October 2025, it came to HMRC’s attention in mid-October that the removal of the PAYE check had resulted in some customers being incorrectly included in the compliance campaign. HMRC took swift action to reinstate the PAYE check and apply it retrospectively, including no longer suspending payments at the outset of their enquiries. After understanding the issues, HMRC notified Treasury ministers in late October and have kept them fully informed throughout since.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she is having with National Highways to determine how many drivers are impacted by the speed camera anomaly and rectify the issue to prevent the anomaly from occurring in the future.

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

As set out in the 16 December Written Ministerial Statement, National Highways has confirmed that this technical anomaly has occurred approximately 2,650 times on the impacted cameras over four years since 2021 and National Highways are now looking back to 2019. To place this in context, fewer than 0.1% of activations since 2021 were impacted by this anomaly and not all of the erroneous activations will have resulted in enforcement action.

A Home Office approved solution has been developed which National Highways are now working with the police to implement. It is important that road users have confidence in the technology on our roads and that is why I have committed to an independent investigation into how this anomaly came about to prevent this reoccurring in the future.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2025, to Question, 90238, on Government Communications Service: Staff, if he will publish the number of (a) headcount and (b) FTE Government Communication Service staff in each government department, central public body and Arm’s Length Body, including NHS, according to information collated in the most recent Government Communications Service audit; and what are the aggregate figures.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Please see the table below that contains the full-time equivalent figures for departments. These figures incorporate the ALBs, which are grouped under their respective sponsoring organisations.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2026 to Q101187 on Veterans: Visas, by what date will he have waived visa fees for dependents of Commonwealth veterans.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Work is ongoing with the Home Office to deliver the manifesto commitment to scrap visa fees for non-UK veterans and their dependants including those from the Commonwealth, but it is not possible at this stage to provide an implementation date.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many illegal migrants received (a) dental and (b) healthcare in the each of the last three years.

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

The Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England do not hold the information requested. The overall management of people seeking asylum is a matter for the Home Office.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much money is allocated to providing illegal migrants with (a) dental and (b) health care.

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

The Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England do not hold the information requested. The overall management of people seeking asylum is a matter for the Home Office.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what work her Department is undertaking with the Home Office and INTERPOL to tackle criminal networks linked to the Venezuelan regime.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I thank the Rt Hon Member for her series of questions on the situation in Venezuela. For the most recent statement of the UK's position, I refer the Rt Hon Member to the Foreign Secretary's statement on 5 January, and her responses in the subsequent debate. We will keep the House updated on developments in the normal way in due course.

Specifically on the issue of Guyana's sovereignty, I refer her to the answer provided on 12 January in response to Question 103713; on the issue of sanctions, I remind her that it has been the long-standing position under successive governments not to discuss potential designations, as to do so would undermine their effectiveness; and on the issue of drug-trafficking, I refer the Rt Hon Member to the responses provided in the Urgent Question debate on 3 December.

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