Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people claiming asylum had a criminal record before entering the UK in the most recent period for which data is available.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
All asylum claimants are subject to mandatory security checks to confirm their identity and to link it to their biometric details for the purpose of immigration, security and criminality checks. For further information regarding security checks during the asylum screening process, please see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-screening-and-routing/asylum-screening-and-routing-accessible.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to ascertain previous offences of people claiming asylum in the UK.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
All asylum claimants are subject to mandatory security checks to confirm their identity and to link it to their biometric details for the purpose of immigration, security and criminality checks. For further information regarding security checks during the asylum screening process, please see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-screening-and-routing/asylum-screening-and-routing-accessible.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum applications have been rejected on the grounds of dual nationality in each of the last five years.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of asylum seekers have had their DNA taken on arrival in the UK.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave her on 9 July to Question 63301. The current procedures are the same as those that were in place under the previous government.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help ensure that ensure that (a) refugees and (b) stateless people are not penalised for their irregular (i) entry or (ii) arrival.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
Irrespective of someone’s method of entry or arrival to the UK, all asylum claims that are admitted to the UK asylum system are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations. Each individual assessment is made against the background of relevant case law and the latest available country of origin information.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the average market value of off-road bikes that have been (a) seized and (b) destroyed under powers introduced in 2025 to help tackle antisocial behaviour.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission to take back our streets.
The Crime and Policing Bill will give the police greater powers to clamp down on anti-social behaviour involving vehicles, including off-road bikes, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing these vehicles. Subject to parliamentary approval, the Crime and Policing Bill is expected to secure Royal Assent around the turn of the year.
On 28 May 2025, we published a consultation on amendments to secondary legislation on proposals to allow the police to dispose of seized vehicles such as off-road bikes, which have been used anti-socially from 14 days to 48 hours. We expect any changes to secondary legislation to come into force in early 2026.
The Home Office does not hold data on the number or value of off-road bikes that have been seized or destroyed under existing powers.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department shares information with local police forces on the criminal records of asylum seekers placed in their area.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office communicates regularly with local police forces, and with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, to assess the operational implications of housing asylum seekers in different areas and regions around the country, and will always do what is necessary to protect the safety and security of each local community affected.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the list of geographical areas in which her Department will encourage private landlords to house asylum seekers..
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave him on 23 June to Question 60155.
Asked by: Alex Barros-Curtis (Labour - Cardiff West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many football bans have been given to offenders in the last (a) 12 and (b) 18 months.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes annual statistics on football banning orders in England and Wales in the ‘Football-related arrests and banning orders, England and Wales’ Official Statistics release. The most recent data covering the 2023 to 2024 football season and can be accessed at the following link: Football-related arrests and banning orders: 2023 to 2024 season - GOV.UK
Data on football banning orders for the 2023 to 2024 domestic season are available in the accompanying ‘detailed football banning order statistics data tables’.
Data for the 2024 to 2025 football season will be released on 17 July 2025: Football-related arrests, banning orders: 2024/25 domestic season - Official statistics announcement - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff in her Department have permission to work remotely outside the UK; and in which countries those staff are based.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has a clear policy on International Remote Working (IRW), which is only permitted in very limited circumstances, either on compassionate grounds for up to four weeks where an employee has a seriously ill relative abroad, or to enable an employee to accompany their spouse/partner on a Diplomatic or other Government posting abroad. No other IRW is permitted.
Since January 2025 9 employees have been allowed a period of remote working on compassionate grounds. We also have 11 employees currently working remotely while they accompany their spouse/partner on an international posting.