Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help increase levels of (a) recruitment and (b) retention of neighbourhood police officers in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Neighbourhood policing is the bedrock of the British policing model. Every community deserves visible, pro-active and accessible neighbourhood policing with officers tackling the issues that matter to them.
We have made £200 million available in FY 2025/26 to support the first steps towards delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel across England and Wales by the end of this parliament, including up to 3,000 additional neighbourhood officers by the end of March 2026.
Based on their £2,588,427 allocation from the Neighbourhood Policing Grant, Surrey Police are projected to grow by 25 FTE neighbourhood police officers in FY 2025/26. As at 30 September 2025, Surrey Police have grown by 11 FTE neighbourhood policing officers.
The Government continues to prioritise boosting visible policing and improving trust and confidence in the police. That is why, for Year 2 of the Neighbourhood Policing Grant in FY 2026/27, £363 million has been ringfenced to incentivise forces to grow their neighbourhood policing teams by a further 1,750 personnel by 31 March 2027. Surrey Police will be expected to deliver their share of that national target. Their target figure will be confirmed in due course.
Retention of experienced officers is important to neighbourhood policing. This is why we are investing in dedicated learning and development standards, bolstering its recognition as a distinct specialism. We are funding the College of Policing to design and roll out the Neighbourhood Policing Programme – Career Pathway. Under the training, neighbourhood officers, PCSOs, line management and senior leaders will learn vital skills such as problem solving, community engagement and tackling anti-social behaviour.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help ensure in-person access to police services in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Decisions regarding police resourcing and the police estate, including in-person access points such as front counters, are a matter for Chief Constables and elected Police and Crime Commissioners (or equivalents). They are best placed to decide based on local need, experience, and budgets.‑elected Police and Crime Commissioners (or equivalents). They are best placed to decide based on local need, experience, and budgets.
As part of this Government’s Safer Streets Mission, we are restoring neighbourhood policing, with nearly 2,400 additional neighbourhood officers in post last September. We are also ensuring that every community has named, contactable, officers dedicated to tackling the issues facing their communities, strengthening the connections between the police and the local communities they serve.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the level of use of Community Protection Warnings in cases involving people experiencing a mental health crisis; and what guidance exists on the use of those powers.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, 2014 (‘the 2014 Act’) provides the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers that they can use to respond to anti-social behaviour. This includes Community Protection Warnings and Notices which can be used to stop a person aged 16 or over, business or organisation committing anti-social behaviour which spoils the community’s quality of life.
While the details of how the powers are used in individual cases are an operational matter, the Home Office provides statutory guidance to support local agencies in the use of the powers and tools in the 2014 Act. The guidance highlights the importance of considering the needs and circumstances of vulnerable perpetrators when applying the powers.
The Home Office does not currently collect data on the reasons why the ASB powers were issued.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will publish all information it holds on child sexual exploitation committed by illegal migrants.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The information you have requested is not available from published statistics and there is no immediate intention to publish them.
Work is currently underway to publish more detailed information on FNOs subject to deportation. Further information on this work can be found at: Statistics on foreign national offenders and the immigration system - GOV.UK.
In the twelve months between 1 February 2025 and 31 January 2026, over 5,600 foreign national offenders (FNOs) have been returned from the UK under this government, a 12% increase on the previous year, and we will continue to do everything we can to remove these vile criminals from our streets
In April 2025, the Home Office announced that it would – for the first time – categorise as a ‘particularly serious crime’ for the purpose of the Refugee Convention any conviction resulting in the offender being made subject to the notification requirements for sex offenders, regardless of the length of sentence they receive, thereby allowing the UK to exclude those individuals from being granted any right to claim asylum protections.
We will build on these reforms across the immigration system, as well as the asylum system, amending our policies and guidance to ensure we are upholding UK laws - taking action to prevent individuals who pose a danger to the British public from being allowed to stay in the UK, and taking much earlier action on a wider range of crimes.
We will set out more detailed reforms and stronger measures to ensure our laws are upheld, including streamlining and speeding up the removals process. That will include establishing new procedures so that the Home Office can more easily take enforcement and removal action and revoke visas in a much wider range of crimes where non-custodial sentences have been given, not just cases which are sent to prison.
Asked by: Allison Gardner (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the level of importation of synthetic cathinones through mail; and what progress her Department has made in tackling the importation of illicit substances through mail.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Forensic Science Regulator has established a working group to develop regulatory requirements around the use of drug testing kits and devices. The working group involves police, forensic providers, academia and government organisations, including the Home Office. No assessment has been made of the merits of updating Home Office guidance with specific regard to synthetic cathinones.
The Home Office and operational partners have processes and capabilities in place at the UK Border to detect illicit substances, including synthetic cathinones trafficked through mail. The Home Office engages with postal and parcel operators both in the UK and internationally to tackle this threat.
Most synthetic cathinones are controlled as Class B drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Drug Testing on Arrest gives police the power to identify offenders under the influence of Class A drugs and get them the help they need. Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are expanding tests to cover specified Class A, B and C drugs. These drugs will be specified through secondary legislation. The Crime and Policing Bill is progressing through Parliament and the Government will look to bring forward the necessary secondary legislation following Royal Assent.
I am grateful to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs for their comprehensive report on synthetic cathinones. The Government is considering the ACMD’s recommendations carefully and we will respond as soon as possible.
Asked by: Allison Gardner (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs' recommendations on synthetic cathinones in its report entitled Synthetic Cathinones: an Updated Harms Assessment report.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Forensic Science Regulator has established a working group to develop regulatory requirements around the use of drug testing kits and devices. The working group involves police, forensic providers, academia and government organisations, including the Home Office. No assessment has been made of the merits of updating Home Office guidance with specific regard to synthetic cathinones.
The Home Office and operational partners have processes and capabilities in place at the UK Border to detect illicit substances, including synthetic cathinones trafficked through mail. The Home Office engages with postal and parcel operators both in the UK and internationally to tackle this threat.
Most synthetic cathinones are controlled as Class B drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Drug Testing on Arrest gives police the power to identify offenders under the influence of Class A drugs and get them the help they need. Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are expanding tests to cover specified Class A, B and C drugs. These drugs will be specified through secondary legislation. The Crime and Policing Bill is progressing through Parliament and the Government will look to bring forward the necessary secondary legislation following Royal Assent.
I am grateful to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs for their comprehensive report on synthetic cathinones. The Government is considering the ACMD’s recommendations carefully and we will respond as soon as possible.
Asked by: Allison Gardner (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of updating the Home Office Approved Field Testing guidance in relation to synthetic cathinones.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Forensic Science Regulator has established a working group to develop regulatory requirements around the use of drug testing kits and devices. The working group involves police, forensic providers, academia and government organisations, including the Home Office. No assessment has been made of the merits of updating Home Office guidance with specific regard to synthetic cathinones.
The Home Office and operational partners have processes and capabilities in place at the UK Border to detect illicit substances, including synthetic cathinones trafficked through mail. The Home Office engages with postal and parcel operators both in the UK and internationally to tackle this threat.
Most synthetic cathinones are controlled as Class B drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Drug Testing on Arrest gives police the power to identify offenders under the influence of Class A drugs and get them the help they need. Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are expanding tests to cover specified Class A, B and C drugs. These drugs will be specified through secondary legislation. The Crime and Policing Bill is progressing through Parliament and the Government will look to bring forward the necessary secondary legislation following Royal Assent.
I am grateful to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs for their comprehensive report on synthetic cathinones. The Government is considering the ACMD’s recommendations carefully and we will respond as soon as possible.
Asked by: Allison Gardner (Labour - Stoke-on-Trent South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of expanding drug testing on arrest powers to synthetic cathinones.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Forensic Science Regulator has established a working group to develop regulatory requirements around the use of drug testing kits and devices. The working group involves police, forensic providers, academia and government organisations, including the Home Office. No assessment has been made of the merits of updating Home Office guidance with specific regard to synthetic cathinones.
The Home Office and operational partners have processes and capabilities in place at the UK Border to detect illicit substances, including synthetic cathinones trafficked through mail. The Home Office engages with postal and parcel operators both in the UK and internationally to tackle this threat.
Most synthetic cathinones are controlled as Class B drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Drug Testing on Arrest gives police the power to identify offenders under the influence of Class A drugs and get them the help they need. Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are expanding tests to cover specified Class A, B and C drugs. These drugs will be specified through secondary legislation. The Crime and Policing Bill is progressing through Parliament and the Government will look to bring forward the necessary secondary legislation following Royal Assent.
I am grateful to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs for their comprehensive report on synthetic cathinones. The Government is considering the ACMD’s recommendations carefully and we will respond as soon as possible.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to page 16 of the Police reform white paper “From Local to National: A New Model for Policing” (CP1489), by when will she establish a new Performance Unit in the Home Office.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
A new Police Performance Unit was established in May 2025 with a temporary head appointed on a part time basis. The permanent head, a retired Deputy Chief Constable, has occupied the post since January 2026.
This Unit will assess police force’s performance to identify areas of high and poor performance, driving sustained and sustainable improvements where necessary, to ensure the public is effectively protected.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to Section 22 of the Department's White Paper entitled From local to national: a new model for policing, published on 26 January 2026, how does her Department define dangerous behaviour; and what criteria do they use to identify it.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
There is no one specific definition of ‘dangerous behaviour’ or any exhaustive list of the criteria for identifying it, as this changes as crime changes and evolves. However, the College of Policing (CoP) provide a non-statutory definition of Potentially Dangerous Persons (PDPs) which states that:
'A PDP is a person who is not currently managed under one of the three Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) categories, but reasonable grounds exist for believing that there is a risk of them committing an offence or offences that will cause serious harm.’
The MAPPA categories are explained Multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) | College of Policing