The first duty of the government is to keep citizens safe and the country secure. The Home Office has been at the front line of this endeavour since 1782. As such, the Home Office plays a fundamental role in the security and economic prosperity of the United Kingdom.
The impacts of serious and organised crime (SOC) in local communities can make residents feel unsafe and affect confidence in …
Oral Answers to Questions is a regularly scheduled appearance where the Secretary of State and junior minister will answer at the Dispatch Box questions from backbench MPs
Other Commons Chamber appearances can be:Westminster Hall debates are performed in response to backbench MPs or e-petitions asking for a Minister to address a detailed issue
Written Statements are made when a current event is not sufficiently significant to require an Oral Statement, but the House is required to be informed.
Home Office does not have Bills currently before Parliament
A Bill to make provision about border security; to make provision about immigration and asylum; to make provision about sharing customs data and trailer registration data; to make provision about articles for use in serious crime; to make provision about serious crime prevention orders; to make provision about fees paid in connection with the recognition, comparability or assessment of qualifications; and for connected purposes.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 2nd December 2025 and was enacted into law.
A Bill to Make provision about the effect, during an appeal, of an order under section 40 of the British Nationality Act 1981.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 27th October 2025 and was enacted into law.
A Bill to require persons with control of certain premises or events to take steps to reduce the vulnerability of the premises or event to, and the risk of physical harm to individuals arising from, acts of terrorism; to confer related functions on the Security Industry Authority; to limit the disclosure of information about licensed premises that is likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism; and for connected purposes.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 3rd April 2025 and was enacted into law.
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
We demand that the UK Government immediately commits to not introducing a digital ID cards. There are reports that this is being looked at.
Stop financial and other support for asylum seekers
Gov Responded - 23 Jun 2025 Debated on - 20 Oct 2025This petition is to advocate a cessation of financial and other support provided to asylum seekers by the Government. This support currently includes shelter, food, medical care (including optical and dental), and cash support.
Ban immediately the use of dogs in scientific and regulatory procedures
Gov Responded - 5 Mar 2025 Debated on - 28 Apr 2025As a first step to end animal testing, we want an immediate ban for dogs. They are commercially bred in what we see as bleak and inhumane factory-like conditions. We believe there is evidence suggesting that dogs are left being unattended for extended periods in a Government-licenced establishment.
Commons Select Committees are a formally established cross-party group of backbench MPs tasked with holding a Government department to account.
At any time there will be number of ongoing investigations into the work of the Department, or issues which fall within the oversight of the Department. Witnesses can be summoned from within the Government and outside to assist in these inquiries.
Select Committee findings are reported to the Commons, printed, and published on the Parliament website. The government then usually has 60 days to reply to the committee's recommendations.
The Government is clear that catapults should not be used to cause harm to wildlife, people, or property.
There are a wide range of laws in place to punish those who misuse catapults. For example, under the Prevention of Crime Act 1953, if a person carries an offensive weapon in a public place or threatens a person with an offensive weapon, they may face up to 4 years in prison. An offensive weapon is defined as any article made or adapted for use for causing injury to the person or intended by the person having it with him for such use by him or by another person. The definition may include a catapult depending on the circumstances and facts of the case.
Where a catapult is used to harm a person, under the Offences against the Person Act 1861, it could be charged as assault occasioning actual bodily harm which carries a maximum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment, However, depending on the gravity of the attack and the seriousness of the injury caused by the catapult, the offence of wounding or causing grievous bodily harm with intent could be committed, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities, and other local agencies with a range of flexible tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to anti-social behaviour, including where appropriate, the misuse of catapults. This includes Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs) which councils can issue to stop people committing anti-social behaviour in a public space.
The Home Office has not made an assessment on the potential merits of using PSPOs to prevent catapult use against wildlife. The powers in the 2014 Act are deliberately flexible in nature, and it is for local agencies to determine whether their use is appropriate in the specific circumstances of each individual case.
We do, however, recognise that the misuse of catapults is causing great concern to some local communities and the Home Office and Defra are working to find solutions to this problem with an aim of increasing protection to our wildlife from crimes involving these weapons.
Mobile phone theft causes significant distress to victims and fuels wider criminality, and the Government is determined to reduce it. We recognise the important role that technical solutions, such as options aimed at preventing stolen devices from accessing cloud services, can play in reducing the market value of a stolen device.
The Metropolitan Police Service is currently leading collaboration with technology partners, including mobile operating system providers, to explore the quickest and most effective ways of achieving this. The Home Office is supporting this important collaboration between law enforcement and technology partners.
Reports of fraud and cyber crime are made through Report Fraud, the new national fraud reporting service which became operational in December 2025. These reports are assessed centrally and disseminated to local police forces wherever there are viable lines of enquiry, including cases involving identifiable local suspects or physical premises. It is then for the relevant police force to engage directly with victims and implement appropriate safeguarding measures.
Report Fraud is designed to improve the quality of information provided to policing and strengthen communication with victims. Alongside this, the National Fraud Squad is focused on the most serious and complex cases, enabling local forces to give greater attention to cases with a clear local footprint.
Victims can access the Report Fraud Victim Services (formerly the National Economic Crime Victim Care Unit), which delivers a care and support offer for victims of fraud and cyber crime where their cases have not been disseminated for investigation. Any victims assessed to be in the highest tier of vulnerability will be disseminated to local forces for safeguarding purposes, so they can receive the appropriate in-person support.
The Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme’s revised Business Case (PBC 2025) was approved by the Home Office Investment Committee on 18 December 2025.
The PBC has subsequently been submitted to HM Treasury and is currently undergoing the Treasury Approval Point process, including consideration by HM Treasury and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
Final government approval is expected following completion of this process in April 2026.
The Programme continues to operate within agreed funding and remains subject to the Government’s established assurance and approvals framework.
The Government has committed to having a new public consultation on changes to the licensing controls on shotguns.
We will publish the consultation in due course.
Those registering under FIRS do so through a dedicated IT platform. Comprehensive guidance on the scheme has been published on gov.uk. This includes guidance on what data needs to be registered and what data will appear on the public register.
In addition, the Home Office has published a Privacy Information Notice setting out how data provided under the scheme is handled (https://foreign-influence-registration-scheme.service.gov.uk/Privacy).
This includes how personal information inputted into registrations will be collected and stored securely in accordance with Home Office guidance and data policies.
The Home Secretary and Security Minister – the latter in his role as a Minister of State at both the Home Office and Cabinet Office – have regular discussions with officials, external experts and ministerial colleagues on a range of issues, including national security, defence and resilience.
The Home Defence Programme was established in August 2024 to build the UK’s resilience to any potential escalation to conflict. It is an evolving and enduring programme of work which provides defence, security and resilience planning, focused on aligning military and civil effort in the event of a period of crisis and international hostilities affecting the UK, informed by and reflecting the recommendations from government strategies, including the Strategic Defence Review, National Security Strategy and Resilience Action Plan.
The Home Office is actively supporting this work in several ways, and is engaged on national security, defence and resilience priorities across government, including through its work on state threats, and its work on policing.
The Government’s Road Safety Strategy launched in January 2026, includes a consultation on a range of motoring offences including the drink and drug driving testing framework. The government will continue to support the police to ensure they have the tools needed to keep road users safe.
The Home Office does not hold information on the annual and individual costs of evidential drink-driving tests for the police.
Total funding to police forces in 2026-27 will be up, to £18.4 billion, an increase of £796 million compared to the 2025-26 police funding settlement. It is for PCCs and Chief Constables to determine how to allocate this funding to best support operational requirements.
The Government’s Road Safety Strategy launched in January 2026, includes a consultation on a range of motoring offences including the drink and drug driving testing framework. The government will continue to support the police to ensure they have the tools needed to keep road users safe.
The Home Office does not hold information on the annual and individual costs of evidential drink-driving tests for the police.
Total funding to police forces in 2026-27 will be up, to £18.4 billion, an increase of £796 million compared to the 2025-26 police funding settlement. It is for PCCs and Chief Constables to determine how to allocate this funding to best support operational requirements.
NPCC guidance for forces on managing abnormal loads was updated in May 2025. This seeks to promote greater national alignment across forces, where possible, noting the need for variations.
Police Chiefs are responsible for decisions on escorting abnormal loads and for how guidance should be implemented in their areas. Local variation in the management of abnormal loads may be necessary to account for factors such as geography and road infrastructure.
The NPCC has committed to review this guidance twelve months after publication to ensure it remains fit for purpose.
The Government’s Road Safety Strategy, launched in January 2026, includes a consultation on a range of motoring offences including the drink and drug driving testing framework. The government will continue to support the police to ensure they have the tools needed to keep road users safe.
The Home Office has not made an assessment on the costs to police forces for administering roadside drug-impartment tests and drug driving testing.
Total funding to police forces in 2026-27 will be up to £18.4 billion, an increase of up to £796 million compared to the 2025-26 police funding settlement. It is for PCCs and Chief Constables to determine how to allocate this funding to best support operational requirements.
We have set out our expectation that all duty bearers, including Departments and arm’s-length bodies, follow the law as clarified by the Supreme Court ruling and seek specialist legal advice where necessary. The Prime Minister has underlined this recently.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has submitted a draft Code of Practice on services, public functions and associations to Ministers, and we are reviewing it with the care it deserves. This will provide further guidance to duty bearers.
The Government is delivering our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, putting 13,000 additional police personnel into neighbourhood roles, ensuring everyone has a named and contactable officer, enquiries are responded to within 72 hours and officers are conducting visible patrols.
The Government’s Police Reform White Paper announced the most significant reforms to policing in 200 years. We have committed to increasing the number of volunteers in neighbourhood policing, including special constables. We will do this by working with policing to attract new special constables, improving and streamlining the recruitment process and better integrating special constables into wider policing. We would encourage anyone who wishes to give back to their community and support local policing to consider formally volunteering with the police.
The Government is delivering our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, putting 13,000 additional police personnel into neighbourhood roles, ensuring everyone has a named and contactable officer, enquiries are responded to within 72 hours and officers are conducting visible patrols.
The Government’s Police Reform White Paper announced the most significant reforms to policing in 200 years. We have committed to increasing the number of volunteers in neighbourhood policing, including special constables. We will do this by working with policing to attract new special constables, improving and streamlining the recruitment process and better integrating special constables into wider policing. We would encourage anyone who wishes to give back to their community and support local policing to consider formally volunteering with the police.
The Government is delivering our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, putting 13,000 additional police personnel into neighbourhood roles, ensuring everyone has a named and contactable officer, enquiries are responded to within 72 hours and officers are conducting visible patrols.
The Government’s Police Reform White Paper announced the most significant reforms to policing in 200 years. We have committed to increasing the number of volunteers in neighbourhood policing, including special constables. We will do this by working with policing to attract new special constables, improving and streamlining the recruitment process and better integrating special constables into wider policing. We would encourage anyone who wishes to give back to their community and support local policing to consider formally volunteering with the police.
The Government is delivering our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, putting 13,000 additional police personnel into neighbourhood roles, ensuring everyone has a named and contactable officer, enquiries are responded to within 72 hours and officers are conducting visible patrols.
The Government’s Police Reform White Paper announced the most significant reforms to policing in 200 years. We have committed to increasing the number of volunteers in neighbourhood policing, including special constables. We will do this by working with policing to attract new special constables, improving and streamlining the recruitment process and better integrating special constables into wider policing. We would encourage anyone who wishes to give back to their community and support local policing to consider formally volunteering with the police.
Home Office Ministers have regular discussions with officials, external experts and ministerial colleagues on a range of issues, including national security, defence and resilience, and associated public communications.
As set out in the Strategic Defence Review, the national conversation will be a multi-year engagement designed to embed a whole-of-society approach, where Government, businesses, and the public all play a part in strengthening our resilience. This addresses the risks we face, including threats below and above the threshold of an armed attack. The Home Office is actively supporting this work.
It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on protective security arrangements, including funding, as doing so could compromise their integrity and individuals' security.
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to UIN 106884 on 27 January 2026 by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The Commission is a non-statutory expert committee of the Home Office, set up to help the Government to understand the scale of extremism in the UK and the wider harms associated with it, beyond radicalisation into terrorism.
The Commission for Countering Extremism has played a key role in the Government’s approach to counter-extremism by providing external challenge and plays a vital role in providing advice to the Government on how to address the challenge posed by extremism and harness innovative thinking around critical issues. It is vital that the Government hears from a range of independent voices that can advise, criticise, and review work on such a crucial issue.
Robin Simcox was appointed as Interim Commissioner for the Commission for Countering Extremism in March 2021. He was appointed as the substantive Commissioner for Countering Extremism in July 2022, for a three-year term. As is usual when public appointments come to an end, Ministers are considering next steps and will update in due course.
The UK National Threat Level is subject to continuous review and assessment, of which the threat to the UK from all forms of terrorism is currently assessed as SUBSTANTIAL. It is not for the Home Secretary to set the UK National Threat Level. Instead, this is done independently of Government by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC), ensuring it accurately reflects the threat of a terrorist attack in the UK.
Separate to the UK National Threat Level, the threat from Iran, and other states, is kept under constant review and we take protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK very seriously.
Any attempt by a foreign power to intimidate, harass or harm individuals or communities in the UK will not be tolerated. Since the start of 2022, the UK has responded to over 20 Iran-backed plots presenting potentially lethal threats to British citizens and UK residents. The Government’s top priority is our national security, and we will continue to use all appropriate tools at our disposal to protect the UK, and its people, from the threats we face.
The material relied upon by the Court in its decision making is referenced throughout the judgment which is publicly available here: R (Ammori) v SSHD OPEN Judgment (final)
The open material referred to during the proceedings can be requested from the court in accordance with the Civil Procedure Rules on Court documents see: PART 5 – COURT DOCUMENTS – Civil Procedure Rules – Justice UK. Any material submitted in closed proceedings is protected by the Justice and Security Act 2013 and will not be disclosed for reasons of national security. It would not be appropriate to comment further during ongoing legal proceedings.
The Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation has access to secret and sensitive national security information in order to carry out his role. He routinely publishes his findings in reports that are available on his website: https://terrorismlegislationreviewer.independent.gov.uk/
Comprehensive advice and guidance relating to Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) is freely available online. It can be accessed via the ProtectUK platform (https://www.protectuk.police.uk/hostile-vehicle-mitigation-hvm) or via the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) website https://www.npsa.gov.uk/specialised-guidance/hostile-vehicle-mitigation-hvm
These pages provide information and guidance regarding vehicle borne threats, the wide range of HVM measures available, and provide detailed information regarding operational and technical considerations to reduce vulnerability from vehicle borne threats.
The NPSA website also provides signposting to a suite of HVM products and counter-measures and is kept up to date with best practice advice regarding their deployments and integration into wider protective security considerations.
Fraud is a serious and growing threat to businesses, including small businesses, and the Government is committed to ensuring that fraud offences are properly investigated and prevented.
The Government has taken steps to ensure that Fraud is reflected in local policing priorities. This includes improving reporting through the new Report Fraud service and strengthening law enforcement capability through the National Fraud Squad.
Police forces in England and Wales will now be assessed on an ongoing basis on their fraud response as part of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services Police Effectiveness, Efficiency and Legitimacy Framework.
The national Stop! Think Fraud campaign, provides practical advice to help people and businesses protect themselves. In addition, we have published a dedicated checklist for small businesses to help small firms reduce their exposure to fraud.
Fraud often begins with a cyber-attack. The Government funds a network of regional Cyber Resilience Centres across England and Wales, which provide trusted, tailored advice and support to businesses.
The Government will soon publish a new Fraud Strategy which will outline further measures to tackle fraud against business.
The Home Office regularly reviews the performance of Report Fraud to ensure the service is delivering improved outcomes for victims and strengthening the national response to fraud. The new service offers better management information to track and monitor service performance and a new performance dashboard to monitor outcomes and identify emerging fraud threats.
Recent data from the service shows that in December 2025 alone, eleven thousand more calls were answered compared to December 2024.
Furthermore, cases sent to police forces in January 2026 were at a higher level than January 2025. However, data is not yet available on the proportion of these cases sent to forces that are being taken forward by forces for investigation.
Since Report Fraud has gone live in December 2025, the service has been able to assist victims in recovering £1.8 million. Data from Report Fraud in January 2026 alone shows victims had a call satisfaction of 92%, Webchat satisfaction of 100%, and chatbot satisfaction of 90%.
The UK–UAE Illicit Finance Partnership is overseen at Ministerial level, including through an annual Illicit Finance Ministerial Dialogue which reviews effectiveness.
The UK-UAE Illicit Finance Dialogue in September 2025 was successful in reaffirming both countries' commitment to tackling illicit finance flows, strengthening joint efforts across operational, policy, and strategic outcomes in the Partnership.
Between 5th July 2024 until today’s date UK Central Authority (UKCA) in the Home Office received 64 extradition requests from Category 2 Type B countries.
We have understood your request in relation to having been ‘accepted’ as how many cases have been certified under s70 of the Extradition Act 2003 (the ‘Act’). Of the 64 requests received, 56 have been certified to date. Once a request has been certified it is sent to the courts, after which the request is subjected to a largely judicial process.
Please note that all figures are from local management information and have not been quality assured to the level of published National Statistics. As such they should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change.
The material relied upon by the Court in its decision making is referenced throughout the judgment which is publicly available. R (Ammori) v SSHD OPEN Judgment (final)
The open material referred to during the proceedings can be requested from the court in accordance with the Civil Rules on Court documents. PART 5 – COURT DOCUMENTS – Civil Procedure Rules – Justice UK. Any material submitted in closed proceedings is protected by the Justice and Security Act 2013 and will not be disclosed for reasons of national security.
The Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation has access to secret and sensitive national security information in order to carry out his role. He routinely publishes his findings in reports that are available on his website: https://terrorismlegislationreviewer.independent.gov.uk/
It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on protective security arrangements, including funding, as doing so could compromise their integrity and individuals' security.
This Government is committed to ensuring a robust multiagency response to missing people, including children, and safeguarding them from harm. We recognise that missing episodes, however brief, can often be a red flag for a number of harms including child sexual exploitation and criminal exploitation.
We are determined to work together across government, including with the police and other safeguarding partners, to improve the whole system response to missing individuals and their families. We are introducing a new offence of child criminal exploitation in the Crime and Policing Bill to go after the gangs who are luring young people into violence and crime.
As part of this legislation, we are also delivering new civil preventative orders which will disrupt and prevent child criminal exploitation from occurring or re-occurring. We are also funding the Children’s Society to deliver the Prevention Programme to work with professionals within the private, statutory and third sectors, as well as the general public, to raise awareness and upskills staff to better respond to, disrupt and prevent multiple forms of child exploitation
Each missing child case represents both a vulnerable young person at risk and a family in crisis, often with complex underlying causes that need to be understood and addressed. We are working to support the NPCC and its rollout of its ‘Children who go Missing from Care’ Framework as another vital tool when tackling head-on the underlying vulnerabilities in children that often lead to missing episodes and further strengthening frontline response
The Home Office does not hold information on the average length of time taken is for police forces to find children reported as missing, given the complexities and care different cases require. Where there is a case of a child going missing internationally, the police are able to work with international partners to investigate, including where cases are raised under the Hague Convention.
This Government is committed to ensuring a robust multiagency response to missing people, including children, and safeguarding them from harm. We recognise that missing episodes, however brief, can often be a red flag for a number of harms including child sexual exploitation and criminal exploitation.
We are determined to work together across government, including with the police and other safeguarding partners, to improve the whole system response to missing individuals and their families. We are introducing a new offence of child criminal exploitation in the Crime and Policing Bill to go after the gangs who are luring young people into violence and crime.
As part of this legislation, we are also delivering new civil preventative orders which will disrupt and prevent child criminal exploitation from occurring or re-occurring. We are also funding the Children’s Society to deliver the Prevention Programme to work with professionals within the private, statutory and third sectors, as well as the general public, to raise awareness and upskills staff to better respond to, disrupt and prevent multiple forms of child exploitation
Each missing child case represents both a vulnerable young person at risk and a family in crisis, often with complex underlying causes that need to be understood and addressed. We are working to support the NPCC and its rollout of its ‘Children who go Missing from Care’ Framework as another vital tool when tackling head-on the underlying vulnerabilities in children that often lead to missing episodes and further strengthening frontline response
The Home Office does not hold information on the average length of time taken is for police forces to find children reported as missing, given the complexities and care different cases require. Where there is a case of a child going missing internationally, the police are able to work with international partners to investigate, including where cases are raised under the Hague Convention.
This Government is committed to ensuring a robust multiagency response to missing people, including children, and safeguarding them from harm. We recognise that missing episodes, however brief, can often be a red flag for a number of harms including child sexual exploitation and criminal exploitation.
We are determined to work together across government, including with the police and other safeguarding partners, to improve the whole system response to missing individuals and their families. We are introducing a new offence of child criminal exploitation in the Crime and Policing Bill to go after the gangs who are luring young people into violence and crime.
As part of this legislation, we are also delivering new civil preventative orders which will disrupt and prevent child criminal exploitation from occurring or re-occurring. We are also funding the Children’s Society to deliver the Prevention Programme to work with professionals within the private, statutory and third sectors, as well as the general public, to raise awareness and upskills staff to better respond to, disrupt and prevent multiple forms of child exploitation
Each missing child case represents both a vulnerable young person at risk and a family in crisis, often with complex underlying causes that need to be understood and addressed. We are working to support the NPCC and its rollout of its ‘Children who go Missing from Care’ Framework as another vital tool when tackling head-on the underlying vulnerabilities in children that often lead to missing episodes and further strengthening frontline response
The Home Office does not hold information on the average length of time taken is for police forces to find children reported as missing, given the complexities and care different cases require. Where there is a case of a child going missing internationally, the police are able to work with international partners to investigate, including where cases are raised under the Hague Convention.
The High Streets Illegality Taskforce is working to develop a strategic long-term policy response to money laundering and associated illegality on UK high streets, including other forms of economic crime, tax evasion, and illegal working, tackling the systemic vulnerabilities that criminals exploit. As part of this work, the Taskforce will consider mechanisms to support effective information flows.
The public can report concerns about illicit high street businesses to the police or anonymously to Crimestoppers UK on 0800 555 111.
We assess the recent death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes to have limited potential impact on the importation of illegal drugs into the UK.
However, we continue to monitor for potential changes in drug supply, including the potential impact of the related civil unrest in Mexico.
The Home Secretary announced her plans to introduce a local intervention model and new powers for His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to intervene in failing forces in the police reform White Paper entitled “From Local to National: A New Model for Policing”, which was published on 26 January.
Under this local intervention model, intervention leads may be appointed to take responsibility for turning around failing forces, providing focused leadership and oversight where local arrangements have failed. This approach has been used successfully in sectors such as local government, health and education to drive rapid improvement and restore public confidence.
In addition, new powers will be introduced to strengthen HMICFRS’ ability to intervene in failing forces and ensure that other policing bodies respond to its recommendations.
We intend to bring forward legislation to introduce both the local intervention model and the new HMICFRS powers when Parliamentary time allows.
The Home Secretary announced her plans to introduce a local intervention model and new powers for His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to intervene in failing forces in the police reform White Paper entitled “From Local to National: A New Model for Policing”, which was published on 26 January.
Under this local intervention model, intervention leads may be appointed to take responsibility for turning around failing forces, providing focused leadership and oversight where local arrangements have failed. This approach has been used successfully in sectors such as local government, health and education to drive rapid improvement and restore public confidence.
In addition, new powers will be introduced to strengthen HMICFRS’ ability to intervene in failing forces and ensure that other policing bodies respond to its recommendations.
We intend to bring forward legislation to introduce both the local intervention model and the new HMICFRS powers when Parliamentary time allows.
The Home Secretary announced her plans to introduce a local intervention model and new powers for His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to intervene in failing forces in the police reform White Paper entitled “From Local to National: A New Model for Policing”, which was published on 26 January.
Under this local intervention model, intervention leads may be appointed to take responsibility for turning around failing forces, providing focused leadership and oversight where local arrangements have failed. This approach has been used successfully in sectors such as local government, health and education to drive rapid improvement and restore public confidence.
In addition, new powers will be introduced to strengthen HMICFRS’ ability to intervene in failing forces and ensure that other policing bodies respond to its recommendations.
We intend to bring forward legislation to introduce both the local intervention model and the new HMICFRS powers when Parliamentary time allows.
Mobile phone theft causes significant distress to victims and fuels wider criminality, and the Government is determined to reduce it. We recognise the important role that technical solutions, such as options aimed at preventing stolen devices from accessing cloud services, can play in reducing the market value of a stolen device.
The Metropolitan Police Service is currently leading collaboration with technology partners, including mobile operating system providers, to explore the quickest and most effective ways of achieving this. The Home Office is supporting this important collaboration between law enforcement and technology partners.
Stop and search is a vital tool for tackling crime, but it must be used fairly and effectively. Trust and accountability in its use are crucial, and the government recognises that youth scrutiny panels can play a positive role in strengthening confidence and transparency.
The Home Office does not collect national level data on how youth scrutiny panels affect disproportionality in stop and search.
However, the Department does publish significant data annually on ethnic disparity rates in stop and search. Black individuals remain 3.8 times more likely to be stopped and searched than White individuals. The government continues to consider a range of tools and approaches that could support further reductions in disproportionality, including the role of youth scrutiny panels.
Police forces that reflect the communities they serve are crucial to tackling crime in a modern diverse society. The police have and continue to work hard to improve equality and diversity and the workforce is more representative than ever before.
The Special Constabulary is more ethnically diverse than other parts of the police workforce. As at 31 March 2025, 13% of Specials belong to a Black, Asian, Mixed or Other ethnic group, compared with 8.5% of officers. However, this is still lower than the general population, where 18% of people identify as belonging to a Black, Asian, Mixed or Other ethnic group.
As at 31 March 2025, 25% of special constables were female, compared to 36% of regular officers. We will continue to work with policing partners to improve representation.
The Government’s Police Reform White Paper acknowledges that volunteers bring fresh perspectives, skills and increased diversity into policing and outlines our ambition to grow the number of special constables. This includes working closely with policing to identify ways to improve and streamline recruitment processes and learning from other volunteering models to inform the continued development of police volunteering.
It is longstanding Home Office policy to not disclose port‑specific staffing information, as to do so could prejudice our law enforcement capabilities. Border Force operates a flexible resourcing model, regularly assessing operational needs and deploying staff dynamically in response to passenger volumes and security requirements.
As part of the Common Travel Area (CTA) arrangements, the UK does not operate routine immigration controls on individuals arriving in the UK by air or sea from within the CTA, and no immigration checks are undertaken at the land border with Ireland. The UK does, however, operate intelligence‑led operational activity on CTA routes—away from the land border. If an individual is suspected to be unlawfully in the UK, their biometrics may be checked in order to ascertain their identity and status.
As of 01 March 2026, the Home Office had 186 employees with a visa type which allows them time limited right to work in the UK.
The Ukraine Permission Extension scheme (UPE) reflects a generous and meaningful commitment to support those displaced by the conflict.
On 24 February, the Government confirmed in Parliament that the UPE scheme would be extended for an additional 24 months to enable those eligible to obtain a further period of permission. The Government also announced that anyone applying for permission under UPE will be able do so within the final 90 days of their current permission rather than the current 28-day period. This will provide greater flexibility and assurance, allowing applicants to secure their future in the UK with confidence and ease.
The UK Government has always been clear that our offer of temporary sanctuary under the Ukraine Schemes is not a pathway to settled status and does not lead to indefinite leave to remain in the UK. This respects the Ukrainian Government’s strong desire for the future return of its citizens when it is safe to do so. However, the Government recognises the importance of providing long-term certainty for Ukrainians living in the UK. We are committed to setting out the future arrangements clearly, and a further statement outlining the long-term position will be issued later this year.
Ukrainian families with children who are in the United Kingdom under any of the Ukraine schemes can apply to switch onto another immigration route within the Immigration Rules, including the Private Life route.
Applicants must ensure that they meet the requirements of the immigration category to which they intend to switch.
The Government will update the relevant GOV.UK pages to reflect the 24‑month extension of the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme once the necessary changes to the Immigration Rules are in force. GOV.UK will remain the single authoritative source of information for applicants and stakeholders and updates will be published ahead of the first cohort of UPE permissions expiring.
These updates will ensure that local authorities, employers, education providers and support organisations have access to the latest information on eligibility, the extended 90‑day application window, and evidencing rights. We will keep Local authorities up to date through the existing Homes for Ukraine and Ukraine Schemes communication channels.
Individuals granted permission under the extended UPE scheme will continue to have the same entitlements to work, benefits, healthcare and education as under the existing Ukraine schemes.
The Department for Education has confirmed that students with permission under the Ukraine Schemes - including those who receive an extension under the UPE arrangements remain eligible for home‑fee status and student support where they meet the standard residence requirements.
We have included information for dual citizens in our electronic travel authorisation (ETA) communications campaign since 2023. Public information strongly advising dual citizens to travel with a valid UK passport or certificate of entitlement (CoE) has been available since October 2024, including official guidance on GOV.UK. In November 2025, we announced the enforcement of ETA from 25 February 2026, which included information about the requirement for dual citizens: No permission, no travel: UK set to enforce ETA scheme - GOV.UK. We provide explicit written and spoken guidance to people who naturalise or register as British citizens, including through their application and at citizenship ceremonies, and since the start of the year we have also emailed people who have registered or naturalised in the last 10 years where we hold useable contact details. This supplements our wider updates via GOV.UK, engagement, promotion via Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) networks, and media engagement in the week that carrier enforcement commenced.
The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visas by nationality in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the outcomes of visa applications are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the detailed entry clearance visas dataset. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data is from January 2005 up to the end of December 2025.
Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.
The consultation for the earned settlement model, as proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, was open to the public between 20 November 2025 and 12 February 2026. Contributions will now be analysed, and the findings will support the development of the final model.
Economic and equality impact assessments will be conducted on the final model and published in due course.
The Home Office does not hold data on the occupations of people granted pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.