Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending the Armed Forces Covenant Duty across her Departmental responsibilities.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office greatly values the contribution of all service personnel and remains committed to upholding its moral obligations under the Armed Forces Covenant.

The Department already embeds the principles of the Covenant, specifically within the provisions of the Appendix HM Armed Forces route which ensures that service personnel and their families are not disadvantaged in immigration matters due to their service.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has (a) had communications with and (b) met with representatives of Elbit Systems UK (i) in the last five years and (ii) since July 2024.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the response I gave to UIN 41686 on 14 April.

The Home Office engages with a wide range of stakeholders, including industry partners and diplomatic counterparts to support its departmental objectives, ensure the effective delivery of its responsibilities, and engage on stakeholder matters of concern.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether (a) officials and (b) Ministers in her Department have had recent meetings with (i) the Israeli Embassy and (ii) Elbit Systems.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the response I gave to UIN 41686 on 14 April.

The Home Office engages with a wide range of stakeholders, including industry partners and diplomatic counterparts to support its departmental objectives, ensure the effective delivery of its responsibilities, and engage on stakeholder matters of concern.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2025 to Question 60473 on Defending Democracy Taskforce, if she will publish a redacted version of the findings.

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

The Written Ministerial Statement I issued on 14 May provided a transparent and comprehensive overview of the Review’s key findings and recommendations, while protecting sensitive national security information which could be of use to our adversaries.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 July 2025 to Question 62853 on National Security: Reviews, when he plans to introduce the State Threats Proscription-like Tool.

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

Following a review of state threats and terrorism legislation by Jonathan Hall KC, the Home Secretary pledged to take forward his recommendations.

This included a proscription-style tool to tackle state-based security threats in the UK. The Home Secretary has committed to introduce legislation to this effect as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Education on tackling county lines gangs in schools.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office works closely with the Department for Education to tackle knife crime and the criminal exploitation of children.

Ministers from both Departments met recently for a targeted conversation on tackling child criminal exploitation and county lines.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle county lines gangs operating in Lancashire.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

To deliver our pledge to halve knife crime in the next decade, it is crucial that we tackle the drug gangs that run county lines through violence and exploitation. That is why we are investing more than £43m this financial year (25/26) in the County Lines Programme, to target exploitative drug dealing gangs whilst breaking the organised crime groups behind this trade.

While the majority of lines originate from the areas covered by the Metropolitan Police Service, West Midlands Police, Merseyside Police, West Yorkshire Police and Greater Manchester Police, county lines is a national issue which affects all forces.

That is why, through the County Lines Programme, we fund the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre (NCLCC) to monitor the intelligence picture and co-ordinate the national law enforcement response. The County Lines Programme taskforces regularly conduct joint operations with other forces, and we have established a dedicated fund which provides local forces with additional funding to tackle county lines, including Lancashire Police.

The NCLCC also regularly coordinates weeks of intensive action against county lines gangs, which all police forces take part in. The most recent of these took place 23-29 June 2025 and resulted in 241 lines closed, as well as 1,965 arrests, 1,179 individuals safe-guarded and 501 weapons seized.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 19 June 2025 to Question 58059 on Street Trading: Licensing, what guidance he has given to local authorities on the use of Public Space Protection Orders to ban street stalls by political campaigners engaging in lawful free speech.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The statutory framework for PSPOs sets out clear conditions for their use.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department holds on the total value of stock lost through shoplifting in each of the last five years.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office has published data from the Commercial Victimisation Survey (CVS) which collects data from business premises in England and Wales about their experience of crime.

The data includes an assessment, made by the business, of the level of the financial impact of crime they experienced in the previous year as a result of being the victim of crime. This includes incidents theft committed by customers. Separate estimates were published for the retail sector. Data is not collected on the exact value of any goods stolen by customers, or the impact of customer theft separate from other types of crime. The most recent data is from 2023, and can be found here: Crime against businesses statistics - GOV.UK

Through our Safer Streets Mission, we are committed to ensuring that people feel safe on our streets and in their communities. To help tackle retail crime, we will provide £5 million over the next three years to continue to fund Opal, the national policing intelligence unit for serious organised acquisitive crime.

We will also invest £2 million over the next three years in the National Business Crime Centre which provides a resource for both police and businesses to learn, share and support each other to prevent and combat crime.

Through our Crime and Policing Bill, this Government has introduced a standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores. We will also end the effective immunity for shop theft of and below £200 sending a clear message that any level of shop theft is illegal and will be taken seriously.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of people engaged in county lines activity.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

According to the NCLCC’s latest Strategic Threat and Risk Assessment, 13,084 individuals were identified by the police as linked to County Lines between April 2023 and March 2024.

These individuals had a variety of roles, including offenders, drug users and victims.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answers of 23 June 2025, 30 June 2025 and 7 July 2025 to Questions 60413, 61747 and 63990 on Asylum: Northern Ireland, whether she plans to purchase (a) tower blocks and (b) student accommodation solely to house people already living in Northern Ireland and claiming asylum not the wider cohort living elsewhere.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the Answer he received on 23 June 2025 to UIN 60413.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has provided (a) funding and (b) guidance to (i) private contractors and (b) local authorities for the provision of free TV licences to people seeking asylum.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave to Question 65010.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that French authorities uphold agreements on stopping asylum seekers attempting to cross the English Channel.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Our current cooperation with France on irregular and illegal migration is underpinned by the commitments made in the UK-France Joint Leaders' Declaration - GOV.UK. Any future agreements will be published in the normal way in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) funding and (b) guidance has been given to (i) private contractors and (ii) local authorities on providing free (A) TV licences and (B) driving licences to asylum seekers.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

None.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to establish an independent national inquiry into group-based child sexual exploitation.

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

On the 16 June the Home Secretary announced that she had accepted all 12 of Baroness Casey’s recommendations from her National Audit into Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.

As part of this, and as recommended by Baroness Casey, the Government is moving swiftly to establish an Independent Commission on Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation under the Inquiries Act 2005.

We are working closely with partners across government and beyond to develop the Terms of Reference, which will be shaped through engagement with the appointed Chair, victims and survivors, and other key stakeholders.

Following the appointment of the independent Chair and the establishment of the inquiry structure, the Commission will begin considering evidence and data to select the first local areas for targeted investigations.

Further details will be announced in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to inform (a) Parliament and (b) the local community prior to any changes to the agreed cap on the number of asylum seekers at the Wethersfield site.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Any updates on the future use of the Wethersfield site will be announced in the normal way, and representatives of the local community, including the Rt Hon Gentleman, will also be informed of any such updates.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to propose an extension to the commissioning date of the Asylum Reception Centre at the former RAF Wethersfield.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Any updates on the future use of the Wethersfield site will be announced in the normal way, and representatives of the local community, including the Rt Hon Gentleman, will also be informed of any such updates.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to establish a clear and affordable route for permanent leave to remain in the UK for Ukrainians who (1) hold visas, (2) are established in, and contributing to, their communities, (3) are employed, and (4) have children in education.

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

The Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme, which opened to applications on 4 February 2025, provides up to an additional 18 months’ permission to stay in the UK for those with existing Ukraine Scheme permission.

The scheme provides the same rights and entitlements to access work, benefits, healthcare, and education as the existing Ukraine schemes.

This extension represents a generous and meaningful commitment. It aligns with the UK Government’s ongoing support for Ukraine and its people, while also respecting the Ukrainian Government’s strong desire for the eventual return of its citizens. It is for this reason that our offer of sanctuary through the Ukraine schemes remains temporary in nature and does not lead to settlement in the UK.

There are other routes available for those who wish to settle in the UK permanently, if they meet the requirements, such as work routes and family routes. These routes are published on GOV.UK at: Work in the UK - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab) and Family in the UK - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab).

The UK Government continues to keep both the Ukraine Schemes and the evolving situation in Ukraine under active review.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what are the primary countries of origin for legal migrants in Upper Bann constituency in the last five years.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The requested information is not held in a reportable format. To provide this information would require a manual review of case records, which could only be done for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many legal migrants have settled in Upper Bann constituency in the past five years.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The requested information is not held in a reportable format. To provide this information would require a manual review of case records, which could only be done for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to retain existing restrictions on the number of asylum seekers housed at the former RAF Wethersfield site.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Any updates on the future use of the Wethersfield site will be announced in the normal way, and representatives of the local community, including the Rt Hon Gentleman, will also be informed of any such updates.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 21 October 2024 (HL1289), what steps they have taken to work closely with the College of Policing and National Police Chiefs' Council to strengthen the training for officers on violence against women and girls; where is progress up to; and how they are monitoring this with specific regard to intimate image abuse.

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

As set out in the written answer of 21 October, the College of Policing set the curriculum for policing which includes educational outcomes on image-based abuse. At present, forces choose how to deliver this training, often by commissioning local experts and support services.

However, to ensure that every force has the right specialist capability to investigate Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) crimes, including Intimate Image Abuse, we have invested £13.1 million into the new National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection, which launched in April 2025. This included a £2 million uplift to support improvements in police training – this work is now under way, beginning with an extensive review of the current approach.

The Home Office will be working closely with the College and the National Police Chiefs’ Council to ensure the training covers all forms of VAWG, including intimate image abuse. In addition, innovative, data-driven and evidence-based police practices is being prioritised through ringfenced funding for academic input into the development of training and guidance.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of immigration salary thresholds for staff currently employed in the social care sector.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Salary thresholds are an important way of ensuring those coming to work in the UK are able to support themselves. These workers do not have access to public funds so it is important a rate is set which will ensure people are earning sufficient income without having to rely on public funds. A number of health and care and education occupations are subject to lower rates of pay than other occupations.

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has been asked to consider whether there should continue to be a different threshold for health and care worker visas. We look forward to receiving the MAC’s recommendations in due course.

Individuals who are sponsored in roles at band 3 before the rules change on 22 July will be eligible to extend their visa providing they meet all the requirements at the time including being paid the appropriate salary. Salary thresholds and going rates are routinely updated and sponsored workers will need to meet the salary requirements in place at the time they apply for their visa to be renewed.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether overseas NHS staff on band three Agenda for Change pay will be eligible for visa renewals under current immigration salary requirements.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Salary thresholds are an important way of ensuring those coming to work in the UK are able to support themselves. These workers do not have access to public funds so it is important a rate is set which will ensure people are earning sufficient income without having to rely on public funds. A number of health and care and education occupations are subject to lower rates of pay than other occupations.

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has been asked to consider whether there should continue to be a different threshold for health and care worker visas. We look forward to receiving the MAC’s recommendations in due course.

Individuals who are sponsored in roles at band 3 before the rules change on 22 July will be eligible to extend their visa providing they meet all the requirements at the time including being paid the appropriate salary. Salary thresholds and going rates are routinely updated and sponsored workers will need to meet the salary requirements in place at the time they apply for their visa to be renewed.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, whether it is her policy to maintain the original terms of the British National (Overseas) visa route.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Government is committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK and those who may come here in future.

Further details of all measures announced in the Immigration White Paper will be set out in due course.

We regularly engage with representatives of the Hong Kong diaspora in the UK on issues related to the BN(O) visa and will continue to do so.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, pursuant to the non-technical summaries of project licences granted Under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 between January and March, what assessment they have made of the deliberate induction of pain on primates using methods such as heat, high intensity electrical stimulation or the injection of small amounts of high-strength salt solution; and what steps they plan to take to prohibit the use of such practices.

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

The legal framework in the UK is set up to ensure that animals are only ever used in science where there are no alternatives, where the number of animals used is the minimum needed, and where the potential harm to animals is limited to that needed to achieve the scientific benefit.

Any application must take into account the replacement of animals with alternatives, the reduction of the number of animals used to the minimum possible and the refinement of any techniques to reduce the harm suffered by the animals to the minimum (known as the 3Rs). All project licence applications are reviewed by the Home Office Animals in Science Regulation Unit to ensure that any harm that may be caused to the animals is justified by the expected benefits for humans, animals or the environment. The Home Office only allows the use of animals if it can be demonstrated that the benefits outweigh the harms and the 3Rs have been fully applied. All licence holders have a responsibility to fully implement the 3Rs and demonstrate this requirement at audit.

The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) is engaging with stakeholders to finalise a strategy to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of alternatives to animal testing which is scheduled for publication later this year.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, pursuant to the non-technical summaries of project licences granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 between January and March, what assessment they have made of the restriction of primates' access to food in order to induce them to perform behavioural tasks.

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

The legal framework in the UK is set up to ensure that animals are only ever used in science where there are no alternatives, where the number of animals used is the minimum needed, and where the potential harm to animals is limited to that needed to achieve the scientific benefit.

Any application must take into account the replacement of animals with alternatives, the reduction of the number of animals used to the minimum possible and the refinement of any techniques to reduce the harm suffered by the animals to the minimum (known as the 3Rs). All project licence applications are reviewed by the Home Office Animals in Science Regulation Unit to ensure that any harm that may be caused to the animals is justified by the expected benefits for humans, animals or the environment. The Home Office only allows the use of animals if it can be demonstrated that the benefits outweigh the harms and the 3Rs have been fully applied. All licence holders have a responsibility to fully implement the 3Rs and demonstrate this requirement at audit.

The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) is engaging with stakeholders to finalise a strategy to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of alternatives to animal testing which is scheduled for publication later this year.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps her Department has taken to improve asylum claim processing times.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office continues to invest in a programme of transformation and business improvement, including innovative methods to speed up asylum decision making and improve the quality and consistency of our work.

The latest quarter saw the second highest three-month period for people receiving initial decisions since comparable records began in 2002, and more than double (+116%) those in the three months before the election (April to June 2024).

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has used (a) occupancy level and (b) property capacity data to assess the cost-effectiveness of asylum accommodation contracts in the last 12 months.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave her on 08 July 2025 to Question 63118.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2025 to Question 32327 on Asylum: Hotels and the Answer of 8 July 2025 to Question 63118 on Asylum: Housing, whether her Department retains data on (a) occupancy levels and (b) property capacity in relation to asylum accommodation.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Occupancy and Capacity are not terms defined within asylum accommodation contracts. Data on the number of individuals occupying asylum accommodation is published in the quarterly migration statistics.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of people subject to Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures entered the UK as asylum seekers or refugees.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The statutory reporting requirements associated with the use of TPIM measures are set out in Section 19(1) of the Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act 2011.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of community policing in tackling antisocial behaviour linked to waste crime.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) is a top priority for this Government and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.

​ As a result of our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, every police force in England and Wales now has a dedicated lead officer for ASB, who will work with communities to develop a local ASB action plan, which could include waste crime such as fly tipping

As part of the Neighbourhood Policing Grant, £200 million has been allocated to forces for 2025/26 to support the Government’s commitment to deliver additional policing personnel into neighbourhood policing. West Midlands Police has been allocated £12,210,903 and will deliver an increase of 289 police officers and 20 Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) by 31 March 2026.

These officers will be out patrolling in our town centres and communities, working with partners to tackle anti-social behaviour, including waste crime and fly-tipping, and making our neighbourhoods safer and more welcoming.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will publish the (a) occupancy level and (b) property capacity data discussed at (i) monthly contract management meetings and (ii) quarterly boards under the asylum accommodation and support services contracts.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Occupancy and Capacity are not terms defined within asylum accommodation contracts. Data on the number of individuals occupying asylum accommodation is published in the quarterly migration statistics.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what definition her Department uses for (a) occupancy levels and (b) property capacity in the management of asylum accommodation contracts.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Occupancy and Capacity are not terms defined within asylum accommodation contracts. Data on the number of individuals occupying asylum accommodation is published in the quarterly migration statistics.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation of the 2021 report by the Commission for Countering Extremism, Operating with impunity: legal review, to establish a legal and operational framework to tackle hateful extremist groups and individuals that undermine democratic norms.

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

The Government is committed to tackling those who spread views that promote violence and hatred against individuals and communities in our society, and that radicalise others into terrorism. We will continue to challenge extremist narratives and disrupt the activity of particularly those who radicalise others but deliberately operate below CT thresholds.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the letter from Lord Hanson of Flint on 4 June following the second reading of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, how they will play their part in supporting considered dialogue within the Council of Europe that seeks to balance "liberty and security, and justice and responsibility."

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

The UK participates in regular engagement with the Council of Europe and its Member States, we look forward to a dialogue on the future of the ECHR as part of that process.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to publish the review of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and what format that review will be published in.

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

The Home Office’s Immigration White Paper, published on 12 May set out proposals for reform in a range of areas, including clarifying the application of Article 8 of the ECHR, further details of which will be set out in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent discussions with the Foreign Secretary on taking steps to help support Palestinians to access locations to verify their biometric data for UK visa applications.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

There are currently two UK Visa Application Centres operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in Ramallah and Jerusalem. The centres in Ramallah and Jerusalem are open twice per week and once every two weeks respectively for biometrics enrolment. The UK Visa Application Centre in Gaza has been closed since 7 October 2023 due to the conflict in the region and to ensure the safety of staff and customers. UKVI will continue to monitor the situation and work closely with the supplier, VFS, to re-open this centre when it becomes safe to do so. There are also Visa Application Centres in neighbouring countries, such as Egypt and Jordan, which are open daily if customers are able to travel to these locations.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of issued passports in each of the past five years have been returned to His Majesty's Passport Office due to errors not of the applicant’s making.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - 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.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking to steps to help support children in Gaza with family members in the UK to come to the UK.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Government is keeping all existing visa pathways under review in response to events in Gaza. Palestinians who wish to settle in the UK can do so via the existing routes available. Further information can be found on the GOV.UK website: Visas and immigration - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab).

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help reunite people in Gaza with members of their families in the UK.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Government is keeping all existing visa pathways under review in response to events in Gaza. Palestinians who wish to settle in the UK can do so via the existing routes available. Further information can be found on the GOV.UK website: Visas and immigration - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab).

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many requests police forces in England and Wales have made in each of the last three years to (1) Meta, (2) X, (3) Google, and (4) TikTok to identify users of those platforms in cases related to unlawful content; and what proportion of those requests were (a) met by the social media platform, (b) met by the social media platform but only after a court order, or (c) not met.

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

The Home Office does not collect data on the number of requests made by police forces to social media platforms, nor the outcomes of such requests.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of immigration enforcement operations in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

UK wide enforcement of immigration law is critical to a functioning immigration system and effectively implementing the Government’s policies. As the public would expect, we continually review and evolve the different methods we use to prevent illegal migration, ensure compliance and enforce the UK’s immigration laws.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has any plans to upgrade cannabis to a class A controlled substance.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government has no current plans to review the classification of cannabis.

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 seizures of cocaine at (a) ports and (b) airports on the supply of the drug.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

In 2023/24, 28.3 tonnes of powder cocaine was seized by police and Border Force in England and Wales. This was an increase from 18.6 tonnes the previous year and the largest recorded quantity of cocaine seized since the time series began in 1973.

However, serious criminals are constantly developing their approaches to traffic cocaine into the UK in response to our efforts at the border. This includes changing their trafficking routes and evolving their methodologies to evade detection, for example, diversifying importation methods through at-sea-drop-offs.

We therefore recognise that we must continue to adapt our strategy and work more closely with law enforcement partners upstream to stop cocaine trafficking at source and all across the supply chain, targeting the gangs responsible, and bringing them to justice. Officials will continue to assess the impact of global drug trafficking on the UK and implement new approaches to respond to this threat.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to help prevent the misuse of ID card data by (a) public authorities and (b) third-party contractors.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many former Volunteer Police Cadets have joined the police service in each of the last five years for which data is available; and if she will publish a breakdown of the ethnic background of new joiners in each of the last five years.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is committed to supporting all volunteers in policing, including Volunteer Police Cadets, who bring diverse and valuable skills that complement the roles of regular officers and staff in delivering the best service to the public. Volunteers strengthen the police’s ability to engage with local residents and build trust in communities, which are both crucial pillars of neighbourhood policing. It is essential that a variety of life experiences, skills and knowledge across all communities in England and Wales are brought into police services.

The Home Office does not directly fund individual Volunteer Police Cadet schemes. Decisions on management and funding of each force’s Volunteer Police Cadet scheme is the responsibility of its chief officer and Police and Crime Commissioner.

As part of the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistics the Home Office collects and publishes information on Police Support Volunteers, aged 18 and over. This information is available here: Police workforce England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of former Volunteer Police Cadets have gone on to careers in (a) policing, (b) the NHS, (c) the fire and rescue service and (d) youth and community work.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is committed to supporting all volunteers in policing, including Volunteer Police Cadets, who bring diverse and valuable skills that complement the roles of regular officers and staff in delivering the best service to the public. Volunteers strengthen the police’s ability to engage with local residents and build trust in communities, which are both crucial pillars of neighbourhood policing. It is essential that a variety of life experiences, skills and knowledge across all communities in England and Wales are brought into police services.

The Home Office does not directly fund individual Volunteer Police Cadet schemes. Decisions on management and funding of each force’s Volunteer Police Cadet scheme is the responsibility of its chief officer and Police and Crime Commissioner.

As part of the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistics the Home Office collects and publishes information on Police Support Volunteers, aged 18 and over. This information is available here: Police workforce England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK.

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 changes to the funding to the Volunteer Police Cadets scheme on (a) police recruitment, (b) youth engagement and (c) community trust in policing.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is committed to supporting all volunteers in policing, including Volunteer Police Cadets, who bring diverse and valuable skills that complement the roles of regular officers and staff in delivering the best service to the public. Volunteers strengthen the police’s ability to engage with local residents and build trust in communities, which are both crucial pillars of neighbourhood policing. It is essential that a variety of life experiences, skills and knowledge across all communities in England and Wales are brought into police services.

The Home Office does not directly fund individual Volunteer Police Cadet schemes. Decisions on management and funding of each force’s Volunteer Police Cadet scheme is the responsibility of its chief officer and Police and Crime Commissioner.

As part of the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistics the Home Office collects and publishes information on Police Support Volunteers, aged 18 and over. This information is available here: Police workforce England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing police forces with new enforcement powers to seize (a) unsafe and (b) non-compliant e-bikes.

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. Any form of anti-social, dangerous or inconsiderate behaviour involving vehicles is a serious issue.

Our Crime and Policing Bill will give the police greater powers to clamp down on all vehicles, including e-bikes, involved in anti-social behaviour including street racing, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing these vehicles.

On 28 May, the Government launched a six-week consultation on proposals to allow the police to dispose of seized vehicles such as e-bikes, which have been used anti-socially from 14 days to 48 hours. Combined, these proposals will help tackle the scourge of vehicles ridden anti-socially and illegally by sending a clear message to would be offenders and local communities that this behaviour will not be tolerated.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of police powers to tackle bike thefts.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

As part of this Government’s Plan for Change, our Safer Streets Mission is determined to clamp down on the crime that damages our communities, and affects people’s lives, and tackling theft – including bike theft - is a crucial part of that work.

We are delivering on our commitment to restore and strengthen neighbourhood policing, recruiting 13,000 additional police personnel into neighbourhood roles by the end of the Parliament and ensuring every community has named, contactable officers to turn to on local issues.

As a part of this pledge, the Metropolitan Police Service have been allocated £45,639,456 funding in 2025/26 to bolster their neighbourhood policing teams. Based on their funding allocation, the Metropolitan Police Service’s projected growth over 2025 to 2026 will be 420 police officers (FTE) and 50 Police Community Support Officers (FTE).

The Crime and Policing Bill, introduced to the House of Lords on 19 June 2025, will amend the Theft Act 1968 to give police new powers. Officers will be able to enter and search premises where stolen items – such as GPS-tracked bicycles – are reasonably believed to have been stolen and located, and where it is not reasonably practicable to obtain a court warrant. This will significantly enhance the ability of the police to act swiftly and effectively in recovering stolen property.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made a recent estimate of the cost to the public purse of (a) implementing and (b) maintaining a national ID card scheme in each of the next ten years.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent discussions with civil liberties organisations on (a) national security and (b) the right to privacy in relation to Government ID cards.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders.

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 impact of ID card systems in other countries on the prevention of (a) crime and (b) terrorism.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential risk of data breaches associated with the centralised storage of ID card information.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the Volunteer Police Cadets scheme on improving (a) recruitment from underrepresented ethnic groups and (b) diversity within the police workforce.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is committed to supporting all volunteers in policing, including Volunteer Police Cadets, who bring diverse and valuable skills that complement the roles of regular officers and staff in delivering the best service to the public. Volunteers strengthen the police’s ability to engage with local residents and build trust in communities, which are both crucial pillars of neighbourhood policing. It is essential that a variety of life experiences, skills and knowledge across all communities in England and Wales are brought into police services.

The Home Office does not directly fund individual Volunteer Police Cadet schemes. Decisions on management and funding of each force’s Volunteer Police Cadet scheme is the responsibility of its chief officer and Police and Crime Commissioner.

As part of the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistics the Home Office collects and publishes information on Police Support Volunteers, aged 18 and over. This information is available here: Police workforce England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average response time was to public complaints submitted to her Department in the last 12 months.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Performance against service standards in relation to replies to customer complaints for UKVI, Immigration Enforcement and Border Force (excluding His Majesty’s Passport Office) is available from published data and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/migration-transparency-data#uk-visas-and-immigration

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 30 May to Question 52625 on Travellers: Caravan Sites, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of unauthorised traveller encampments on operational policing, in the context of the High Court judgement of May 2024.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The judgment is being reviewed in detail. Engagement has taken place with the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2025 to Question 59362 on Asylum: Housing, whether local authorities have a veto on the use of specific properties for asylum accommodation.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 23 June to Question 59362.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of the information on gov.uk on the support available to asylum seekers.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office keeps all its information pages under regular review.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many foreign national offenders they have attempted to deport since 4 July 2024; and how many of those deportations have been blocked under the European Convention of Human Rights.

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

Of the total returns since 5 July 2024, 4,436 were of FNOs. This is an increase of 14% compared to the 3,879 FNO returns in the same period 12 months prior (FNO returns include both enforced and voluntary returns).

Within the FNO returns, there have been 2,274 early removal scheme (ERS) returns, which is a 11% increase compared to the 2,050 in the same period 12 months prior.

Figures on the number of deportations that did not proceed due to the legal challenges, whether under the ECHR or otherwise, is not currently available from published statistics.

Work is currently underway to improve the quality of information held by the department on FNOs. If this work progresses as planned, the Home Office intend to publish more detailed information on FNOs subject to deportation.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answers of 30 May to Question 52709 on Police: Elections and of 2 May to Question 47267 on Cambridgeshire Constabulary: Domestic Visits, what assessment she has made of the compatibility of speeches made by the (a) Home Secretary and (b) Prime Minister at Cambridgeshire Police Headquarters on 10 April 2025 with the National Police Chief’s Council pre-election guidance on impartiality.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The National Police Chiefs’ Council is independent of government, and any assessment of compliance with its guidance on any subject would be for the NPCC to make.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) reviewed research on the potential impact of mandatory ID card schemes on public trust in (i) the police and (ii) other state authorities.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential implications of a national ID card scheme on levels of (a) public surveillance and (b) personal privacy.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2025 to Question 59362 on Asylum: Housing, if she will place a copy of the template Asylum Accommodation Service Contracts in the Library.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts are already published and available on Contracts Finder as follows:

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

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

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

Midlands & Eastern England AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract MEE - Contracts Finder

North East Yorks & Humber AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NEYH - Contracts Finder

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

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

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of immigration officials that have been successfully prosecuted for committing (a) immigration and (b) bribery offences since 2020, broken down by nationality.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Since 1 January 2020 there have been four immigration officials successfully prosecuted for bribery and immigration offences following a Home Office investigation. Three of these officials were prosecuted for Immigration offences. One was prosecuted for Bribery and Immigration offences. Two individuals were dismissed, one resigned and the final staff member’s contract ended. Three of these were British and one was French.

In the ten proceeding years, there were 27 prosecutions for immigration, and one for bribery.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many immigration officials have been dismissed for committing (a) immigration and (b) bribery offences in each year since 2020, broken down by nationality.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Since 1 January 2020 there have been four immigration officials successfully prosecuted for bribery and immigration offences following a Home Office investigation. Three of these officials were prosecuted for Immigration offences. One was prosecuted for Bribery and Immigration offences. Two individuals were dismissed, one resigned and the final staff member’s contract ended. Three of these were British and one was French.

In the ten proceeding years, there were 27 prosecutions for immigration, and one for bribery.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has she made of the potential risk of cultural exchanges of embassies of hostile states being used as a base for espionage in the United Kingdom.

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

We continually assess potential threats to the UK and take the protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and the security of our information extremely seriously.

Anyone seeking to conduct hostile acts against the UK, steal our information for commercial advantage, or interfere in our society covertly is liable to prosecution under the National Security Act 2023.

More broadly, diplomatic activity in the UK is governed through the principles of the Vienna Conventions which allows for legitimate diplomatic activity. Where we find evidence of any activity that goes beyond what is accredited for, this could invalidate the accreditation, and the UK would take appropriate action.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce violence against women and girls in (a) Fylde constituency and (b) Lancashire.

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

The scale of violence against women and girls (VAWG) in our country is intolerable and this Government is treating it as the national emergency that it is. We are going further than ever before to deliver a cross-government transformative approach, which will be underpinned by a new VAWG Strategy later this year.

In May 2025, we announced a £19.9m investment to provide vital support to victims of VAWG and increase awareness to prevent these horrific crimes. This includes over £6 million for national helplines supporting victims of domestic abuse, 'honour'-based abuse, revenge porn and stalking, and £2.5m on prevention and early intervention.

Specifically in Lancashire, we have allocated £442,000 to Lancashire PCC for perpetrator funding. PCCs are best placed to understand their local communities and providers, and to commission appropriate support to meet that need.

Lancashire PCC currently receives funding from the Home Office’s Domestic Abuse and Stalking Perpetrator Intervention Fund. Using this funding, they deliver the Drive Project, which works with high-risk, serial domestic abuse perpetrators who are deemed to cause the most harm, in a few local authority areas.

At the national level, we have embedded domestic abuse specialists and dedicated domestic abuse teams in the first five 999 control rooms under Raneem’s Law, launched the new Domestic Abuse Protection Orders in selected police forces and courts and announced a new package of measures to tackle spiking, including committing to introducing a new criminal offence for spiking and piloting new spiking training for bar staff.

Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are introducing a range of legislative measures to improve the response to sex offender management and stalking. Under the Bill, the police will be given new powers to issue a notice prohibiting registered sex offenders who pose a risk from changing their name without prior authorisation. Other measures include requiring registered sex offenders to provide advance notice before entering premises where children are present, and improving the management of stalkers. This includes statutory guidance for the police in releasing identifying information about online stalking perpetrators to victims as part of the “right to know”.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to regulate (a) poisonous and (b) harmful substances procured (i) domestically and (ii) internationally that may be used for suicide.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave her on 6 May to Question 48303.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many visas were issued to citizens of the Russian Federation to visit the UK in each of the last five years.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visas by nationality and visa type in the Immigration system statistics publication. Data on visas issued are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the ‘detailed entry clearance dataset’. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates up to the end of March 2025.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consultation her Department undertook on the potential impact of changes to the skilled worker route on the supply of (a) dental hygienists and (b) dental nurses.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

On 12 May, we published our Immigration White Paper ‘Restoring Control over the Immigration System’, outlining our future approach to legal migration routes. The first set of immigration rules giving effect to the policies in the White Paper was published on 1 July, including raising the skills threshold to RQF 6 and we will publish an impact assessment of this change in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of small boat arrivals were (a) children, (b) babies and (c) women in the most recent period for which data is available.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office publishes statistics on detected irregular arrivals to the UK in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on small boat arrivals by age group and sex is published in table Irr_D01 of the ‘Irregular migration to the UK detailed datasets’, with the latest data up to the end of March 2025.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what systems are in place within (a) Border Force and (b) her Department to monitor the international procurement of poisons; and whether those systems are applied consistently across all countries.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

We remain committed to stopping dangerous drugs – including poisons – from entering the country. Our Border Force Officers continue to work to stop illegal drugs by making more, higher-quantity seizures than in previous years, using advanced technology, data analytics, and greater intelligence, derived from close working relationships with police, the National Crime Agency, and international partners.

It would not be in the interest of national security to disclose specific systems in place, nor further information regarding intelligence gathering and sharing.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 17 June 2025 to Question 58153 on Windrush Commissioner: Finance, what budget will be available to the Windrush Commissioner.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

On 16 June, we announced that Reverend Clive Foster MBE had been appointed to be the new Windrush Commissioner. He started his role on 30 June.

Given this is a new appointment, we are discussing with the commissioner his priorities, his working arrangements and what he will need to support him in his role. Following these discussions, we will be in a position to produce a detailed budget, and will confirm this in the normal way 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 the absence of service standards on all applications under the (a) family and (b) private life routes on applicants accessing (i) work, (ii) healthcare and (c) education.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Family and private life applications based on exceptionality are not subject to a service standard, however we do update GOV.UK with our average processing times and information is available in the published transparency data around consideration times.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether (a) nursing staff and (b) allied health professionals will be exempt from planned changes to the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year and further details on the proposed scheme will be provided at that time.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce the time taken to reach a decision on the immigration status application of children born in the UK whose biometric enrolment has been completed; and what measures are in place to ensure that these children have access to (a) healthcare, (b) child benefits and (c) other essential services.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

There are a range of immigration routes through which children who are born in the UK may apply for and obtain Leave to Remain. Information about our service standards for specific immigration routes can be found at:

Customer service standards - GOV.UK.

An application only becomes valid, and the service standard period will only apply, once the application has been submitted, biometric enrolment (facial photograph and fingerprints) has been completed and all required information has been provided.

Access to healthcare, child benefits and other essential services are all matters for other Government Departments. However, the Home Office does facilitate access by departments to our digital immigration records to support their decision-making.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has plans to introduce service standards for all applications for settlement made under the (a) family and (b) private life route.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain based on Family or Private life will be decided within six months.

Full details of current service standards can be found here:

Settlement: customer service standards - GOV.UK

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2025 to Question 60081 on Asylum: Housing, what her policy for housing asylum seekers in hostels which have been converted from hotels via change of use is.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office continues to work with a range of stakeholders to fulfil its legal obligations, whilst delivering on this Government’s commitment to reduce the overall cost of asylum accommodation, including ending the use of hotels by the end of this Parliament.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her plans to remove asylum seekers from hotel accommodation extends to (a) hostels and (b) other types of communal accommodation.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office continues to work with a range of stakeholders to fulfil its legal obligations, whilst delivering on this Government’s commitment to reduce the overall cost of asylum accommodation, including ending the use of hotels by the end of this Parliament.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has considered the merits of a Palestinian refugee visa scheme.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 13 March to Question 35970.

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Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of deporting all foreign criminals currently in prison.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The removal of Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) is an important priority of this Government. We refer all FNOs in receipt of custodial sentences to the Home Office to consider deportation and we are taking decisive steps to increase removals.

In the past year, 5,179 FNOs have been deported. This is a 14% increase in returns compared to the same period 12 months prior.

We have accepted the recommendations of the sentencing review to enable earlier deportation of FNOs. On 25 June 2025, we laid legislation to expand the Early Release Scheme to allow FNOs to be removed up to 4 years before the earliest release point of their sentence (increased from 18 months now), subject to having served 30% of the custodial element of their sentence (allowing earlier removal compared to the 50% minimum time needed to serve now). This is estimated to further increase deportations and reduce demand by up to 500 prison places per year.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of local authority housing allocations were made to households where the primary applicant was not a UK national in the last 12 months.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

People are generally eligible for social housing if they have leave to remain in the UK and have recourse to public funds. The Home Office decides whether persons from abroad have leave to remain in the UK and whether they have recourse to public funds.

Only individuals that are eligible can join housing registers and be given a social housing tenancy. For those who are eligible, housing needs will be considered on an equal basis in accordance with the relevant local authority’s housing allocation scheme.

According to the relevant 2021 Census extract, there were 796,000 households living in the social rented sector in England in March 2021 that were headed by someone who was not born in the UK. It is important to note that such households may contain UK nationals as well as non-UK national lead tenants.

My Department’s annual social housing lettings statistical series details the number of the new social housing lettings by the nationality of the lead tenant. It can be found on gov.uk here.

As per our pre-announced schedule, and in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, data for 2024/25 is currently being processed and quality assured and will be published in Winter 2025. Data for 2025/26 is currently being collected and will be published in Winter 2026.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what proportion of (a) emergency and (b) long-term accommodation has been allocated to (i) asylum seekers and (ii) foreign nationals in the last 12 months.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Home Office publishes data on individuals placed in accommodation in the gov.uk ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on asylum seekers in receipt of support, individuals under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, and those resettled via the Afghan Resettlement Programme, is published in table Reg_02 of the gov.uk ‘Regional and local authority data’, including breakdowns by accommodation type.

The department does not hold data on how many foreign nationals are accommodated in emergency or long-term accommodation.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information her Department holds on the number of foreign nationals in prisons who are on remand in the community since 2019, broken down by (a) year, (b) nationality and (c) offence committed.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

If a foreign national accused of a crime is held on remand, they are detained in custody ahead of trial and sentencing and will not be in the community. We are therefore not able to provide a response to this question as currently worded.

The Ministry of Justice does publish information on the number of Foreign National Offenders in prison which includes the number of Foreign Nationals in prison on remand. The latest available published data can be found at Table 1_Q_9 in the attached link: prison-population-31-Mar-2025.ods.

Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced. Where appropriate, the Ministry of Justice will work with the Home Office to pursue their deportation.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to help ensure that Jobcentre Plus services meet the needs of disabled refugees.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

DWP works with partners and services to meet the needs of disabled refugees. This includes working with Migrant Help, the Refugee Employment Network; Home Office refugee liaison officers; referring to alternative provisions including English language provision; and sign posting to the Home Office Refugee Employability Programme.

The Department is committed to promoting a just, equal, and inclusive society, ensuring independence and control for all customers, including disabled individuals and those with complex needs.

DWP provides a range of support to help refugees and those on Afghan and Ukraine Schemes to settle in the community and find work, including access to mainstream Jobcentre services which provide individually tailored benefit and work support.

Jobcentres also work locally with partners and employers to support this group into work. Connect to Work, part of the Government’s Get Britain Working strategy, will provide support to disabled people, people with health conditions and those with complex barriers to employment, including refugees and those on resettlement schemes, to get into work.

The Government is dedicated to championing the rights of disabled people and involving them in designing our reforms. All new Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisors receive training to support all claimants, with specialist support available from Disability Employment Advisers to tailor assistance for disabled customers. These advisers also offer direct support to those with long-term health conditions needing bespoke assistance

In addition, the Department will launch a new coaching academy to enhance the skills of Work Coaches and provide further support to customers, including those with disabilities. This initiative will be evaluated and reviewed regularly to ensure training remains relevant and effective.

Additional Work Coach Support provides disabled people and people with health conditions, with increased one-to-one personalised support from their work coach to help them move towards, and into work. Support is now available in all Jobcentres across England, Scotland and Wales. This personalised support from Work Coaches aims to enable disabled people to access employment, wider support including our employment programmes earlier.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many incidents of the use of catapults causing harm to wild mammals have been recorded in each of the last five years.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government takes wildlife crime seriously. Defra supports the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU), which helps prevent and detect wildlife crime by obtaining and disseminating intelligence, undertaking analysis which highlights local or national threats and directly assisting law enforcers in their investigations. Defra is providing £424,000 for NWCU in the financial year 2025-2026.

However, crimes against wildlife using catapults are not ‘notifiable’. This means police forces are not required to record and report figures on this type of crime to the Home Office for statistical and monitoring purposes. Defra therefore holds no official statistics on the number of incidents of the use of catapults causing harm to wild mammals from the last five years. Any decision to make such wildlife offences notifiable sits with the Home Office rather than Defra. Regardless of notifiable status, when it comes to responding to the most prevalent wildlife crimes, police force Chief Constables have operational independence to tackle the crimes that matter most to their communities.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what representations her Department received from the Local Government Association on housing asylum seekers in in the context of (a) the Spending Review 2025 and (b) the Affordable Homes Programme.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The department engages closely on asylum and resettlement matters with the Local Government Association (LGA) alongside the Home Office. This includes a quarterly ministerial and local government forum with both MHCLG and Home Office ministers, and regular working level meetings. MHCLG and Home Office ministers also recently attended the LGA’s annual conference to discuss asylum and resettlement.

The government is committed to working with local government to test-locally led models and ending the reliance on hotel use for asylum accommodation. We will continue to engage closely with the Home Office and the LGA as this work progresses.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of legislation for (a) deterring and (b) prosecuting people who attack (i) wildlife and (ii) livestock with catapults; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to help tackle this.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 protects all wild birds and some wild animals in England and Wales. While it does not specifically include catapults in the list of weapons that must not be used to kill wildlife, it is still illegal to deliberately attempt to kill, injure, or harm protected species. There are a range of other offences found in further legislation to protect wildlife from cruelty such as the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996. Where livestock is concerned, it is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to cause an animal any unnecessary suffering. The Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 increased the sentences available for the most serious cases of animal cruelty by increasing the maximum penalty for this offence to 5 years’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

The Government takes crimes against animals seriously but there is already sufficient legislation in place which protects them from targeted use of catapults. Defra therefore has no current plans to take further steps to tackle the use of catapults and nor does the Home Office have plans to change the law to make a catapult a specified prohibited weapon.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Financial Conduct Authority's powers to seek redress for the victims of financial fraud.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government takes the issue of fraud very seriously and is dedicated to protecting the public from this devastating crime.

In October 2024, the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) introduced a mandatory reimbursement regime for authorised push payment (APP) scams which take place over the Faster Payments system, as required by the Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA) 2023. The PSR’s regime requires payment service providers to reimburse victims for losses up to £85,000 for scams which took place after 7 October 2024.

In cases where consumers have been impacted by financial fraud and are not covered by these rules, they should contact their bank in the first instance. Victims may have access to recourse through the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), which can consider individual complaints between consumers and financial firms. This includes on fraud providing the activity is within the FOS’s jurisdiction, which is set by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The FOS can consider whether or not the firm has acted fairly, however, any criminal investigation would be a matter for the police.

HM Treasury is working with colleagues in the Home Office as they develop a new, expanded Fraud Strategy. This will be published in due course as part of the Government’s Plan for Change and in line with our manifesto commitments.

Found: slavery, wages are withheld from workers. 17,000 cases of modern slavery were reported to the Home Office

Found: Activity Description 2024-25 – Key Delivery Prevention of DfT is collaborating with the Home Office

Found: Home Office Accounts 2024-25

Found: should be read alongside more detailed sanctions guidance published by departments including the Home Office

Found: an eligibility stage, undertaken by the MOD; and (2) an entry clearance stage, undertaken by the Home Office

Found: EUSS – previously he was granted Pre- Settled Status in 2019 and has appealed the Home Office

Found: and Tribunals Service) David Singer Reducing spiking offences and increasing prosecutions (Home Office

Found: In another example, the Home Office worked to reduce ‘spiking’ offences and increase prosecutions, using

Found: Civil Society Covenant: Home Office Knife Crime Coalition - Cymraeg A partnership based approach to reducing

Found: We also reached out to UK Government departments and agencies (including Defra, Home Office, Cabinet

Found: Care 34,221 80,646 -17,272 8,035 17,834 25,536 Education 24,099 20,806 -5,198 7,966 6,775 10,042 Home Office

Found: 26outturnoutturnoutturnoutturnoutturnplansResource DELHealth and Social Care-----98Education------Home Office

Found: With the Home Office, we have established the new Joint International Irregular Migration Unit, to

Found: Communities & Local Government – Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25 functions previously held by the Home Office

Found: 2025, the Group also took on policy responsibility for all fire functions previously held by the Home Office

Found: 2025, the Group also took on policy responsibility for all fire functions previously held by the Home Office

Found: Delivery Prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) DfT is collaborating with the Home Office

Found: Activity Description 2024-25 – Key Delivery Prevention of DfT is collaborating with the Home Office

Found: Delivery Prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) DfT is collaborating with the Home Office

Found: Home Office PSED compliance The Home Office has made significant improvements to its PSED compliance

Found: lists ECJU participated in several trade, academia, defence and security events, including: • The Home Office

Found: lists ECJU participated in several trade, academia, defence and security events, including: • The Home Office

Found: above reports, NAO also published the following report where the Department was a witness and the Home Office

Found: above reports, NAO also published the following report where the Department was a witness and the Home Office

Found: We have developed a close working relationship with the Counter Terrorism Police and the Home Office

Found: deter would-be migrants from making a dangerous journey in the first place, and works with the Home Office

Found: Pensions Department of Health & Social Care Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office HM Treasury Home Office

Found: landlord or registered charity as domestic abuse emergency accommodation (MHCLG, 2021; see also Home Office

Found: Oliver et al (2019), a Home Office commissioned review of the economic and social costs of domestic

Found: Responsibility for GLAA’s functions around tackling serious labour exploitation will transfer from Home Office

Found: Home Office NRM statistics for 2024 show labour exploitation was the most reported type of exploitation

Found: Home Office NRM statistics for 2024 show labour exploitation was the most reported type of exploitation

Found: Responsibility for GLAA’s functions around tackling serious labour exploitation will transfer from Home Office

Found: recommendations to be taken forward by the director’s office, the Department for Business and Trade, Home Office

Found: 242024-25outturnoutturnoutturnoutturnoutturnResource DELHealth and Social Care-----Education-----Home Office

Found: From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Home Office, Cabinet Office and National Cyber Security

Found: 2017 and 2020. 1.2 The Money Laundering Regulations (MLRs) stipulate that HM Treasury and Home Office

Found: ) includes £0.7 billion (2022 -23: £0.6 billion) of immigration skills charges received by the Home Office

Found: The Home Office leads cross–government efforts to tackle violence against women and girls and is the

Found: The Home Office leads cross–government efforts to tackle violence against women and girls and is the

Found: Crime Agency Remuneration Review Body , Office for the Pay Review Bodies, National Crime Agency and Home Office

Found: Home Secretary 2 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DF www.gov.uk/home- office The Rt

Found: We also draw attention to the Home Office evidence which stated that 27% (£99 million) of the Agency

Found: The Home Office’s Age Dispute Team accepted the age.109 Home Office response Inspectors asked the Home

Found: Home Office response Inspectors asked the Home Office whether a safeguarding referral was made, given

Found: useful to look at deaf migrants' different experiences within institutions such as education and the Home Office

Found: • Chair of the EFRA Select Committee and the chief economists of the Home Office and Defra, 9

Found: On the 21 July 2022 the Minister of State for the Home Office laid a Commencement Order for the Forensic

Found: Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office, the Home Office

Found: Home Office PSED compliance The Home Office has made significant improvements to its PSED compliance

Found: Development Safety Update Reports, MicroStrategy, and a new Scientific Advice form • Secured Home Office

Found: A new digital service for the police Throughout the year we worked closely with Home Office and National

Found: Claire has also led strategy and policy for the Department of Health, Home Office and HM Revenue & Customs

Found: Claire has also led strategy and policy for the Department of Health, Home Office and HM Revenue & Customs

Found: approval of speed enforcement camera systems used in the UK particularly those operating under the Home Office

Found: approval of speed enforcement camera systems used in the UK, particularly those operating under the Home Office

Found: Our role is to supply specialist services to MOD, the Home Office and across government using evidence

Found: these organisations, including the Office for Students, the Security Industry Authority and the Home Office

Found: these organisations, including the Office for Students, the Security Industry Authority and the Home Office

Found: inspection services to the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills, the Home Office

Found: lists ECJU participated in several trade, academia, defence and security events, including: • The Home Office

Found: lists ECJU participated in several trade, academia, defence and security events, including: • The Home Office

Found: Previously Simon held several senior positions at the Home Office, including the UK Border Agency’

Found: Previously Simon held several senior positions at the Home Office, including the UK Border Agency’

Found: Sharon joined UKAEA from the Home Office where she partnered with Border Force and was based at Heathrow

Found: Department for Science, Innovation and Technology; Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; Home Office

Found: Official statistics made available by the Home Office show that, as at September 2024 there have been

Found: Previously serving as Chief Commercial Officer at the Home Office, Sam brings extensive experience

Found: Stephanie has a wealth of experience in cybersecurity, and has worked with the BBC World Service, the Home Office

Found: Iftekhar Ahmed* Appointed 2019, Reappointed 2024 Home Office consultant Shazia Ahmed* Appointed 2016

Found: Patrick was most recently at the Home Office, where he led various service delivery functions with

Found: Patrick was most recently at the Home Office, where he led various service delivery functions with

Found: and Early Warnings Systems Initiative • United Nations, World Bank and World Food Programme • Home Office

Found: and Early Warnings Systems Initiative • United Nations, World Bank and World Food Programme • Home Office

Found: We look forward to continued dialogue with the Home Office on this.

Found: We look forward to continued dialogue with the Home Office on this.

Found: UK international trade and the collection of taxes and duties on imports, working closely with Home Office

Found: All our experimental work using protected animals is regulated by 50 the Home Office under the Animals

Found: All our experimental work using protected animals is regulated by the Home Office under the Animals

Found: Department for Transport ● Ministry of Justice ● Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs ● Home Office

Found: British Sign Language 5-year plan: Home Office

Found: From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Home Office, Cabinet Office and National Cyber Security

Found: Notification regarding the use of drug testing kits and devices for rapid drug identification under the Home Office

Found: Notification regarding the use of drug testing kits and devices for rapid drug identification under the Home Office

Found: In another example, the Home Office worked to reduce ‘spiking’ offences and increase prosecutions, using

Found: and Tribunals Service) David Singer Reducing spiking offences and increasing prosecutions (Home Office

Found: officials and analysts from the core government departments that use the EHS (MHCLG, BEIS and the Home Office

Found: officials and analysts from the core government departments that use the EHS (MHCLG, BEIS and the Home Office

Found: officials and analysts from the core government departments that use the EHS (MHCLG, BEIS and the Home Office

Found: officials and analysts from the core government departments that use the EHS (MHCLG, BEIS and the Home Office

Found: team organised a number of meetings with policy and analysts teams across MHCLG, BEIS and the Home Office

Found: Mandatory courses are funded by the Home Office.

Found: , to help create an offer that meets population needs holistically. 12 Home Office

Found: Pensions, Department for Transport, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, HM Revenue and Customs, the Home Office

Found: The general thrust of this guidance is contradictory to that of the Home Office ASB Action Plan.

Found: Overseas Territories Engagement International Strategy Engagement & Devolution Directorate (ISED) Home Office

Found: scottish.ministers@gov.scot  Seema Malhotra MP Minister for Migration and Citizenship Home Office

Found: referral from a local authority or from the Home Office.

Found: Not to update guidance, recognising that the current guidance is largely fit for purpose and that Home Office

Found: Science, Innovation and Technology • Department for Environment, Net Zero, and Energy Security • Home Office

Found: In any dwelling, the home office space can be in a circulation space but should not be located in a

Question

Scottish Government officials have now looked further into this matter, and in relation to the member's previous questions S6W-30076, S6W-30077 and S6W-30078, we can provide the following further information.On question S6W-30076 (To ask the Scottish Government what due diligence was carried our prior to it providing funding to the group of companies referred to in the BBC's recent reporting on modern slavery within the Scottish fishing sector):As part of the due diligence process for the historical schemes in question, grantees were required to ensure that they and anyone acting on their behalf comply with the relevant law. The scheme rules and eligibility criteria included, where appropriate, assessment of any previous relevant offences and convictions.On questions S6W-30077 and S6W-30078 (To ask the Scottish Government whether it was aware that there were ongoing police investigations into the companies referred to in the BBC's recent reporting on slavery in the Scottish fishing sector when it awarded any funding to those companies: and to ask the Scottish Government whether it was aware that workers at the companies referred to in the BBC's recent reporting on slavery in the Scottish fishing sector had been recognised by the Home Office as victims of human trafficking when it awarded any funding to those companies):Any form of human trafficking or exploitation is of course totally unacceptable. Whilst Scottish Government officials may from time-to-time be aware of the existence or generalities of specific Police Scotland investigations, or be informed of relevant outcomes following their conclusion, they are not privy to detailed investigatory or procedural information. A live police investigation or sub-judice proceedings are not automatically grounds for refusing funding unless and until those proceedings had concluded and resulted in a conviction for a relevant offence, with decisions taken on a case-by-case basis. Historic funding schemes were subject to the relevant scheme rules and eligibility criteria which included, where appropriate, assessment of any previous relevant offences and convictions. That continues to be the case for the current Marine Fund Scotland funding scheme.

Answered by Gougeon, Mairi - Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands

Scottish Government officials have now looked further into this matter, and in relation to the member's previous questions S6W-30076, S6W-30077 and S6W-30078, we can provide the following further information.

On question S6W-30076 (To ask the Scottish Government what due diligence was carried our prior to it providing funding to the group of companies referred to in the BBC's recent reporting on modern slavery within the Scottish fishing sector):

As part of the due diligence process for the historical schemes in question, grantees were required to ensure that they and anyone acting on their behalf comply with the relevant law. The scheme rules and eligibility criteria included, where appropriate, assessment of any previous relevant offences and convictions.

On questions S6W-30077 and S6W-30078 (To ask the Scottish Government whether it was aware that there were ongoing police investigations into the companies referred to in the BBC's recent reporting on slavery in the Scottish fishing sector when it awarded any funding to those companies: and to ask the Scottish Government whether it was aware that workers at the companies referred to in the BBC's recent reporting on slavery in the Scottish fishing sector had been recognised by the Home Office as victims of human trafficking when it awarded any funding to those companies):

Any form of human trafficking or exploitation is of course totally unacceptable. Whilst Scottish Government officials may from time-to-time be aware of the existence or generalities of specific Police Scotland investigations, or be informed of relevant outcomes following their conclusion, they are not privy to detailed investigatory or procedural information. A live police investigation or sub-judice proceedings are not automatically grounds for refusing funding unless and until those proceedings had concluded and resulted in a conviction for a relevant offence, with decisions taken on a case-by-case basis. Historic funding schemes were subject to the relevant scheme rules and eligibility criteria which included, where appropriate, assessment of any previous relevant offences and convictions. That continues to be the case for the current Marine Fund Scotland funding scheme.

Found: Bob Doris MSP also noted that the role that Home Office and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) might

Found: Bob Doris MSP also noted that the role that Home Office and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) might