Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will remove Asma Assad's UK citizenship.

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

We do not comment on individual cases.

But in the wider issue raised, the Home Office acted swiftly to temporarily pause decisions on Syrian asylum claims whilst we assess the current situation.

We keep all country guidance relating to asylum claims under constant review so we can respond to emerging issues.

While all asylum claims are routinely considered on their individual merits, it is standard procedure to deny protection to anyone who has committed crimes against peace, war crimes, crimes against humanity, other serious crimes abroad or acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a review of which nationalities proportionately commit the largest number of crimes.

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

The Ministry of Justice already publishes the nationality of those entering custody or serving prison sentences as part of their quarterly Offender Management Statistics: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/offender-management-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2024/offender-management-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2024.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many notices that a person is to be treated as an illegal entrant or as a person liable to administrative removal under section 10 of the Immigration & Asylum Act 1999 have been issued by her Department in each of the last five years.

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

The specific information requested is not readily available from published statistics, and could only be obtained 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, with reference to her Department's contract entitled Services to Support Migrants Currently Living in the Community Who Do Not Have Permission to Live in the UK, reference C16116, published on 14 December 2020, how many migrants have used these services.

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

A total of 84 participants took part in the Refugee and Migrant Advice Service, which ran from June 2020 until June 2022.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that Crown Dependencies are not used to launder the proceeds of corruption.

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

The Crown Dependencies are separate, self-governing jurisdictions responsible for their own domestic affairs, including financial services regulation. The Ministry of Justice is responsible for managing the UK’s constitutional relationship with the Crown Dependencies but all UK Government departments are responsible for their respective policy areas towards the Crown Dependencies and engage directly with them. The Home Office leads on illicit finance liaison with the Crown Dependencies for the UK Government.

Corruption and illicit finance threaten global security, harm democracy, hamper economic growth and prosperity, slow development, and harm victims. The UK Government is committed to working together with international financial centres, including the Crown Dependencies and the Overseas Territories, to help tackle corruption and money laundering.

The Crown Dependencies (the Bailiwick of Jersey, the Bailiwick of Guernsey including Alderney, and the Isle of Man) have company beneficial ownership registers and they share data from these with UK law enforcement via the Exchange of Notes arrangements.

Publicly accessible company beneficial ownership registers are a critical tool for tackling illicit finance, making it more challenging for illicit actors to hide funds and launder the proceeds of corruption. The Home Office continues to work with the Crown Dependencies to help improve their beneficial ownership transparency and welcomes the commitments the Crown Dependencies have made for greater corporate transparency; the Crown Dependencies are working towards implementing legitimate interest access to their registers, including access for media and civil society.

However, this Government is committed to tackling illicit finance and expects this to be an interim step to public registers. I look forward to meeting with the Crown Dependencies in 2025 to discuss this ongoing agenda.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government on how many occasions since 2019 (1) illegal bush meat products and (2) other illegal, non-compliant or contaminated meat products have been confiscated at ports of entry to the UK; where and when these confiscations occurred; from which countries these confiscated products originated; and which species were confiscated.

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

This information requested is not available.

We cannot provide any data on the species of animal any meat seized is from, or on the countries from which the meat originated. The data does not distinguish between 'meat' and 'bush meat’, and it does not specify why the meat was seized.

We also do not release details of the location as this information could risk undermining border security by providing intelligence in our resource deployment and targeting to smuggling networks.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the cost to the Home Office of the pilot scheme which extends from 28 days to 56 days the "move-on" period for people whose asylum claims have been granted and who are resident in Home Office-funded accommodation or otherwise in receipt of Home Office-funded support.

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

The Home Office has recently introduced a time limited pilot giving newly recognised refugees 56 days’ notice to move on from asylum accommodation, in order to support local authorities as we seek to clear the asylum backlog and transition to eVisas.

We do not expect that the pilot will materially affect our forecast spend on asylum costs over the current Spending Review Period.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to extend the deadline for registering for an e-Visa.

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

There is no deadline for registering for a UKVI account to access an eVisa. Most BRPs expire on 31 December and we encourage all BRP holders to create a UKVI account before their BRP expires. If a person has not created an account by 31 December 2024, they will still be able to do so in 2025, using their expired BRP if needed.

eVisas are a key part of our Border Transformation and have been successfully used by over 6 million people in recent years.

The rollout of eVisas does not affect a person’s immigration status. Even where someone has not yet created a UKVI account, their eVisa is already available and employers and landlords can digitally check a person’s right to work status using the ‘Check a job applicant’s right to work’ and ‘Check a tenant’s right to rent in England’ services.

It is not possible to provide accurate figures on the number of people who have failed to complete the UKVI account registration process. These failures can be due to a number of reasons, including the user choosing to pause the process. Similarly, it is not possible to identify the proportion of people who may have experienced technical difficulties with the eVisa system itself rather than for another reason.

There have been 441 complaints relating to eVisas received by our Customer Complaints Team between 28 August 2024 and 15 December 2024, which is the most recent reporting period available. This number refers to all complaints relating to eVisas rather than just in relation to registering for a UKVI account.

Over 3.1 million people, mostly with BRPs, have successfully made the transition to eVisas from March to November this year. There are still a proportion of customers who have not yet signed up, and we would strongly encourage them to do so. We publish monthly statistics on the number of people who have created a UKVI account, the latest edition of which can be found at Online immigration status (eVisa): UKVI account creation data - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing a new public inquiry into the Windrush scandal.

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

This government is determined to put right the appalling injustices caused by the Home Office’s treatment of members of the Windrush community, making sure that those affected receive the compensation they rightly deserve, and ensuring cultural change is embedded permanently into the fabric of the Home Office.

We have established a new Windrush Unit in the Home Office with a remit dedicated to driving systemic and cultural change across the whole organisation. The new Windrush Unit will be undertaking a review of the Home Office’s response to the Windrush Lessons Learned Review to assess how far the department has come and what more needs to be done.

We will be appointing a Windrush Commissioner to act as an independent advocate for all those affected. This independent advocate will ensure the voices of Windrush victims and communities are heard throughout government and will help ensure lasting change is delivered and lessons of the past are truly learned.

We believe that these measures will be the quickest and most effective way to learn lessons and ensure victims get the support they deserve.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the National Police Chiefs’ Council regarding their review of guidance of trans identified police offers conducting strip searches; and when it will be published.

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

Ministers and officials meet with representatives of the NPCC on a regular basis and discuss a wide range of topics.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council is currently reviewing its national guidance on searching by transgender officers, and we anticipate this will be issued to forces in 2025.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many registrations for an e-Visa have (a) failed to complete the process and (b) experienced technical difficulties.

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

There is no deadline for registering for a UKVI account to access an eVisa. Most BRPs expire on 31 December and we encourage all BRP holders to create a UKVI account before their BRP expires. If a person has not created an account by 31 December 2024, they will still be able to do so in 2025, using their expired BRP if needed.

eVisas are a key part of our Border Transformation and have been successfully used by over 6 million people in recent years.

The rollout of eVisas does not affect a person’s immigration status. Even where someone has not yet created a UKVI account, their eVisa is already available and employers and landlords can digitally check a person’s right to work status using the ‘Check a job applicant’s right to work’ and ‘Check a tenant’s right to rent in England’ services.

It is not possible to provide accurate figures on the number of people who have failed to complete the UKVI account registration process. These failures can be due to a number of reasons, including the user choosing to pause the process. Similarly, it is not possible to identify the proportion of people who may have experienced technical difficulties with the eVisa system itself rather than for another reason.

There have been 441 complaints relating to eVisas received by our Customer Complaints Team between 28 August 2024 and 15 December 2024, which is the most recent reporting period available. This number refers to all complaints relating to eVisas rather than just in relation to registering for a UKVI account.

Over 3.1 million people, mostly with BRPs, have successfully made the transition to eVisas from March to November this year. There are still a proportion of customers who have not yet signed up, and we would strongly encourage them to do so. We publish monthly statistics on the number of people who have created a UKVI account, the latest edition of which can be found at Online immigration status (eVisa): UKVI account creation data - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of people with the right to remain in the UK have reported issues registering for an e-Visa.

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

There is no deadline for registering for a UKVI account to access an eVisa. Most BRPs expire on 31 December and we encourage all BRP holders to create a UKVI account before their BRP expires. If a person has not created an account by 31 December 2024, they will still be able to do so in 2025, using their expired BRP if needed.

eVisas are a key part of our Border Transformation and have been successfully used by over 6 million people in recent years.

The rollout of eVisas does not affect a person’s immigration status. Even where someone has not yet created a UKVI account, their eVisa is already available and employers and landlords can digitally check a person’s right to work status using the ‘Check a job applicant’s right to work’ and ‘Check a tenant’s right to rent in England’ services.

It is not possible to provide accurate figures on the number of people who have failed to complete the UKVI account registration process. These failures can be due to a number of reasons, including the user choosing to pause the process. Similarly, it is not possible to identify the proportion of people who may have experienced technical difficulties with the eVisa system itself rather than for another reason.

There have been 441 complaints relating to eVisas received by our Customer Complaints Team between 28 August 2024 and 15 December 2024, which is the most recent reporting period available. This number refers to all complaints relating to eVisas rather than just in relation to registering for a UKVI account.

Over 3.1 million people, mostly with BRPs, have successfully made the transition to eVisas from March to November this year. There are still a proportion of customers who have not yet signed up, and we would strongly encourage them to do so. We publish monthly statistics on the number of people who have created a UKVI account, the latest edition of which can be found at Online immigration status (eVisa): UKVI account creation data - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many complaints her Department has received on systems for registering for an e-Visa.

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

There is no deadline for registering for a UKVI account to access an eVisa. Most BRPs expire on 31 December and we encourage all BRP holders to create a UKVI account before their BRP expires. If a person has not created an account by 31 December 2024, they will still be able to do so in 2025, using their expired BRP if needed.

eVisas are a key part of our Border Transformation and have been successfully used by over 6 million people in recent years.

The rollout of eVisas does not affect a person’s immigration status. Even where someone has not yet created a UKVI account, their eVisa is already available and employers and landlords can digitally check a person’s right to work status using the ‘Check a job applicant’s right to work’ and ‘Check a tenant’s right to rent in England’ services.

It is not possible to provide accurate figures on the number of people who have failed to complete the UKVI account registration process. These failures can be due to a number of reasons, including the user choosing to pause the process. Similarly, it is not possible to identify the proportion of people who may have experienced technical difficulties with the eVisa system itself rather than for another reason.

There have been 441 complaints relating to eVisas received by our Customer Complaints Team between 28 August 2024 and 15 December 2024, which is the most recent reporting period available. This number refers to all complaints relating to eVisas rather than just in relation to registering for a UKVI account.

Over 3.1 million people, mostly with BRPs, have successfully made the transition to eVisas from March to November this year. There are still a proportion of customers who have not yet signed up, and we would strongly encourage them to do so. We publish monthly statistics on the number of people who have created a UKVI account, the latest edition of which can be found at Online immigration status (eVisa): UKVI account creation data - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of people with the right to remain in the UK have registered for an e-Visa.

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

There is no deadline for registering for a UKVI account to access an eVisa. Most BRPs expire on 31 December and we encourage all BRP holders to create a UKVI account before their BRP expires. If a person has not created an account by 31 December 2024, they will still be able to do so in 2025, using their expired BRP if needed.

eVisas are a key part of our Border Transformation and have been successfully used by over 6 million people in recent years.

The rollout of eVisas does not affect a person’s immigration status. Even where someone has not yet created a UKVI account, their eVisa is already available and employers and landlords can digitally check a person’s right to work status using the ‘Check a job applicant’s right to work’ and ‘Check a tenant’s right to rent in England’ services.

It is not possible to provide accurate figures on the number of people who have failed to complete the UKVI account registration process. These failures can be due to a number of reasons, including the user choosing to pause the process. Similarly, it is not possible to identify the proportion of people who may have experienced technical difficulties with the eVisa system itself rather than for another reason.

There have been 441 complaints relating to eVisas received by our Customer Complaints Team between 28 August 2024 and 15 December 2024, which is the most recent reporting period available. This number refers to all complaints relating to eVisas rather than just in relation to registering for a UKVI account.

Over 3.1 million people, mostly with BRPs, have successfully made the transition to eVisas from March to November this year. There are still a proportion of customers who have not yet signed up, and we would strongly encourage them to do so. We publish monthly statistics on the number of people who have created a UKVI account, the latest edition of which can be found at Online immigration status (eVisa): UKVI account creation data - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been convicted of terrorism offences in the last 12 months.

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

In the year ending 30 September 2024, there were 72 trials for terrorism offences in England & Wales, 71 of which were convicted and 1 acquitted.

Further information on the use of police powers under terrorism and subsequent legislation can be found in the published quarterly statistics on GOV.UK: Operation of police powers under TACT 2000, to September 2024.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 11 December (HL2987), what estimate they have made of the monetary cost of the collation and verification of data relating to individuals who have had their UK visas revoked on the grounds of (1) national security, and (2) being non-conducive to the public good.

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

It has been established that the time it would take to individually review each case that has been considered for curtailment during the time frame requested would exceed the relevant cost limit.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has written to Chief Constables setting out her priorities for policing.

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

The Home Secretary spoke with all Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners within her first days of office, on 7th July. In that same week on 11^th July, the Home Secretary attended meetings of both the NPCC and APCC to set out this Government’s Safer Streets mission and priorities for policing.

She discussed her priorities for policing with sector leaders at the National Policing Board on 23^rd October and, on 19^th November, set out more detail of her plans to all Chief Constables and PCCs at the National Police Chiefs Council and Association of Police Crime Commissioners Summit.

The Home Secretary wrote to all Chief Constables and Police Crime Commissioners (PCCs) on 5^th December on the Government’s Plan for Change and the ambition to restore neighbourhood policing.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much their Department spent on (a) media and (b) voice training for Ministers since 5 July 2024.

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

There has been no spend on media or voice training for Ministers since 5 July 2024.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what funding has been provided to the counter-extremism centre of excellence since 4 July 2024.

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

The March 2024 announcement of a new centre of excellence for counter-extremism within the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government was a commitment by the previous administration and has not been continued by this Government.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with the (a) Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology and (b) Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on (i) coordinated action to deliver the phase out of animal testing and (ii) the potential merits of establishing a cross-Government taskforce.

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

This Government has made a commitment to the development of alternative methodologies to the use of animals in science and Lord Hanson has held discussions on the delivery of that commitment with Ministers for the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The plan we develop will maintain the UK’s place at the forefront of science development and innovation.

In the limited circumstances where there is no animal alternative and procedures are required to deliver important benefits to people, the environment, and other animals then we deliver robust, rigorous and trustworthy regulation of those procedures.

The Home Office assures that, in every research proposal: animals are replaced with non-animal alternatives wherever possible; that experiments are appropriate designed and analysed experiments that are robust, reproducible, and add to the knowledge base; and that we assure the methodologies use the latest technologies to minimise pain, suffering and distress and improve understanding of the impact of welfare on scientific outcomes.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of publishing data on whether illicit objects were found during strip searches (a) in police custody and (b) during police stop and searches by (i) police force and (ii) the (A) age, (B) sex and (C) ethnicity of the person.

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

Strip search is one of the most intrusive powers available to the police. Its use must be fair, respectful, without unlawful discrimination, and transparent. The Government is committed to introducing new legal safeguards around strip searching children.

As part of the Home Office’s Annual Data Requirement, data on strip searches which take place in custody is collected and published on an annual basis online at gov.uk:

Other PACE powers, year ending March 2023 (second edition) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

This custody data includes the number of strip searches carried out, as well as the age, sex and ethnicity of persons searched. For the 2024/25 custody data collection, forces will be required to record the reasonable grounds for search during a strip search. However, the data does not currently include data on the outcome of the search, and this is something the Home Office will consider collecting in future years.

Since April 2023, the Home Office has also collected data on the extent of clothing removal in stop and searches, allowing analysis of strip searches under stop and search powers. This includes publishing for the first time in September 2024 a breakdown by the sex, age and ethnicity of the person strip searched following the stop and search encounter. Home Office statistics on stop and search includes data on the outcome of the search, including the grounds for the search and whether the outcome of the search was linked to the grounds, which allows analysis of items found.

Information on the levels of stop and search is available at gov.uk:

Stop and search, arrests and mental health detentions, March 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Data on the level of clothing removal during stop and search is labelled as ‘Official Statistics in development’ to denote its collection on a voluntary basis and ongoing quality improvements to the data.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the new visa requirements for Colombian citizens on UK citizens who are intending to return to the UK with children born through surrogacy in Colombia.

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

The status of British Citizens is not affected by the reintroduction of a visa requirement for Colombian nationals. The new visa requirements introduced on 26 November 2024 relate to visitors and passengers in transit only. The visa requirements for those who intend to settle in the UK or enter for any other reason have not changed. Full consideration was given to the likely impact of the change on Colombian nationals. British Citizens who intend to return to the UK with a child born through surrogacy are advised to seek specialist immigration advice.

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 impact of the decision to discontinue the Refugee Employability Programme on the ability of refugees to (a) secure employment, (b) integrate into local communities, and (c) access local childcare and healthcare services.

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

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 17 December to Question UIN 18515.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason her Department discontinued the Refugee Employability Programme.

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

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 17 December to Question UIN 18515.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to reduce antisocial behaviour in Great Yarmouth constituency.

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.

The Government recently announced Respect Orders, which will be introduced in the forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill. Respect Orders can be applied for by police and local councils and are issued by the courts. They will enable courts to place wide-ranging restrictions on the behaviour of the most persistent and disruptive ASB offenders. Breach will be a criminal offence meaning officers can arrest and take action quickly to disrupt ongoing ASB. Breaches will be heard in the criminal courts who will have a wide range of sentencing options, including community orders, unlimited fines and, for the most severe cases, up to two years’ imprisonment.

We will also put thousands of neighbourhood police and community support officers into local communities so that residents have a named officer they can turn to when things go wrong.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including immigration status on crime reports.

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

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer he was given on 4^th December to question UIN 16906.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many members of the Taliban have been allowed to travel to the UK since the takeover in August 2021, and what was the reason for their travel.

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

We hold no record of any delegation of Taliban members travelling to the UK since August 2021.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of applications for naturalisation as a British citizen were processed within the UK Visas and Immigration six-month service standard in the latest period for which data is available; and what steps her Department is taking to meet this service standard.

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

The Home Office publishes regular data on the processing of applications for British citizenship on the Gov.uk website. This includes performance against the service standard for completing applications. The most recent Migration Transparency data published in November 2024 shows that 99.9% of straightforward applications were decided within service standard.

The link to the latest Migration Transparency Data can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/passport-citizenship-and-civil-registrations-data-q3-2024.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of police officers in 2027.

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

Police forces in England and Wales are expected to maintain officer numbers, as per the officer maintenance grant. The Government is currently working with police forces on setting an accurate baseline for neighbourhood policing numbers.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of comments made by Sir Mark Rowley to the London Policing Board on 10 December 2024 in relation to (a) funding and (b) potential job losses in the Metropolitan Police.

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

The Provisional Police Funding Settlement was published on 17 December. This settlement provides £19.5 billion of funding for 2025-26 which is an increase of up to £1 billion. For the Metropolitan Police, this means funding of up to £3.8 billion in funding in 2025-26, an increase of up to £226.9 million when compared to the 2024-25 police settlement.

We will continue to work closely with the force to ensure that they have the resources they need.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the impact of negative conclusive grounds decisions under the National Referral Mechanism on vulnerable individuals.

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

From January 2020 to September 2024, there were 70,790 referrals into the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). These have seen a continued increase.

In the same period, there were 51,850 positive reasonable grounds decisions made, and 34,254 conclusive grounds decisions made. Of which 24,233 were positive and 10,021 were negative. These statistics may change as new information becomes available, or if decisions are reconsidered.

With regards to the impact of recent legislation, the Illegal Migration Act 2023 has not been commenced in full, and the Government has made clear that the migration partnership with Rwanda will end. Any legislative plans resulting from this decision will be set out in due course.

This Government has been clear that identifying and supporting victims effectively is a key priority – that is why we have invested in 200 new decision makers to clear the backlog of cases and reduce wait times for victims.

The Home Office publishes modern slavery statistics on a quarterly basis and holds all policies and procedures under review to ensure they are effective in delivering the aims of the Government. As part of our New Plan for Immigration, we will take forward an evaluation workstream to understand the impact being achieved.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Home Department, how many assaults there have been on police officers in the last 12 months.

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

Data on the number of police recorded crimes for assaults against police officers is published by the Office for National Statistics as part of their quarterly ‘Crime in England and Wales’ series which can be accessed here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice.

Information on the number of offences of assaults against police officers in England and Wales, for the year ending 30 June 2024, can be found in Table A5a of the Crime in England and Wales Appendix Tables here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/crimeinenglandandwalesappendixtables/yearendingjune2024/appendixtablesjun24final.xlsx.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has a working definition of Islamism.

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

In the context relevant to the Home Office’s responsibility for tackling Islamist extremism or terrorism the UK’s counter-terrorism strategy CONTEST says that Islamist terrorism is the threat or use of violence as a means to establish a strict interpretation of an Islamic society.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of referrals made to the Prevent programme in relation to people from (a) Rochester and Strood constituency, (b) Medway and (c) Kent in each of the last five years.

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

The Home Office does not publish data on the number of referrals made to the Prevent programme below regional levels because it could enable a threat picture to be built which could be used for terrorist purposes.

The number of referrals made to the Prevent programme in the South-East region, in which the areas the Hon Member has asked about are contained, is provided in the table below.

Number of individuals referred to the Prevent Programme within the South East region each year since the financial year ending 2020

Further information on the individuals referred to Prevent can be found in the published annual statistics on GOV.UK: Individuals referred to Prevent: to March 2024.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support police forces to purchase equipment for tackling rural crime.

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

It is an operational matter for policing to determine how they use the resources they have been allocated in order to carry out their duties, taking into account local priorities.

The Provisional Police Funding Settlement announced funding of up to £19.5 billion for 2025-26, an increase of up to £1 billion, or 5.5% in cash terms, from last year’s settlement.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to review the salary threshold for the visa sponsorship programme.

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

The Home Secretary confirmed on 30 July that the Government will be retaining the increase to the general salary threshold for the Skilled Worker visa route brought in by the previous government. The general salary thresholds are updated on an annual basis to keep track with the latest available salary data and pay scales to account for overall wage increases.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly about the leadership of the Devon and Cornwall Police.

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

It is for locally elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) to make decisions around appointing, suspending, and removing chief constables. The Office of the PCC for Devon and Cornwall have kept the Home Office updated on the decisions taken by the PCC about the leadership of the force. I welcome the recent appointment of James Vaughan QPM as interim Chief Constable for Devon & Cornwall Police

It is vital that all forces have strong leadership that instils the right culture across the workforce. That is why the College of Policing are working to embed consistent leadership standards across all forces and ranks.

In her Written Ministerial Statement of 19 November 2024 (HCWS232), the Home Secretary announced her intention to present a White Paper to Parliament next year on reforms to deliver more effective and efficient policing, to rebuild public confidence and to deliver the Government’s Safer Streets mission. This reform programme will be a collaborative endeavour with policing, and will include exploring how to strengthen police workforce, leadership, and culture.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 11 December (HL2985), why they do not currently hold data on the cost to individual police forces of collecting and collating data on non-crime hate incidents.

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

Data relating to non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs) is held by individual police forces.

Previous Conservative governments have made the decision to not centrally collate this data in order to minimise the burden on police forces.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to placing the Devon and Cornwall Police under special measures.

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

Where serious failings or concerns are identified, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services may choose to escalate a police force to ‘Engage’, also known as ‘special measures’, which is a form of enhanced monitoring. These decisions are made by His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary (HMCIC), independently of Government.

Devon & Cornwall Police was escalated to Engage by the Inspectorate in October 2022 over concerns surrounding their crime data integrity, their call handling (which has since been addressed) and their management of sexual and violent offenders. The force has been subject to enhanced monitoring since.

HMCIC, Andy Cooke, chairs the Police Performance and Oversight Group (PPOG), where forces in Engage present their progress against HMICFRS’ concerns and recommendations and are able to receive support from the sector. The Home Office attends these meetings to monitor what progress is being made, and to consider what further support may be required.

When HMICFRS is satisfied that ‘sustained and sustainable’ improvements have been made by a force against concerns identified, the Inspectorate may release it from its Engaged status.

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 making wildlife crimes notifiable offences.

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

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

That is why, along with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Home Office directly funds the National Wildlife Crime Unit, which plays a vital role in providing intelligence, analysis and investigative assistance to the police and other law enforcement agencies across the UK.

Any non-notifiable wildlife crime reported to the police can still be investigated where appropriate, as Chief Constables have operational independence to tackle the crimes that matter most to their communities.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the impact of the proposed Respect Orders on anti-social car meets and illegal street racing in Basingstoke.

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

Acts of anti-social behaviour (ASB) - such as the arrangement of illegal car meets – cause great harm, distress and nuisance to our communities, and, if left unchecked, can lead to even more serious offending. That is why tackling ASB is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission, and it is also why we are putting 13,000 additional police officers and community support officers back on the beat to restore effective and visible neighbourhood policing in communities like Basingstoke.

As recently announced by the Home Secretary, the Respect Orders we will introduce in the forthcoming Crime and Policing Bill will enable the courts to place wide-ranging restrictions on the behaviour of the most persistent and disruptive ASB offenders. Breaches of those orders will be a criminal offence, and the courts will have a wide range of sentencing options for those convicted, including community orders, unlimited fines and, for the most severe cases, up to two years’ imprisonment.

The Home Office publishes statutory Guidance for police and local authorities on the use of the anti-social behaviour powers under the Anti-social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014, and this will be updated to include the Respect Order. The Respect Order will be piloted to ensure it is as effective as possible, before national roll-out.

Section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002 empowers the police to issue a warning to anyone driving both in a careless and inconsiderate manner on road or off-road without consent and in a way which causes alarm, distress or annoyance to members of the public. If the driver ignores the warning to stop the behaviour, the police can seize the vehicle. It is then only released on payment of prescribed fees.

The Home Office has recently announced plans to strengthen this law so that these vehicles can be seized by police when they are used to commit anti-social behaviour, including illegal street racing, without the necessity to issue a prior warning, thereby speeding up effective enforcement action and allowing the police to swiftly seize vehicles being used anti-socially.

The Home Office does not collect data on vehicles seized under Section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential benefits of a youth mobility agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union.

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

The UK has a range of cultural exchange schemes that offer young people from the UK and partner countries the chance to experience life in another country and to make lifelong ties and friendships overseas.

Regarding a youth mobility arrangement with the EU, the EU has not approached the UK with a formal proposal. The Government routinely discusses a range of issues with European counterparts, but we are clear that there will be no return to free movement, and that we must reduce the UK's levels of net migration after the record highs reached under the last government.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have had discussions with the European Union about a youth mobility agreement; and if so, when.

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

The UK has a range of cultural exchange schemes that offer young people from the UK and partner countries the chance to experience life in another country and to make lifelong ties and friendships overseas.

Regarding a youth mobility arrangement with the EU, the EU has not approached the UK with a formal proposal. The Government routinely discusses a range of issues with European counterparts, but we are clear that there will be no return to free movement, and that we must reduce the UK's levels of net migration after the record highs reached under the last government.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to support the National Wildlife Crime Unit.

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

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

That is why, along with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Home Office directly funds the National Wildlife Crime Unit, which plays a vital role in providing intelligence, analysis and investigative assistance to the police and other law enforcement agencies across the UK.

Any non-notifiable wildlife crime reported to the police can still be investigated where appropriate, as Chief Constables have operational independence to tackle the crimes that matter most to their communities.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to page 16 of the English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December 2024, whether her Department plans to abolish the role of Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall.

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

Since their introduction, Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) have brought greater local accountability to policing and we recognise the important role they play as the elected voice of their local communities.

The English Devolution White Paper sets out an ambition that where geographies of mayoral strategic authorities align with police forces, Mayors will, by default, exercise PCC functions. This does not abolish the role of Police and Crime Commissioner, but rather incorporates the functions as part of the role of the mayor, where one is established. We believe this offers wider levers to tackle and prevent crime and anti-social behaviour, whilst preserving directly elected oversight for policing.

Government will engage with partners across England, including in Devon and Cornwall, to agree devolution proposals that are right for the area.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the cost to the police service in (a) England and (b) Wales of the increase in Employers' National Insurance Contributions.

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

On 12 December, the PSC issued a circular stating that it has agreed to the deletion of the lowest pay point (£23,286) on the PSC Pay Spine with effect from 1 April 2025. This is to reflect that the increase in the National Living Wage, which will take effect on 1 April 2025, and will result in a rate of £12.21 per hour which will equate to £23,555 and which would be above the lowest pay point on the PSC pay spine. https://www.local.gov.uk/our-support/workforce-and-hr-support/police/police-staff/police-staff-council-circulars/psc-joint-8

We announced the provisional police funding settlement for 2025-26 on 17 December. This includes additional funding of £230.3 million to cover the costs to the police for additional employer’s National Insurance contributions.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the cost to the police service in (a) England and (b) Wales of the increase in minimum wage.

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

On 12 December, the PSC issued a circular stating that it has agreed to the deletion of the lowest pay point (£23,286) on the PSC Pay Spine with effect from 1 April 2025. This is to reflect that the increase in the National Living Wage, which will take effect on 1 April 2025, and will result in a rate of £12.21 per hour which will equate to £23,555 and which would be above the lowest pay point on the PSC pay spine. https://www.local.gov.uk/our-support/workforce-and-hr-support/police/police-staff/police-staff-council-circulars/psc-joint-8

We announced the provisional police funding settlement for 2025-26 on 17 December. This includes additional funding of £230.3 million to cover the costs to the police for additional employer’s National Insurance contributions.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with police forces on tackling vandalism of bank branches.

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

The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of flexible tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to anti-social behaviour, including acts of vandalism and criminal damage.

It is for local areas and individual police forces to decide how best to deploy these powers depending on the specific circumstances of each case, but the Government is determined to restore the neighbourhood policing that enables local forces to respond visibly and effectively to incidents of crime in our country’s high streets and town centres, including putting 13,000 more neighbourhood police and community support officers back on the beat in local communities to help lead that fight.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to remove (a) diversity and inclusion advisers and (b) champion positions in her Department.

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

The type of positions referred to by the Hon. Member were established under the previous Government, for the reasons set out in the answer of 10 January 2017 to Question 58238, which remain relevant today.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the effectiveness of the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022.

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

The Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act 2022 introduced emergency legislation to crack down on Russian dirty money including measures to move faster and harder when imposing sanctions, the creation of a Register of Overseas Entities to help crack down on foreign criminals using UK property to launder money and measures to strengthen the UK’s Unexplained Wealth Order regime to better support law enforcement investigations on property owned by overseas entities.

Government is required to conduct post-legislative scrutiny on legislation within five years. A review and assessment of the effectiveness of this Act will be made within five years of its commencement.

In the interim, Government publishes a report on the number of Unexplained Wealth Orders applied for and obtained annually. This contains a commentary section on the operation of the powers: Unexplained wealth orders: 2022 to 2023 annual report - GOV.UK. The United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER) have also written a review on the impact of the measures introducing a Register of Overseas Entities: UNU-WIDER : Working Paper : The end of Londongrad? The impact of beneficial ownership transparency on offshore investment in UK property.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she plans to take to ensure UK law enforcement authorities use criminal measures against professional enablers of economic crime who have exploited Crown Dependencies.

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

Professional enablers are a critical facilitator of serious and organised crime.

As part of the Economic Crime Plan 2, the National Economic Crime Centre launched a cross-system strategy to tackle the threat posed by professional enablers to the UK earlier this year.

This sets out a series of actions for the public and private sectors including commitments to enhance collective understanding, improve information sharing, make better use of powers and intervention tools, and develop joint disruption strategies to tackle the threat. One of the key objectives is for law enforcement and supervisory bodies to deliver impactful disruptions and use the full range of intervention opportunities, including criminal justice outcomes, to achieve this. We expect the strategy to start delivering results in 2025.

The Crown Dependencies are separate, self-governing jurisdictions responsible for their own domestic affairs and whose law enforcement agencies are responsible for tackling criminality that occurs in their jurisdictions. The Home Office works closely with the Crown Dependencies to strengthen their transparency requirements to reduce the threat of professional enablers and companies laundering money in the Crown Dependencies.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what occasions a Contract Change Note has been issued for contracts for asylum accommodation and support services since 2021.

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

Since 2021, Contract Change Notices have been issued for the Asylum Accommodation and Support contracts on the following occasions:

Serco MEE

Serco NW

Mears NEYH

Mears NI

Mears Scotland

CRH South

CRH Wales

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 30 October 2024 to Question 9278 on Home Office: Ministers' Private Offices, how much was spent on (a) new furniture and fittings and (b) other refurbishment of Ministerial offices in her Department between 4 July 2022 and 4 July 2024; and on what items this was spent.

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

The Government Property Agency has confirmed expenditure of £8,210.87 excluding VAT during the period 4th July 2022 to 4th July 2024 on new furniture and fittings plus other refurbishment (including moves) in relation to private offices for the Home Office. This is broken down as follows;

• New Furniture and Fittings - £677.90
  
  
• Other Refurbishment of Ministerial Offices including moves - £7,532.97

The full itemised list of Other Refurbishment of Ministerial Offices including moves can be found below:

Cost of New Furniture and Fittings (£677.90)

• Supply and install of 1x new desk. £677.90. Works Completed 24/01/2023

Cost of Other Refurbishment of Ministerial Offices including moves (£7,532.97)

• Desk moves. £346.56. Works Completed 14/07/2022
• Supply and installation floor-box. £138.64. Works Completed 01/11/2022
• Furniture moves. £816.50. Works Completed 01/11/2022
• Desk moves. £418.60. Works Completed 03/11/2022
• Desk moves. £138.64. Works Completed 21/11/2022
• Desk moves. £368.14. Works Completed 19/04/2023
• Signage. £156.98. Works Completed 05/05/2023
• Furniture moves. £784.25. Works Completed 02/10/2023
• Pattress for video wall installation. £2,903.28. Works Completed 21/03/2024
• Desk moves. £51.75. Works Completed 11/07/2024
• Desk moves. £467.28. Works Completed 12/07/2024
• Install meeting table from storage. £219.91. Works Completed 20/08/2024

Signage. £722.44. Works Completed 30/09/2024

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to follow the Prevent duty guidance, published on 12 March 2015, during meetings with Islamist organisations.

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

In 2024 a new definition of extremism was published, alongside a set of engagement principles, to ensure that the Government is not inadvertently providing a platform, funding or legitimacy to groups or individuals who attempt to advance extremist ideologies.

The definition sits alongside a set of cross-government engagement principles. The definition and engagement principles are used by Government departments when considering with whom to engage.

The Prevent duty guidance advises specified authorities on best practice to help them comply with the Prevent duty. It includes advice on how they can limit exposure to radicalising narratives and ensure radicalising ideologies are challenged and are not permitted to flourish.

The latest iteration of the Prevent duty guidance came into force in December 2023.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with representatives of the mobile phone industry on (a) using technology to prevent stolen phones from being re-used and (b) the adequacy of security on banking phone apps.

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

A series of meetings have already been held, and we will be holding a Home Office Mobile Phone Theft Summit, drawing together representatives from the mobile phone industry, including tech companies, and law enforcement to see what more can collectively be done to break the business model of mobile phone thieves.

As part of our Safer Streets Mission, this government is determined to crack down on theft and other crimes that make people feel unsafe in our communities, including strengthening neighbourhood policing, tackling anti-social behaviour and restoring public confidence.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to take steps to increase protection for victims of stalking when the perpetrator has a mental health condition.

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

This Government is fully committed to tackling stalking and doing all that it can to protect victims and robustly manage perpetrators.

On 3 December, the Government announced a raft of new measures to tackle stalking by putting victims first and increasing the protections available to them. This includes plans to increase the use of Stalking Protection Orders (SPOs) by legislating to provide for the courts to impose them of their own volition on conviction or acquittal. Currently only the police can apply for an SPO to a magistrate's court.

SPOs are an essential tool designed to protect victims of stalking at the earliest possible opportunity and address the perpetrator's behaviours before they become entrenched or escalate in severity. They allow positive requirements to be imposed and this can include the perpetrator attending mental health support, but also a perpetrator programme to address the root causes of their offending.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress has been made on the independent review into the Police Federation of England and Wales.

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

The Police Federation of England and Wales has appointed an independent panel to review past failings and future governance of the organisation. That review is independent of Government; the progress of the review and the publication of its findings are matters for the independent panel and the Police Federation.

We think the Government must do everything they can to discourage those who watch child sexual abuse material by changing the law to introduce tougher punishments.

The term 'non-crime hate incident' describes an incident which involves an act by a person which is perceived by another person to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards people with a particular characteristic, i.e. race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, transgender identity.

We believe police pursuits can pose high risks of serious injury/death to drivers, passengers bystanders. One of the duties of the police is to prioritise the preservation of life. A review should investigate whether rules on police pursuits reflect this duty of care and commitment to public safety.

I want the government to change the ILR application from 28days to 180 days before 5years. It is a great privilege to live here permanently. Applying earlier helps people in their plans and help to attain permanent stay before visas expire and reduces the tension of applying 28days before 5years.

We call on the Government to allow Ukrainians who are disabled to be able to immediately apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to issue guidance to schools on sponsoring visa applications for teachers of modern foreign languages from other countries, and (2) to better support those international recruits in England.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)

This government wants to ensure that there are excellent teachers where we need them most, and international teachers and teacher trainees make an important contribution to this, particularly in the teaching of languages.

There is no cap in place for recipients of the Languages Teacher Training Scholarship. 175 is a notional target which enables the British Council to adequately plan recruitment and resourcing to meet the target. We closely monitor recruitment throughout the year and, should it look as though the target will be exceeded, we will engage with the British Council to discuss their capacity to meet any increase in demand.

The department produces guidance for schools on recruiting teachers from overseas, which is accessible here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/recruit-teachers-from-overseas. This includes an overview on how to sponsor skilled worker visas and links to the appropriate Home Office (HO) guidance.

The government has no plans to introduce a visa waiver for language teachers. Language teachers are free to use the immigration system and should be able to obtain a skilled worker visa if they have a job offer from a school that has been approved by the HO, are able to speak, read, write and understand English, and are paid at least the minimum of the relevant teacher pay range.

Overseas nationals who relocate to England this academic year to take up a language, or physics, teaching job in a state-funded school, will still be eligible for the £10,000 International relocation payment (IRP), provided they meet the eligibility requirements. The 2024/25 academic year is the last year of a two-year pilot for the IRP. The department is currently evaluating the first year of the pilot and will make decisions on whether to offer the payment in future years in due course.

All qualified teachers in England are required to have a UK first degree or equivalent qualification. Legislation does not specify that teachers must have a degree in a particular subject or discipline and there are no statutory requirements for secondary trainee teachers to have a degree in a specified subject as long as they meet the teachers’ standards, including those that relate to subject and curriculum knowledge, by the end of their training.

Decisions relating to degree entry criteria ultimately lie with the accredited Initial Teacher Training provider to determine whether an applicant’s qualification meets the requirements. Candidates may also be eligible for subject knowledge enhancement courses to equip them with the subject knowledge required to teach languages in schools.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to increase the cap of 175 recipients of the Languages Teacher Training Scholarship administered by the British Council to help meet their language teacher recruitment targets.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)

This government wants to ensure that there are excellent teachers where we need them most, and international teachers and teacher trainees make an important contribution to this, particularly in the teaching of languages.

There is no cap in place for recipients of the Languages Teacher Training Scholarship. 175 is a notional target which enables the British Council to adequately plan recruitment and resourcing to meet the target. We closely monitor recruitment throughout the year and, should it look as though the target will be exceeded, we will engage with the British Council to discuss their capacity to meet any increase in demand.

The department produces guidance for schools on recruiting teachers from overseas, which is accessible here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/recruit-teachers-from-overseas. This includes an overview on how to sponsor skilled worker visas and links to the appropriate Home Office (HO) guidance.

The government has no plans to introduce a visa waiver for language teachers. Language teachers are free to use the immigration system and should be able to obtain a skilled worker visa if they have a job offer from a school that has been approved by the HO, are able to speak, read, write and understand English, and are paid at least the minimum of the relevant teacher pay range.

Overseas nationals who relocate to England this academic year to take up a language, or physics, teaching job in a state-funded school, will still be eligible for the £10,000 International relocation payment (IRP), provided they meet the eligibility requirements. The 2024/25 academic year is the last year of a two-year pilot for the IRP. The department is currently evaluating the first year of the pilot and will make decisions on whether to offer the payment in future years in due course.

All qualified teachers in England are required to have a UK first degree or equivalent qualification. Legislation does not specify that teachers must have a degree in a particular subject or discipline and there are no statutory requirements for secondary trainee teachers to have a degree in a specified subject as long as they meet the teachers’ standards, including those that relate to subject and curriculum knowledge, by the end of their training.

Decisions relating to degree entry criteria ultimately lie with the accredited Initial Teacher Training provider to determine whether an applicant’s qualification meets the requirements. Candidates may also be eligible for subject knowledge enhancement courses to equip them with the subject knowledge required to teach languages in schools.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to amend the eligibility rules for trainee language teachers so that graduates whose degree was only partially in the taught language can apply.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)

This government wants to ensure that there are excellent teachers where we need them most, and international teachers and teacher trainees make an important contribution to this, particularly in the teaching of languages.

There is no cap in place for recipients of the Languages Teacher Training Scholarship. 175 is a notional target which enables the British Council to adequately plan recruitment and resourcing to meet the target. We closely monitor recruitment throughout the year and, should it look as though the target will be exceeded, we will engage with the British Council to discuss their capacity to meet any increase in demand.

The department produces guidance for schools on recruiting teachers from overseas, which is accessible here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/recruit-teachers-from-overseas. This includes an overview on how to sponsor skilled worker visas and links to the appropriate Home Office (HO) guidance.

The government has no plans to introduce a visa waiver for language teachers. Language teachers are free to use the immigration system and should be able to obtain a skilled worker visa if they have a job offer from a school that has been approved by the HO, are able to speak, read, write and understand English, and are paid at least the minimum of the relevant teacher pay range.

Overseas nationals who relocate to England this academic year to take up a language, or physics, teaching job in a state-funded school, will still be eligible for the £10,000 International relocation payment (IRP), provided they meet the eligibility requirements. The 2024/25 academic year is the last year of a two-year pilot for the IRP. The department is currently evaluating the first year of the pilot and will make decisions on whether to offer the payment in future years in due course.

All qualified teachers in England are required to have a UK first degree or equivalent qualification. Legislation does not specify that teachers must have a degree in a particular subject or discipline and there are no statutory requirements for secondary trainee teachers to have a degree in a specified subject as long as they meet the teachers’ standards, including those that relate to subject and curriculum knowledge, by the end of their training.

Decisions relating to degree entry criteria ultimately lie with the accredited Initial Teacher Training provider to determine whether an applicant’s qualification meets the requirements. Candidates may also be eligible for subject knowledge enhancement courses to equip them with the subject knowledge required to teach languages in schools.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to reinstate the £10,000 relocation grant for teachers of modern foreign languages who have received a job offer from a school in England.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)

This government wants to ensure that there are excellent teachers where we need them most, and international teachers and teacher trainees make an important contribution to this, particularly in the teaching of languages.

There is no cap in place for recipients of the Languages Teacher Training Scholarship. 175 is a notional target which enables the British Council to adequately plan recruitment and resourcing to meet the target. We closely monitor recruitment throughout the year and, should it look as though the target will be exceeded, we will engage with the British Council to discuss their capacity to meet any increase in demand.

The department produces guidance for schools on recruiting teachers from overseas, which is accessible here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/recruit-teachers-from-overseas. This includes an overview on how to sponsor skilled worker visas and links to the appropriate Home Office (HO) guidance.

The government has no plans to introduce a visa waiver for language teachers. Language teachers are free to use the immigration system and should be able to obtain a skilled worker visa if they have a job offer from a school that has been approved by the HO, are able to speak, read, write and understand English, and are paid at least the minimum of the relevant teacher pay range.

Overseas nationals who relocate to England this academic year to take up a language, or physics, teaching job in a state-funded school, will still be eligible for the £10,000 International relocation payment (IRP), provided they meet the eligibility requirements. The 2024/25 academic year is the last year of a two-year pilot for the IRP. The department is currently evaluating the first year of the pilot and will make decisions on whether to offer the payment in future years in due course.

All qualified teachers in England are required to have a UK first degree or equivalent qualification. Legislation does not specify that teachers must have a degree in a particular subject or discipline and there are no statutory requirements for secondary trainee teachers to have a degree in a specified subject as long as they meet the teachers’ standards, including those that relate to subject and curriculum knowledge, by the end of their training.

Decisions relating to degree entry criteria ultimately lie with the accredited Initial Teacher Training provider to determine whether an applicant’s qualification meets the requirements. Candidates may also be eligible for subject knowledge enhancement courses to equip them with the subject knowledge required to teach languages in schools.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce a visa waiver for teachers of modern foreign languages from other countries who have received a job offer from a school in England.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)

This government wants to ensure that there are excellent teachers where we need them most, and international teachers and teacher trainees make an important contribution to this, particularly in the teaching of languages.

There is no cap in place for recipients of the Languages Teacher Training Scholarship. 175 is a notional target which enables the British Council to adequately plan recruitment and resourcing to meet the target. We closely monitor recruitment throughout the year and, should it look as though the target will be exceeded, we will engage with the British Council to discuss their capacity to meet any increase in demand.

The department produces guidance for schools on recruiting teachers from overseas, which is accessible here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/recruit-teachers-from-overseas. This includes an overview on how to sponsor skilled worker visas and links to the appropriate Home Office (HO) guidance.

The government has no plans to introduce a visa waiver for language teachers. Language teachers are free to use the immigration system and should be able to obtain a skilled worker visa if they have a job offer from a school that has been approved by the HO, are able to speak, read, write and understand English, and are paid at least the minimum of the relevant teacher pay range.

Overseas nationals who relocate to England this academic year to take up a language, or physics, teaching job in a state-funded school, will still be eligible for the £10,000 International relocation payment (IRP), provided they meet the eligibility requirements. The 2024/25 academic year is the last year of a two-year pilot for the IRP. The department is currently evaluating the first year of the pilot and will make decisions on whether to offer the payment in future years in due course.

All qualified teachers in England are required to have a UK first degree or equivalent qualification. Legislation does not specify that teachers must have a degree in a particular subject or discipline and there are no statutory requirements for secondary trainee teachers to have a degree in a specified subject as long as they meet the teachers’ standards, including those that relate to subject and curriculum knowledge, by the end of their training.

Decisions relating to degree entry criteria ultimately lie with the accredited Initial Teacher Training provider to determine whether an applicant’s qualification meets the requirements. Candidates may also be eligible for subject knowledge enhancement courses to equip them with the subject knowledge required to teach languages in schools.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what major projects the National Shipbuilding Office expects to be engaged in between now and July 2025.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The National Shipbuilding Office (NSO) engages extensively in a wide range of shipbuilding pipeline programmes both formally and informally.

Regarding the cross-Government shipbuilding pipeline, the NSO regularly participates in programme boards and decision-making panels to ensure coherence and promote best practice. NSO officials also work directly with programme, commercial and legal teams, and the shipbuilding sector to support the strategic delivery of all these major projects.

On an ongoing basis, the NSO has engaged in some capacity in the following programmes since 1 July 2024, and expects to remain engaged in some capacity between now and July 2025:

The NSO also expects to be engaged in some capacity in the following programmes between now and July 2025:

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what major projects the National Shipbuilding Office has engaged in since 1 July.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The National Shipbuilding Office (NSO) engages extensively in a wide range of shipbuilding pipeline programmes both formally and informally.

Regarding the cross-Government shipbuilding pipeline, the NSO regularly participates in programme boards and decision-making panels to ensure coherence and promote best practice. NSO officials also work directly with programme, commercial and legal teams, and the shipbuilding sector to support the strategic delivery of all these major projects.

On an ongoing basis, the NSO has engaged in some capacity in the following programmes since 1 July 2024, and expects to remain engaged in some capacity between now and July 2025:

The NSO also expects to be engaged in some capacity in the following programmes between now and July 2025:

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of extending access to benefits for families with children who have no recourse to public funds on levels of child poverty in Poplar and Limehouse constituency.

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

In developing a Child Poverty Strategy, the Child Poverty Taskforce is considering all children across the United Kingdom. We recognise the distinct challenges of poverty faced by migrant children. The causes of child poverty are deep-rooted, with solutions that go beyond government, and the Taskforce is exploring all available levers in response.

The Home Office sets the immigration rules and grants immigration leave to individuals which allows them to live and work in the UK. DWP cannot pay public funds benefits to individuals where the Home Office has applied a ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ condition to their immigration status.

Found: , ‘Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill: Memorandum from the Home Office to the Delegated Powers

Found: , leave out “persons they deem appropriate” and insert “— (a) relevant local authorities; (b) Home Office

Found: Companion of the Order of the Bath Jaee Kamalnath SAMANT CBE Director General, Public Safety, Home Office

Found: On 4 February 2025, the Home Office will open applications for eligible Ukrainian visa scheme holders

Found: The aggregate amount of grants for police purposes comprises the Home Office Police Main Grant, Department

Found: Source: Proceedings and Outcomes by Home Office Code 2012 to 2023, offence codes 182, 183 & 185 only

Found: Ways of Working In the first quarter of the year, SLC launched a new hybrid home/office working policy