Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will provide the latest data her department possesses on the asylum claim acceptance rate for cases that were decided by Home Office immigration caseworkers that are British nationals.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The information requested 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, if she will provide the latest data her department possesses on the asylum claim acceptance rate for cases that were decided by Home Office immigration caseworkers that are foreign nationals.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The information requested 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, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the visa brake on student visa applicants from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan on individuals who are studying a foundation course in the UK on a valid student visa but whose next course begins more than 28 days after the expiry of their current permission; and whether she plans to make any provision for such students to continue their studies in the UK.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The visa brake applies only to relevant out‑of‑country applications.

It was introduced in response to patterns of visa‑linked asylum claims by nationality, and at present we do not intend to introduce exceptions for students who have previously studied in the UK on foundation courses.

The visa brake will be kept under regular review. It is not intended to be a permanent measure and will be lifted once the Government considers it appropriate to do so.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of small boat migrants that will enter the UK in 2026.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office does not make a single estimate of this kind. A range of scenarios are considered for operational planning purposes.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has conducted (a) an evaluation and (b) risk report on the potential of cheating within fully remote English language testing for migrants.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office has carefully considered and evaluated the risks of a remote delivery model as part of the procurement to replace current Secure English Language Testing arrangements. This evaluation has informed the development of the Department's security requirements and procurement approach.

Any delivery model must meet appropriate integrity requirements and principles including data security, cyber security, accessibility, fraud risk, and prevention to ensure compliance with Home Office Policy and ensure that the service delivers the fundamental principles underpinning our Immigration policies and our visa journey. This compliance will be assessed throughout the tender process to ensure the strictest compliance with Home Office security parameters.

The ongoing Home Office English Language Test procurement is explicitly designed to test bidders' ability to meet these standards, and the Department will adopt only those solutions that demonstrably maintain the high level of assurance required.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many animals, and in particular how many (1) beagles and (2) non-human primates, they approved for use in scientific procedures in licences granted in 2025; and how this aligns with their commitment to phase out animal testing through their ‘Replacing animals in science’ strategy.

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

Statistics about the use of animals in scientific procedures in 2025, including beagles and non-human primates, will be published later this year as Accredited Official Statistics.

The Home Office publishes annual statistics on the use of animals in science which contain information on the number of procedures conducted, including breakdowns by species of animals (including beagles). The statistics report both the total number of procedures conducted and the number of animals used for the first time in a given year. Data are collected and published on an annual basis and are not disaggregated by licence approvals at the point of authorisation.

In addition, the Home Office publishes non-technical summaries for every project licence granted under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. These are published quarterly and include information on the species and the number of animals expected to be used over the lifetime of the project licence.

This Government remains firmly committed to working towards the phasing out of animals in science. The strategy, ‘Replacing animals in science’, sets specific targets to reduce the use of dogs and non-human primates by 2030, while ensuring the UK continues to support safe and effective scientific and medical research.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the command paper, Protecting What Matters, CP 1540, 9 March 2026, page 38, if she will publish the organisations that the Government deems extremist and which are subject to a policy of non-engagement.

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

The Home Office does not comment on specific groups. As announced in the Protecting What Matters publication on the 9^th March, we are currently updating and embedding the 2024 engagement principles which will assist public bodies to not confer legitimacy, funding or influence on extremist groups. Responsibility for decisions and due diligence around who departments engage with sits with those departments and the appropriate policy areas.

It is for individual government departments to decide to use these principles, or their own due diligence processes around engagement. If asked, we will advise and share information to help inform their decisions. We will also be producing an annual ‘State of Extremism’ report which will also support public sector staff to tackle extremism. The first iteration of this will be published by the end of 2026.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether companies on the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme register are required to publish an estimated value of their contract and work.

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

The FIRS public register ensures that, for the first time, we have transparency about foreign state-directed political influence activities. The aim of this register is to better inform the public as to the scale and extent of foreign influence in UK political affairs and our democratic processes.

There is full guidance online that sets out what needs to be registered, and what of the information provided at registration will be published on the register https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/foreign-influence-registration-scheme-registration-and-public-register

The value of the contract and/or work being undertaken will not appear on the public register. However, information that will be published includes the nature and form of the arrangement being registered, the name of the foreign power in the arrangement, a description of the types of activities to be carried out and the purpose and sought outcome of those activities.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the financial losses to UK consumers resulting from fraud facilitated via social media and online platforms in each year since 2020.

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

The Government takes the issue of fraudulent activity arising on social media and online platforms very seriously. The Office of National Statistics estimates that, in year ending March 2024, nearly half of all frauds were online-enabled.

The department does not currently collect data on the financial losses from victims of fraud through social media channels directly. However, there have been 228,141 reports to Report Fraud of cyber-enabled fraud in 2025, totalling approximately £1.9 billion of losses. The government has also estimated that the total socio-economic cost of fraud to the UK was £14.4 billion between 2023-2024.

Whilst the Government does not collect this type of data directly, as part of the recently published Fraud Strategy, the Government has committed to working with industry, including social media and online platforms, to develop metrics, with the purpose being to improve transparency and accountability and track sectors’ performance in tackling fraud.

We encourage anyone to report instances of online fraud to Report Fraud, the UK’s dedicated fraud reporting service, and visit the Stop! Think Fraud website for information on how they can stay safe from fraud.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to introduce regulations to apply forensic marking to new GPS units for use in agricultural and commercial settings.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Equipment theft, including the theft of GPS systems, can have devastating consequences for countryside communities and the agricultural sector.

That is why we are committed to the implementation of the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 and fully support its intentions to prevent the theft and re-sale of All-Terrain Vehicles, quad bikes and GPS systems.

The legislation will require new ATVs, quad bikes and GPS systems to be forensically marked and registered on an appropriate database. We will introduce the necessary secondary legislation when parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the UK-UAE Illicit Finance Partnership Agreement on (a) Muhammad Tahir Lakhani and Muhammad Ali Lakhani and (b) other enforcement outcomes.

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

The UK–UAE Partnership to Tackle Illicit Financial Flows is focused on strengthening cooperation on illicit finance, fraud, asset recovery and the return of the proceeds of crime.

Since the partnership was established in 2021, the UK and UAE have worked together to enhance operational collaboration, improve information sharing, and build stronger structures to support joint law enforcement activity.

However, the Home Office is not able to comment on or make assessments regarding individual cases.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of trends in online-enabled fraud, including investment fraud involving deepfake content, since 2020.

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

Fraud and cybercrime are deeply interconnected. The Office of National Statistics estimates that in year ending March 2024, nearly half of all frauds were online-enabled.

The government’s Fraud Strategy (2026-2029) sets out the latest trends and evolving drivers of online fraud. Criminals routinely hijack online channels to socially engineer people into sending money directly, through fraudulent adverts or through convincing fraudulent emails and text messages. Criminals exploit data breaches, and use phishing techniques, to obtain personal information to takeover online accounts directly. We have also seen the growth of ‘fraud-as-a-service’ marketplaces, which lower the barrier to entry for new criminals.

The government is aware that criminals have adopted generative AI as a tool to increase the scale and sophistication of attacks, as well to bypass company’s security procedures to impersonate customers for account takeovers. Measuring these types of attacks is a challenge as often victims will be unaware of whether AI has been used. While reports of AI enabled fraud are increasing, they still account for a fraction of all Report Fraud cases (0.2% in 2025); but it is almost certain that the true number of AI enabled frauds is much higher.

We encourage anyone to report instances of online fraud to Report Fraud, the UK’s dedicated fraud reporting service, and visit the Stop! Think Fraud website for information on how they can stay safe from fraud.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the Independent Review of Disclosure and Fraud Offences: second report by Jonathan Fisher KC.

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

The Government has received Jonathan Fisher KC’s second report and will publish it, along with a government response, in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Equality Act 2010 on (a) the police and (b) local authorities ability to tackle unauthorised traveller sites.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The police and local authorities are required to act in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 and their obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights. The powers available to the police apply to anyone residing on land without consent and refusing to leave where the statutory conditions for enforcement are met, regardless of race or ethnicity, or any other protected characteristic. Enforcement powers must always be exercised fairly and in a way that respects the rights of all individuals.

The government keeps all legislation in this area under regular review to powers remain effective and proportionate. Operational decisions on the use of these powers rest with the police, working closely with local authorities.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her timeline is for the implementation of regulations to apply forensic marking to new GPS units for use in agricultural and commercial settings.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Equipment theft, including the theft of GPS systems, can have devastating consequences for countryside communities and the agricultural sector.

That is why we are committed to the implementation of the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 and fully support its intentions to prevent the theft and re-sale of All-Terrain Vehicles, quad bikes and GPS systems.

The legislation will require new ATVs, quad bikes and GPS systems to be forensically marked and registered on an appropriate database. We will introduce the necessary secondary legislation when parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the command paper, Protecting What Matters, CP 1540, 9 March 2026, page 38, what mechanism will connect local and national networks.

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

Our Disruptions team, which horizon scans for extremist influence and events, will be expanded with additional resource to disrupt extremist networks at a national and local level. We will be refreshing our reporting mechanisms that will allow local partners to refer their concerns directly to us.

The Government’s focus is to use existing mechanisms to analyse, prevent and disrupt the spread of high-harm extremist ideologies that can lead to community division and to radicalisation into terrorism, particularly those that radicalise others but deliberately operate below CT thresholds.

There are a wide range of offences and powers that can be used to counter the threat from extremism and we are working to maximise their use. These include powers to regulate charities; broadcasting and education; immigration powers; and offences such as encouragement of terrorism and public order offences.

The Home Office works with a range of national and local partners to deliver this work, ensuring timely sharing of information so where there is evidence of purposeful actions that are potentially radicalising others into terrorism or violence, proportionate disruptive action can be considered.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress her Department has made in implementing the Injury on Duty Award Scheme.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

I have met with those leading the campaign for a new award and I am working on proposals. Ultimately, any official award is a gift from the Government on behalf of His Majesty The King.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the guidance entitled Applying to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme, updated on 5 March 2026, when the additional 24‑month Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) extension will open for applications in practice; and whether the widened 90‑day application window will apply to both first and subsequent UPE applications.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government has extended the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) by a further 24 months to provide stability and security for those who still need sanctuary in the UK due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

The additional 24‑month extension under the UPE scheme will open to applications from 8 April 2026, in line with the relevant changes to the Immigration Rules.

Eligible individuals whose current Ukraine scheme permission is due to expire will be able to apply to the UPE scheme up to 90 days before expiry. The widened 90‑day application window applies both to first‑time UPE applications and to subsequent applications for the additional 24‑month extension.

Applying at any point within this window will not reduce the total period of permission granted, and any remaining valid permission will be added to the new grant.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2026 to Question 116788, if she will make an assessment of the annual cost to police forces of (a) administering roadside drug-impairment tests and (b) drug-driving testing.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office has not made an assessment on the costs to police forces for administering roadside drug-impartment tests under section 4 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and drug driving testing under section 5A of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government plans to introduce nationally consistent guidance on the interpretation of regulations governing abnormal load movements and police escort requirements.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

There are no current plans by government to introduce national guidance governing the movement of abnormal loads.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department has spent on special severance payments in each of the last three years.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office does not publish details of spending on special severance payments separately.

The Home Office does publish overall special payments spending and details of this for the previous three financial years can be found through the links below.

Pages 190-191 (pages 198-199 on the reader)

Home Office Annual Report and Accounts 2024 to 2025

Pages 190-191 (pages 194-195 on the reader)

Home Office Annual Report and Accounts 2023 to 2024

Pages195-196

Home Office Annual Report and Accounts 2022-2023

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure spousal visa applications remain affordable in the context of the additional costs of the immigration healthcare surcharge.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office has always provided for exceptions to the need to pay application fees in a number of specific circumstances. These include affordability-based waivers for entry clearance and leave to remain on family and human rights routes. In such cases, where an application is made on a family or human rights route and supported by clear and compelling evidence of unaffordability, either the Immigration Health Surcharge or both the visa fee and Surcharge may be waived. A fee waiver application must be submitted in-time and prior to the immigration application. Information on eligibility for Fee Waiver applications can be found on GOV.UK at the link below:

https://www.gov.uk/visa-fee-waiver-in-uk

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures she will take to ensure that those now travelling to the UK with dual passports will not have their journeys impacted too heavily by the recent changes introduced.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

We recognise that the enforcement of ETAs by carriers is a significant change, and so we have taken steps including the provision of additional temporary guidance on possible alternative documentation, and have put in place around the clock support for carriers to respond to these changes. The Member may wish to refer to the Written Ministerial Statement issued on 25 February for further detail.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether an impact assessment into the policy paper on Home Office immigration and nationality fees, due to increase from 8 April 2026, has been conducted.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Where changes to fee legislation are made, Impact Assessments are produced which identify potential impacts resulting from the changes.

The published Impact Assessment includes discussion of the impacts of the fees that are due to increase from 8 April 2026: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2026/44/pdfs/ukia_20260044_en.pdf

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to introduce legislation to ensure that mobile phones can be blocked or made unsaleable after being stolen.

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

Mobile phone theft blights communities, and we are determined to do more to tackle it.

Law enforcement partners are delivering robust action to drive down the numbers of these thefts. In London, mobile phone theft has fallen by 10,000 offences in the past year – a reduction of 12.3%.

We also want to see further action aimed at breaking the business model that drives phone theft, by reducing the value of a stolen device. The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is continuing to work closely with these partners on technical solutions aimed at achieving this. The Home Office is supporting these efforts. At present, our preferred approach remains allowing time for this collaborative work to continue, so that potential solutions to be developed and tested appropriately.

At the recent International Mobile Phone Crime Conference, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan police set a deadline of 1 June for industry to bring forward further concrete commitments. If meaningful progress cannot be made, the Home Office will look to consider any necessary action.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to update the annual data requirement to ensure that police forces record and submit data on the biological sex of suspects, victims and complainants; and if so, when this will take place.

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

The Government is carefully considering the implications of the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of sex within the Equality Act in the context of what needs and is proportionate to record for a policing purpose and the Annual Data Requirement will be updated in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend for a finding of anti-Muslim hostility by the special representative on anti-Muslim hostility to be recorded by the police.

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

The police are operationally independent of Government and it is for individual forces to determine what is recorded in a particular scenario, in line with the law and relevant operational guidance.

The College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council will shortly publish their review of non-crime hate incidents.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what number of settlement visas have been issued in total for Gurkha veterans who retired prior to 1 July 1997.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (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.

Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the code of practice for statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of immigration since July 2024 on social cohesion in the UK.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office will increase existing English language requirements for economic migrants and introduce new English language requirements for dependants of those coming under economic routes.

These measures support the integration of those coming here to work here (and their families) into UK communities, as well; as ensuring that those coming to work here are less vulnerable to abuse and exploitation in the workplace.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment the Department has made of the effectiveness of A&E navigator programmes in reducing a) youth violence and b) exploitation of young people.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

According to the Youth Endowment Fund toolkit, the available studies suggest that A&E navigator programmes could have a high impact on preventing further involvement in violence.

The majority of Violence Reduction Units in England and Wales deliver A&E navigator programmes. We will continue to learn from the ongoing delivery of A&E navigators to ensure victims of violence and exploitation are effectively supported.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 22 April 2025 to Question 44172 on Public Order Act 2023, what progress her Department has made with post-legislative scrutiny of the Public Order Act 2023.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

As part of this Government’s commitment to protect the rights to freedom of expression and assembly, in May 2025 the Home Office began conducting post-legislative scrutiny of the Public Order Act 2023.

The post-legislative scrutiny of this Public Order Act 2023 is ongoing and once completed, the command paper will be sent to the Home Affairs Select Committee in accordance with the guidance on established post legislative scrutiny. In parallel the Home Secretary has commissioned Lord Macdonald of River Glaven KC to conduct a review of public order and hate crime legislation which will be concluded by the end of Spring.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she expects RAND Europe to deliver the process evaluation and feasibility impact study of its Young Futures Panel pilots.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

RAND Europe’s process evaluation and feasibility impact study of the Young Futures Panel pilots is ongoing and will be sent for independent peer review by academics with relevant expertise in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help reduce crimes committed with catapults, especially against animals.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government shares concerns over the misuse of catapults, whether against people, property or wildlife.

There are a wide range of laws in place to punish those who misuse catapults. The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers that they can use to respond to anti-social behaviour involving catapults. This includes Community Protection Warnings and Notices and Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPOs). The Prevention of Crime Act 1953 creates the offence of carrying an offensive weapon in a public place and there are significant penalties under the Offences against the Person Act 1861 if a person is deliberately harmed.

Specific to animals and birds, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 protects all wild birds and some wild animals in England and Wales. It is illegal under this Act to deliberately attempt to kill, injure, or harm protected species of wild birds. There are a range of other offences found in further legislation to protect wild animals from cruelty such as the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 and the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Significant sanctions are available to judges to hand down to those convicted of crimes under these Acts.

We have noted proposals for new restrictions, and we are actively considering what more might be done around enforcement.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2026 to Question 117963 on Firearms: Licensing, what steps are detailed in the action plan on how the three police forces intend to address the issues in the accelerated cause of concern.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) issued an accelerated cause of concern notice to the Chief Constables of the three forces involved in the tripartite firearms licensing arrangement involving Bedfordshire Police, Cambridgeshire Constabulary and Hertfordshire Constabulary on 9 January 2026. The notice requested that the three Chief Constables set out in an action plan how they intended to address the issues set out in the notice within 28 working days.

The three Chief Constables responded to HMICFRS within the specified deadline and the content of their response to the Inspectorate, who are independent of Government, was not shared with the Home Office.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of current processes for handling incidents involving harassment, alarm or distress motivated by homophobia where relevant evidence cannot be admitted or relied upon in court; and what steps she is taking to ensure that such cases are still appropriately investigated and that victims receive adequate protection and support.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

On the 14th February, the government tabled an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill to extend existing aggravated offences under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 to ensure equal protection across the protected characteristics of race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, transgender identity and sex.

The police are operationally independent and responsible for investigating alleged offences, working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service to build cases that meet the evidential and public interest tests. A range of offences may apply depending on the circumstances, including under the Public Order Act 1986 and the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, and where hostility based on sexual orientation is proven, courts may apply statutory sentencing uplifts.

Where particular evidence cannot be admitted or relied upon in court, the police are expected to pursue all reasonable lines of enquiry using admissible material, and to seek early investigative advice from the Crown Prosecution Service where appropriate. Where the evidential threshold for a charge is not met, the police can still take steps to protect victims, including the use of bail conditions and other protective measures where the relevant legal tests are satisfied.

Victims of hate crime are entitled to support under the Victims’ Code, including being kept informed of progress and signposted to appropriate services. The Government continues to fund local and national victim support services and works closely with policing partners, the Crown Prosecution Service and the College of Policing to promote consistent, evidence-led responses to hate-motivated incidents so that victims are protected and offenders are brought to justice wherever possible.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for the Home Department is taking to tackle covert filming in public spaces.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Everyone deserves to feel safe both in public and online. In addition to existing offences for the sharing of intimate images, we have introduced offences to the Crime and Policing Bill of taking an intimate image and installing equipment with the intent to take intimate images, without consent or reasonable belief of consent. These offences cover images which show the victim in an intimate state, and would capture some content on a public street, such as photographs taken up clothing that show underwear or nudity.

We have also provided funding to intensify Project Vigilant across police forces to keep women safe in public spaces. Project Vigilant involves specially trained plain clothed officers observing individuals in public, mostly in the night-time economy, to identify those exhibiting predatory behaviours. Uniformed officers are then called in to disrupt their behaviour, which could include filming women without their consent.

From 1 April, measures under the Protection from Sex-Based Harassment in Public Act 2023 will come into force. Depending on the facts of the case, this could include where the intent of covert filming is to cause harassment, alarm or distress because of the victim’s sex.

To go further, in Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls we committed to launching a call for evidence on online misogynistic image-based abuse, and the extent to which there are new behaviours which may not be captured by existing criminal offences. This will allow us to consider whether any further change is needed to future proof the law.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether police and fire call handlers are required to have working knowledge of (a) What Three Words and (b) the NATO phonetic alphabet.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Police Call Handlers are not required to have working knowledge of What Three Words and the Nato Phonetic Alphabet. This is an operational matter for Chief Constables.

For matters regarding the Fire Service, I would direct my Rt Hon friend to the Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government, which is responsible for fire policy.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of levels of public resource available where constabularies act upon intelligence or referrals generated by industry-funded vehicle crime units.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

We fully recognise the serious and growing threat that freight crime poses to businesses, drivers, and the wider economy. The Government does not fund NaVCIS. Instead NaVCIS is funded by the industry, including finance and leasing companies, insurers and hauliers.

NaVCIS is a national policing unit that provides dedicated specialist intelligence, and it engages with a range of partners to tackle organised vehicle crime.The Governance arrangements for NaVCIS are a matter for the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the enforcement of bans on e-scooters and e-bikes riding in pedestrian areas.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The police have a suite of powers under the Road Traffic Act 1988 and Police Reform Act 2002 to seize e-scooters and e‑bikes being used illegally or antisocially, including ‑for offences such as riding on the pavement and in pedestrian areas.

We are strengthening enforcement through the Crime and Policing Bill, by removing the requirement for police to issue a warning before seizing vehicles used antisocially. We have also consulted on measures to allow police to dispose of seized vehicles, including e-scooters and e-bikes, more quickly, helping to tackle dangerous and anti-social behaviour impacting communities.

Enforcement of road traffic law is an operational matter for Chief Officers, who decide how to deploy resources in line with local policing priorities.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what safeguards are in place to ensure that outcome-linked funding arrangements do not give rise to perceived conflicts of interest in operational decision-making.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

We fully recognise the serious and growing threat that freight crime poses to businesses, drivers, and the wider economy. The Government does not fund NaVCIS. Instead NaVCIS is funded by the industry, including finance and leasing companies, insurers and hauliers.

NaVCIS is a national policing unit that provides dedicated specialist intelligence, and it engages with a range of partners to tackle organised vehicle crime.The Governance arrangements for NaVCIS are a matter for the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Department intends to review transparency requirements for nationally operating police-associated units funded by private industry bodies.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

We fully recognise the serious and growing threat that freight crime poses to businesses, drivers, and the wider economy. The Government does not fund NaVCIS. Instead NaVCIS is funded by the industry, including finance and leasing companies, insurers and hauliers.

NaVCIS is a national policing unit that provides dedicated specialist intelligence, and it engages with a range of partners to tackle organised vehicle crime.The Governance arrangements for NaVCIS are a matter for the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2026 to Questions 118252, 118255 and 118258, for what reason the College of Policing and Independent Office for Police Conduct have not met their statutory obligation to respond within 56 days to the Prevention of Future Deaths reports of Oladeji Omishore, Sean Fitzgerald and Ashley Crews.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

I refer my Honourable friend to the response published on 19 March and suggest that he consider writing to the College of Policing and the Independent Office for Police Conduct concerning their statutory obligations to respond to the respective coroners who published the PFD reports in these cases.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, by when will his department answer question 110947, published on 2 February 2026.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The answer for UIN 110947 was given on 19^th March 2026.

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 funding for rural forces in light of geographic scale, response times and organised criminal activity affecting farms and rural businesses.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government is introducing the most radical and comprehensive policing reforms in nearly 200 years. We will modernise policing in this country – equipping it to tackle more sophisticated, online, and cross-border crimes (like wildlife crime and organised equipment theft), while also restoring neighbourhood policing.

We are on track to hit 3,000 more neighbourhood officers in March – and our target remains 13k by the end of the parliament. With the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee every neighbourhood, rural or urban, now gets a named contactable officer and a response to non-urgent queries in 72 hours. Every rural area will also be covered by a Local Policing Area under a commander responsible for emergency response, local crime investigation and neighbourhood policing. They will be set targets to ensure they answer 90% of 999 calls within 10 seconds and attend 90% of the most serious incidents within 20 minutes in rural areas.

This financial year (FY25/26) we are providing £800,000 of funding to the National Rural Crime Unit and the National Wildlife Crime Unit, and we will be providing the same level of funding in 26/27. These capabilities play key roles in helping police across the UK tackle organised theft and disrupt serious and organised crime groups, which can pose unique challenges for policing in large and isolated rural areas.

The Government recognises that there can be challenges in responding to rural crime, which is why we worked closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) to deliver the next iteration of their Rural and Wildlife Crime strategy and sets out operational and organisational policing priorities in respect of tackling those crimes that predominantly affect our rural communities.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help prevent bicycle theft in Twickenham constituency.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The central aim of our police reforms is to protect and revitalise neighbourhood policing. We are lifting national responsibilities from local forces so they can focus on tackling issues of key concern to communities, such as dealing with bike theft. The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will ensure that every community in England and Wales will have named and contactable officers dealing with local issues, and that neighbourhood teams spend the majority of their time in their communities providing visible patrols and engaging with local communities and businesses.

In addition, we are also providing the police with new powers to support their response. The Crime and Policing Bill, now at Committee Stage in the House of Lords, will ensure that Officers can 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, with regard to the Animals in Science Regulation Unit Annual Report 2024, published in December 2025, how the number of unannounced audits in 2024 compares with previous years; and whether she she is taking to help increase the number of unannounced audits in future years.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The numbers of unannounced audits conducted are reported in the published Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) Annual Reports.

The Annual Report for 2024 can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/animals-in-science-regulation-unit-annual-report-2024

ASRU has planned to increase the number of unannounced audits as part of its work to strength regulatory oversight. ASRU has also increased its number of inspectors, enabling a greater volume of risk-based audits across the system.

Announced and unannounced audits play an important role in providing regulatory assurance. Audit numbers are only one indicator of the level of regulatory oversight; the quality, depth and scope of audits are central to assessing compliance effectively.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to improve the recording and reporting of rural crime as a distinct category within national policing frameworks.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

There is no distinct offence category or grouping that captures rural crimes separately from other offences. Currently any centrally held data on crimes recorded by the police and the investigative outcomes of crimes will not be broken down into rural crime.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to Final Police Funding Settlement (England and Wales) 2026-27, how much funding her Department has specifically provided for violence reduction units in the 2026-27 financial year.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

Violence prevention is crucial to achieving our ambition of halving knife crime and making our streets safer.

The 2026/27 Police Funding Settlement included an allocation of £66.6m for Serious Violence Reduction Programmes.

This funding will be used to maintain our network of 20 Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) in the areas of England and Wales which are experiencing over 80% of knife crime; support public sector bodies to fulfil their statutory requirements under the Serious Violence Duty and continue the promising work of the Young Futures Panel pilots, which are identifying young people at risk of being drawn into crime and intervening earlier with positive, diversionary support.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government to what extent they have implemented the recommendations made by the independent review by Wendy Williams, Windrush Lessons Learned Review, published in March 2020; and whether they plan to provide an update on implementation.

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

This Government is committed to righting the wrongs of the Home Office Windrush Scandal. Our focus is very much on delivering real change for those impacted by Windrush. We have delivered on our manifesto commitment by appointing Rev Clive Foster as the independent Windrush Commissioner, who has undertaken significant engagement with the Windrush generation and key stakeholders, and is acting as a trusted voice for the Windrush community.

The Windrush Unit has been reestablished and is in the final stages of reviewing all 30 recommendations of the Windrush Lessons Learned Review. We have also worked with the Windrush Commissioner to make improvements to the Compensation Scheme.

The causes of the Home Office Windrush Scandal and the Home Office’s response thereafter have been the subject to several investigations and inquiries by a range of public bodies including extensive parliamentary scrutiny.

Alongside the independent Windrush Lessons Learned Review and the Historical Roots of the Windrush Scandal research report, both commissioned by the Home Office and published, parliamentary committees including the Home Affairs Select Committee and the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights have conducted their own investigations. Further public bodies such as the National Audit Office and the Equality and Human Rights Commission have published their findings and recommendations into the scandal. These reports have approached the issues from different perspectives, reflecting the specialisms of the different bodies.

Given that there have been numerous reviews we do not believe a public inquiry would add to the scrutiny and understanding of the Home Office Windrush Scandal, rather it would divert critical resources away from ensuring meaningful change is achieved.

We will continue to work to rebuild trust with the Windrush generation, and ensure that justice is delivered.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to implement the recommendations made by the independent review by Wendy Williams, Windrush Lessons Learned Review, in full.

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

This Government is committed to righting the wrongs of the Home Office Windrush Scandal. Our focus is very much on delivering real change for those impacted by Windrush. We have delivered on our manifesto commitment by appointing Rev Clive Foster as the independent Windrush Commissioner, who has undertaken significant engagement with the Windrush generation and key stakeholders, and is acting as a trusted voice for the Windrush community.

The Windrush Unit has been reestablished and is in the final stages of reviewing all 30 recommendations of the Windrush Lessons Learned Review. We have also worked with the Windrush Commissioner to make improvements to the Compensation Scheme.

The causes of the Home Office Windrush Scandal and the Home Office’s response thereafter have been the subject to several investigations and inquiries by a range of public bodies including extensive parliamentary scrutiny.

Alongside the independent Windrush Lessons Learned Review and the Historical Roots of the Windrush Scandal research report, both commissioned by the Home Office and published, parliamentary committees including the Home Affairs Select Committee and the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights have conducted their own investigations. Further public bodies such as the National Audit Office and the Equality and Human Rights Commission have published their findings and recommendations into the scandal. These reports have approached the issues from different perspectives, reflecting the specialisms of the different bodies.

Given that there have been numerous reviews we do not believe a public inquiry would add to the scrutiny and understanding of the Home Office Windrush Scandal, rather it would divert critical resources away from ensuring meaningful change is achieved.

We will continue to work to rebuild trust with the Windrush generation, and ensure that justice is delivered.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the report by Birthmark of Africa, The Windrush Justice Inquiry Report, Towards Justice: Truth, Accountability, and Repair, published in June 2025, which found that the current readdress scheme fails to meet international standards of justice and restitution, what assessment have they made of launching a public inquiry into the Windrush scandal.

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

This Government is committed to righting the wrongs of the Home Office Windrush Scandal. Our focus is very much on delivering real change for those impacted by Windrush. We have delivered on our manifesto commitment by appointing Rev Clive Foster as the independent Windrush Commissioner, who has undertaken significant engagement with the Windrush generation and key stakeholders, and is acting as a trusted voice for the Windrush community.

The Windrush Unit has been reestablished and is in the final stages of reviewing all 30 recommendations of the Windrush Lessons Learned Review. We have also worked with the Windrush Commissioner to make improvements to the Compensation Scheme.

The causes of the Home Office Windrush Scandal and the Home Office’s response thereafter have been the subject to several investigations and inquiries by a range of public bodies including extensive parliamentary scrutiny.

Alongside the independent Windrush Lessons Learned Review and the Historical Roots of the Windrush Scandal research report, both commissioned by the Home Office and published, parliamentary committees including the Home Affairs Select Committee and the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights have conducted their own investigations. Further public bodies such as the National Audit Office and the Equality and Human Rights Commission have published their findings and recommendations into the scandal. These reports have approached the issues from different perspectives, reflecting the specialisms of the different bodies.

Given that there have been numerous reviews we do not believe a public inquiry would add to the scrutiny and understanding of the Home Office Windrush Scandal, rather it would divert critical resources away from ensuring meaningful change is achieved.

We will continue to work to rebuild trust with the Windrush generation, and ensure that justice is delivered.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government when nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan, subject to the 'emergency brake' on visas announced on 4 March, will be once again be able to apply for Chevening Scholarships.

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

The decision to introduce a visa brake on the Student visa route for Sudan, Afghanistan and two other nationalities was based on data-driven migration and border security considerations. There are no exceptions for government-funded scholarship programmes, including the Chevening programme. Whilst we recognise that most people who apply to study in the UK do so genuinely, the evidence is clear that the Student route for these nationalities has been a source of both high numbers and high proportions of visa-linked asylum claims. We have therefore acted to halt this unacceptable strain on our asylum system, and to ensure that the system remains fair, credible, and sustainable.

The brake will be kept under regular review. The visa brake is not intended to be permanent, but it will only be released once the government considers it appropriate to do so.

As set out in the Restoring Order and Control policy statement, the Government remains committed to the introduction of capped safe and legal routes for refugees and displaced people to come to the United Kingdom. Work is underway to develop these routes, including confirming the eligibility criteria and the number of places to be made available for each new safe and legal route.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps are they taking to protect the education and safety of vulnerable women from Sudan and Afghanistan who had already been selected for government-funded scholarships prior to the  announcement of an 'emergency brake' on visas for nationals of those countries on 4 March; and whether they have established a formal mechanism to exempt Chevening Scholars from this restriction.

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

The decision to introduce a visa brake on the Student visa route for Sudan, Afghanistan and two other nationalities was based on data-driven migration and border security considerations. There are no exceptions for government-funded scholarship programmes, including the Chevening programme. Whilst we recognise that most people who apply to study in the UK do so genuinely, the evidence is clear that the Student route for these nationalities has been a source of both high numbers and high proportions of visa-linked asylum claims. We have therefore acted to halt this unacceptable strain on our asylum system, and to ensure that the system remains fair, credible, and sustainable.

The brake will be kept under regular review. The visa brake is not intended to be permanent, but it will only be released once the government considers it appropriate to do so.

As set out in the Restoring Order and Control policy statement, the Government remains committed to the introduction of capped safe and legal routes for refugees and displaced people to come to the United Kingdom. Work is underway to develop these routes, including confirming the eligibility criteria and the number of places to be made available for each new safe and legal route.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Muslim organisations have applied for funding through the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme in every year since it was established; and of these, how many have been successful in obtaining funding.

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

The Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme is open to places of worship from all faith communities, except for Muslim and Jewish sites, which are supported through separate schemes. Muslim organisations are therefore not eligible for the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme. Instead, mosques and their associated faith community centres can access protective security measures through the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme.

However, between 2016 and the launch of the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme in 2023, Muslim communities were eligible to apply to the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme.

To protect the integrity of the scheme and ensure the continued safety of vulnerable sites, the Home Office does not publish data on processing of applications or the specific offers made to individual sites. Releasing this information could inadvertently disclose sensitive details about faith communities and their security arrangements.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have for the provision of accommodation for women and children seeking asylum who are awaiting a decision on their claims once they are moved out of hotel accommodation.

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

Home Office officials keep the asylum accommodation estate under continual review. As part of this estate management, operational adjustments are made on an ongoing basis to ensure sufficient and suitable capacity is maintained to meet expected levels of demand.

As the department reduces its reliance on hotel accommodation, individuals and families, including women and children, are moved into more appropriate longer‑term forms of asylum accommodation within the existing estate. This includes dispersal accommodation and, where required, other contingency arrangements that meet the necessary standards for safety and suitability.

The Home Office is committed to ensuring that destitute asylum seekers are provided with safe, secure and appropriate accommodation, and that they are treated with dignity throughout the asylum process.

In line with the Allocation of Accommodation policy, accommodation is offered on a no‑choice basis across the United Kingdom. Where an individual has specific, acute needs that require them to be accommodated in a particular area, established processes supported by Migrant Help and asylum support casework teams are in place to consider such circumstances.

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 2024–25 Health and Care Worker visa changes on access to domiciliary and residential care services; how many social care providers have had their sponsorship licences (a) suspended and (b) revoked in the past 24 months; and what proportion of those workers were left without a viable route to remain in social care employment.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government published the immigration white paper ‘Restoring control over the immigration system' last year which set out how we will move the UK away from a dependence on international care workers and end overseas recruitment for social care visas. The new immigration rules which prohibit overseas recruitment took effect in July 2025, however transitional arrangements exist for individuals already in the UK to switch into the route. The transitional arrangements are due to expire in 2028 but will be subject to regular review.

The Home Office continues to work closely with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)-funded Regional Partnerships to support care workers, who have been impacted by exploitative employers. DHSC are funding 15 regional hubs in England, made up of Local Authorities and Directors of Adult Social Services, working together to support displaced workers into new roles within the care sector. These regional hubs have received £12.5 million this financial year to support them to prevent and respond to unethical practices in the sector.

The Government remains committed to supporting Health & Care visa holders who wish to pursue a career in the adult social care sector.

The impact assessment for the changes made in 2024 and 2025 can be found at the following links:

2024 - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-immigration-rules-impact-assessments/2024-spring-immigration-rules-impact-assessment-accessible

2025 - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statement-of-changes-to-the-immigration-rules-hc-997-1-july-2025/spring-2025-immigration-rules-impact-assessment-skilled-worker-and-care-worker-july-2025-accessible-version

The Home Office does not publish revocation data broken down by business type. As a result, the specific information requested is not available within existing published statistics. Collating and verifying the relevant data solely for the purpose of this request would incur disproportionate cost.

However, the Home Office does publish general information on visa sponsors who are subject to suspension or revocation in available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/migration-transparency-data

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether (a) combined authorities and (b) the Mayor of London are participating in asylum accommodation pilots; and what role they have in asylum accommodation under proposed reforms.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Responsibility for the provision of asylum support and accommodation remains with the Secretary of State for the Home Department, and any pilot models have been designed to be delivered through local authorities. Strategic authorities, including combined authorities and the Mayor of London, may support local coordination where appropriate but have no formal delivery role.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Home Office guidance, Funding Instruction for Local Authorities: Asylum Grant 2025 - 2026, updated 23 April 2025, how many councils are participating in the LA-led asylum accommodation pilots.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Asylum Grant supports local authorities with a contribution to the costs and pressures of accommodating asylum seekers across all eligible accommodation types through a baseline payment of £1,200 per occupied bedspace and quarterly growth payments of £100 per net growth in newly occupied bedspaces. This grant started in 2021/22 and has been renewed yearly with the approval of HM Treasury. There is no unique link between this and local authority-led asylum accommodation pilots. No decisions have yet been made on which local authorities will participate in asylum accommodation pilots.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has held with the Metropolitan Police on the advisability of allowing the proposed Al Quds parade to take place in London on March 15, in the context of the current security situation in the Middle East.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Mark Rowley, wrote to the Home Secretary on 9 March requesting her consent to an order under section 13 of the Public Order Act 1986 to prohibit processions and counter-processions in relation to Al Quds Day.

The Home Secretary approved the order, to prevent serious public disorder. The Government’s foremost duty is the protection of its citizens, and this includes ensuring the safety of participants at the protest and counter-protests, as well as the wider public.

A decision to prohibit protests under section 13 of the Public Order Act 1986 is exceptional. This power is used rarely and only where the legal threshold is met. The Metropolitan Police were clear that imposing conditions would not be sufficient to manage the risks in this case.

The decision reflects the unique circumstances this year, including the scale of the planned march, multiple counter-protests, and heightened tensions linked to events in the Middle East.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has paid for followers on social media platforms it uses.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office does not, and has not paid for followers on its social media platforms.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to page 38 of the policy paper entitled Protecting What Matters, CP 1540, published on 9 March 2026, how she plans to update the 2024 engagement principles; and whether there will be a public consultation.

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

This Government takes extremism very seriously and we have the necessary tools and powers needed to address this issue. We are embedding the 2024 definition of extremism across Government to ensure a consistent understanding of extremism.

We are reviewing the existing engagement principles to ensure they are still valid and in line with current legislation and guidance and cover the full range of threats that exist. We are consulting with other government departments and key partners to achieve this.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of UK-based organisations with connections to the Iranian regime.

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

We work closely with a range of partners to tackle malign state-backed influence in our society. Where there is clear evidence that Iranian-linked or aligned organisations are undertaking unacceptable activity, the Government will respond accordingly.

We have introduced a comprehensive set of additional measures aimed at countering threats posed by the Iranian regime.

The enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS) requires individuals and organisations to register arrangements with specified foreign powers or entities that may pose a risk to the UK's safety and interests.

We have placed the entire Iranian State on the enhanced tier of FIRS. This means that anyone being directed to do any activity in the UK on behalf of the Iranian government faces a choice between registering with the scheme or committing a criminal offence punishable by a substantial fine or up to five years in prison.

The Government's top priority is national security, and we will continue to use all appropriate tools at our disposal to protect the UK, and its people, from any Iran-linked threats.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 5 March (HL15249), whether they will now answer the question put: namely, when they will next convene a summit with mobile phone operators, mobile phone manufacturers, and law enforcement professionals.

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

The Metropolitan Police recently hosted an international conference on phone theft, attended by partners from across law enforcement and industry. The Government is working with the Metropolitan Police to consider the outcomes from this event in determining what further action is necessary.

We look forward to public commitments from industry in the coming weeks, in advance of the Metropolitan Police Commissioner’s deadline for meaningful commitments of 1 June. If these are not forthcoming, the Government will look to consider any necessary action.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 5 March (HL15250), whether they will now answer the question put: namely, what the timeline is for developing technical solutions with technology companies and partners.

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

The Metropolitan Police recently hosted an international conference on phone theft, attended by partners from across law enforcement and industry. The Government is working with the Metropolitan Police to consider the outcomes from this event in determining what further action is necessary.

We look forward to public commitments from industry in the coming weeks, in advance of the Metropolitan Police Commissioner’s deadline for meaningful commitments of 1 June. If these are not forthcoming, the Government will look to consider any necessary action.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the designation of countries where homosexuality is prosecuted as ‘safe countries’ in relation to asylum claims is compatible with their commitment to human rights.

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

The designation of countries under Section 94 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 does not preclude protection for those at real risk of harm. The presumption of safety is rebuttable, in other words, claims are not automatically certified as 'clearly unfounded'. Instead, asylum claims from designated countries are assessed on their individual merits. If an applicant demonstrates a real risk of persecution, including on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity, their claim will not be certified as clearly unfounded.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what criteria will be used to decide whether a refugee can move from 'core protection' to the 'work and study route' as proposed in Restoring Order and Control (CP 1418).

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

Work is underway to create the Protection Work and Study route. Further details on the new route, including the eligibility criteria, will be set out in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of whether Jeffery Epstein was (a) passing information to the Russian Government and (b) was otherwise compromised by Russian hostile actors.

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

It would not be appropriate for the Government to comment on matters of intelligence or national security. It is the longstanding policy of government not to comment on such issues.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Act 2025 on LGBT individuals fleeing the new glorification and financing offences in Senegal; and what their reasoning is for the temporary 30-month protection status for claimants impacted by the criminalisation of LGBT individuals in their home countries.

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

Under s51 of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025, a person convicted overseas is only presumed to have committed a particularly serious crime where the act constituting the offence would have constituted a Schedule 3 sex offence in the UK.

The change to reduce refugee permission to stay to 30 months is the first step towards implementing the “core protection” model, announced as part of the reforms last autumn. These changes apply to all adults and accompanied children claiming asylum from 2 March 2026, including but not limited to those who have a well-founded fear of persecution or are at risk of serious harm on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Core Protection will allow those who are at risk to remain in the UK as long as necessary, whilst it is unsafe for them to return.

Refugees will be able to switch into a bespoke Protection, Work and Study route to access family reunion and settlement rights with new fees and conditions in accordance with the rules of that route. This will enable them to earn down their length of time before they can settle in the UK. This route will not include a safe, return review.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in light of their consultation titled Family Returns: Reforming Asylum Support and Enforcing Family Returns, how many families in receipt of asylum support under section 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 are currently classified as "appeals rights exhausted".

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

Data relating to people receiving section 95 support is published on GOV.UK as part of the immigration system statistics quarterly release. You can find the latest information in the data set from year ending December 2025 ‘Asylum seekers in receipt of Home Office support’. We do not currently publish data on those in receipt of support to the level of their family and appeal status.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure the security of fully remote English language testing in the immigration system.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Before any decision can be made to formally include remote testing as part of the Home Office English Language Testing service, the Home Office will ensure a full Cyber Security Assessment including a Threat Assessment is conducted to ensure compliance with Home Office Policy.

In addition, any delivery model must meet appropriate integrity requirements and principles including data security, cyber security, accessibility, fraud risk and prevention to ensure compliance with Home Office Policy and ensure that the service delivers the fundamental principles underpinning our Immigration policies and our visa journey. This compliance will be assessed throughout the tender process to ensure the strictest compliance with Home Office security parameters.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the average length of time for applications to the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme to be determined since that Scheme was established.

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

The Protective Security for Mosques Scheme receives a high volume of applications, and each is assessed to ensure that public money is used proportionately, fairly, and in line with the Scheme’s eligibility requirements.

Processing times can vary depending on application volumes and the circumstances of individual sites. As such, the Home Office does not hold a published estimate of the average length of time for applications to be determined since the Scheme was established.

We continue to work to improve the consistency and timeliness of decisions while ensuring that assessments remain proportionate and aligned with value‑for‑money considerations.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps to help protect UK (a) businesses and (b) investors from fraud where people found liable by UK courts are resident in jurisdictions like Dubai that do not consistently enforce UK judgments.

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

The Home Office published its new Fraud Strategy on 9 March. This enhanced plan focuses on disrupting fraud before it reaches a target, safeguarding individuals and businesses by building resilience and responding with victim support and justice. Backed by £250million of investment, the Government has made it clear it will work with partners at home and abroad to clamp down on the fraud epidemic.

The strategy sets out how we will safeguard UK citizens and businesses. Working with the Federation of Small Businesses, the City of London Police, NCSC and the NCA, the Government has developed and published a checklist for businesses to protect themselves against fraud, which can be found on the Stop! Think Fraud website. This is in addition to personal and consumer advice for individuals, also provided on the website.

International collaboration is also a critical part of our response, and we are committed to strengthening the global response on fraud. The UK sponsored a UNODC-INTERPOL Global Fraud Summit which took place on 16-17 March. This Summit brought together over 1,400 delegates, including 115 countries, 400 senior business leaders and 40 ministers. The Summit strengthened global standards on fraud and agreed a framework between governments and industry to facilitate greater international action to protect UK citizens and businesses.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding was provided to Muslim institutions through the (a) Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme and (b) Protective Security for Mosques Scheme in each year since they were established.

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

The Home Office provides protective security for Places of Worship as part of three separate strands. These are the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme and protection for Muslim faith schools (since 2023/24), the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant (administered by the Community Security Trust) and the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme (for all other, non-Muslim and non-Jewish, faiths). Prior to 2023/24, the Muslim community were eligible for support under the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme.

No funding is provided directly from the Home Office to any place of worship, instead they receive protective security measures funded by the Home Office via contracts or grants.

Since the launch of the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme and the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme, up to the following amounts have been made available.

In 2026/27, record funding of up to £73.4 million is being made available to protect faith communities. This includes £40 million through the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme and for security at Muslim faith schools, and £5 million for the places of worship and associated faith community centres of all other faiths.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much money has been recovered from each provider of asylum hotels through the excess profit clause in each contract in each of the last four years.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Excess profits of £45.9m have been returned to the Department in relation to the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contract’s profit share provisions.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Asylum handouts and accommodation removed for illegal migrants abusing Britain’s generosity, published on 5 March 2026, what information her department holds on the number of asylum seekers who are illegally working.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Home Office holds details of people claiming asylum who have been encountered during illegal working enforcement visits. This data only reflects those detected through enforcement activity and cannot be used to estimate the number of asylum seekers who may be working illegally more generally.

Once the changes announced on 5 March 2026 become law, if, following an investigation, there are reasonable grounds to suspect that an asylum seeker is working illegally, their support may be suspended or discontinued.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the average length of time for security measures to be implemented following funding being approved through the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme.

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

The Protective Security for Mosques Scheme provides fully funded protective security measures to eligible mosques and associated community centres across the UK.

Implementation timelines under the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme can vary, as they are influenced by a range of operational and site‑specific factors. Once a site has been approved, it is referred to our delivery partners for the necessary survey and subsequent installation activity.

In some cases, additional steps may be required before installation can proceed, such as local planning permission or the production of bespoke security equipment tailored to the site. These elements, which sit outside the Home Office’s direct control, can contribute to longer timeframes.

Found: Tapp MP Minister for Migration & Citizenship 2 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DF www.gov.uk/home-office

Found: The Home Office does not monitor how many DHRs involve suicide rather than homicide, or how many suicide

Found: deliver a targeted influencing behaviour communication campaign pilot in partnership with the Home Office

Found: There are also Home Office police perpetrator Domestic Abuse panels, which cover the compounding factors

Found: that in April 2025, MHCLG was made the lead department for wildfire in England, as opposed to the Home Office

Found: that in April 2025, MHCLG was made the lead department for wildfire in England, as opposed to the Home Office

Found: First, he noted “a significant volume of files in the Home Office archive” documenting cases in which

Found: recovery arrangements are in place.”50 However, beyond the role of the Security Minister in the Home Office

Found: the retail sector HC 355 8th Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage HC 351 7th Asylum accommodation: Home Office

Found: Domestically, the Home Office,226 leads on addressing malign information activity aimed at UK audiences

Found: civil contingencies has resided with Dan Jarvis who has a joint Minister of State role in the Home Office

Found: Since the advent of democratic devolution, numerous Home Office and Ministry of Justice policies have

Found: co-chaired by HMPPS and Welsh Government, which brings together policy officials from MoJ, HMPPS, Home Office

Found: of a Review of Women with Particular Vulnerabilities in the Criminal Justice System, London: Home Office

Found: Changes in Immigration Rules (HC 1691) and one linked instrument and Further Information from the Home Office

Found: We hope that the Home Office takes this forward along with groups like the DFE and DWP as well.

Found: Anne Marie Chebib: I am sure you are aware of the Home Office work being done at the moment in terms

Found: We hope that the Home Office takes this forward along with groups like the DFE and DWP as well.

Found: Anne Marie Chebib: I am sure you are aware of the Home Office work being done at the moment in terms

Found: Steve Smart: We were engaged with the Home Office in the creation of the national fraud strategy.

Found: Steve Smart: We were engaged with the Home Office in the creation of the national fraud strategy.

Found: We speak to the Home Office.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the consistency between the number of beagles licensed for use in scientific experiments approved by the Home Office between January and December 2025 and the Government's Replacing Animals in Science strategy published in November 2025.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

No assessment has been made of the of the consistency between the number of beagles licensed for use in scientific experiments approved by the Home Office between January and December 2025 and the Government's Replacing Animals in Science strategy. The Labour Manifesto commits to partnering with scientists, industry and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing. It is not yet possible to replace all animal use due to the complexity of biological systems and regulatory requirements for their use. Any work to phase out animal testing must be science-led, in lock step with partners.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 114873 on Home Office: Redundancy Pay, whether exit payments made to the last two Cabinet Secretaries were eligible for the £30,000 tax-free allowance.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

It is a longstanding policy not to comment on individual employment matters. The guidance on tax on severance payments is here: https://www.gov.uk/termination-payments-and-tax-when-you-leave-a-job/what-you-pay-tax-and-national-insurance-on

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what forms of photographic identification are accepted from applicants who do not hold a UK passport or driving licence during the PIP application process.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

All PIP customers are required to verify their identity during the application process. This can be done using a variety of evidence, including photographic identification if appropriate.

The following documentation can be used by British Nationals making a PIP application as part of the process to verify their identity:

• British Passport
• UK Driving Licence

• Armed Forces ID card (can only be accepted face-to-face)
• Police warrant card (can only be accepted face-to-face)
• National Health Service (NHS) ID card containing a biometric chip (can only be accepted face-to-face)
• ID cards carrying the Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) accreditation logo (UK and Channel Islands)
• HM Armed Forces Veteran Card (can only be accepted face-to-face)
• A certificate of registration or naturalisation as a British citizen, which indicates the holder is entitled to take up employment in the UK

In some circumstances - where they fully meet the lay conditions - someone who is not a British national can claim PIP. The Eligibility criteria to claim PIP for someone who is not a British National can be found here: Personal Independence Payment (PIP): Eligibility - GOV.UK

You must:

• normally live in or show that you intend to settle in the UK, Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands
• not be subject to immigration control (unless you’re a sponsored immigrant)

If you’re from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, you and your family usually also need settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme to get PIP. The deadline to apply to the scheme was 30 June 2021 for most people, but you might still be able to apply.

If a customer meets this eligibility criteria, then the following documents can be provided to prove their identity:

• Passport of European Union (EU) or other nationalities
• Identity cards from an EU or European Economic Area (EEA) country that follow Regulation - 2252/2004 - EN - EUR-Lex (link is external)
• A residence permit, registration certificate or document certifying or indicating permanent residence issued by the Home Office to a national of an EEA country or Switzerland
• A permanent residence card issued by the Home Office or the Border and Immigration Agency to the family member of a national of a EEA country or Switzerland
• A passport or other travel document endorsed to show that the holder is exempt from immigration control and either:
• is allowed to stay indefinitely in the UK
• has the right of abode in the UK
• has no time limit on their stay in the UK

• An Immigration Status Document issued by the Home Office or the United Kingdom Border Agency to the holder with an endorsement indicating that the person named in it, is allowed to stay indefinitely in the United Kingdom or has no time limit on their stay in the United Kingdom

• EU or other nationalities photo-card driving licence accompanied by an international driving permit, valid up to 12 months up to the date of when the individual entered the UK (can only be accepted face-to-face)
• ARC (Application Registration Card) and Home Office Decision Grant Letter. These documents can be used together if the information is the same and confirmed by the Home Office to verify ID, but only by exception, when a refugee has not had their UKVI account created by the Home Office to access their eVisa. One without the other cannot be accepted
• Home Office ‘View and Prove’ eVisa service (can only be accepted face-to-face).

Please note that although a document is listed, there may be a need for accompanying evidence alongside any of these to sufficiently prove someone’s identity.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many PIP claimants were required to show a form of identification during their application in the last five years.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

All PIP customers are required to verify their identity during the application process. This can be done using a variety of evidence, including photographic identification if appropriate.

The following documentation can be used by British Nationals making a PIP application as part of the process to verify their identity:

• British Passport
• UK Driving Licence

• Armed Forces ID card (can only be accepted face-to-face)
• Police warrant card (can only be accepted face-to-face)
• National Health Service (NHS) ID card containing a biometric chip (can only be accepted face-to-face)
• ID cards carrying the Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) accreditation logo (UK and Channel Islands)
• HM Armed Forces Veteran Card (can only be accepted face-to-face)
• A certificate of registration or naturalisation as a British citizen, which indicates the holder is entitled to take up employment in the UK

In some circumstances - where they fully meet the lay conditions - someone who is not a British national can claim PIP. The Eligibility criteria to claim PIP for someone who is not a British National can be found here: Personal Independence Payment (PIP): Eligibility - GOV.UK

You must:

• normally live in or show that you intend to settle in the UK, Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands
• not be subject to immigration control (unless you’re a sponsored immigrant)

If you’re from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, you and your family usually also need settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme to get PIP. The deadline to apply to the scheme was 30 June 2021 for most people, but you might still be able to apply.

If a customer meets this eligibility criteria, then the following documents can be provided to prove their identity:

• Passport of European Union (EU) or other nationalities
• Identity cards from an EU or European Economic Area (EEA) country that follow Regulation - 2252/2004 - EN - EUR-Lex (link is external)
• A residence permit, registration certificate or document certifying or indicating permanent residence issued by the Home Office to a national of an EEA country or Switzerland
• A permanent residence card issued by the Home Office or the Border and Immigration Agency to the family member of a national of a EEA country or Switzerland
• A passport or other travel document endorsed to show that the holder is exempt from immigration control and either:
• is allowed to stay indefinitely in the UK
• has the right of abode in the UK
• has no time limit on their stay in the UK

• An Immigration Status Document issued by the Home Office or the United Kingdom Border Agency to the holder with an endorsement indicating that the person named in it, is allowed to stay indefinitely in the United Kingdom or has no time limit on their stay in the United Kingdom

• EU or other nationalities photo-card driving licence accompanied by an international driving permit, valid up to 12 months up to the date of when the individual entered the UK (can only be accepted face-to-face)
• ARC (Application Registration Card) and Home Office Decision Grant Letter. These documents can be used together if the information is the same and confirmed by the Home Office to verify ID, but only by exception, when a refugee has not had their UKVI account created by the Home Office to access their eVisa. One without the other cannot be accepted
• Home Office ‘View and Prove’ eVisa service (can only be accepted face-to-face).

Please note that although a document is listed, there may be a need for accompanying evidence alongside any of these to sufficiently prove someone’s identity.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the effectiveness of licensing regulations to protect people from alcohol-related harms.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Licensing Act 2003, which is overseen by the Home Office, requires licensing authorities to promote objectives relating to the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the protection of children from harm, and the prevention of public nuisance, which together provide important safeguards against alcohol‑related harms.

The Government is considering how best to take forward recommendations to develop a modern, proportionate, and enabling licensing system. This work is being led by the Department for Business and Trade and the Home Office with support from other departments, including the Department of Health and Social Care, to ensure public health is fully considered.

We will continue to work across Government to consider what other measures might be needed to reduce the negative impact excessive alcohol consumption is having on health, crime, and the economy.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of Home Office decisions on the finances of universities.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The new International Education Strategy reflects the positive impact of international students. It confirms our continued commitment to welcoming students who meet the requirements to study in the UK.

The system must, however, ensure that international students make a positive contribution to the communities in which they study. The ‘Restoring control over the immigration system’ White Paper contains measures that will achieve a reduction in net migration, whilst maintaining the UK’s globally competitive position and boosting our skills base.

The department expects the UK to remain an attractive study destination. The most recent data shows that applications from Sponsored Study visa main applicants in the year ending January 2026 were 2 per cent higher than the previous year. The data is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/monthly-entry-clearance-visa-applications-january-2026/monthly-entry-clearance-visa-applications-january-2026.

Whilst we recognise international students’ value, reliance on international fee income is a risk to some providers' income. HE providers must ensure their business models provide long-term sustainability.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) alcohol advertising and (b) websites selling alcoholic products provide reference to addiction support platforms.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

In the United Kingdom, the Advertising Standards Authority is responsible for regulating advertising through enforcing the codes set by the Committees of Advertising Practice and the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice. There are rules about ensuring alcohol and drinking are portrayed in a responsible way, for instance adverts generally should not imply, condone, or encourage immoderate, irresponsible, or anti-social drinking. The codes do not currently require alcohol advertisements to signpost to addiction support services.

Online sales of alcohol are regulated under the Licensing Act 2003. There is currently no statutory requirement for online retailers to signpost to addiction support platforms.

The Department of Health and Social Care will continue to work with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, as the lead Government department responsible for advertising, and the Home Office, as the department responsible for licensing, to understand the evidence base and explore policy responses for addressing alcohol harms.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what progress officials in UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has made on developing target areas of research for alternative methods for animal testing; and whether UKRI has any plans to consult with civil society organisations who have expertise in this area as part of this process.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

On 11 November 2025 the Government published Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, which outlines the steps we will take to achieve this. The Labour Manifesto commits to partnering with scientists, industry and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing. The Government consulted civil society, industry and academia during development of the strategy and continues to do so during delivery, including through regular Home Office meetings. We also intend to publish areas of research interest later this year. UKRI has an important role in this but is not the only delivery partner

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of student loans issued in each of last five years for which data is available were for students with settled status, expressed in (a) monetary terms and (b) number of students.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department is not able to provide the requested data on settled status in the required timescale.

Settled status is a residency category, which is data held by the Student Loans Company (SLC).

However, changes in the application process over time, including the transition to electronic applications and introduction of new products, systems and processes in line with the legislation, mean that data held for earlier cohorts is held differently across multiple SLC systems.

As a result, it is not currently possible to produce robust settled status data within the required timescales. The department and the SLC are undertaking work to improve the quality and consistency of data provided.

Once this work is complete, the department expects to be able to provide information in response to such questions.

The department is not able to provide the requested data on immigration status. The SLC does not hold immigration status data. Immigration status data is held by the Home Office and is used by the SLC as part of the assessment for loan eligibility. However, as the SLC does not hold immigration status data in their own systems, this breakdown cannot be provided.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of student loans issued in each of the last five years for which data is available were for students with a non-Common Travel Area immigration status.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department is not able to provide the requested data on settled status in the required timescale.

Settled status is a residency category, which is data held by the Student Loans Company (SLC).

However, changes in the application process over time, including the transition to electronic applications and introduction of new products, systems and processes in line with the legislation, mean that data held for earlier cohorts is held differently across multiple SLC systems.

As a result, it is not currently possible to produce robust settled status data within the required timescales. The department and the SLC are undertaking work to improve the quality and consistency of data provided.

Once this work is complete, the department expects to be able to provide information in response to such questions.

The department is not able to provide the requested data on immigration status. The SLC does not hold immigration status data. Immigration status data is held by the Home Office and is used by the SLC as part of the assessment for loan eligibility. However, as the SLC does not hold immigration status data in their own systems, this breakdown cannot be provided.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the student loan outlay is by immigration status of the student cohort for the last five years for which data is available.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department is not able to provide the requested data on settled status in the required timescale.

Settled status is a residency category, which is data held by the Student Loans Company (SLC).

However, changes in the application process over time, including the transition to electronic applications and introduction of new products, systems and processes in line with the legislation, mean that data held for earlier cohorts is held differently across multiple SLC systems.

As a result, it is not currently possible to produce robust settled status data within the required timescales. The department and the SLC are undertaking work to improve the quality and consistency of data provided.

Once this work is complete, the department expects to be able to provide information in response to such questions.

The department is not able to provide the requested data on immigration status. The SLC does not hold immigration status data. Immigration status data is held by the Home Office and is used by the SLC as part of the assessment for loan eligibility. However, as the SLC does not hold immigration status data in their own systems, this breakdown cannot be provided.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2026 to Question 119270 on Ammunition: Lead, if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of a decrease in demand for ammunition containing lead following the introduction of proposed restrictions on commercial ammunition on a) the availability, b) the price, and c) the reliability of ammunition containing lead intended to be used for law enforcement purposes.

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

The decision to restrict the use of Lead in Ammunition under UK REACH was made following a consideration of the risk, the availability of alternatives and the socio-economic impacts. The UK REACH Restriction on lead in ammunition does not include the use of lead ammunition by the military, police, government security services, private maritime security companies and for border force purposes including storage. My officials have engaged with the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence on this restriction.

The UK REACH restriction gives a three-year transition period for most uses to allow users and suppliers time to adapt to the restriction. There are also several derogations and exemptions for continued use of lead ammunition after the ban comes into effect. Lead bullets can continue to be used at outdoor shooting ranges that meet the conditions necessary for the derogation. It is estimated that over 90% of shooting ranges will be able to meet these conditions. The majority of lead bullets used in the UK are used at outdoor shooting ranges. The use of small calibre bullets for live quarry shooting is not included in the restriction.

GB manufacturers can continue to manufacture and sell lead ammunition for non-civilian purposes that are not in scope of the restriction. GB manufacturers will be able to continue to export lead ammunition overseas. Lead ammunition can be imported for unrestricted uses.

The existing UK supply of lead rimfire bullets is a mix of domestic production and imports, while the supply of UK lead centrefire bullets is understood to be imported from abroad.

There is an opportunity for GB companies to innovate and secure economic growth in manufacturing non-lead ammunition more widely.

I would be happy to meet with the Rt Hon. Member.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2026 to Question 119270 on Ammunition: Lead, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of a decrease in the size of UK orders for ammunition containing lead following the introduction of proposed restrictions on commercial ammunition on a) the ability for the UK to attract overseas orders of ammunition containing lead used for law enforcement purposes, and b) the price of such orders.

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

The decision to restrict the use of Lead in Ammunition under UK REACH was made following a consideration of the risk, the availability of alternatives and the socio-economic impacts. The UK REACH Restriction on lead in ammunition does not include the use of lead ammunition by the military, police, government security services, private maritime security companies and for border force purposes including storage. My officials have engaged with the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence on this restriction.

The UK REACH restriction gives a three-year transition period for most uses to allow users and suppliers time to adapt to the restriction. There are also several derogations and exemptions for continued use of lead ammunition after the ban comes into effect. Lead bullets can continue to be used at outdoor shooting ranges that meet the conditions necessary for the derogation. It is estimated that over 90% of shooting ranges will be able to meet these conditions. The majority of lead bullets used in the UK are used at outdoor shooting ranges. The use of small calibre bullets for live quarry shooting is not included in the restriction.

GB manufacturers can continue to manufacture and sell lead ammunition for non-civilian purposes that are not in scope of the restriction. GB manufacturers will be able to continue to export lead ammunition overseas. Lead ammunition can be imported for unrestricted uses.

The existing UK supply of lead rimfire bullets is a mix of domestic production and imports, while the supply of UK lead centrefire bullets is understood to be imported from abroad.

There is an opportunity for GB companies to innovate and secure economic growth in manufacturing non-lead ammunition more widely.

I would be happy to meet with the Rt Hon. Member.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2026 to Question 119270 on Ammunition: Lead, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure, following the introduction of restrictions on the production of ammunition containing lead for commercial purposes, that ammunition containing lead intended to be used for law enforcement purposes is a) available, b) affordable, and c) timely.

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

The decision to restrict the use of Lead in Ammunition under UK REACH was made following a consideration of the risk, the availability of alternatives and the socio-economic impacts. The UK REACH Restriction on lead in ammunition does not include the use of lead ammunition by the military, police, government security services, private maritime security companies and for border force purposes including storage. My officials have engaged with the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence on this restriction.

The UK REACH restriction gives a three-year transition period for most uses to allow users and suppliers time to adapt to the restriction. There are also several derogations and exemptions for continued use of lead ammunition after the ban comes into effect. Lead bullets can continue to be used at outdoor shooting ranges that meet the conditions necessary for the derogation. It is estimated that over 90% of shooting ranges will be able to meet these conditions. The majority of lead bullets used in the UK are used at outdoor shooting ranges. The use of small calibre bullets for live quarry shooting is not included in the restriction.

GB manufacturers can continue to manufacture and sell lead ammunition for non-civilian purposes that are not in scope of the restriction. GB manufacturers will be able to continue to export lead ammunition overseas. Lead ammunition can be imported for unrestricted uses.

The existing UK supply of lead rimfire bullets is a mix of domestic production and imports, while the supply of UK lead centrefire bullets is understood to be imported from abroad.

There is an opportunity for GB companies to innovate and secure economic growth in manufacturing non-lead ammunition more widely.

I would be happy to meet with the Rt Hon. Member.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2026 to Question 119270 on Ammunition: Lead, if she will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of the proposed restrictions on commercial ammunition containing lead on UK sovereign capability to supply ammunition for law enforcement purposes.

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

The decision to restrict the use of Lead in Ammunition under UK REACH was made following a consideration of the risk, the availability of alternatives and the socio-economic impacts. The UK REACH Restriction on lead in ammunition does not include the use of lead ammunition by the military, police, government security services, private maritime security companies and for border force purposes including storage. My officials have engaged with the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence on this restriction.

The UK REACH restriction gives a three-year transition period for most uses to allow users and suppliers time to adapt to the restriction. There are also several derogations and exemptions for continued use of lead ammunition after the ban comes into effect. Lead bullets can continue to be used at outdoor shooting ranges that meet the conditions necessary for the derogation. It is estimated that over 90% of shooting ranges will be able to meet these conditions. The majority of lead bullets used in the UK are used at outdoor shooting ranges. The use of small calibre bullets for live quarry shooting is not included in the restriction.

GB manufacturers can continue to manufacture and sell lead ammunition for non-civilian purposes that are not in scope of the restriction. GB manufacturers will be able to continue to export lead ammunition overseas. Lead ammunition can be imported for unrestricted uses.

The existing UK supply of lead rimfire bullets is a mix of domestic production and imports, while the supply of UK lead centrefire bullets is understood to be imported from abroad.

There is an opportunity for GB companies to innovate and secure economic growth in manufacturing non-lead ammunition more widely.

I would be happy to meet with the Rt Hon. Member.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2026 to Question 119270 on Ammunition: Lead, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of restrictions on the production of ammunition containing lead for commercial purposes on the number of ammunition manufacturers who continue to produce bullets containing lead.

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

The decision to restrict the use of Lead in Ammunition under UK REACH was made following a consideration of the risk, the availability of alternatives and the socio-economic impacts. The UK REACH Restriction on lead in ammunition does not include the use of lead ammunition by the military, police, government security services, private maritime security companies and for border force purposes including storage. My officials have engaged with the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence on this restriction.

The UK REACH restriction gives a three-year transition period for most uses to allow users and suppliers time to adapt to the restriction. There are also several derogations and exemptions for continued use of lead ammunition after the ban comes into effect. Lead bullets can continue to be used at outdoor shooting ranges that meet the conditions necessary for the derogation. It is estimated that over 90% of shooting ranges will be able to meet these conditions. The majority of lead bullets used in the UK are used at outdoor shooting ranges. The use of small calibre bullets for live quarry shooting is not included in the restriction.

GB manufacturers can continue to manufacture and sell lead ammunition for non-civilian purposes that are not in scope of the restriction. GB manufacturers will be able to continue to export lead ammunition overseas. Lead ammunition can be imported for unrestricted uses.

The existing UK supply of lead rimfire bullets is a mix of domestic production and imports, while the supply of UK lead centrefire bullets is understood to be imported from abroad.

There is an opportunity for GB companies to innovate and secure economic growth in manufacturing non-lead ammunition more widely.

I would be happy to meet with the Rt Hon. Member.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 March 2026 to Question 119270 on Ammunition: Lead, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of restrictions on the production of ammunition containing lead for commercial purposes on a) the availability, b) the price, and c) the reliability of ammunition containing lead intended to be used for law enforcement purposes.

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

The decision to restrict the use of Lead in Ammunition under UK REACH was made following a consideration of the risk, the availability of alternatives and the socio-economic impacts. The UK REACH Restriction on lead in ammunition does not include the use of lead ammunition by the military, police, government security services, private maritime security companies and for border force purposes including storage. My officials have engaged with the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence on this restriction.

The UK REACH restriction gives a three-year transition period for most uses to allow users and suppliers time to adapt to the restriction. There are also several derogations and exemptions for continued use of lead ammunition after the ban comes into effect. Lead bullets can continue to be used at outdoor shooting ranges that meet the conditions necessary for the derogation. It is estimated that over 90% of shooting ranges will be able to meet these conditions. The majority of lead bullets used in the UK are used at outdoor shooting ranges. The use of small calibre bullets for live quarry shooting is not included in the restriction.

GB manufacturers can continue to manufacture and sell lead ammunition for non-civilian purposes that are not in scope of the restriction. GB manufacturers will be able to continue to export lead ammunition overseas. Lead ammunition can be imported for unrestricted uses.

The existing UK supply of lead rimfire bullets is a mix of domestic production and imports, while the supply of UK lead centrefire bullets is understood to be imported from abroad.

There is an opportunity for GB companies to innovate and secure economic growth in manufacturing non-lead ammunition more widely.

I would be happy to meet with the Rt Hon. Member.

Found: Sexual Abuse, The Report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, 20 October 2022 5 Home Office

Found: 59 Falkland Islands, Legislative Council: Executive Council papers for 2025 and 2026 60 Home Office

Create an official online CoS verification portal managed by the UK Home Office.
Allow applicants to verify CoS reference numbers in real time.

Include QR-code or digital signature authentication on all issued CoS documents.

Found: Create an official online CoS verification portal managed by the UK Home Office.

Found: PAC recommendation: By July 2026, the Home Office should write to us setting out the key metrics it

Found: PAC recommendation: In its Treasury Minute response, the Home Office should set out the arrangements

Found: British National (Overseas) The Home Office published the latest UK immigration statistics on 27 November

Found: She subsequently developed her expertise in justice research, initially as a Home Office researcher,

Found: must first be able to present a valid disregard from the relevant authority (for example, the Home Office

Found: The Department for Education, alongside the Home Office and the Department of Health and Social Care

Found: Home Office Border Force – unpublished Home Office payroll data from 1 July 2024 (Note that we do not

Found: IAC evaluation: some limited evidence of that the Home Office review part of the process affected some

Found: views and experiences of Appellants in Person, legal officers, the judiciary, CTSC staff, and Home Office

Found: relevant government departments (in this case, groups such as the Local Government Association, Home Office

Found: : An administrative data system used by all police forces in England and Wales, managed by the Home Office

Found: Over the past year we have worked closely with the Home Office and other partners on the preparatory

Found: Office’s section 27 statutory guidance on what premises and events will be required to do, which the Home Office

Found: Regulation of decapods: letter from the Home Office

Found: Regulation of decapods: letter from the Home Office

Found: The Home Office has appointed PA Consulting and Plexal as the new delivery partners for the Accelerated

Found: The Home Office will immediately begin working with policing partners to put these recommendations into

Found: [5] Home Office, “Forensic Information Databases Strategy Board,” [Online].

Found: requirements for these medicines, refer to the Misuse of Drugs (Safe Custody) Regulations or contact the Home Office

Found: As part of its consultation, the Home Office conducted a survey of the taxi and PHV licensing authorities

Found: Licence Applications IA No: HO0277 RPC Reference No: RPC-3725(1)-HO Lead department or agency: The Home Office

Found: Tackling Exploitation in the Labour Market IA No: Lead department or agency: Joint BEIS and Home Office

Found: Home Office Name Date Minister of State EXPLANATORY NOTE (This note is not part of the Regulations

Found: Home Office Name Date Minister of State EXPLANATORY NOTE (This note is not part of the Regulations

Found: Name Home Office Minister of State Date EXPLANATORY NOTE (This note is not part of the Regulations

Found: Lead Department/Agency Home Office Expected date of implementation October 2016 Origin Domestic Date

Found: Check to Alcohol and Late Night Refreshment Licence Applications Lead Department/Agency The Home Office

Found: Home Office July 2016

Found: Home Office July 2016

Found: Page 1 of 14 Published for Home Office staff on 09 March 2026

Found: Immigration Officers, Entry Clearance Officers and all staff of the Home Office will carry out their

Found: Contents Page 7 of 65 FFM introductory note Officials from the United Kingdom (UK) Home Office

Found: Completed inspections – reports awaiting publication  An inspection of Home Office management of contact

Found:

Found: Villa,Navigation Way,Preston,Avon,PR2 2YP,England INFRARED CAPITAL PARTNERS LLP 1 397 Force HQ Home Office

Found: Department for Education (DfE), the Department for Energy, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the Home Office

Found: Home Office evidence to the Police Remuneration Review Body, 2026 to 2027

Found: Home Office evidence to the Police Remuneration Review Body, 2026 to 2027

Found: 1 Home Office evidence to the Senior Salaries Review Body Chief police officers 2026-27 pay round

Found: Body must consider evidence from a variety of sources when giving advice on pay, including the Home Office

Found: Home Office Border Force – unpublished Home Office payroll data from 1 July 2024 (Note that we do not

Found: British National (Overseas) The Home Office published the latest UK immigration statistics on 27 November

Found: support delivery of the International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF); and funded by the MHCLG and Home Office

Found: expertise, and trusted military-to-military access – to support the aims of the FCDO, Cabinet Office, Home Office

Found: RB thought that there may be a bit of push back from the police and the Home Office, but they have been

Found: The Rt Hon Lord Hanson of Flint, Home Office Lords Minister, chaired the meeting.

Found: since around 2012–2015, when differences are no longer statistically significant Data from the Home Office

Found: The Home Office has stated that the first grants of EUSS pre-settled status will not expire until mid

Found: Employers and landlords are also required to notify the Home Office of persons who have not applied.

Found: Employers and landlords are also required to notify the Home Office of persons who have not applied.

Found: The Home Office has since provided assurances to the Welsh Government that it will send timely reminders

Found: not one of those circumstances, and so by imposing a requirement to upgrade residence status the Home Office

Found: This will be done by the Home Office on the basis of automated residence checks (i.e. those whom the

Found: Government understands that the UK Government has no plans to review settled status holders, and the Home Office

Found: Government understands that the UK Government has no plans to review settled status holders, and the Home Office

Found: The Home Office will use existing data to verify eligibility for settled status.

Found: The Home Office will use existing data to verify eligibility for settled status.

Found: Employers and landlords are also required to notify the Home Office of persons who have not applied.

Found: one of those circumstances, and so by imposing a requirement to upgrade residence status the Home Office

Found: It is something that we've raised before to the Home Office directly, but I think it's something that

Found: This will be done by the Home Office on the basis of automated residence checks (i.e. those whom the

Found: testing to take account of household circumstances, income and capital is undertaken by the DWP/Home Office

Found: It is agreed with the Home Office.

Found: application and for Student Finance Wales to accept alternative forms of documentation, such as the Home Office

Found: This is a Home Office contract, sub-contracted in Wales by The Salvation Army to Bawso.

Found: internal communication and external communication concerning your school with Estyn and UKVI/Home Office