Baroness Porter of Fulwood

The Government understands the important work being delivered by voluntary organisations and recognises the need to protect the smallest businesses and charities, which is why it has more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning more than half of businesses with National Insurance Contributions (NICs) liabilities either gain or see no change next year. Businesses and charities will still be able to claim employer NICs reliefs where eligible.

We have taken necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at the Autumn Budget 2024, which has enabled the spending review settlement of a £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department from 2023/24 outturn to 2025/26.

The National Cancer Plan will focus on how we make things better for patients through reforming the cancer sector and improving efficiency, building on the steps announced in the Elective Reform Plan. This will support more scrupulous and effective use of funds in the future. We are committed to working closely with cancer charities to shape the long-term vision for cancer. Alongside the call for evidence, we will consult with partners and patient groups to get their views and priorities.

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

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

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

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

The decision to remand any individual in custody or to grant bail for is solely a matter for the courts and independent judiciary acting in accordance with the law.

We are working with partners across the system to ensure that the recent growth in the remand population is effectively managed.

The Home Office has trialled starting deportation casework earlier in the foreign national offender (FNO) journey, focusing on FNOs awaiting sentencing.

So far, this process has proved effective in increasing the time available to effect departures and has now been expanded to all prisons.

Since 5 July 2024, we have returned over 4,000 FNOs which is more than in the same period 12 months prior.

All convicted foreign national offenders (FNOs) who receive a custodial sentence are referred to the Home Office to be considered for deportation. On entry to custody, FNOs are informed of the likelihood of deportation and encouraged to take up removal schemes including prisoner transfer agreements.

The Ministry of Justice has invested £5 million on 82 FNO specialists to oversee swift removals from prisons. These specialists are working with the Home Office to remove FNOs who have no right to remain in the United Kingdom, by encouraging compliance, and by actively investigating, and seeking to remove, barriers to removal, thereby reducing the costs to the taxpayer and helping to protect the public.

These specialists have also received training on prisoner transfers and in addition to their main function of ensuring deportation under the Early Removal Scheme, they also encourage FNOs to apply for voluntary repatriation under prisoner transfer agreements including the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. Prisoner Transfer is only one of the mechanisms where FNOs can be removed early.

14 FNOs have been successfully transferred voluntarily under this Convention between July 2024 and 31 December 2024. Data on repatriations after 1 January 2025 is not able to be shared.

There were no FNOs transferred to Poland under the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons between the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Poland on Cooperation in Criminal Justice Matters in November 2024 and the end of December 2024. Data on repatriations after 1 January 2025 is not able to be shared.

All convicted foreign national offenders (FNOs) who receive a custodial sentence are referred to the Home Office to be considered for deportation. On entry to custody, FNOs are informed of the likelihood of deportation and encouraged to take up removal schemes including prisoner transfer agreements.

The Ministry of Justice has invested £5 million on 82 FNO specialists to oversee swift removals from prisons. These specialists are working with the Home Office to remove FNOs who have no right to remain in the United Kingdom, by encouraging compliance, and by actively investigating, and seeking to remove, barriers to removal, thereby reducing the costs to the taxpayer and helping to protect the public.

These specialists have also received training on prisoner transfers and in addition to their main function of ensuring deportation under the Early Removal Scheme, they also encourage FNOs to apply for voluntary repatriation under prisoner transfer agreements including the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. Prisoner Transfer is only one of the mechanisms where FNOs can be removed early.

14 FNOs have been successfully transferred voluntarily under this Convention between July 2024 and 31 December 2024. Data on repatriations after 1 January 2025 is not able to be shared.

There were no FNOs transferred to Poland under the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons between the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Poland on Cooperation in Criminal Justice Matters in November 2024 and the end of December 2024. Data on repatriations after 1 January 2025 is not able to be shared.

All convicted foreign national offenders (FNOs) who receive a custodial sentence are referred to the Home Office to be considered for deportation. On entry to custody, FNOs are informed of the likelihood of deportation and encouraged to take up removal schemes including prisoner transfer agreements.

The Ministry of Justice has invested £5 million on 82 FNO specialists to oversee swift removals from prisons. These specialists are working with the Home Office to remove FNOs who have no right to remain in the United Kingdom, by encouraging compliance, and by actively investigating, and seeking to remove, barriers to removal, thereby reducing the costs to the taxpayer and helping to protect the public.

These specialists have also received training on prisoner transfers and in addition to their main function of ensuring deportation under the Early Removal Scheme, they also encourage FNOs to apply for voluntary repatriation under prisoner transfer agreements including the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. Prisoner Transfer is only one of the mechanisms where FNOs can be removed early.

14 FNOs have been successfully transferred voluntarily under this Convention between July 2024 and 31 December 2024. Data on repatriations after 1 January 2025 is not able to be shared.

There were no FNOs transferred to Poland under the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons between the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Poland on Cooperation in Criminal Justice Matters in November 2024 and the end of December 2024. Data on repatriations after 1 January 2025 is not able to be shared.

Voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations already play an enormous role in the vital work of preparing prisoners for release, and of helping them to adapt on their return to the community. 76% of current Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS) contracts – support to help people in custody or on probation to reduce their risk of re-offending – are led by VCSEs.

In addition, the CRS General Grant Scheme provides funding exclusively to third-sector services that promote rehabilitation and desistance, as well as those providing support to people with shared protected characteristics or shared experiences. To date, 32 grants have been awarded.

His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) also works with a wide range of charitable organisations to deliver prison education. These include the Shannon Trust, National Literacy Trust, Prisoners Education Trust, The Clink and St Giles. Many have been funded to develop their work through HMPPS grants or contracts.

To inform the development of a new generation of CRS contracts, national engagement events have been held throughout the design phase. These events have been well attended by third-sector organisations and have ensured that the providers’ voice is fully taken into account in designing the new specification. Resources have been dedicated to ensuring a role for third sector organisations in the new generation of contracts.

We are keen to evaluate activities, wherever possible, to learn from best practice, and we encourage charity providers themselves to evaluate their work. The ability to demonstrate good outcomes can help to support further bids for funding.

Many suppliers of Prison Education Services, of which there are over 400, are charitable organisations. Best practice is shared regularly with Heads of Education, Skills and Work in HMPPS, and information is regularly distributed from potential providers to all prison sites.