Asked by: Lord Cameron of Lochiel (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reliability of the EU Entry/Exit System and its impact on UK citizens.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Entry/Exit System (EES) is an EU scheme, and as such its operation is a matter for the EU and member states.
While the UK Government has been monitoring the rollout of EES and continues raising any issues with the EU and relevant member states, no formal assessment has been made of its reliability or impact on UK citizens.
We continue to monitor for disruption and raise any issues with the European Commission and relevant member states.
Asked by: Lord Cameron of Lochiel (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to allow individuals with properties not connected to the electricity grid and who purchase (1) liquefied petroleum gas, or (2) heating oil, during the winter months to claim back VAT, in light of these individuals not being able to benefit from the temporary zero rate of VAT on electricity during the winter months.
Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Domestic heating oil and Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) already benefit from a reduced VAT rate of five per cent, rather than the standard 20 per cent.
In addition, to help households manage higher energy costs, the Government is providing over £50 million of additional support for low-income households which rely on heating oil. This comes on top of wider support with energy costs, including action to remove £150 from bills in April and the extension of the Warm Home Discount to 6 million households.
The Government has taken a balanced approach, helping millions of households with their energy bills through the temporary VAT relief on domestic electricity, while providing additional targeted support.
Asked by: Lord Cameron of Lochiel (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to temporarily remove VAT on (1) liquefied petroleum gas, and (2) heating oil, for properties not connected to the electricity grid and therefore unable to benefit from the temporary zero rate of VAT on electricity during the winter months.
Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Domestic heating oil and Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) already benefit from a reduced VAT rate of five per cent, rather than the standard 20 per cent.
In addition, to help households manage higher energy costs, the Government is providing over £50 million of additional support for low-income households which rely on heating oil. This comes on top of wider support with energy costs, including action to remove £150 from bills in April and the extension of the Warm Home Discount to 6 million households.
The Government has taken a balanced approach, helping millions of households with their energy bills through the temporary VAT relief on domestic electricity, while providing additional targeted support.
Asked by: Lord Cameron of Lochiel (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the £10.5 million announced on 27 August 2024 to prepare the EU Entry/Exit System infrastructure at the Port of Dover, Eurostar and Eurotunnel has been fully spent; and, if not, how any unspent funding has been reallocated.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Entry/Exit System (EES) implementation is a matter for the EU and the participating member states. The Home Office has not assessed, and does not hold information on, the total cost to UK taxpayers of implementing EES.
The Government has supported the juxtaposed portals with EES implementation. The Department for Transport provided £3.5 million to each of the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel at Folkestone and Eurostar at St Pancras. This funding has been fully utilised to help minimise passenger wait times and maintain border fluidity.
Asked by: Lord Cameron of Lochiel (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what has been the total cost to UK taxpayers of implementing the EU Entry/Exit System.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Entry/Exit System (EES) implementation is a matter for the EU and the participating member states. The Home Office has not assessed, and does not hold information on, the total cost to UK taxpayers of implementing EES.
The Government has supported the juxtaposed portals with EES implementation. The Department for Transport provided £3.5 million to each of the Port of Dover, Eurotunnel at Folkestone and Eurostar at St Pancras. This funding has been fully utilised to help minimise passenger wait times and maintain border fluidity.
Asked by: Lord Cameron of Lochiel (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many specialist intelligence and investigations officers have (1) been recruited to, and (2) left, the National Crime Agency since July 2024.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The National Crime Agency (NCA) houses a number of functions which use intelligence officers and investigators to drive activity, as well as develop opportunities to protect the UK public from serious and organised crime.
In July 2024 the combined full time equivalent in these functions was 4869.96, in August 2026 it was 4926.59. The NCA's attrition rate is 4.7% for 2026.
Asked by: Lord Cameron of Lochiel (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many EU Entry/Exit System faults have been recorded in each month since its launch in October 2025.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Entry/Exit System is an EU-owned and operated system. Responsibility for its design, operation and the recording and management of system faults rests with the European Commission and participating Member States. The Government does not therefore hold a monthly breakdown of the number of faults recorded since its launch.
The Government continues to engage closely with the European Commission, Member States and the travel industry to understand operational impacts and support the smooth operation of journeys for British travellers.
Asked by: Lord Cameron of Lochiel (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many immigration removal centre beds were available in each year since 2024, and how many beds are currently available.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office currently operates eight immigration removal centres (IRCs) throughout the UK (seven in England and one in Scotland).
The IRC estate had an operational capacity of 2,244 beds as of 1 January 2024, 2,318 beds as of 1 January 2025 and 2,555 beds as of 6 October 2026.
Figures for Campsfield IRC, which opened on 1 December 2025, are included.
Asked by: Lord Cameron of Lochiel (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many immigration enforcement and return flights were operated in each month since July 2024.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office makes enforced returns by both charter flights and regular scheduled flights. We utilise both approaches flexibly to best meet operational needs and maximise value for money.
Month | Charter Flight Operations |
Jul-24 | 7 |
Aug-24 | 7 |
Sep-24 | 6 |
Oct-24 | 6 |
Nov-24 | 6 |
Dec-24 | 4 |
Jan-25 | 5 |
Feb-25 | 4 |
Mar-25 | 6 |
Apr-25 | 5 |
May-25 | 5 |
Jun-25 | 6 |
Jul-25 | 6 |
Aug-25 | 5 |
Sep-25 | 6 |
Oct-25 | 8 |
Nov-25 | 9 |
Dec-25 | 6 |
Jan-26 | 8 |
Feb-26 | 7 |
Mar-26 | 8 |
Apr-26 | 10 |
May-26 | 7 |
Jun-26 | 11 |
Jul-26 | 9 |
Aug-26 | 8 |
Sep-26 | 9 |
Asked by: Lord Cameron of Lochiel (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much the Home Office spent on consultancy fees in relation to their Resources for asylum seekers in the UK leaflets and posters.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office spent approximately £2,400 in consultancy fees in relation to the Resources for asylum seekers in the UK leaflets and posters.