Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to vet for public safety and security students and dependants from Gaza who are on expedited visas and are offered temporary leave to remain in the UK.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
As set out by the Home Secretary in her oral statement to Parliament on 1 September 2025, the Home Office has put in place systems to issue expedited visas, with biometric checks conducted prior to arrival for all the Chevening scholars from Gaza.
The Home Office is in the process of doing the same for students in Gaza who have been awarded fully funded scholarships and places at UK universities so they can start their studies in autumn this year (no later than 31 December 2025).
All visa applicants are required to provide their biographic and biometric data to enable a range security checks to be completed, including criminality checks.
The Home Office uses various tools to detect and disrupt travel by terrorists, by criminals and by individuals excluded from the UK; previously deported from the UK; or using lost, stolen or revoked documents and visas. This includes the use of domestic and international watchlists. The Home Office works with both law enforcement and wider government partners to ensure appropriate action is taken before travel or at the border when individuals of concern are identified.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support efforts by the Metropolitan Police and other forces to tackle the increase in thefts of mobile telephones.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Secretary and Policing Minister are determined to take the strongest possible action to reduce the number of phone thefts in London and elsewhere across the country.
This is a crime that causes significant distress to victims and fuels wider criminality. That’s why we are driving greater collaboration between policing leaders, the Metropolitan Police, National Crime Agency, the Mayor of London, leading tech companies and others to break the business model of mobile phone thieves.
All stakeholders must play their part in designing out and disincentivising theft, disrupting the resale of stolen phones, exploring technological solutions to make devices harder to re-register or resell, and helping the public protect themselves and their devices.
This Government will deliver real results on crime by reducing opportunities for theft, ensure offenders are caught, and victims see swift and effective action.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many migrants with suspected links to organised crime groups, including the Turkish Militias, have (1) arrived in the UK, (2) been removed, (3) been taken to secure detention centres, and (4) have been released on bail to non-secure accommodation such as hotels and hostels, in the past 12 months.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many individuals have been (1) arrested, (2) charged, and (3) convicted, under (a) section 137 of the Highways Act 1980, (b) section 4A of the Public Order Act 1986, (c) section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986, (d) section 29B of the Public Order Act 1986, and (e) section 9(1) of the Public Order Act 2023, in each year since 2019.
Answered by Lord Hermer - Attorney General
Management information held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) shows the number of offences in which a prosecution commenced that were finalised between 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2025.
| 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 | 2022-2023 | 2023-2024 | 2024-2025 |
Highways Act 1980 { 137(1) } | 270 | 445 | 412 | 728 | 806 | 435 |
Public Order Act 1986 { 29B(1) and 29L(3) } | 6 | 11 | 15 | 19 | 31 | 30 |
Public Order Act 1986 { 4A(1) and (5) } | 10,490 | 10,349 | 12,212 | 11,029 | 11,161 | 11,876 |
Public Order Act 1986 { 5(1) and (6) } | 8,917 | 8,114 | 8,913 | 7,940 | 7,473 | 7,371 |
Public Order Act 2023 { 9(1) and (3) } | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Data Source: CPS Case Management Information System | ||||||
The figures relate to the number of offences and not the number of individual defendants. It can be the case that an individual defendant is charged with more than one offence against the same complainant. The CPS does not hold data showing the final outcome or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at finalisation.
Requests for data on arrests should be directed to the Home Office as the lead government department for the police.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the National Crime Agency about alleged criminal activity by asylum seekers processed through RAF Manston.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
When an individual claims asylum, the Home Office will conduct mandatory identity, criminality and security checks. Biographic and biometric data are checked against relevant Home Office systems and police criminality databases including domestic and international data.
No one in the UK, including foreign nationals, asylum seekers or refugees, is above the law. Asylum seekers are clearly advised of the expectations the Home Office and accommodation providers have for them to behave responsibly while they are accommodated in Home Office properties and not to engage in any form of criminal or anti-social activity.
Criminality in the UK would normally be an operational matter for local law enforcement. Police forces do work with a wide range of partner agencies including the National Crime Agency as appropriate to investigate and disrupt crime as or when it occurs so as to protect local communities from harm.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what measures they are taking to protect wider public safety and security in respect of bail conditions given to asylum seeker claimants processed through RAF Manston and their decanting to bail hostels and other accommodation in Kent.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
All asylum seekers processed through Manston undergo mandatory identity and security checks before they are bailed to appropriate asylum accommodation. We capture the given identity, and biometric (facial and fingerprint) data. This biographic and biometric data is checked and compared against relevant Home Office systems and police criminality databases, including domestic and international data so we can establish whether the person is a threat to public safety.
When bailing asylum seekers from Manston, the Home Office assesses each case individually to impose appropriate bail conditions. Further information on the powers to grant immigration bail and impose bail conditions can be found in published guidance: Immigration bail (accessible) - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what are the procedures in support of public safety for dealing with migrants arriving at detention centres who have suspected links to organised criminal groups.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Detention plays a key role in maintaining effective immigration controls and securing the UK’s borders, particularly in connection with the removal of people who have no right to remain in the UK but who refuse to leave voluntarily.
A range of safety and security safeguards operate in all immigration removal centres (IRCs) to ensure the safety of all individuals detained, staff and visitors. This includes physical security measures, dynamic security, use of intelligence and a range of strategies and policies to deal with anti-social behaviour, bullying, self-harm and violence.
We do not tolerate any kind of criminal activity in our IRCs, and any allegation of crime is immediately reported to the police for investigation.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they are having with the government of India concerning reports of rising attacks in Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh against Christian communities including targeted killings, arbitrary detentions and forced conversions; and what actions they are taking to ensure the protection of religious minorities in those regions.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK Government is committed to promoting and protecting the right to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all. We are aware of reports of violence and discrimination against Christian communities in parts of India, including Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Our High Commission in New Delhi, along with our network of Deputy High Commissions, monitors the human rights situation closely. We also engage with civil society and faith leaders to support efforts to promote tolerance and respect between communities.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the policy of the Passport Office on self-identification, both with and without a gender recognition certificate, in relation to the recording of legal sex.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Current Government policy is that only ‘male’ and ‘female’ sexes are recognised for official purposes under UK law, and this position is reflected in UK passport policy. In the majority of cases, this is determined by the person’s gender as registered at birth and recorded on their birth certificate.
HMPO guidance for customers on the evidence required to change the sex marker in their passport can be found at: Gender recognition policy - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
There are currently no plans to change this process.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 6 August (HL9826), whether they will review the gender recognition policy of the Passport Office following the decision of the Supreme Court in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers [2025] UKSC 16.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
There are currently no plans to change the gender recognition policy.
UK Government policy on recognition of gender changes is co-ordinated by the Office for Equality and Opportunity (OEO). We have provided initial advice to Ministers following the recent Supreme Court judgment. OEO is coordinating the government response to this.