Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of the asylum policies of the government of Germany on the number of Afghans seeking asylum in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government has not undertaken a formal assessment of the isolated impact of stricter asylum policy measures introduced by the German government as part of the ‘migrationswende’ on Afghan asylum claims in the UK.
Afghan asylum claims to the UK are down 8% (September – September) from 2024-2025.
The Government does monitor global migration trends closely, including illegal migration into the UK via Europe. We have enhanced our close cooperation with European partners on this shared challenge, including with Germany via our Joint Action Plan, as members of the Calais Group and via EU agencies such as Europol and Frontex.
On 17 November 2025, the Home Secretary announced new measures in the asylum policy statement to Parliament, with the aim of reducing the pull factors which underpin illegal migration to the UK. Many of these measures are comparable to European counterparts and will restore order and control to the UK asylum system via EU agencies via EU agencies.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people have been stopped and arrested for attempting to take girls abroad for female genital mutilation in each of the last five years.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a crime, it is child abuse, and it can destroy lives. On Thursday 18 December, we published the VAWG Strategy setting out the strategic direction and concrete actions to deliver on the Government’s VAWG ambition, including on FGM.
The Home Office routinely collects and publishes data on police recorded crime that has been flagged as FGM. In the year ending March 2025, there were 109 FGM offences recorded by the police. We do not collect data on whether these cases involve a risk of FGM taking place abroad or within England and Wales. This data also only represents cases reported to and recorded by the police as FGM. For that reason, it does not reflect the true scale of the crime.
FGM is not confined to one group. It affects many communities and is carried out in various forms. That is why improving our understanding of the scale and nature of this horrific crime is essential to ensure there is adequate support available. Building on a feasibility study conducted by the University of Birmingham in 2024, the Home Office has commissioned a study this financial year to test the viability of producing a national prevalence estimate for FGM (and forced marriage).
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of which ethnic minorities in the UK are more vulnerable to female genital mutilation.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a crime, it is child abuse, and it can destroy lives. On Thursday 18 December, we published the VAWG Strategy setting out the strategic direction and concrete actions to deliver on the Government’s VAWG ambition, including on FGM.
The Home Office routinely collects and publishes data on police recorded crime that has been flagged as FGM. In the year ending March 2025, there were 109 FGM offences recorded by the police. We do not collect data on whether these cases involve a risk of FGM taking place abroad or within England and Wales. This data also only represents cases reported to and recorded by the police as FGM. For that reason, it does not reflect the true scale of the crime.
FGM is not confined to one group. It affects many communities and is carried out in various forms. That is why improving our understanding of the scale and nature of this horrific crime is essential to ensure there is adequate support available. Building on a feasibility study conducted by the University of Birmingham in 2024, the Home Office has commissioned a study this financial year to test the viability of producing a national prevalence estimate for FGM (and forced marriage).
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government from which rural organisations they received submissions in response to the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act call for evidence.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
On 18 May 2023, the Home Office launched an eight-week Call for Evidence, targeted at those who may be affected by the Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023, including manufacturers, dealers, retailers, forensic marking companies, trade associations, tradespeople, law enforcement practitioners and rural organisations.
We made use of a number of different means to encourage as many people as possible to make their views known. The total number of responses received was 218. There was no obligation on respondents to disclose if they were responding on behalf of an organisation, but we do know that the National Farmers’ Union submitted its views.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of rural policing, and what rural lobbying groups they have discussed rural policing with.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government recognises that there can be challenges in responding to rural crime. That is why we collaborated with the National Police Chiefs’ Councils to deliver the renewal of their Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy, which was published in November. The strategy, lasting until 2028, will ensure efforts to reduce crime benefit every community no matter where they are, including rural communities.
Furthermore, the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will strengthen the connections between the police and the communities they serve, and clearly demonstrate to the public that the police are dealing with local concerns. Every neighbourhood, including in rural areas, now has named and contactable officers, supporting more visible policing and greater public confidence.
I have met with Police and Crime Commissioners at their rural conference to discuss rural policing.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with the Romanian government regarding preventing Romanian citizens from coming to the UK to beg.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The UK remains committed to maintaining constructive and respectful relations with Romania, and any future discussions on migration or related issues would be conducted in accordance with our shared values and international obligations.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have held with the Metropolitan Police regarding the use of anti-gang legislation to investigate and prosecute those controlling Romanian beggars in London.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
It is the responsibility of law enforcement and statutory partners to work collaboratively to tackle the threat from all forms of Serious and Organised Crime (SOC), maximising the full range of legislative and disruption opportunities available. SOC is a major threat to the national security and prosperity of the UK and organised crime groups continue to diversify their tactics in order to exploit the vulnerable and perpetrate harm. The Government is committed to tackling SOC in all its forms and ensuring police have the capabilities they need to protect individuals and communities. We are delivering the Safer Streets mission to create a safer, fairer country for all and have increased funding for policing by more than half a billion pounds this year.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of organised Romanian beggars in London.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
It is the responsibility of law enforcement and statutory partners to work collaboratively to tackle the threat from all forms of Serious and Organised Crime (SOC), maximising the full range of legislative and disruption opportunities available. SOC is a major threat to the national security and prosperity of the UK and organised crime groups continue to diversify their tactics in order to exploit the vulnerable and perpetrate harm. The Government is committed to tackling SOC in all its forms and ensuring police have the capabilities they need to protect individuals and communities. We are delivering the Safer Streets mission to create a safer, fairer country for all and have increased funding for policing by more than half a billion pounds this year.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the recent arrests of activists from the Youth Demand group in a Quaker Meeting House, what assessment they have made of the proportionality of (1) legislation governing protests in England; and (2) the enforcement of such legislation by the police.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The enforcement of protest legislation is an operational matter for the police. It is within their discretion to determine whether a particular action warrants police involvement, based on their operational expertise and the specific circumstances of each case.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to implement a scheme similar to the EU entry/exit system for EU nationals travelling to the UK.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The UK has introduced electronic travel authorisations (ETAs) to enhance our ability to screen travellers upstream, and improve the customer experience. The introduction of the ETA scheme is in line with the approach many of the UK’s international partners have already taken to border security, including the European Union’s forthcoming ETIAS and EES. The UK’s scheme was extended to eligible European nationals on 5 March 2025, and will be a requirement for this cohort for travel from 2 April 2025. In line with international partners, we are building upon our existing ability to track arrivals in and out of the country.