Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of collaboration between the National Crime Agency and local police forces in responding to cyber crime incidents.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are committed to ensuring we have the workforce needed to tackle the threat of cyber crime and protect our people and businesses. Since 2017, in partnership with local Police and Crime Commissioners, the Home Office has directly funded a national network of specialist officers trained to investigate cyber crime and support local communities in efforts to prevent crimes that occur online. In the financial year 2025/26, this has included funding of c.£30m.
Across England and Wales, Regional Cyber Crime Units (RCCUs) operate in the Metropolitan Police and each Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU). Each of the 43 local police forces has a dedicated Force Cyber Crime Unit (FCCU). These teams have the specialist skills required to respond to cyber crime and are provided with ongoing training to ensure they can respond to the rapid pace of technological change and the increasingly complexity of cyber crime investigations.
Close collaboration between the National Crime Agency (NCA) and wider policing is vital in ensuring an effective response. The NCA play an important role in leading and coordinating the cyber crime network, supported in policing by the City of London Police as the Lead Force for fraud and cyber crime. The NCA’s operational leadership is driven by statutory national governance structures that drive strategic coordination of the law enforcement response and strengthen the relationship between the NCA and wider policing to effectively respond to cyber crime incidents.
The size of the cyber crime network is under constant review. The Home Office is currently in internal negotiations on the distribution of the departmental allocation provided as part of the recent Spending Review. As part of this process, we will consider the number of officers in policing required to tackle the challenge of cyber crime over the next three years.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department plans to increase the number of police officers with expertise in tackling cyber crime in the next three years.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are committed to ensuring we have the workforce needed to tackle the threat of cyber crime and protect our people and businesses. Since 2017, in partnership with local Police and Crime Commissioners, the Home Office has directly funded a national network of specialist officers trained to investigate cyber crime and support local communities in efforts to prevent crimes that occur online. In the financial year 2025/26, this has included funding of c.£30m.
Across England and Wales, Regional Cyber Crime Units (RCCUs) operate in the Metropolitan Police and each Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU). Each of the 43 local police forces has a dedicated Force Cyber Crime Unit (FCCU). These teams have the specialist skills required to respond to cyber crime and are provided with ongoing training to ensure they can respond to the rapid pace of technological change and the increasingly complexity of cyber crime investigations.
Close collaboration between the National Crime Agency (NCA) and wider policing is vital in ensuring an effective response. The NCA play an important role in leading and coordinating the cyber crime network, supported in policing by the City of London Police as the Lead Force for fraud and cyber crime. The NCA’s operational leadership is driven by statutory national governance structures that drive strategic coordination of the law enforcement response and strengthen the relationship between the NCA and wider policing to effectively respond to cyber crime incidents.
The size of the cyber crime network is under constant review. The Home Office is currently in internal negotiations on the distribution of the departmental allocation provided as part of the recent Spending Review. As part of this process, we will consider the number of officers in policing required to tackle the challenge of cyber crime over the next three years.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that every police force has specialist officers trained to investigate cyber crime.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are committed to ensuring we have the workforce needed to tackle the threat of cyber crime and protect our people and businesses. Since 2017, in partnership with local Police and Crime Commissioners, the Home Office has directly funded a national network of specialist officers trained to investigate cyber crime and support local communities in efforts to prevent crimes that occur online. In the financial year 2025/26, this has included funding of c.£30m.
Across England and Wales, Regional Cyber Crime Units (RCCUs) operate in the Metropolitan Police and each Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU). Each of the 43 local police forces has a dedicated Force Cyber Crime Unit (FCCU). These teams have the specialist skills required to respond to cyber crime and are provided with ongoing training to ensure they can respond to the rapid pace of technological change and the increasingly complexity of cyber crime investigations.
Close collaboration between the National Crime Agency (NCA) and wider policing is vital in ensuring an effective response. The NCA play an important role in leading and coordinating the cyber crime network, supported in policing by the City of London Police as the Lead Force for fraud and cyber crime. The NCA’s operational leadership is driven by statutory national governance structures that drive strategic coordination of the law enforcement response and strengthen the relationship between the NCA and wider policing to effectively respond to cyber crime incidents.
The size of the cyber crime network is under constant review. The Home Office is currently in internal negotiations on the distribution of the departmental allocation provided as part of the recent Spending Review. As part of this process, we will consider the number of officers in policing required to tackle the challenge of cyber crime over the next three years.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish a response to the Animals in Science Committee's research entitled Commission of advice: non-human primates bred for use in scientific procedures, published on 6 September 2022; and whether she plans to permit the import of monkeys whose parents have been taken from the wild for use in scientific procedures.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Through the UK legislation, the government requires the principles of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) to be delivered for non-human primates (NHPs) in scientific research. When there is no alternative to using NHPs in scientific procedures, the Government is committed to high standards of welfare and refinement.
The Government is therefore keen to continue to take steps to ensure that NHPs used in Great Britain are from self-sustaining colonies, or are second-generation bred in captivity. The Government intends to publish strengthened policy, based on the Animals in Science Committee recommendations, later in 2025.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support Ukrainian nationals living in the UK whose right to (a) work and (b) rent expires before the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme comes into effect; and if her Department will issue guidance to (i) employers and (ii) landlords on ensuring that refugees with less than a year remaining on their permission are not denied the opportunity to (A) work and (B) rent property in the UK on this basis.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
To provide future certainty, Ukrainians who have been provided with sanctuary in the UK under the Ukraine schemes will be able to apply for further permission to remain in the UK through a bespoke Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme due to open in early 2025. The new route will provide an additional 18 months’ permission.
The scheme will provide the same rights and entitlements as the existing Ukraine Schemes, to access work, benefits, healthcare and education. Further details on eligibility and application processes will be available before the scheme opens.
We continue to work closely with relevant stakeholders to communicate these changes to landlords and employers, to support the stability of Ukrainian guests in these areas.
The Employer’s guide to right to work checks and the Landlord's guide to right to rent checks have been updated to reflect employment and renting of Ukrainian nationals. Updates have included advising of schemes which are now closed, and changes made to the Homes for Ukraine scheme which means some visa holders, who applied to the scheme after the 19 February 2024, will have 18 months permission to remain in the UK.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that police forces in England are following guidance on the processing of shotgun licence applications.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
We keep our controls on firearms under constant review to safeguard against abuse by criminals and terrorists and to minimise the risk to public safety.
The Coroner at the Inquest into the fatal shootings at Keyham issued Prevention of Future Deaths Reports on 8 March with recommendations for the Government to consider in relation to firearms licensing legislation. In addition, we are also considering recommendations from the Independent Office for Police Conduct, in relation to their investigation in respect of the Keyham shootings, and recommendations from the Scottish Affairs Select Committee in respect of their inquiry following the fatal shooting on the Isle of Skye.
On 1 November 2021, we published new Statutory Guidance for Chief Officers of Police on firearms licensing. Police forces have a legal duty to have regard to this guidance when carrying out their firearms licensing function. The Statutory Guidance provides guidance to the police on assessing the suitability of applicants to possess firearms, including applications made for shotgun certificates, and is helping to improve the quality of police firearms licensing procedures and achieve greater consistency across police forces.
A refreshed version of the Statutory Guidance was reissued in February this year. This followed a first-year review of the guidance.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of legislation on the ownership of firearms.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
We keep our controls on firearms under constant review to safeguard against abuse by criminals and terrorists and to minimise the risk to public safety.
The Coroner at the Inquest into the fatal shootings at Keyham issued Prevention of Future Deaths Reports on 8 March with recommendations for the Government to consider in relation to firearms licensing legislation. In addition, we are also considering recommendations from the Independent Office for Police Conduct, in relation to their investigation in respect of the Keyham shootings, and recommendations from the Scottish Affairs Select Committee in respect of their inquiry following the fatal shooting on the Isle of Skye.
On 1 November 2021, we published new Statutory Guidance for Chief Officers of Police on firearms licensing. Police forces have a legal duty to have regard to this guidance when carrying out their firearms licensing function. The Statutory Guidance provides guidance to the police on assessing the suitability of applicants to possess firearms, including applications made for shotgun certificates, and is helping to improve the quality of police firearms licensing procedures and achieve greater consistency across police forces.
A refreshed version of the Statutory Guidance was reissued in February this year. This followed a first-year review of the guidance.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans the Government has to ban the sale of nitrous oxide canisters.
Answered by Chris Philp - Shadow Home Secretary
On 3 September 2021, the Government asked the independent statutory advisory body, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), to provide an updated assessment of the harms of nitrous oxide, including advice on whether it should be controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
The ACMD is independent of Government and can provide a broad range of recommendations, including advice on regulatory or legislative changes. The Government will consider the ACMD advice carefully before deciding how to proceed.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to make it an offence to harass the victims of terror attacks.
Answered by Tom Tugendhat
This Government is determined to make sure that victims of terrorism receive the support they deserve. Victims of terrorism are provided with practical and emotional support from specialist service providers, enabling them to cope with the immediate impact of a terrorist attack and to recover from the longer-term consequences.
No victim should ever have to face harassment after experiencing trauma. The Government is determined to do everything possible to protect all victims of harassment and stop perpetrators at the earliest opportunity. Anyone who thinks they are being harassed should report any incidents to the police.
In addition, under the online safety bill, any company whose services host user-generated content (those which allow users to post their own content online or interact with each other), and search engines, will need to proactively remove and prevent users from encountering the most serious and prevalent illegal content - including content relating to harassment and stalking offences. They will need to swiftly take down any illegal content where they become aware of it. Users will be better able to report abuse, and should expect to receive an appropriate response from the platform.
Asked by: Alberto Costa (Conservative - South Leicestershire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing visa free travel for people wishing to visit the UK from Serbia.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The UK keeps its visa system under regular review. Decisions on changes reflect a range of factors. These will vary globally, but often include security, compliance, returns and prosperity.