Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the annual cost of cannabis-related health conditions to the NHS.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is committed to reducing the harm from all illicit drugs. Any illegal drug use, including cannabis, can be harmful, both from immediate side-effects and long-term physical and mental health problems. It can, for some, have a negative impact on their fertility. Cannabis use can contribute to and exacerbate existing mental health problems or can accelerate their development in people predisposed to mental health problems.

No estimate has been made of the annual cost to the National Health Service specifically of cannabis-related health conditions or the impact of cannabis-related mental health conditions on NHS finances. An assessment cannot be accurately made because the data relating to cannabis and mental health related health conditions and admissions is presented across various settings. The diagnosis code for ‘mental and behavioural disorders due to use of cannabinoids’ does not include admissions to mental health hospitals or cannabis-related treatment occurring outside of a hospital setting.

Dame Carol Black’s review of evidence related to drugs, published in February 2020, estimated the cost to the NHS of illegal drug use, not substance specific, at £431 million per annum. This includes admissions in secondary care, prison treatment and infectious disease. However, this figure does not include other NHS costs such as primary care or accident & emergency usage so will be an underestimate.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of cannabis-related mental health admissions on NHS finances.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department is committed to reducing the harm from all illicit drugs. Any illegal drug use, including cannabis, can be harmful, both from immediate side-effects and long-term physical and mental health problems. It can, for some, have a negative impact on their fertility. Cannabis use can contribute to and exacerbate existing mental health problems or can accelerate their development in people predisposed to mental health problems.

No estimate has been made of the annual cost to the National Health Service specifically of cannabis-related health conditions or the impact of cannabis-related mental health conditions on NHS finances. An assessment cannot be accurately made because the data relating to cannabis and mental health related health conditions and admissions is presented across various settings. The diagnosis code for ‘mental and behavioural disorders due to use of cannabinoids’ does not include admissions to mental health hospitals or cannabis-related treatment occurring outside of a hospital setting.

Dame Carol Black’s review of evidence related to drugs, published in February 2020, estimated the cost to the NHS of illegal drug use, not substance specific, at £431 million per annum. This includes admissions in secondary care, prison treatment and infectious disease. However, this figure does not include other NHS costs such as primary care or accident & emergency usage so will be an underestimate.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to prevent the sale of human remains (a) on e-commerce sites and (b) at auctions.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

It is for businesses and auction rooms to consider the consent and licensing provisions of the Human Tissue Act 2004. Those who sell or purchase human remains may also be subject to their own professional standards and codes of conduct.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to increase the take up of benefits in households with children in poverty.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Child Poverty Taskforce is continuing its urgent work and is exploring all available levers, including considering social security reforms, to drive forward short and long-term actions across government to reduce child poverty.

Our focus is on bringing about an enduring reduction in child poverty in this parliament, thereby reversing the trend that is seeing forecasts of child poverty continuing to increase. More details, including on the time horizon, will be set out in the strategy publication.

We recognise the critical role Universal Credit has to play in tackling poverty and making work pay. The Department provides extensive information on Universal Credit on Gov.uk that supports claimants to identify what support may be available.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the child poverty strategy will include the removal of the (a) two-child limit and (b) benefit cap.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Child Poverty Taskforce is continuing its urgent work and is exploring all available levers, including considering social security reforms, to drive forward short and long-term actions across government to reduce child poverty.

Our focus is on bringing about an enduring reduction in child poverty in this parliament, thereby reversing the trend that is seeing forecasts of child poverty continuing to increase. More details, including on the time horizon, will be set out in the strategy publication.

We recognise the critical role Universal Credit has to play in tackling poverty and making work pay. The Department provides extensive information on Universal Credit on Gov.uk that supports claimants to identify what support may be available.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the child poverty strategy will set longer term goals beyond the next 10 years.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Child Poverty Taskforce is continuing its urgent work and is exploring all available levers, including considering social security reforms, to drive forward short and long-term actions across government to reduce child poverty.

Our focus is on bringing about an enduring reduction in child poverty in this parliament, thereby reversing the trend that is seeing forecasts of child poverty continuing to increase. More details, including on the time horizon, will be set out in the strategy publication.

We recognise the critical role Universal Credit has to play in tackling poverty and making work pay. The Department provides extensive information on Universal Credit on Gov.uk that supports claimants to identify what support may be available.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, What the average prison sentence is for cannabis possession offences.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Ministry of Justice publishes information on the average sentence for cannabis possession offences, from 2010 to 2024, in the Outcomes by Offence data tool: June 2024.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has plans to extend its consultation entitled A railway fit for Britain's future, published on 18 February 2025.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

We are not intending to extend the consultation ‘A railway fit for Britain’s future’. We understand that the eight-week timeline will be unwelcome for some, but we are also keenly aware that passengers and freight customers have waited far too long to see the improvements to the railway that they rightly expect and deserve. We need to move quickly to legislate in this Parliamentary session and start delivering these improvements. We believe the current timeframe strikes that balance effectively.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2025 to Question 38383 on G4S: Fines, what steps she is taking to (a) highlight and (b) report on steps taken by her Department to (i) monitor the performance of and (ii) impose financial penalties on G4S in relation to its key performance indicators.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

The Department has an established robust contractual performance management regime in place that reviews G4S achievement against KPIs monthly.

The top 3 KPIs achievement are published quarterly in line with Cabinet Office transparency guidelines.

In terms of fines, I refer the honourable member to PQ 38383.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of people reliant on Personal Independence Payments to access employment opportunities.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 March 2025 to Question UIN39344.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increased usage of heavy vehicles on recent trends in the levels of expenditure on road maintenance and repairs.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The increased usage of heavy vehicles is one of many factors affecting road condition. Others include weather, overall traffic volumes, the age of the road and standard to which it was constructed, and the topography of the area. It is the responsibility of individual highway authorities to maintain and improve their networks, based on local circumstances.

The Government has recognised the pressures on local highway networks and is providing almost £1.6 billion for local highway maintenance in 2025/26, an increase of £500 million compared to 2024/25. This funding is not ring-fenced, and it is a matter for local authorities to determine how it is best spent. The Department is also committed to updating its guidance to local highway authorities on how to manage their networks, which will include advice on matters of this sort.

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 impact of the no recourse to public funds policy on people with long-term (a) conditions and (b) disabilities.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders, including groups representing people with long-term conditions and disabilities.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of whether there is a correlation between the (a) (i) roles and (ii) ranks of police personnel and (b) likelihood of committing cybercrimes; and what steps her Department is taking to help mitigate identified risks.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The auditing of police systems is a matter for local forces, who use bespoke IT systems to conduct lawful business monitoring. Forces’ use of such systems is assessed as part of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services’ (HMICFRS) integrity inspection programme. The provision of training is also a matter for local forces, dependent on the specific systems in use

Police officers must adhere to the statutory Standards of Professional Behaviour, which are clear that they must only access or disclose information in the proper course of their policing duties. This is further supported by guidance within the College of Policing’s Code of Ethics, published in 2024, on the accessing of data without authorisation. Allegations of system misuse are investigated by force Professional Standards Departments (PSDs), however the most serious and sensitive allegations of police misconduct are referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)

The number of finalised conduct matter, recordable conduct matter and public complaint allegations against police officers and staff is published on an annual basis within the ‘Police misconduct, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-misconduct-statistics. The latest statistics, covering the year ending 31 March 2024 includes the number of allegations broken down by the allegation type, including ‘use of force systems’, where the threshold for recording a conduct matter, recordable conduct matter or complaint has been met. This can be found in the accompanying ‘misconduct allegations by type’ data table: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-misconduct-open-data-tables. This includes information on whether the allegation was referred to disciplinary proceedings, however does not however identify the specific subsequent disciplinary outcome of these proceedings or the characteristics of the officer or staff member in each individual allegation.

The Home Office does not hold information on cybercrimes committed by police officers or staff and published Ministry of Justice data on criminal convictions is not broken down by the individual’s occupation. However, the College of Policing’s Barred List statistics do identify the reasons for dismissal. The total number of reasons is higher than the number of actual dismissals because individuals may be dismissed for multiple reasons. In 2023/24, there were 66 instances of unlawful access or disclosure of information which featured as part of a police officer’s dismissal, 5 in respect of special constables and 37 in respect of police staff. Data for previous years is available here: https://www.college.police.uk/article/barred-list

The Government has committed to raising standards in policing and, last year, the Home Secretary announced a series of reforms to strengthen the police misconduct system, including a presumption of dismissal for proven gross misconduct and specific offences automatically amounting to gross misconduct

The Government is also committed to disrupting and pursuing those responsible for Computer Misuse Act offences. We will continue to ensure we keep the public safe and use all of the levers available to us to achieve this. This includes using our capabilities to pursue those responsible for crime, as well as protecting people and businesses at risk of being victims of crime

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what independent oversight mechanisms are in place to monitor and investigate the misuse of police databases by officers and staff.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The auditing of police systems is a matter for local forces, who use bespoke IT systems to conduct lawful business monitoring. Forces’ use of such systems is assessed as part of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services’ (HMICFRS) integrity inspection programme. The provision of training is also a matter for local forces, dependent on the specific systems in use

Police officers must adhere to the statutory Standards of Professional Behaviour, which are clear that they must only access or disclose information in the proper course of their policing duties. This is further supported by guidance within the College of Policing’s Code of Ethics, published in 2024, on the accessing of data without authorisation. Allegations of system misuse are investigated by force Professional Standards Departments (PSDs), however the most serious and sensitive allegations of police misconduct are referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)

The number of finalised conduct matter, recordable conduct matter and public complaint allegations against police officers and staff is published on an annual basis within the ‘Police misconduct, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-misconduct-statistics. The latest statistics, covering the year ending 31 March 2024 includes the number of allegations broken down by the allegation type, including ‘use of force systems’, where the threshold for recording a conduct matter, recordable conduct matter or complaint has been met. This can be found in the accompanying ‘misconduct allegations by type’ data table: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-misconduct-open-data-tables. This includes information on whether the allegation was referred to disciplinary proceedings, however does not however identify the specific subsequent disciplinary outcome of these proceedings or the characteristics of the officer or staff member in each individual allegation.

The Home Office does not hold information on cybercrimes committed by police officers or staff and published Ministry of Justice data on criminal convictions is not broken down by the individual’s occupation. However, the College of Policing’s Barred List statistics do identify the reasons for dismissal. The total number of reasons is higher than the number of actual dismissals because individuals may be dismissed for multiple reasons. In 2023/24, there were 66 instances of unlawful access or disclosure of information which featured as part of a police officer’s dismissal, 5 in respect of special constables and 37 in respect of police staff. Data for previous years is available here: https://www.college.police.uk/article/barred-list

The Government has committed to raising standards in policing and, last year, the Home Secretary announced a series of reforms to strengthen the police misconduct system, including a presumption of dismissal for proven gross misconduct and specific offences automatically amounting to gross misconduct

The Government is also committed to disrupting and pursuing those responsible for Computer Misuse Act offences. We will continue to ensure we keep the public safe and use all of the levers available to us to achieve this. This includes using our capabilities to pursue those responsible for crime, as well as protecting people and businesses at risk of being victims of crime

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how often audits are conducted on police database access logs to detect and deter unauthorised access by officers and staff.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The auditing of police systems is a matter for local forces, who use bespoke IT systems to conduct lawful business monitoring. Forces’ use of such systems is assessed as part of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services’ (HMICFRS) integrity inspection programme. The provision of training is also a matter for local forces, dependent on the specific systems in use

Police officers must adhere to the statutory Standards of Professional Behaviour, which are clear that they must only access or disclose information in the proper course of their policing duties. This is further supported by guidance within the College of Policing’s Code of Ethics, published in 2024, on the accessing of data without authorisation. Allegations of system misuse are investigated by force Professional Standards Departments (PSDs), however the most serious and sensitive allegations of police misconduct are referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)

The number of finalised conduct matter, recordable conduct matter and public complaint allegations against police officers and staff is published on an annual basis within the ‘Police misconduct, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-misconduct-statistics. The latest statistics, covering the year ending 31 March 2024 includes the number of allegations broken down by the allegation type, including ‘use of force systems’, where the threshold for recording a conduct matter, recordable conduct matter or complaint has been met. This can be found in the accompanying ‘misconduct allegations by type’ data table: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-misconduct-open-data-tables. This includes information on whether the allegation was referred to disciplinary proceedings, however does not however identify the specific subsequent disciplinary outcome of these proceedings or the characteristics of the officer or staff member in each individual allegation.

The Home Office does not hold information on cybercrimes committed by police officers or staff and published Ministry of Justice data on criminal convictions is not broken down by the individual’s occupation. However, the College of Policing’s Barred List statistics do identify the reasons for dismissal. The total number of reasons is higher than the number of actual dismissals because individuals may be dismissed for multiple reasons. In 2023/24, there were 66 instances of unlawful access or disclosure of information which featured as part of a police officer’s dismissal, 5 in respect of special constables and 37 in respect of police staff. Data for previous years is available here: https://www.college.police.uk/article/barred-list

The Government has committed to raising standards in policing and, last year, the Home Secretary announced a series of reforms to strengthen the police misconduct system, including a presumption of dismissal for proven gross misconduct and specific offences automatically amounting to gross misconduct

The Government is also committed to disrupting and pursuing those responsible for Computer Misuse Act offences. We will continue to ensure we keep the public safe and use all of the levers available to us to achieve this. This includes using our capabilities to pursue those responsible for crime, as well as protecting people and businesses at risk of being victims of crime

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many instances of unauthorised access to police databases by (a) officers and (b) staff have been recorded in each the last five years; and what disciplinary actions were taken in each case.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The auditing of police systems is a matter for local forces, who use bespoke IT systems to conduct lawful business monitoring. Forces’ use of such systems is assessed as part of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services’ (HMICFRS) integrity inspection programme. The provision of training is also a matter for local forces, dependent on the specific systems in use

Police officers must adhere to the statutory Standards of Professional Behaviour, which are clear that they must only access or disclose information in the proper course of their policing duties. This is further supported by guidance within the College of Policing’s Code of Ethics, published in 2024, on the accessing of data without authorisation. Allegations of system misuse are investigated by force Professional Standards Departments (PSDs), however the most serious and sensitive allegations of police misconduct are referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)

The number of finalised conduct matter, recordable conduct matter and public complaint allegations against police officers and staff is published on an annual basis within the ‘Police misconduct, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-misconduct-statistics. The latest statistics, covering the year ending 31 March 2024 includes the number of allegations broken down by the allegation type, including ‘use of force systems’, where the threshold for recording a conduct matter, recordable conduct matter or complaint has been met. This can be found in the accompanying ‘misconduct allegations by type’ data table: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-misconduct-open-data-tables. This includes information on whether the allegation was referred to disciplinary proceedings, however does not however identify the specific subsequent disciplinary outcome of these proceedings or the characteristics of the officer or staff member in each individual allegation.

The Home Office does not hold information on cybercrimes committed by police officers or staff and published Ministry of Justice data on criminal convictions is not broken down by the individual’s occupation. However, the College of Policing’s Barred List statistics do identify the reasons for dismissal. The total number of reasons is higher than the number of actual dismissals because individuals may be dismissed for multiple reasons. In 2023/24, there were 66 instances of unlawful access or disclosure of information which featured as part of a police officer’s dismissal, 5 in respect of special constables and 37 in respect of police staff. Data for previous years is available here: https://www.college.police.uk/article/barred-list

The Government has committed to raising standards in policing and, last year, the Home Secretary announced a series of reforms to strengthen the police misconduct system, including a presumption of dismissal for proven gross misconduct and specific offences automatically amounting to gross misconduct

The Government is also committed to disrupting and pursuing those responsible for Computer Misuse Act offences. We will continue to ensure we keep the public safe and use all of the levers available to us to achieve this. This includes using our capabilities to pursue those responsible for crime, as well as protecting people and businesses at risk of being victims of crime

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of cybercrime convictions involved (a) police (i) officers and (ii) staff and (b) other people in each of the last five years.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The auditing of police systems is a matter for local forces, who use bespoke IT systems to conduct lawful business monitoring. Forces’ use of such systems is assessed as part of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services’ (HMICFRS) integrity inspection programme. The provision of training is also a matter for local forces, dependent on the specific systems in use

Police officers must adhere to the statutory Standards of Professional Behaviour, which are clear that they must only access or disclose information in the proper course of their policing duties. This is further supported by guidance within the College of Policing’s Code of Ethics, published in 2024, on the accessing of data without authorisation. Allegations of system misuse are investigated by force Professional Standards Departments (PSDs), however the most serious and sensitive allegations of police misconduct are referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)

The number of finalised conduct matter, recordable conduct matter and public complaint allegations against police officers and staff is published on an annual basis within the ‘Police misconduct, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-misconduct-statistics. The latest statistics, covering the year ending 31 March 2024 includes the number of allegations broken down by the allegation type, including ‘use of force systems’, where the threshold for recording a conduct matter, recordable conduct matter or complaint has been met. This can be found in the accompanying ‘misconduct allegations by type’ data table: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-misconduct-open-data-tables. This includes information on whether the allegation was referred to disciplinary proceedings, however does not however identify the specific subsequent disciplinary outcome of these proceedings or the characteristics of the officer or staff member in each individual allegation.

The Home Office does not hold information on cybercrimes committed by police officers or staff and published Ministry of Justice data on criminal convictions is not broken down by the individual’s occupation. However, the College of Policing’s Barred List statistics do identify the reasons for dismissal. The total number of reasons is higher than the number of actual dismissals because individuals may be dismissed for multiple reasons. In 2023/24, there were 66 instances of unlawful access or disclosure of information which featured as part of a police officer’s dismissal, 5 in respect of special constables and 37 in respect of police staff. Data for previous years is available here: https://www.college.police.uk/article/barred-list

The Government has committed to raising standards in policing and, last year, the Home Secretary announced a series of reforms to strengthen the police misconduct system, including a presumption of dismissal for proven gross misconduct and specific offences automatically amounting to gross misconduct

The Government is also committed to disrupting and pursuing those responsible for Computer Misuse Act offences. We will continue to ensure we keep the public safe and use all of the levers available to us to achieve this. This includes using our capabilities to pursue those responsible for crime, as well as protecting people and businesses at risk of being victims of crime

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what training is provided to police (a) officers and (b) staff on the ethical use of police databases; and how frequently that training is updated.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The auditing of police systems is a matter for local forces, who use bespoke IT systems to conduct lawful business monitoring. Forces’ use of such systems is assessed as part of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services’ (HMICFRS) integrity inspection programme. The provision of training is also a matter for local forces, dependent on the specific systems in use

Police officers must adhere to the statutory Standards of Professional Behaviour, which are clear that they must only access or disclose information in the proper course of their policing duties. This is further supported by guidance within the College of Policing’s Code of Ethics, published in 2024, on the accessing of data without authorisation. Allegations of system misuse are investigated by force Professional Standards Departments (PSDs), however the most serious and sensitive allegations of police misconduct are referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)

The number of finalised conduct matter, recordable conduct matter and public complaint allegations against police officers and staff is published on an annual basis within the ‘Police misconduct, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-misconduct-statistics. The latest statistics, covering the year ending 31 March 2024 includes the number of allegations broken down by the allegation type, including ‘use of force systems’, where the threshold for recording a conduct matter, recordable conduct matter or complaint has been met. This can be found in the accompanying ‘misconduct allegations by type’ data table: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-misconduct-open-data-tables. This includes information on whether the allegation was referred to disciplinary proceedings, however does not however identify the specific subsequent disciplinary outcome of these proceedings or the characteristics of the officer or staff member in each individual allegation.

The Home Office does not hold information on cybercrimes committed by police officers or staff and published Ministry of Justice data on criminal convictions is not broken down by the individual’s occupation. However, the College of Policing’s Barred List statistics do identify the reasons for dismissal. The total number of reasons is higher than the number of actual dismissals because individuals may be dismissed for multiple reasons. In 2023/24, there were 66 instances of unlawful access or disclosure of information which featured as part of a police officer’s dismissal, 5 in respect of special constables and 37 in respect of police staff. Data for previous years is available here: https://www.college.police.uk/article/barred-list

The Government has committed to raising standards in policing and, last year, the Home Secretary announced a series of reforms to strengthen the police misconduct system, including a presumption of dismissal for proven gross misconduct and specific offences automatically amounting to gross misconduct

The Government is also committed to disrupting and pursuing those responsible for Computer Misuse Act offences. We will continue to ensure we keep the public safe and use all of the levers available to us to achieve this. This includes using our capabilities to pursue those responsible for crime, as well as protecting people and businesses at risk of being victims of crime

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle cybercrime perpetrated by police (a) officers and (b) staff.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The auditing of police systems is a matter for local forces, who use bespoke IT systems to conduct lawful business monitoring. Forces’ use of such systems is assessed as part of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services’ (HMICFRS) integrity inspection programme. The provision of training is also a matter for local forces, dependent on the specific systems in use

Police officers must adhere to the statutory Standards of Professional Behaviour, which are clear that they must only access or disclose information in the proper course of their policing duties. This is further supported by guidance within the College of Policing’s Code of Ethics, published in 2024, on the accessing of data without authorisation. Allegations of system misuse are investigated by force Professional Standards Departments (PSDs), however the most serious and sensitive allegations of police misconduct are referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)

The number of finalised conduct matter, recordable conduct matter and public complaint allegations against police officers and staff is published on an annual basis within the ‘Police misconduct, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-misconduct-statistics. The latest statistics, covering the year ending 31 March 2024 includes the number of allegations broken down by the allegation type, including ‘use of force systems’, where the threshold for recording a conduct matter, recordable conduct matter or complaint has been met. This can be found in the accompanying ‘misconduct allegations by type’ data table: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-misconduct-open-data-tables. This includes information on whether the allegation was referred to disciplinary proceedings, however does not however identify the specific subsequent disciplinary outcome of these proceedings or the characteristics of the officer or staff member in each individual allegation.

The Home Office does not hold information on cybercrimes committed by police officers or staff and published Ministry of Justice data on criminal convictions is not broken down by the individual’s occupation. However, the College of Policing’s Barred List statistics do identify the reasons for dismissal. The total number of reasons is higher than the number of actual dismissals because individuals may be dismissed for multiple reasons. In 2023/24, there were 66 instances of unlawful access or disclosure of information which featured as part of a police officer’s dismissal, 5 in respect of special constables and 37 in respect of police staff. Data for previous years is available here: https://www.college.police.uk/article/barred-list

The Government has committed to raising standards in policing and, last year, the Home Secretary announced a series of reforms to strengthen the police misconduct system, including a presumption of dismissal for proven gross misconduct and specific offences automatically amounting to gross misconduct

The Government is also committed to disrupting and pursuing those responsible for Computer Misuse Act offences. We will continue to ensure we keep the public safe and use all of the levers available to us to achieve this. This includes using our capabilities to pursue those responsible for crime, as well as protecting people and businesses at risk of being victims of crime

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures her Department has put in place to prevent the misuse of police databases by (a) officers and (b) staff; and if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of those measures in the last five years.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The auditing of police systems is a matter for local forces, who use bespoke IT systems to conduct lawful business monitoring. Forces’ use of such systems is assessed as part of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services’ (HMICFRS) integrity inspection programme. The provision of training is also a matter for local forces, dependent on the specific systems in use

Police officers must adhere to the statutory Standards of Professional Behaviour, which are clear that they must only access or disclose information in the proper course of their policing duties. This is further supported by guidance within the College of Policing’s Code of Ethics, published in 2024, on the accessing of data without authorisation. Allegations of system misuse are investigated by force Professional Standards Departments (PSDs), however the most serious and sensitive allegations of police misconduct are referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC)

The number of finalised conduct matter, recordable conduct matter and public complaint allegations against police officers and staff is published on an annual basis within the ‘Police misconduct, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-misconduct-statistics. The latest statistics, covering the year ending 31 March 2024 includes the number of allegations broken down by the allegation type, including ‘use of force systems’, where the threshold for recording a conduct matter, recordable conduct matter or complaint has been met. This can be found in the accompanying ‘misconduct allegations by type’ data table: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-misconduct-open-data-tables. This includes information on whether the allegation was referred to disciplinary proceedings, however does not however identify the specific subsequent disciplinary outcome of these proceedings or the characteristics of the officer or staff member in each individual allegation.

The Home Office does not hold information on cybercrimes committed by police officers or staff and published Ministry of Justice data on criminal convictions is not broken down by the individual’s occupation. However, the College of Policing’s Barred List statistics do identify the reasons for dismissal. The total number of reasons is higher than the number of actual dismissals because individuals may be dismissed for multiple reasons. In 2023/24, there were 66 instances of unlawful access or disclosure of information which featured as part of a police officer’s dismissal, 5 in respect of special constables and 37 in respect of police staff. Data for previous years is available here: https://www.college.police.uk/article/barred-list

The Government has committed to raising standards in policing and, last year, the Home Secretary announced a series of reforms to strengthen the police misconduct system, including a presumption of dismissal for proven gross misconduct and specific offences automatically amounting to gross misconduct

The Government is also committed to disrupting and pursuing those responsible for Computer Misuse Act offences. We will continue to ensure we keep the public safe and use all of the levers available to us to achieve this. This includes using our capabilities to pursue those responsible for crime, as well as protecting people and businesses at risk of being victims of crime

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of magistrates' court cases that involved cannabis possession in the last 12 months; and if she will make an estimate of the potential impact of legalising cannabis possession on the cost of these court cases.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The latest published data shows that 1.0% of magistrates’ courts proceedings in the year to June 2024 (12,429 defendants) in England and Wales were for cannabis possession offences. (Source: Criminal Justice System statistics quarterly: June 2024 - GOV.UK). Equivalent published data for the calendar year 2024 will be available on 15 May 2025. The number of proceedings is presented on a principal offence basis, this means that more serious offences accompanied by an additional cannabis possession offence will not be included in this number.

The estimated sitting day cost to HMCTS for those cases is c. £1 million.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2025 to Question 33570 on General Practitioners: Unemployment, which bodies hold data on the number of unemployed GPs; and for what reason that data is not held centrally.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

While the General Medical Council register contains data on the number of qualified general practitioners (GPs), the National Health Service is not the is not the sole employer of GPs. They may choose to undertake private work, to work in other settings outside of general practice, for example, prisons or army bases, or to work abroad. Since the NHS only collects data on GPs employed through the NHS, unemployment figures are not available.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of restrictions on right to work on the health and safety of people seeking asylum.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Impacts on vulnerable individuals and equalities considerations are at the front and centre of our work. As required through the Public Sector Equality Duty, we have continuously considered equality implications throughout the policy development process.

Asylum seekers who have had their claim outstanding for 12 months or more, through no fault of their own, can apply for permission to work. Those permitted to work are restricted to jobs on the Immigration Salary List.

Whilst we keep all policies under review, there are no immediate plans to change the existing policy. It is important that we distinguish between individuals who need protection and those seeking to work here who can apply for a work visa under the Immigration Rules. Asylum seekers do not need to make perilous journeys in order to seek employment in the UK.

The Government is determined to restore order to the asylum system after it has been put under unprecedented pressure. We will ensure that the system operates fairly and with quicker processing of claims. This will ensure that genuine refugees can access the labour market faster rather than waiting for extended periods on the outcome of their claim.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of waiting 12 months before being allowed to apply for a right to work on asylum seekers.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Impacts on vulnerable individuals and equalities considerations are at the front and centre of our work. As required through the Public Sector Equality Duty, we have continuously considered equality implications throughout the policy development process.

Asylum seekers who have had their claim outstanding for 12 months or more, through no fault of their own, can apply for permission to work. Those permitted to work are restricted to jobs on the Immigration Salary List.

Whilst we keep all policies under review, there are no immediate plans to change the existing policy. It is important that we distinguish between individuals who need protection and those seeking to work here who can apply for a work visa under the Immigration Rules. Asylum seekers do not need to make perilous journeys in order to seek employment in the UK.

The Government is determined to restore order to the asylum system after it has been put under unprecedented pressure. We will ensure that the system operates fairly and with quicker processing of claims. This will ensure that genuine refugees can access the labour market faster rather than waiting for extended periods on the outcome of their claim.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what financial penalties have been imposed on G4S for failing to meet key performance indicators on officer deployment or site availability in the last twelve months.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

DWP have applied the full contract performance management regime across the last 12 months, including service credits (pre-determined costs associated with a supplier failing to deliver a service or missing a target). Over the last 12 months, strike activity on the contract has increased the amount of Service Credits applied. DWP have worked with G4S collaboratively to mitigate the impact on front line services while G4S sought a resolution to the dispute with their workforce.

The exact value of the service credits is commercially sensitive and I am therefore unable to set out exact amounts.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to prevent people seeking asylum from becoming (a) destitute and (b) in poverty.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office has a legal obligation, as set out in the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, to support asylum seekers (including any dependants) who would otherwise be destitute. Asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute can receive accommodation, subsistence, or both accommodation and subsistence support. Details of the support provided can be found at the following link: Asylum support: What you'll get - GOV.UK.

The level of the allowance given to those supported under section 95 and section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 is reviewed each year to ensure it covers an asylum seeker’s “essential living needs”.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to ensure that Universal Service Obligation reform retains a universal postal service for (a) people experiencing homelessness, (b) victims of domestic abuse and (c) other people without a secure address.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government recognises the importance of access to post for all users, especially the most vulnerable and is committed to the universal service obligation.

As the independent regulator for postal services, it is Ofcom’s responsibility to secure the provision of a universal postal service and must ensure the provision of sufficient access points to meet the reasonable needs of users of the service. In its proposals, Ofcom committed to continue to engage with other stakeholders on the issue of ensuring that specific vulnerable groups have access to post.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will take steps to ensure that Universal Service Obligation reform adequately meets the requirements of vulnerable consumers reliant on postal services.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The government recognises the importance of access to post for all users, especially the most vulnerable and is committed to the universal service obligation.

As the independent regulator for postal services, it is Ofcom’s responsibility to secure the provision of a universal postal service and must ensure the provision of sufficient access points to meet the reasonable needs of users of the service. In its proposals, Ofcom committed to continue to engage with other stakeholders on the issue of ensuring that specific vulnerable groups have access to post.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Universal Service Obligation reform on the affordability of postal services for consumers.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

It is the responsibility of Ofcom, as the independent regulator of postal services, to ensure that the universal postal service is affordable for customers as well as being efficient and financially sustainable.

In its consultation document proposing a package of reforms to better reflect people’s usage of postal services and support financial sustainability, Ofcom set out that it plans to consider options to ensure the continued affordability of USO services, including more targeted interventions than the current Second-Class safeguard cap.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2025 to Question 32098 on Nuclear Power, what estimate he has made of the proportion of clean electricity generated by nuclear energy by 2030.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

As set out in the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, nuclear is estimated to have an installed capacity range of between 3 – 4 GW in 2030.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the annual cost of policing cannabis-related offences.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

It is not possible from the available data to separate out the costs of policing these particular offences from other policing responsibilities, including in relation to other controlled substances.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has considered funding public health campaigns to educate young people on the risks of cannabis use within a regulated market.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.The Government recognises the clear medical and scientific evidence of the harms of this drug.

The Government will continue to work with our partners to discourage drug use and to alert people, particularly young people, to the potential dangers of cannabis.

The Government has a drug information and advice service called Talk to FRANK, which aims to reduce drug misuse and its harms by increasing awareness, particularly for young people and parents. FRANK offers easy to read information on the risks of using cannabis and basic harm reduction advice. Information on cannabis is available at the following link:

https://www.talktofrank.com/drug/cannabis

The website also has details of drug treatment services and support organisations.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of proposed changes to the level of the certificate of sponsorship fee per worker on the adequacy of the funding settlement for adult social care announced in the Autumn Budget 2024.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (Amendment) Order 2025, laid on 21 January 2025, sets out increases to the fee maxima that applies to the Certificate of Sponsorship from £300 to £525. These changes were agreed via collective agreement. If fees increase as set out in the Explanatory Memorandum to this Order, an Impact Assessment will be produced by the Home Office.

International recruitment has played a valuable role in helping to grow the adult social care workforce. The Government recognises the scale of reforms needed to make the adult social care sector attractive, to support sustainable workforce growth and improve the retention of the domestic workforce. The Government is making available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities in 2025/26, which includes an £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed increase in the certificate of sponsorship fee on recruitment in the social care sector.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (Amendment) Order 2025, laid on 21 January 2025, sets out increases to the fee maxima that applies to the Certificate of Sponsorship from £300 to £525. These changes were agreed via collective agreement. If fees increase as set out in the Explanatory Memorandum to this Order, an Impact Assessment will be produced by the Home Office.

International recruitment has played a valuable role in helping to grow the adult social care workforce. The Government recognises the scale of reforms needed to make the adult social care sector attractive, to support sustainable workforce growth and improve the retention of the domestic workforce. The Government is making available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities in 2025/26, which includes an £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the proposed increase in the certificate of sponsorship fee on the adult social care sector; and if he will hold discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on making more funding available to support the adult social care sector.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Immigration and Nationality (Fees) (Amendment) Order 2025, laid on 21 January 2025, sets out increases to the fee maxima that applies to the Certificate of Sponsorship from £300 to £525. These changes were agreed via collective agreement. If fees increase as set out in the Explanatory Memorandum to this Order, an Impact Assessment will be produced by the Home Office.

International recruitment has played a valuable role in helping grow the adult social care workforce. The Government recognises the scale of reforms needed to make the adult social care sector attractive, to support sustainable workforce growth and improve the retention of the domestic workforce. The Government is making available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities in 2025/26, which includes an £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant.

Adult social care is a central part of local government’s responsibilities. Decisions about the funding of all local government priorities will be taken in the round at the Spending Review.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of a legally regulated cannabis market on tax revenue.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis.

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

The maximum penalty for supply and production of a Class B drug is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has conducted an equality impact assessment on (a) the racial disparities in drug law enforcement and (b) how a regulated cannabis market could address these.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis.

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

The maximum penalty for supply and production of a Class B drug is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of a legal cannabis market on criminal exploitation of young people by drug gangs.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis.

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

The maximum penalty for supply and production of a Class B drug is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of cannabis legalisation on racial disparities in drug-related arrests and sentencing.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis.

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

The maximum penalty for supply and production of a Class B drug is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent studies her Department has considered on the effectiveness of regulated cannabis markets in reducing adolescent cannabis consumption.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis.

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

The maximum penalty for supply and production of a Class B drug is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies on the level of police resources for tackling cannabis use of the report by TRANSFORM Drug Policy Foundation, entitled High returns: the economic benefits of UK cannabis legalisation, published on 18 February 2025.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis.

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

The maximum penalty for supply and production of a Class B drug is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

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 impact of reducing cannabis-related (a) arrests, (b) prosecutions and (c) court cases on the costs of the criminal justice system.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis.

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

The maximum penalty for supply and production of a Class B drug is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of cannabis legalisation on (a) reducing county lines drug trafficking and (b) associated law enforcement costs.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis.

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

The maximum penalty for supply and production of a Class B drug is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of (a) reduced criminal justice costs and (b) increased tax revenue from legal cannabis on the economy.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis.

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

The maximum penalty for supply and production of a Class B drug is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of reallocating police resources currently spent on cannabis-related enforcement to other public safety priorities.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis.

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

The maximum penalty for supply and production of a Class B drug is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with international counterparts from countries that have legalised cannabis on the (a) economic and (b) public health impacts of regulation.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis.

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

The maximum penalty for supply and production of a Class B drug is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has considered reallocating police resources currently spent on cannabis-related enforcement to other public safety priorities.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis.

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

The maximum penalty for supply and production of a Class B drug is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of a legal cannabis industry on UK (a) job creation, (b) investment and (c) economic growth.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis.

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

The maximum penalty for supply and production of a Class B drug is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of legal cannabis regulation on the (a) workload and (b) costs associated with drug-related (i) policing, (ii) courts and (iii) prisons.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis.

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

The maximum penalty for supply and production of a Class B drug is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will make an estimate of the potential annual public spending savings that could be achieved through the legal regulation of cannabis.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis.

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

The maximum penalty for supply and production of a Class B drug is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions her Department has had on the regulation of cannabis as a means to improve public health outcomes and reduce the burden on the NHS.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis.

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

The maximum penalty for supply and production of a Class B drug is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of a regulated cannabis market on (a) public health and (b) drug-related harms.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis.

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

The maximum penalty for supply and production of a Class B drug is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential (a) implications for his policies of international examples of state-run cannabis markets and (b) impact of those markets on (i) economic growth and (ii) public health.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis.

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

The maximum penalty for supply and production of a Class B drug is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of directing tax revenue from regulated cannabis into NHS mental health services.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis.

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both. The maximum penalty for supply and production of a Class B drug is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of police (a) officers and (b) staff being convicted of cybercrimes on public trust in law enforcement agencies.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The commission of any criminal offence by police officers or staff is unacceptable and can seriously damage vital public trust and confidence in the police service

That is why the Home Secretary announced a series of reforms in October last year to raise standards in policing. These changes will strengthen the police misconduct system by introducing a presumption of dismissal for proven gross misconduct and mandating that conviction of certain criminal offences will automatically amount to gross misconduct.

Police officers have a statutory duty to report any wrongdoing under their Standards of Professional Behaviour and it is vital that they are supported in doing so. There are a number of routes, both internal and external, to raise such concerns, including through the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) Reporting Line, which enables police officers and staff to report concerns of wrongdoing that a criminal offence has been committed, or where there is evidence of conduct that would justify disciplinary proceedings.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support systems are available for whistleblowers within the police to report colleagues (a) misusing police databases ad (b) engaging in cybercrimes.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The commission of any criminal offence by police officers or staff is unacceptable and can seriously damage vital public trust and confidence in the police service

That is why the Home Secretary announced a series of reforms in October last year to raise standards in policing. These changes will strengthen the police misconduct system by introducing a presumption of dismissal for proven gross misconduct and mandating that conviction of certain criminal offences will automatically amount to gross misconduct.

Police officers have a statutory duty to report any wrongdoing under their Standards of Professional Behaviour and it is vital that they are supported in doing so. There are a number of routes, both internal and external, to raise such concerns, including through the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) Reporting Line, which enables police officers and staff to report concerns of wrongdoing that a criminal offence has been committed, or where there is evidence of conduct that would justify disciplinary proceedings.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to restore public confidence in the police in the context of reports of (a) officer and (b) staff involvement in cybercrimes.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The commission of any criminal offence by police officers or staff is unacceptable and can seriously damage vital public trust and confidence in the police service

That is why the Home Secretary announced a series of reforms in October last year to raise standards in policing. These changes will strengthen the police misconduct system by introducing a presumption of dismissal for proven gross misconduct and mandating that conviction of certain criminal offences will automatically amount to gross misconduct.

Police officers have a statutory duty to report any wrongdoing under their Standards of Professional Behaviour and it is vital that they are supported in doing so. There are a number of routes, both internal and external, to raise such concerns, including through the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) Reporting Line, which enables police officers and staff to report concerns of wrongdoing that a criminal offence has been committed, or where there is evidence of conduct that would justify disciplinary proceedings.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has reviewed international evidence on the impact of legal cannabis markets on (a) healthcare costs and (b) service demand.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government has no plans to legalise cannabis.

Cannabis is controlled as a Class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The maximum penalty for possession of a Class B drug is up to 5 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both. The maximum penalty for supply and production of a Class B drug is up to 14 years in prison, an unlimited fine or both.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of use of management agencies to complete repairs by housing associations.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

All registered providers of social housing are required to ensure they meet regulatory standards and legal duties relating to repairs, regardless of whether they use a management agency to oversee their repairs services.

Under the regulatory standards set by the independent Regulator of Social Housing, all registered providers must provide an effective, efficient, and timely repairs, maintenance and planned improvements service for the homes and communal areas for which they are responsible.

Social landlords are obliged by law to maintain the structure and exterior of their properties, and to keep in repair and proper working order the sanitation, water, gas, and electricity installations.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will make an estimate of the annual cost of imprisonment due to cannabis-related offences.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

As at 31 December 2024, the number of prisoners with cannabis-related offences recorded as their main offence was 1,073. This figure only includes cases where a cannabis offence (offence which directly involves and specifies cannabis) was recorded as the main offence and will cover prisoners held for varying lengths depending on their sentence.

The overall average annual cost for keeping an individual in a prison is £51,108, which is taken from the latest published Prison Unit Cost statistics for 2022-23.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle racial disparities in drug-related stop and search rates.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Disparity in the use of stop and search has reduced significantly in the past five years, but there is still far more work to do. In the year to March 2024, black people were 3.5 times more likely than white people to be stopped and searched on suspicion of carrying drugs. The disparity rate for stop and search as whole (including searches for weapons, stolen goods, etc) is 3.7.

That is why the Government backs the National Police Chief’s Council’s Police Race Action Plan. The Plan aims to foster an anti-racist culture, values and behaviours within policing, which will inform all operational policing practice, improving experiences and outcomes for black people.

On stop and search in particular, the Plan commits chief constables to identifying and addressing stop and search disparities, particularly on drugs searches and the searches of children.

I will be working with police leaders to ensure the aims of the plan are adopted and embedded in all forces.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if her Department will publish an equality impact assessment on reforms set out in the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper, published on 18 March 2025.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We will publish the equality analysis for measures included in the Spring Statement alongside the Spring Statement, with equality analysis for other reforms, where possible, following shortly after.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the conservation projects it funds in (a) Africa and (b) Asia do not lead to (i) forced evictions and (ii) violent abuses of Indigenous peoples.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra aims to take a do no harm approach to aid programming. Official development assistance (ODA) projects are required to undertake risk management and due diligence assessments in order to understand and mitigate programmatic risks, including understanding IPLC programming risks.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will introduce a statutory requirement for swift bricks.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer to Question UIN 22080 on 15 January 2025.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of exempting the adult social care sector from proposed increases in the certificate of sponsorship fee.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Fees for immigration and nationality applications are kept under review.

However, there are no current plans to exempt the adult social care sector from the certificate of sponsorship fee increase.

A provisional estimate of the impact of increasing sponsorship fees is a less than 0.2% increase in the cost of hiring an average skilled worker.

Workplace disabilities and sickle cell disease

International Day of the Midwife

Libraries in state primary schools

Pesticides in public spaces

DARC in Wales

Avanti West Coast ticket offices and station staffing

Scientific hearing on animal experiments

Fee waivers for ILR applications

Oversight of homelessness

Keeping transport workers safe

Overseas aid budget

Garforth Residents' Campaign Against Giggle Fibre Telegraph Pole Installations

Found: Q14 Bell Ribeiro-Addy: Could you remind me of the figure that we are spending?

Found: That Shaun Davies, Robbie Moore, Margaret Mullane, Chris Murray, Mr Connor Rand, Joani Reid, Bell Ribeiro -Addy

Found: Not called_NC20 Liz Saville Roberts Apsana Begum Jon Trickett Bell Ribeiro-Addy Llinos Medi Ann

Found: Witherden Brian Leishman Andy McDonald Liz Saville Roberts Ian Byrne Nadia Whittome Bell Ribeiro-Addy

Found: McDonnell Steve Witherden Brian Leishman Neil Duncan-Jordan Imran Hussain Jeremy Corbyn Bell Ribeiro-Addy

Found: Not called_NC20 Liz Saville Roberts Apsana Begum Jon Trickett Bell Ribeiro-Addy Llinos Medi Ann

Found: _NC20 Liz Saville Roberts Apsana Begum Jon Trickett Bell Ribeiro-Addy Llinos Medi Ann Davies Nadia