Oral Answers to Questions

Dan Jarvis Excerpts

Monday 8th June 2026 Commons Chamber

[Mr Luke Charters (York Outer) (Lab)]

3. What steps her Department is taking to help tackle identity fraud.

[The Minister for Security (Dan Jarvis)]

We have launched a new £250 million fraud strategy focused on preventing fraud, protecting victims and strengthening enforcement. We are working closely with the City of London police to establish referral routes so that identity fraud victims can access identity repair services, and we will continue to develop guidance, tools and partnerships to help victims to recover quickly and to reduce repeat harm.

[Mr Charters]

Several of my constituents have had their identity stolen, leading to devastating consequences. A serving member of our armed forces had his house purchase delayed after his credit file was marked as a risk. Too often, identity theft is bundled into other offences such as computer misuse and not pursued at all. Having been a counter-fraud specialist, I know how widespread this issue has become. Will my hon. Friend meet me and campaigners to discuss the case for identity fraud becoming a stand-alone offence?

[Dan Jarvis]

My hon. Friend speaks with real authority on these matters. He will know that the theft of personal information is already criminalised in legislation, including the Fraud Act 2006, the Computer Misuse Act 1990 and the Data Protection Act 2018. To ensure that those laws remain effective, we commissioned an independent review of disclosures and fraud offences. The review has submitted its final report to the Government and will be published shortly. We will consider its findings carefully and what further action may be needed to strengthen our response to identity fraud. I am sure that the noble Lord Hanson will happily meet my hon. Friend.

[Gregory Stafford (Farnham and Bordon) (Con)]

At my constituency surgery on Friday, Mr De Mesquita spoke to me about his concerns that Report Fraud was not passing on to local police forces information about victims of identity fraud. Given that those victims are often vulnerable and likely to be victims of other crimes, will the Minister let us know what he is doing to ensure that Report Fraud is passing on to local police forces the details of victims of such crimes?

[Dan Jarvis]

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for raising that important point, and I assure him that I will raise it with the noble Lord Hanson, who leads on matters relating to fraud. I hope the hon. Gentleman acknowledges that the Government have invested £250 million in working with a range of different organisations to bear down on the levels of fraud that we are seeing. That includes law enforcement, GCHQ, banks, telecommunications and tech partners, and civil society. We have also invested £31 million in a new online crime centre. I will look carefully at the points that he makes and refer them to Lord Hanson.

[Laura Kyrke-Smith (Aylesbury) (Lab)]

4. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed changes to indefinite leave to remain on skilled legal migrants resident in the UK.

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[Damien Egan (Bristol North East) (Lab)]

8. What steps her Department is taking to help tackle extremism.

[The Minister for Security (Dan Jarvis)]

The Government are delivering a fundamental reset of how we counter extremism. That includes publishing an annual state of extremism report, which will arm frontline public sector workers with the information they need to tackle extremism in the UK.

[Damien Egan]

Extremism in the UK is growing at an unprecedented rate. Extreme left and extreme right ideologies, alongside growing Islamist extremism, are being fuelled by increasingly brazen interference from foreign states, and we need to be clear-eyed about those threats. At a recent summit hosted by Wilton Park, I heard how countries such as Norway now treat extremism as a national security priority, linking it more to defence. Will the Minister consider establishing a proper mechanism so that we can designate domestic extremist groups? Will the Government commit to recognising extremism and social cohesion as a first-tier national security priority?

[Dan Jarvis]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his attention to these important matters. As we set out in “Protecting What Matters”, the Government recognise countering extremism and enhancing social cohesion as a priority area, and we set out a range of commitments to achieve that. Although there is no explicit offence of extremism, the police have a range of tools and powers to counter the activities of extremists. We are fast-tracking the creation of a new state threats designation power, which will further clamp down on individuals and groups carrying out hostile activity for foreign states.

[Sir Oliver Dowden (Hertsmere) (Con)]

I am sure the Minister will have seen footage of a recent attack on Helen Mirren, where she was described—excuse my language, Mr Speaker—as a “Zionist bitch”. This is just another example of deliberate extremist intimidation aimed at frightening off anyone in public life from supporting the existence of the state of Israel or defending the Jewish community. While Helen Mirren decided not to press charges, does the Minister agree that the police should treat such assaults with the utmost seriousness, as they are attacks not just on the individual, but on our shared values in this place of freedom of speech and freedom of expression?

[Dan Jarvis]

The right hon. Gentleman has raised an important point. I have seen the footage. Like, I am sure, all other Members, I was shocked but not surprised by it. The police have an important job to do in cracking down on this kind of activity, but I can give the right hon. Gentleman an absolute assurance of the priority that this Government attach to antisemitism. We have seen a range of abhorrent antisemitic attacks in recent times, and we will do everything we can to stand against them.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Minister.

[Matt Vickers (Stockton West) (Con)]

We have seen the devastating impact of extremism on our country, with the Jewish community experiencing disgraceful attacks. Does the Minister share my concern about the fact that in recent elections, candidates such as Kate Hollern were threatened with beheading? More recently, we have seen convicted terrorists standing for election. What will the Minister do to prevent that? Does he believe that individuals with terrorist convictions should be allowed to stand for election?

[Dan Jarvis]

The shadow Minister will know that the defending democracy taskforce, which I chair, is looking carefully at the issues that he has raised, which are indeed abhorrent. He has made a powerful point. The Government are considering whether further action is required, and I should be happy to work with him on it.

[Jim Dickson (Dartford) (Lab)]

9. What recent progress her Department has made on tackling antisocial behaviour.

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[Laura Kyrke-Smith (Aylesbury) (Lab)]

T3.   My local Jewish community does not have a dedicated building to meet and worship in. That means that they are not eligible for the Government’s expanded support for Jewish communities, which is primarily aimed at fixed places of worship. I welcome the Government’s expanded commitment, and I am grateful for their engagement with me on this issue, but will the Minister give an update, including on whether support can be extended to security guards?

[The Minister for Security (Dan Jarvis)]

My hon. Friend may be aware that I recently met the hon. Member for Mid Buckinghamshire (Greg Smith) and the rabbi for south Buckinghamshire. She will know that the Jewish community protective security grant scheme, administered by the Community Security Trust, funds security measures such as CCTV, alarms and fencing, which require fixed sites to install and maintain. However, I fully recognise the fear and concerns raised by mobile Jewish congregations, and we are working closely with CST to understand what more support we can give.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Home Secretary.

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[Suella Braverman (Fareham and Waterlooville) (Reform)]

Earlier this year, the race and faith network at Greater Manchester fire and rescue service wrote to its firefighters targeting anyone who might be representing Reform UK at the local elections in what can only be described as an attempt at intimidation. Firefighters can legitimately stand in local elections. Does the Minister agree that such politicisation and institutional bullying is wholly unacceptable? What will the defending democracy taskforce do to investigate that and stop it happening again?

[Dan Jarvis]

I listened carefully to what the right hon. and learned Lady said and will give it due consideration as chair of the defending democracy taskforce.

[Euan Stainbank (Falkirk) (Lab)]

The Government have cut the asylum backlog, reduced the number of people arriving illegally and shut more than half the hotels opened by Tory Ministers. Places in Scotland like Falkirk, Perth and Dundee must see further progress this year. When will we see the next phase of the hotel exit plan? How will Ministers ensure that it is equitable across the nations and regions of the United Kingdom?