Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2026 to Question 100020, Serious Violence Reduction Orders, what was the highest number of stops of one individual during the pilot.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) were piloted for two years throughout Merseyside, Sussex, Thames Valley and West Midlands police force areas. The pilot took place between 19 April 2023 and 18 April 2025.
The pilot has been independently evaluated and looks at the effectiveness of SVROs, including the use of the SVRO stop and search power and the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing reoffending and knife carrying.
The evaluation and its findings are currently being considered.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2026 to Question 100020, Serious Violence Reduction Orders, how many weapons were found as a result of the stops during the pilot.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) were piloted for two years throughout Merseyside, Sussex, Thames Valley and West Midlands police force areas. The pilot took place between 19 April 2023 and 18 April 2025.
The pilot has been independently evaluated and looks at the effectiveness of SVROs, including the use of the SVRO stop and search power and the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing reoffending and knife carrying.
The evaluation and its findings are currently being considered.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2026 to Question 100020, Serious Violence Reduction Orders, how many stops were made under the power during the pilot.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) were piloted for two years throughout Merseyside, Sussex, Thames Valley and West Midlands police force areas. The pilot took place between 19 April 2023 and 18 April 2025.
The pilot has been independently evaluated and looks at the effectiveness of SVROs, including the use of the SVRO stop and search power and the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing reoffending and knife carrying.
The evaluation and its findings are currently being considered.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2026 to Question 100020, Serious Violence Reduction Orders, what assessment was made by the independent evaluation of (a) the use of the SVRO stop and search power, (b) the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing reoffending, and (c) the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing knife carrying.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) were piloted for two years throughout Merseyside, Sussex, Thames Valley and West Midlands police force areas. The pilot took place between 19 April 2023 and 18 April 2025.
The pilot has been independently evaluated and looks at the effectiveness of SVROs, including the use of the SVRO stop and search power and the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing reoffending and knife carrying.
The evaluation and its findings are currently being considered.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2026 to Question 100020, Serious Violence Reduction Orders, when she will publish the independent evaluation.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) were piloted for two years throughout Merseyside, Sussex, Thames Valley and West Midlands police force areas. The pilot took place between 19 April 2023 and 18 April 2025.
The pilot has been independently evaluated and looks at the effectiveness of SVROs, including the use of the SVRO stop and search power and the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing reoffending and knife carrying.
The evaluation and its findings are currently being considered.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many conditions have been imposed on pro-Palestine protests by police forces in the last 12 months under section 12 or section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986; and in how many cases cumulative disruption was cited as the justification.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes data on police use of conditions under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, including how many public processions and public assemblies have conditions placed on them, the triggers for the conditions, and the type of condition. The latest published data is to March 2024 Home Office – Police protest powers, June 2022 to March 2024, England and Wales – December 2024, and the next release of data is provisionally scheduled for 5 February 2026.
Forces routinely publish where they apply conditions on demonstrations under Sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 via their websites and social media.
Decisions on how to police demonstrations are an operational matter for the police, working within the legal framework of the Public Order Act 1986. Under sections 12 and 14 the police can place conditions on demonstrations to manage risks of serious public disorder, serious disruption to the life of the community or serious damage to property. Police can currently take cumulative disruption into account when considering placing conditions on a protest under the 1986 Act.
Through the Crime and Policing Bill we are amending sections 12 and 14 of the 1986 Act to introduce a duty for senior police officers to take cumulative disruption into account when assessing whether the serious disruption to the life of the community threshold is met. This provision will help protect communities from repeated disruption caused by protests and is an important step in ensuring everyone feels safe in this country, while protecting the right to peaceful protest.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many protests have resulted in (a) restrictions and (b) conditions imposed by the police under the doctrine of cumulative disruption since May 2025.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes data on police use of conditions under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, including how many public processions and public assemblies have conditions placed on them, the triggers for the conditions, and the type of condition. The latest published data is to March 2024 Home Office – Police protest powers, June 2022 to March 2024, England and Wales – December 2024, and the next release of data is provisionally scheduled for 5 February 2026.
Forces routinely publish where they apply conditions on demonstrations under Sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 via their websites and social media.
Decisions on how to police demonstrations are an operational matter for the police, working within the legal framework of the Public Order Act 1986. Under sections 12 and 14 the police can place conditions on demonstrations to manage risks of serious public disorder, serious disruption to the life of the community or serious damage to property. Police can currently take cumulative disruption into account when considering placing conditions on a protest under the 1986 Act.
Through the Crime and Policing Bill we are amending sections 12 and 14 of the 1986 Act to introduce a duty for senior police officers to take cumulative disruption into account when assessing whether the serious disruption to the life of the community threshold is met. This provision will help protect communities from repeated disruption caused by protests and is an important step in ensuring everyone feels safe in this country, while protecting the right to peaceful protest.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been arrested on suspicion of terrorism-related offences linked to supporting Palestine Action by (a) date, (b) police force area, (c) section of the Terrorism Act used, and (d) outcomes (charged, released without charge, released under investigation, bailed) for each arrest since 5 July 2025.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Home Office does not hold data breaking down arrests under the Terrorism Act 2000 by date or by police force area. Data on arrests, charges and convictions under the Terrorism Act 2000, including under different sections of the Terrorism Act, are published in the Home Office’s quarterly ‘Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’ and can be accessed on GOV.UK.
The most recent publication covering the year ending 30 September 2025, was published on 18 December 2025 and can be accessed here : Operation of police powers under TACT 2000, to September 2025 - GOV.UK. In this data, arrests and charges relating to supporting Palestine Action have been shown separately.
The next quarterly Home Office publication ‘Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’ is due to be published on 12 March 2026 and will cover the period up until the 31 December 2025.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 for allegedly showing support for Palestine Action at demonstrations since its proscription; and what proportion of those arrests relate to people taking part in non-violent protest.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Home Office does not hold data breaking down arrests under the Terrorism Act 2000 by date or by police force area. Data on arrests, charges and convictions under the Terrorism Act 2000, including under different sections of the Terrorism Act, are published in the Home Office’s quarterly ‘Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’ and can be accessed on GOV.UK.
The most recent publication covering the year ending 30 September 2025, was published on 18 December 2025 and can be accessed here : Operation of police powers under TACT 2000, to September 2025 - GOV.UK. In this data, arrests and charges relating to supporting Palestine Action have been shown separately.
The next quarterly Home Office publication ‘Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’ is due to be published on 12 March 2026 and will cover the period up until the 31 December 2025.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the evaluation of the serious violence reduction order pilot.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) were piloted for two years throughout Merseyside, Sussex, Thames Valley and West Midlands police force areas. The pilot took place between 19 April 2023 and 18 April 2025.
The pilot has been independently evaluated and looks at the effectiveness of SVROs, including the use of the SVRO stop and search power and the effectiveness of SVROs in reducing reoffending and knife carrying.