Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to reform pay policies at the National Crime Agency.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government is committed to supporting the National Crime Agency in the fight against serious and organised crime. A strong pay framework is vital to enable the Agency to deliver its role of disrupting and dismantling the most harmful organised crime groups in and impacting on the UK.

As announced alongside the National Crime Agency pay award on 29 July 2024, measures are underway to develop a set of comprehensive proposals for reform of the existing pay structure at the Agency. Once finalised, the government will seek to implement these proposals in a timely fashion.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle the theft of mobile phones.

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

Set against soaring levels of snatch thefts and pickpocketing, crimes which commonly involve the theft of mobile phones, we have announced a Home Office Mobile Phone Theft Summit, drawing together tech companies and law enforcement to see what more can collectively be done to break the business model of mobile phone thieves.

As part of our Safer Streets Mission, this government is determined to crack down on theft and other crimes that make people feel unsafe in our communities, including strengthening neighbourhood policing, tackling anti-social behaviour and restoring public confidence.

Through our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, there will be thousands of additional police officers, police community support officers and Special Constables.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to remove the requirement for a local connection for (a) homeless veterans, (b) survivors of domestic abuse and (c) care leavers.

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

On the 24 September the Prime Minister announced an ambition to improve access to social housing for veterans, survivors of domestic abuse and young care leavers.

Statutory guidance recommends that local authorities exempt victims of domestic abuse and care leavers from local connection and residency tests, and we know that most local authorities already do this. We are clear that a victim of domestic abuse, a care leaver or a veteran should not be disqualified from social housing on the grounds of having no local connection.

The Department laid regulations on 27 November which will require local authorities to exempt all veterans from local connection requirements for social housing allocations.

We will bring forward similar regulations covering survivors of domestic abuse and care leavers when parliamentary time allows.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of rules on local connection for housing allocations.

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

On the 24 September the Prime Minister announced an ambition to improve access to social housing for veterans, survivors of domestic abuse and young care leavers.

Statutory guidance recommends that local authorities exempt victims of domestic abuse and care leavers from local connection and residency tests, and we know that most local authorities already do this. We are clear that a victim of domestic abuse, a care leaver or a veteran should not be disqualified from social housing on the grounds of having no local connection.

The Department laid regulations on 27 November which will require local authorities to exempt all veterans from local connection requirements for social housing allocations.

We will bring forward similar regulations covering survivors of domestic abuse and care leavers when parliamentary time allows.

Found: 10.00 am Meeting in the Speaker’s Study Present: The Speaker, in the Chair Steve Barclay Rachel Blake

Found: (Sir Lindsay Hoyle) (Chair), The Leader of the House of Commons (Lucy Powell), Steve Barclay, Rachel Blake

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Dame Meg Hillier (Chair); Dame Harriett Baldwin; Rachel Blake; Bobby

Found: membership Dame Meg Hillier (Hackney South and Shoreditch) Dame Harriett Baldwin (West Worcestershire) Rachel Blake

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Dame Meg Hillier (Chair); Dame Harriett Baldwin; Rachel Blake; Chris

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Dame Meg Hillier (Chair); Dame Harriett Baldwin; Rachel Blake; Chris

Found: Watch the meeting Members present: Dame Meg Hillier (Chair); Dame Harriett Baldwin; Rachel Blake; Chris

Found: Julia has declared that she canvassed for Rachel Blake MP on two occasions during the 2024 General Election