Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the consistency of the application of the “not conducive to the public good” threshold across different immigration decision‑making processes.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Secretary has the power to exclude a person who is not a British citizen if their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good. The Immigration Rules also provide for the refusal of Electronic Travel Authorisations, entry clearance or permission at the border if a person’s character, conduct or associations mean it is undesirable to grant them entry to the UK.

Decisions to exclude a person or refuse or cancel Electronic Travel Authorisations, permission on the grounds that their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good are made in accordance with published policy, which can be accessed via the following links:

Exclusion from the UK – decisions and orders: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK,

Electronic Travel Authorisation Guidance,

Grounds for refusal or cancellation of entry clearance: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department uses a formal appraisal or assessment framework when determining whether an individual’s presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Secretary has the power to exclude a person who is not a British citizen if their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good. The Immigration Rules also provide for the refusal of Electronic Travel Authorisations, entry clearance or permission at the border if a person’s character, conduct or associations mean it is undesirable to grant them entry to the UK.

Decisions to exclude a person or refuse or cancel Electronic Travel Authorisations, permission on the grounds that their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good are made in accordance with published policy, which can be accessed via the following links:

Exclusion from the UK – decisions and orders: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK,

Electronic Travel Authorisation Guidance,

Grounds for refusal or cancellation of entry clearance: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department provides to officials on the meaning of the term “not conducive to the public good” in decisions to refuse leave to enter or remain in the UK.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Secretary has the power to exclude a person who is not a British citizen if their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good. The Immigration Rules also provide for the refusal of Electronic Travel Authorisations, entry clearance or permission at the border if a person’s character, conduct or associations mean it is undesirable to grant them entry to the UK.

Decisions to exclude a person or refuse or cancel Electronic Travel Authorisations, permission on the grounds that their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good are made in accordance with published policy, which can be accessed via the following links:

Exclusion from the UK – decisions and orders: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK,

Electronic Travel Authorisation Guidance,

Grounds for refusal or cancellation of entry clearance: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what factors are taken into account when assessing whether an individual’s presence is not conducive to the public good.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Secretary has the power to exclude a person who is not a British citizen if their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good. The Immigration Rules also provide for the refusal of Electronic Travel Authorisations, entry clearance or permission at the border if a person’s character, conduct or associations mean it is undesirable to grant them entry to the UK.

Decisions to exclude a person or refuse or cancel Electronic Travel Authorisations, permission on the grounds that their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good are made in accordance with published policy, which can be accessed via the following links:

Exclusion from the UK – decisions and orders: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK,

Electronic Travel Authorisation Guidance,

Grounds for refusal or cancellation of entry clearance: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to publish (a) guidance and (b) criteria for future decisions on the entry of foreign nationals attending political demonstrations.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Secretary has the power to exclude a person who is not a British citizen if their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good. The Immigration Rules also provide for the refusal of Electronic Travel Authorisations, entry clearance or permission at the border if a person’s character, conduct or associations mean it is undesirable to grant them entry to the UK.

Decisions to exclude a person or refuse or cancel Electronic Travel Authorisations, permission on the grounds that their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good are made in accordance with published policy, which can be accessed via the following links:

Exclusion from the UK – decisions and orders: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK,

Electronic Travel Authorisation Guidance,

Grounds for refusal or cancellation of entry clearance: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether records are held of discussions between Ministers and officials regarding the decisions to refuse entry to foreign nationals in connection with the Unite the Kingdom rally on 16 May 2026; and whether she plans to publish those records.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office does not routinely disclose information relating to internal discussions between Ministers and officials. It is longstanding Government policy not to comment on matters relating to national security or operational decision‑making.

Decisions to refuse entry to the UK are taken on a case‑by‑case basis in accordance with the Immigration Rules and relevant legislation. Where an individual’s presence in the UK is assessed as not being conducive to the public good, decisions to exclude, or to refuse or cancel an Electronic Travel Authorisation or permission to enter, are made in line with published policy.

Further information on these policies is publicly available, including guidance on: Exclusion from the UK – decisions and orders: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK, Electronic Travel Authorisation Guidance, Grounds for refusal or cancellation of entry clearance: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department sought legal advice on decisions to refuse entry to foreign nationals intending to attend the Unite the Kingdom rally on 16 May 2026.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office does not routinely disclose information relating to internal discussions between Ministers and officials. It is longstanding Government policy not to comment on matters relating to national security or operational decision‑making.

Decisions to refuse entry to the UK are taken on a case‑by‑case basis in accordance with the Immigration Rules and relevant legislation. Where an individual’s presence in the UK is assessed as not being conducive to the public good, decisions to exclude, or to refuse or cancel an Electronic Travel Authorisation or permission to enter, are made in line with published policy.

Further information on these policies is publicly available, including guidance on: Exclusion from the UK – decisions and orders: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK, Electronic Travel Authorisation Guidance, Grounds for refusal or cancellation of entry clearance: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department made of the use of conditional entry, including restrictions on activity or location, as an alternative to refusing entry to foreign nationals intending to attend the “Unite the Kingdom” rally on 16 May 2026.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases.

Immigration applications from people wishing to attend political demonstrations are considered on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with the Immigration Rules and published policies. Where an application is refused or permission is cancelled, the person receives a letter or an email explaining the reasons for the decision and whether the decision can be appealed or administratively reviewed.

The Home Secretary has the power to exclude a person who is not a British citizen if their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good. Where possible a person will be notified of their exclusion in writing and given reasons for their exclusion. There is no right of appeal against an exclusion decision.

The Border Security Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 strengthened the powers available to protect the public from migrants that pose a threat but cannot be removed because of our obligations under domestic and international law.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what engagement, if any, her Department had with foreign nationals prior to decisions to refuse their entry to the UK in connection with the “Unite the Kingdom” rally on 16 May 2026.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases.

Immigration applications from people wishing to attend political demonstrations are considered on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with the Immigration Rules and published policies. Where an application is refused or permission is cancelled, the person receives a letter or an email explaining the reasons for the decision and whether the decision can be appealed or administratively reviewed.

The Home Secretary has the power to exclude a person who is not a British citizen if their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good. Where possible a person will be notified of their exclusion in writing and given reasons for their exclusion. There is no right of appeal against an exclusion decision.

The Border Security Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 strengthened the powers available to protect the public from migrants that pose a threat but cannot be removed because of our obligations under domestic and international law.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to publish the risk assessments underpinning decisions to refuse entry to foreign nationals intending to attend the “Unite the Kingdom” rally on 16 May 2026.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office does not routinely disclose information relating to internal discussions between Ministers and officials. It is longstanding Government policy not to comment on matters relating to national security or operational decision‑making.

Decisions to refuse entry to the UK are taken on a case‑by‑case basis in accordance with the Immigration Rules and relevant legislation. Where an individual’s presence in the UK is assessed as not being conducive to the public good, decisions to exclude, or to refuse or cancel an Electronic Travel Authorisation or permission to enter, are made in line with published policy.

Further information on these policies is publicly available, including guidance on: Exclusion from the UK – decisions and orders: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK, Electronic Travel Authorisation Guidance, Grounds for refusal or cancellation of entry clearance: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, under which powers foreign nationals were refused entry to the UK to attend the Unite the Kingdom rally on 16 May 2026.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases.

Immigration applications from people wishing to attend political demonstrations are considered on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with the Immigration Rules and published policies. Where an application is refused or permission is cancelled, the person receives a letter or an email explaining the reasons for the decision and whether the decision can be appealed or administratively reviewed.

The Home Secretary has the power to exclude a person who is not a British citizen if their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good. Where possible a person will be notified of their exclusion in writing and given reasons for their exclusion. There is no right of appeal against an exclusion decision.

The Border Security Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 strengthened the powers available to protect the public from migrants that pose a threat but cannot be removed because of our obligations under domestic and international law.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria were used to determine whether foreign nationals should be denied entry to the UK in connection with the Unite the Kingdom rally on 16 May 2026.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases.

Immigration applications from people wishing to attend political demonstrations are considered on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with the Immigration Rules and published policies. Where an application is refused or permission is cancelled, the person receives a letter or an email explaining the reasons for the decision and whether the decision can be appealed or administratively reviewed.

The Home Secretary has the power to exclude a person who is not a British citizen if their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good. Where possible a person will be notified of their exclusion in writing and given reasons for their exclusion. There is no right of appeal against an exclusion decision.

The Border Security Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 strengthened the powers available to protect the public from migrants that pose a threat but cannot be removed because of our obligations under domestic and international law.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether consideration was given to allowing entry to foreign nationals attending the Unite the Kingdom rally on 16 May 2026 subject to conditions and restrictions.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases.

Immigration applications from people wishing to attend political demonstrations are considered on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with the Immigration Rules and published policies. Where an application is refused or permission is cancelled, the person receives a letter or an email explaining the reasons for the decision and whether the decision can be appealed or administratively reviewed.

The Home Secretary has the power to exclude a person who is not a British citizen if their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good. Where possible a person will be notified of their exclusion in writing and given reasons for their exclusion. There is no right of appeal against an exclusion decision.

The Border Security Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 strengthened the powers available to protect the public from migrants that pose a threat but cannot be removed because of our obligations under domestic and international law.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether foreign nationals refused entry to attend the “Unite the Kingdom” rally on 16 May 2026 were given prior notice of that decision.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases.

Immigration applications from people wishing to attend political demonstrations are considered on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with the Immigration Rules and published policies. Where an application is refused or permission is cancelled, the person receives a letter or an email explaining the reasons for the decision and whether the decision can be appealed or administratively reviewed.

The Home Secretary has the power to exclude a person who is not a British citizen if their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good. Where possible a person will be notified of their exclusion in writing and given reasons for their exclusion. There is no right of appeal against an exclusion decision.

The Border Security Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 strengthened the powers available to protect the public from migrants that pose a threat but cannot be removed because of our obligations under domestic and international law.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of decisions on refusing entry to foreign nationals attending political rallies.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases.

Immigration applications from people wishing to attend political demonstrations are considered on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with the Immigration Rules and published policies. Where an application is refused or permission is cancelled, the person receives a letter or an email explaining the reasons for the decision and whether the decision can be appealed or administratively reviewed.

The Home Secretary has the power to exclude a person who is not a British citizen if their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good. Where possible a person will be notified of their exclusion in writing and given reasons for their exclusion. There is no right of appeal against an exclusion decision.

The Border Security Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 strengthened the powers available to protect the public from migrants that pose a threat but cannot be removed because of our obligations under domestic and international law.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to publish the risk assessments underpinning decisions to refuse entry to foreign nationals intending to attend the “Unite the Kingdom” rally on 16 May 2026.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office does not routinely disclose information relating to internal discussions between Ministers and officials. It is longstanding Government policy not to comment on matters relating to national security or operational decision‑making.

Decisions to refuse entry to the UK are taken on a case‑by‑case basis in accordance with the Immigration Rules and relevant legislation. Where an individual’s presence in the UK is assessed as not being conducive to the public good, decisions to exclude, or to refuse or cancel an Electronic Travel Authorisation or permission to enter, are made in line with published policy.

Further information on these policies is publicly available, including guidance on: Exclusion from the UK – decisions and orders: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK, Electronic Travel Authorisation Guidance, Grounds for refusal or cancellation of entry clearance: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK.

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 refusing entry to foreign nationals attending the Unite the Kingdom rally on 16 May 2026 on freedom of expression.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases.

Immigration applications from people wishing to attend political demonstrations are considered on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with the Immigration Rules and published policies. Where an application is refused or permission is cancelled, the person receives a letter or an email explaining the reasons for the decision and whether the decision can be appealed or administratively reviewed.

The Home Secretary has the power to exclude a person who is not a British citizen if their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good. Where possible a person will be notified of their exclusion in writing and given reasons for their exclusion. There is no right of appeal against an exclusion decision.

The Border Security Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 strengthened the powers available to protect the public from migrants that pose a threat but cannot be removed because of our obligations under domestic and international law.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether alternative arrangements were considered for foreign nationals seeking to attend the Unite the Kingdom rally on 16 May 2026 before decisions were taken to refuse entry.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases.

Immigration applications from people wishing to attend political demonstrations are considered on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with the Immigration Rules and published policies. Where an application is refused or permission is cancelled, the person receives a letter or an email explaining the reasons for the decision and whether the decision can be appealed or administratively reviewed.

The Home Secretary has the power to exclude a person who is not a British citizen if their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good. Where possible a person will be notified of their exclusion in writing and given reasons for their exclusion. There is no right of appeal against an exclusion decision.

The Border Security Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 strengthened the powers available to protect the public from migrants that pose a threat but cannot be removed because of our obligations under domestic and international law.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what routes of (a) appeal and (b) review were available to foreign nationals refused entry in connection with the Unite the Kingdom rally on 16 May 2026.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases.

Immigration applications from people wishing to attend political demonstrations are considered on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with the Immigration Rules and published policies. Where an application is refused or permission is cancelled, the person receives a letter or an email explaining the reasons for the decision and whether the decision can be appealed or administratively reviewed.

The Home Secretary has the power to exclude a person who is not a British citizen if their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good. Where possible a person will be notified of their exclusion in writing and given reasons for their exclusion. There is no right of appeal against an exclusion decision.

The Border Security Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 strengthened the powers available to protect the public from migrants that pose a threat but cannot be removed because of our obligations under domestic and international law.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether refusals of entry relating to the Unite the Kingdom rally on 16 May 2026 were made on an individual basis.

Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office does not routinely comment on individual cases.

Immigration applications from people wishing to attend political demonstrations are considered on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with the Immigration Rules and published policies. Where an application is refused or permission is cancelled, the person receives a letter or an email explaining the reasons for the decision and whether the decision can be appealed or administratively reviewed.

The Home Secretary has the power to exclude a person who is not a British citizen if their presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good. Where possible a person will be notified of their exclusion in writing and given reasons for their exclusion. There is no right of appeal against an exclusion decision.

The Border Security Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 strengthened the powers available to protect the public from migrants that pose a threat but cannot be removed because of our obligations under domestic and international law.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether additional funding is provided to police forces that receive safeguarding disclosures from asylum seekers relating to alleged criminal incidents prior to arrival.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The government sets police budgets at the annual police funding settlement. The 2026–27 final police funding settlement provides up to £21.0 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. This is an increase of up to £1.4 billion compared with the 2025–26 settlement, representing a 6.9% cash increase and a 4.8% real terms increase.

Total funding to police forces will be up to £18.4 billion, an increase of up to £834 million compared to the 2025-26 police funding settlement. This equates to a 4.7% cash increase and a 2.7% real terms increase in funding.

Decisions on how funding and resources are utilised are an operational matter for Chief Constables and locally elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), who are best placed to make resourcing decisions within their communities based on their local knowledge and experience.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what training is provided to Border Force and police officers on responding to safeguarding disclosures made by asylum seekers relating to alleged criminal incidents outside the UK.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Border Force staff receive comprehensive foundation training in safeguarding, modern slavery awareness, communication, and interview skills. In situations where there is an urgent need for referral, Border Force follows established safeguarding procedures. We have Safeguarding and Modern Slavery (SaMS) Officers, who are equipped with additional specialist training to handle these referrals and manage them appropriately.

Border Force will continue to assess and monitor the effectiveness of new policy tools that are emerging to ensure we can best tackle human rights abuses, including forced labour, as part of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what safeguarding procedures are in place for asylum seekers who disclose experiences of harm as the result of crimes said to have occurred prior to arrival in the UK.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office takes the safety and wellbeing of adults, families and children extremely seriously and we continuously review our safeguarding processes. We operate an Asylum Safeguarding Hub that receives referrals from a range of sources, including but not limited to accommodation providers, asylum decision making teams, and Migrant Help. Referrals are reviewed and actioned on a case-by-case basis. The Hub often acts as an interface between the Home Office, statutory partners and accommodation providers around safeguarding.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information‑sharing arrangements are in place between UK and French authorities regarding safeguarding disclosures made by asylum seekers relating to alleged criminal incidents prior to their arrival in the UK.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office has frameworks and processes in place to facilitate the sharing of sensitive information with stakeholders, including international partners. The sharing of such information is regularly reviewed by the Home Office to ensure it remains necessary, proportionate and complies with legislation including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what mechanisms exist for national authorities to refer safeguarding disclosures made by asylum seekers to the relevant authorities in France where appropriate.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office has frameworks and processes in place to facilitate the sharing of sensitive information with stakeholders, including international partners. The sharing of such information is regularly reviewed by the Home Office to ensure it remains necessary, proportionate and complies with legislation including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what mechanisms are currently used by his Department to ensure that private family law policy and guidance are evidence‑based, representative of the wider population, and compliant with the Public Sector Equality Duty in the absence of routinely collected court data disaggregated by ethnicity, religion, and immigration or settlement status.

Answered by Catherine Atkinson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government recognises that the Family Courts must support all court users and that accurate demographic data is essential to that. That is why protected characteristics data, including data on ethnic group and religion, is routinely captured by the new HMCTS private law portal. This is currently in place in respect of certain private law proceedings in the family court in Swansea, Kingston-upon-Hull, Essex, Suffolk and Wolverhampton with national roll-out due to commence in Autumn 2026. This data will include cases which involve allegations of domestic abuse and domestic abuse case flags are available on the portal.

The Department draws from a wide evidence base to inform policy in private family law. This includes, but is not limited to, evidence from commissioned internal research, independent reviews, external academic research and extensive engagement with stakeholders.

The Department uses a range of mechanisms to ensure that policy is evidence based and compliant with the Public Sector Equalities Duty. For any new Government policy or legislation an Equalities Impact Assessment must be completed to test for compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the absence of routinely collected, disaggregated data on ethnicity, religion, and immigration or settlement status in private family law cases involving alleged harm on his Department’s ability to discharge its Public Sector Equality Duty when developing or applying policy, practice directions, or operational guidance.

Answered by Catherine Atkinson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government recognises that the Family Courts must support all court users and that accurate demographic data is essential to that. That is why protected characteristics data, including data on ethnic group and religion, is routinely captured by the new HMCTS private law portal. This is currently in place in respect of certain private law proceedings in the family court in Swansea, Kingston-upon-Hull, Essex, Suffolk and Wolverhampton with national roll-out due to commence in Autumn 2026. This data will include cases which involve allegations of domestic abuse and domestic abuse case flags are available on the portal.

The Department draws from a wide evidence base to inform policy in private family law. This includes, but is not limited to, evidence from commissioned internal research, independent reviews, external academic research and extensive engagement with stakeholders.

The Department uses a range of mechanisms to ensure that policy is evidence based and compliant with the Public Sector Equalities Duty. For any new Government policy or legislation an Equalities Impact Assessment must be completed to test for compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if his Department will require courts, in private family law proceedings involving allegations of domestic abuse or child protection concerns, to collect and make available anonymised and aggregated data disaggregated by ethnicity, religion, and immigration or settlement status for parents and children, where lawful and proportionate.

Answered by Catherine Atkinson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government recognises that the Family Courts must support all court users and that accurate demographic data is essential to that. That is why protected characteristics data, including data on ethnic group and religion, is routinely captured by the new HMCTS private law portal. This is currently in place in respect of certain private law proceedings in the family court in Swansea, Kingston-upon-Hull, Essex, Suffolk and Wolverhampton with national roll-out due to commence in Autumn 2026. This data will include cases which involve allegations of domestic abuse and domestic abuse case flags are available on the portal.

The Department draws from a wide evidence base to inform policy in private family law. This includes, but is not limited to, evidence from commissioned internal research, independent reviews, external academic research and extensive engagement with stakeholders.

The Department uses a range of mechanisms to ensure that policy is evidence based and compliant with the Public Sector Equalities Duty. For any new Government policy or legislation an Equalities Impact Assessment must be completed to test for compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Answer of 22 April 2026 to Question 127202, whether his Department has evaluated whether conclusions drawn from the evidence base underpinning the Cafcass harm review have been proportionately and appropriately generalised to the wider private family law population, including consideration of sampling methodology, representativeness, and identified methodological limitations, and whether any review is planned to assess potential implications for policy, practice direction guidance, or decision‑making frameworks.

Answered by Catherine Atkinson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government has no plans to undertake an assessment of the adequacy of the evidential basis underpinning the Harm Panel Report. The report was based on a call for evidence which received over 1200 responses from individuals and organisations, as well as focus groups and roundtables. The call for evidence was open to the public, allowing any interested parties and organisations to respond. This was supplemented by a literature review commissioned by the Ministry of Justice.

Impacts on different demographic groups are routinely considered as part of policy developments, including those stemming from the Report, to test for compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Work in response to the report has also included further research with ethnic minority families.

There is no report or review formally titled the ‘Cafcass harm review’.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Answer of 22 April 2026 to Question 127202, whether his Department plans to undertake an assessment of the adequacy of the evidential base underpinning the report entitled Assessing Risk of Harm to Children and Parents in Private Law Children Cases, published in June 2020, including of the (a) generalisability of findings from the evidence base, (b) methodological limitations of that evidence base and (c) extent to which findings derived from specific demographic cohorts have informed wider (i) policy, (ii) guidance and (iii) statutory interpretation.

Answered by Catherine Atkinson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Government has no plans to undertake an assessment of the adequacy of the evidential basis underpinning the Harm Panel Report. The report was based on a call for evidence which received over 1200 responses from individuals and organisations, as well as focus groups and roundtables. The call for evidence was open to the public, allowing any interested parties and organisations to respond. This was supplemented by a literature review commissioned by the Ministry of Justice.

Impacts on different demographic groups are routinely considered as part of policy developments, including those stemming from the Report, to test for compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Work in response to the report has also included further research with ethnic minority families.

There is no report or review formally titled the ‘Cafcass harm review’.

Found: Warrington South) Lloyd Hatton (Labour; South Dorset) Chris Kane (Labour; Stirling and Strathallan) Rupert Lowe

Found: Warrington South) Lloyd Hatton (Labour; South Dorset) Chris Kane (Labour; Stirling and Strathallan) Rupert Lowe