Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she will determine West Mercia Police's requests for special grant funding for the next financial year.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Decisions on police funding for 2026-27 will be taken shortly. Any requests for additional funding will be considered in the round and decisions communicated to Police and Crime Commissioners in due course.
Asked by: Danny Chambers (Liberal Democrat - Winchester)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officer suicides were recorded in the last five years.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not collect data on the number of suicides attended by police or the number of police suicides.
Data on suicides by occupation have previously been published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) available here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/adhocs/2726suicidebyoccupationinenglandandwales2023and2024provisional.
A National Action Plan for Suicide Prevention and Postvention in policing has been launched, which aims to reduce rates among the police workforce as well as enhancing data recording. The plan, which includes ensuring adequate training for the police workforce, emphasises a supportive environment that promotes mental health and combats stigma to ensure that those affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts can access appropriate and timely support.
Asked by: Danny Chambers (Liberal Democrat - Winchester)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many suicides were attended by police in the last five years.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not collect data on the number of suicides attended by police or the number of police suicides.
Data on suicides by occupation have previously been published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) available here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/adhocs/2726suicidebyoccupationinenglandandwales2023and2024provisional.
A National Action Plan for Suicide Prevention and Postvention in policing has been launched, which aims to reduce rates among the police workforce as well as enhancing data recording. The plan, which includes ensuring adequate training for the police workforce, emphasises a supportive environment that promotes mental health and combats stigma to ensure that those affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts can access appropriate and timely support.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department provides to police forces on their deployment of live facial recognition cameras.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Guidance on watchlists is provided by the College of Policing in the form of an Authorised Professional Practice. This sets out the categories of people who may be included on a watchlist, which depends on the nature of the deployment. Watchlists must be tailored to a specific policing objective and reviewed before each deployment to ensure they meet the legal tests of necessity and proportionality.
Watchlists may include individuals wanted by the police or the courts, suspects, missing or vulnerable people, or those posing a risk of harm to themselves or others. In some cases, this may include vulnerable individuals such as missing children.
Although there is a legal framework in place, it is complicated, inflexible and difficult for the public and police to understand. That is why we have launched a consultation to support the development of a new legal framework for law enforcement use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Goole and Pocklington)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department provides to police forces on including children in live facial recognition camera watchlists.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Guidance on watchlists is provided by the College of Policing in the form of an Authorised Professional Practice. This sets out the categories of people who may be included on a watchlist, which depends on the nature of the deployment. Watchlists must be tailored to a specific policing objective and reviewed before each deployment to ensure they meet the legal tests of necessity and proportionality.
Watchlists may include individuals wanted by the police or the courts, suspects, missing or vulnerable people, or those posing a risk of harm to themselves or others. In some cases, this may include vulnerable individuals such as missing children.
Although there is a legal framework in place, it is complicated, inflexible and difficult for the public and police to understand. That is why we have launched a consultation to support the development of a new legal framework for law enforcement use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many recorded offences involving vandalism, arson, burglary, or hate-motivated attacks were committed against Christian places of worship in each of the last five years.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is committed to protecting the right of individuals to freely practise their religion and will not tolerate anti-Christian hatred in any form.
The Home Office does not hold arrest or crime data specifically relating to Christian places of worship.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to conduct a national review into criminal attacks on churches and Christian heritage sites.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is committed to protecting the right of individuals to freely practise their religion and will not tolerate anti-Christian hatred in any form.
The Home Office does not hold arrest or crime data specifically relating to Christian places of worship.
Asked by: Baroness Maclean of Redditch (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will take steps to encourage those survivors who have called for the resignation of Jess Phillips MP as Safeguarding Minister, and made statements that they will not take part in any grooming gangs inquiry while she remains in post, to give their testimony; and what action they will take to ensure that the inquiry has the confidence of all survivors of grooming gangs.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
We are committed to ensuring that the voices of victims and survivors continue to be meaningfully heard to inform our work to establish the national inquiry into group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse.
We are continuing to engage with those victims and survivors that remain in the consultation group established by the National Working Group (NWG). This ensures that their voices are heard in a safe, supportive environment that is sensitive to the trauma they have endured.
We are sorry that some have felt discouraged and have chosen to leave that group, and we respect their decision to do so. There is a range of views within the victim and survivor community, and it is important that all voices are heard. As we have said to those who left the consultation group, the door remains open should they wish to engage with us further.
In addition, the national inquiry, once established, will develop its own plans for engaging victims and survivors who wish to do so. Baroness Casey is now supporting efforts to identify a Chair that can earn the trust of those who have been let down far too often, and we will confirm the appointment as soon as possible.
Asked by: Anneliese Dodds (Labour (Co-op) - Oxford East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the availability in the UK of (a) ketamine and (b) nitazenes through online purchase.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is committed to tackling the supply of illegal drugs online, including that of ketamine and nitazenes.
We are taking a co-ordinated approach to tackle harmful online content, including material associated with the sale of illegal drugs. This strategy combines law enforcement activity, stronger engagement with technology companies, improved education to raise awareness of risks and harms, and the introduction of measures that require internet companies to take responsibility for content on their platforms.
This includes strengthening the regulatory framework to address online harms. The unlawful sale of controlled drugs online is a priority offence under the illegal content duties in the Online Safety Act 2023. In-scope providers are legally required to implement measures to protect their users and to remove illegal content from their platforms. Ofcom, as the independent regulator of the Act, is closely monitoring compliance with the regime.
The National Crime Agency also works with partners in the UK and internationally to identify offenders operating online, and to take down UK-based sites committing offences.
Asked by: Simon Hoare (Conservative - North Dorset)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to progress proposals for a medal of recognition for police officers injured in the line of service.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Any official award is a gift from the Government, on behalf of His Majesty The King to recognise individuals within policing and emergency services personnel. The creation of a new award requires cross Government consensus and approval from the Committee on The Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals, before advice is put to HM The King to make his final decision.
The Home Office will continue to take steps to consider proposals for new awards for members of the emergency services. It is only right that we recognise the sacrifices made by the emergency services, and it is important to make sure this is considering fully and carefully to ensure any changes are proportionate and effective.