Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department,with reference to her statement of 13 October 2025 on Manchester Terrorism Attack, Official Report, col 27, whether trade union picket lines outside workplaces would be considered within the scope of the cumulative impact, in the context of her proposed amendments to sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government has tabled an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill which will allow senior officers to take account of the cumulative impact of protest activity when considering whether to impose conditions under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986.This provision will help protect communities from repeated disruption caused by protests, while protecting the right to peaceful protest.
The Home Office regularly engages with the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Public Order and Public Safety, Chief Constable Mark Hobrough, and this clause has been developed in discussion with the NPCC and other operational policing partners, and informed by community concerns about the ongoing disruption caused by repeat protests.
The Home Office will work with the College of Policing and NPCC to include guidance on cumulative impact in the Public Order Public Safety authorised professional practice, and the Protest Operational Advice Document, which contain operational advice for frontline policing and are regularly updated to include all public order powers.
Police forces will be engaged in the development of the guidance, to help ensure the application of this legislation achieves the objective of addressing safety and security concerns of affected communities while ensuring that consideration of any cumulative disruption is balanced with the right to peaceful and lawful protest.
It will be for senior officers to consider whether to impose conditions on a protest having considered any relevant cumulative disruption to the life of the community in the area in which the protest is held or intended to be held.
Statistics on police protest powers are published here: Police protest powers, June 2022 to March 2024 - GOV.UK The latest figures cover the period up to March 2024.
In the period 28 June 2022 to 31 March 2024, 10 forces used powers under Sections 12, 14,14ZA of the Public Order Act (1986). The remaining 34 forces confirmed they had not used these powers in the period.
Since sections 12, 14 and 14ZA of the Public Order Act 1986 (as amended by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022) came into force, they have been used to apply conditions to 473 protests. Of these 473 protests, 434 were recorded as processions (conditions imposed under section 12) and 39 were recorded as assemblies (conditions imposed under section 14); the powers have not been used to apply conditions to any one-person protests (section 14ZA). As part of this data collection, information is provided on the ‘theme’ of protests that had conditions applied to them under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, to indicate whether the protest had one of more of the following themes: social justice, anti-fascism, cultural nationalism, animal rights, international, anti-government, environmental.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her statement of 13 October 2025 on Manchester Terrorism Attack, Official Report, col 27, when she plans to bring forward legislative proposals to amend sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government has tabled an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill which will allow senior officers to take account of the cumulative impact of protest activity when considering whether to impose conditions under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986.This provision will help protect communities from repeated disruption caused by protests, while protecting the right to peaceful protest.
The Home Office regularly engages with the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Public Order and Public Safety, Chief Constable Mark Hobrough, and this clause has been developed in discussion with the NPCC and other operational policing partners, and informed by community concerns about the ongoing disruption caused by repeat protests.
The Home Office will work with the College of Policing and NPCC to include guidance on cumulative impact in the Public Order Public Safety authorised professional practice, and the Protest Operational Advice Document, which contain operational advice for frontline policing and are regularly updated to include all public order powers.
Police forces will be engaged in the development of the guidance, to help ensure the application of this legislation achieves the objective of addressing safety and security concerns of affected communities while ensuring that consideration of any cumulative disruption is balanced with the right to peaceful and lawful protest.
It will be for senior officers to consider whether to impose conditions on a protest having considered any relevant cumulative disruption to the life of the community in the area in which the protest is held or intended to be held.
Statistics on police protest powers are published here: Police protest powers, June 2022 to March 2024 - GOV.UK The latest figures cover the period up to March 2024.
In the period 28 June 2022 to 31 March 2024, 10 forces used powers under Sections 12, 14,14ZA of the Public Order Act (1986). The remaining 34 forces confirmed they had not used these powers in the period.
Since sections 12, 14 and 14ZA of the Public Order Act 1986 (as amended by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022) came into force, they have been used to apply conditions to 473 protests. Of these 473 protests, 434 were recorded as processions (conditions imposed under section 12) and 39 were recorded as assemblies (conditions imposed under section 14); the powers have not been used to apply conditions to any one-person protests (section 14ZA). As part of this data collection, information is provided on the ‘theme’ of protests that had conditions applied to them under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, to indicate whether the protest had one of more of the following themes: social justice, anti-fascism, cultural nationalism, animal rights, international, anti-government, environmental.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough and Thornaby East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her statement of 13 October 2025 on Manchester Terrorism Attack, whether she plans to amend sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986 through amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government has tabled an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill which will allow senior officers to take account of the cumulative impact of protest activity when considering whether to impose conditions under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986.This provision will help protect communities from repeated disruption caused by protests, while protecting the right to peaceful protest.
The Home Office regularly engages with the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Public Order and Public Safety, Chief Constable Mark Hobrough, and this clause has been developed in discussion with the NPCC and other operational policing partners, and informed by community concerns about the ongoing disruption caused by repeat protests.
The Home Office will work with the College of Policing and NPCC to include guidance on cumulative impact in the Public Order Public Safety authorised professional practice, and the Protest Operational Advice Document, which contain operational advice for frontline policing and are regularly updated to include all public order powers.
Police forces will be engaged in the development of the guidance, to help ensure the application of this legislation achieves the objective of addressing safety and security concerns of affected communities while ensuring that consideration of any cumulative disruption is balanced with the right to peaceful and lawful protest.
It will be for senior officers to consider whether to impose conditions on a protest having considered any relevant cumulative disruption to the life of the community in the area in which the protest is held or intended to be held.
Statistics on police protest powers are published here: Police protest powers, June 2022 to March 2024 - GOV.UK The latest figures cover the period up to March 2024.
In the period 28 June 2022 to 31 March 2024, 10 forces used powers under Sections 12, 14,14ZA of the Public Order Act (1986). The remaining 34 forces confirmed they had not used these powers in the period.
Since sections 12, 14 and 14ZA of the Public Order Act 1986 (as amended by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022) came into force, they have been used to apply conditions to 473 protests. Of these 473 protests, 434 were recorded as processions (conditions imposed under section 12) and 39 were recorded as assemblies (conditions imposed under section 14); the powers have not been used to apply conditions to any one-person protests (section 14ZA). As part of this data collection, information is provided on the ‘theme’ of protests that had conditions applied to them under sections 12 and 14 of the Public Order Act 1986, to indicate whether the protest had one of more of the following themes: social justice, anti-fascism, cultural nationalism, animal rights, international, anti-government, environmental.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on securing public spaces from unauthorised drone activity; and whether her Department provides funding to local authorities for local counter-drone measures at high-risk public sites.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Home Office oversees the UK government’s approach to countering the misuse of drones.
The needs and requirements of each local authority to prepare for and respond to unauthorised drone activity will vary. In order to manage their risks, local authorities should work with their local police, for example through their Local Resilience Forum, to agree their approach.
The Home Office provides cross-government coordination on counter-drone policy, and has supported the National Police Chiefs’ Council counter-drones team to develop local police capabilities. Police forces across the UK have been issued with equipment, guidance and training to prepare for and respond to drone misuse, and are responsible for their ongoing local risk assessments.
Guidance on the wider topic of drone awareness and security has been issued by the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), focused on infrastructure but applicable to public spaces: Counter Uncrewed Aerial Systems (C-UAS) | Uncrewed Aerial Systems | NPSA. More broadly, guidance has also been provided following the passing of Martyn’s Law which outlines local authorities’ responsibilities to ensure public safety and security.
Asked by: Jas Athwal (Labour - Ilford South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with relevant stakeholders on the use of proactive technology to (a) identify and (b) tackle (i) deepfakes and (ii) AI generated (A) intimate image abuse and (B) child sexual abuse images.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office actively engages with relevant stakeholders on the use of proactive technology to identify and tackle AI-enabled harms, including deepfakes, intimate image abuse and child sexual abuse images.
Working in partnership with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Alan Turing Institute, and the Accelerated Capability Environment, the Home Office has led the Deepfake Detection Challenge. This initiative brought together experts and stakeholders to develop and evaluate detection tools, which are essential in addressing serious harms including online child sexual abuse. As offenders increasingly exploit AI, we must harness its potential for good.
A key outcome has been the creation of a tool which enables scientific evaluation of detection technologies, offering actionable metrics to support informed procurement decisions and helping end users select the most effective solutions. This capability is now being considered as a potential global standard and the next phase will continue to identify and benchmark AI-driven solutions.
In addition, we are engaging with industry across the AI ecosystem, recognising their vital role in mitigating and preventing AI-enabled harms.
The Home Office has also introduced world leading measures, becoming the first country to criminalise the possession, creation and distribution of AI tools to generate child sexual abuse material, as well as the possession of paedophile manuals that instruct others on creating such tools.
The Government remains committed to investing in innovation to combat these appalling crimes and will continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to do so.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with (a) local authorities and (b) police forces in West Yorkshire on the prevalence of illegal or ghost number plates used to evade enforcement cameras.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Cloned and misrepresented plates are a serious problem which cause distress to innocent people and provide cover for criminals.
The Home Office and the Department for Transport are working closely with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), Trading Standards and local authorities to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has had recent discussions with West Yorkshire Police on tackling the use of ghost number plates in Bradford and the surrounding area.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Cloned and misrepresented plates are a serious problem which cause distress to innocent people and provide cover for criminals.
The Home Office and the Department for Transport are working closely with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), Trading Standards and local authorities to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will hold discussions with the Metropolitan Police on the policing of non-contentious parades in central London.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
This Government continues to work closely with the Metropolitan Police to ensure parades, protests and assemblies can take place whilst maintaining public safety.
Operational matters are for individual forces, and Government ministers do not intervene in how the law is applied.
Asked by: Matt Bishop (Labour - Forest of Dean)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of including (a) clear and (b) deliverable objectives to combat child (i) sexual abuse and (ii) exploitation in the updated Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
This Government recognises the devastating impact of child sexual abuse and exploitation and is committed to tackling these crimes.
The new VAWG Strategy will set the direction for the next decade, driving forward the Government’s bold ambition to halve VAWG within ten years. This is a landmark commitment that demands a truly transformational approach. It’s vital we get it right. We’re working towards publication of the Strategy as soon as possible and I will continue to keep the House updated on its development and forthcoming publication.
Tackling child sexual abuse and exploitation will be clearly reflected in the VAWG Strategy. But we also recognise that tackling these horrendous crimes requires a targeted and child-centred approach. Which is why we are taking forward an ambitious programme of work across Government, including through our response to the Casey Audit and IICSA recommendations.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of people who enquired about her Department's free e-learning training on female genital mutilation subsequently declined to complete the course in each of the last two years.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Frontline professionals and agencies with statutory safeguarding responsibilities are crucial to protecting survivors and those at risk of FGM.
We have issued a range of materials to support professionals to help them understand FGM, spot the signs, and support victims and survivors. This includes making available free e-learning for all frontline staff for example in healthcare, police, Border Force and children’s social care.
From 1 November 2023 to 31 October 2024, 121,773 people registered for the free e-learning module on FGM. This can be broken down as:
Total ‘Completed’ | Total ‘In-Progress’ | Total ‘Not attempted’ |
95,913 | 7,861 | 17,999 |