Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing (a) a national online reporting portal for members of the public to submit intelligence on suspected irregular migrants and (b) an associated reward system.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has several routes for members of the public to use when reporting information regarding immigration related crime and/or abuse. These routes include digital, telephone and paper options to ensure that reporting routes are easily accessible to everyone. Over the past three years we have seen an increase in information received from members of the public – we publish this information on a quarterly basis and it can be found here Migration transparency data - GOV.UK
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of using data-sharing agreements between (a) the NHS, (b) HMRC and (c) Immigration Enforcement to help identify people living in the UK illegally.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Data sharing agreements are already in place between Immigration Enforcement and HMRC to increase immigration compliance, including the identification of illegal working. Migrants in the UK without lawful immigration status, are subject to NHS charges for secondary healthcare, with data sharing agreements in place to support the NHS in tackling NHS debtors.
All data sharing arrangements are subject to ongoing review.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the (a) financial arrangements, (b) lease durations and (c) landlord incentives offered by (i) Serco and (ii) other contractors under the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts since 2020; and whether her Department has undertaken any risk assessments of the use of private rented accommodation for asylum seekers.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Since 2022, the Home Office has implemented a Full Dispersal model, which aims to distribute asylum accommodation more fairly and equitably across the UK. The Home Office, via our accommodation providers, has worked within the Private Rented Sector for many years to source accommodation that offers better value for money for the taxpayer. Accommodation providers are responsible for sourcing and securing suitable properties, as well as consulting with local authorities on every dispersed bedspace before it is procured to ensure the impacts on local areas are considered. The details of the contracts are commercially sensitive.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of people who resided temporarily at immigration removal centres in (a) 2022, (b) 2023 and (c) 2024 were male adults.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publish quarterly data on immigration detention statistics. This can be found on the gov.uk website at: Immigration Enforcement data: Q2 2025 - GOV.UK. Data on the number of adult males entering immigration removal centres (IRC) by year is provided in table ‘Det_D01’ and the number of people in detention (at end of period) is provided in ‘Det_D02’.
A weekly allowance of £5 for individuals detained in IRCs was introduced prior to 2006 to enable purchases of additional food and other items from the IRC shop.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to make changes to the eligibility criteria for indefinite leave to remain for people who have had continuous residence in the UK for 10 years.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
We will be consulting on the new settlement rules later this year. Following that, we will provide details of how this initiative will work, including on any transitional arrangements for people already in the UK.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's news story entitled First illegal migrants returned under new UK-France agreement, published on 18 September, what was the cost of each flight.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has made returns under the new UK-France agreement utilising both charter flights and regular scheduled flights. This approach allows the Home Office to maximise value for money and best satisfy operational requirements.
We do not comment on individual charter flight costs as these are commercially sensitive arrangements that can provide an insight into pricing structure. To do otherwise could deter the private sector from entering into contracts with the Home Office.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to extend eligibility for the National and International Capital City Grant to more cities.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The National and International Capital City (NICC) grant is paid to the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police to reflect the unique demands of policing in London, a major international capital city.
Decisions on the allocation of NICC funding are taken at the time of the Police Settlement. The NICC is partially funded from a reallocation of the core funding for all police forces and as such, decisions on the level of the funding must consider its impact on wider policing.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which cities are receiving funding through the National and International Capital City Grant.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The National and International Capital City (NICC) grant is paid to the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police to reflect the unique demands of policing in London, a major international capital city.
Decisions on the allocation of NICC funding are taken at the time of the Police Settlement. The NICC is partially funded from a reallocation of the core funding for all police forces and as such, decisions on the level of the funding must consider its impact on wider policing.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with police forces on the potential impact of the Malicious Communications Act 1988 on the right to peaceful protest.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The right to protest is a fundamental part of our democratic society, and people are free to express their views peacefully within the law.
The Home Office continues to engage regularly with policing partners on the application of legislation in the context of public order and freedom of expression.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that immigration (a) caseworkers and (b) interpreters meet English language standards.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office recruit using standard Civil Service recruitment processes and all our immigration caseworkers must meet minimum Civil Service recruitment standards. The appropriate level of English is assured through the comprehensive recruitment and onboarding process.
Interpreters are not Home Office employees and undertake freelance work commissioned by the Home Office through contracts for services.
Standards required to apply for an interpreter role are set out in our published ‘Guidance for UKVI freelance interpreters’. This includes a list of accredited qualifications.
Quality is maintained through our comprehensive review strategy. Interviewing officers are issued with Interpreter Management Team monitoring forms, which they are asked to complete if they have any comments on the interpreter used in an assignment (because the interpreter performed particularly well or badly, for example). Interviews may also be monitored for training and security purposes.
Applications for immigration caseworker roles and interpreter roles include a written application and, if appropriate, an interview. The written application and interview are conducted and assessed in English.