Home Office

The number of full time equivalent (FTE) asylum caseworkers employed at the Home Office per month until September 2025 is published in the ASY_05(M) tab of the published migration transparency statistics, located here: Migration transparency data - GOV.UK (Immigration and Protection data; July to September 2025)

At the end of July 2024, there were 2,455 FTE asylum caseworkers.

The latest published data shows that at the end of September 2025, there were 2,113 FTE asylum caseworkers. Attrition will have occurred since that time.

The government is committed to transforming our approach to safe and legal routes, including how the UK offers opportunities to refugees and relevant local authorities. Work is underway to operationalise these new routes, and further details will be provided in due course.

Safeguarding requirements are already in place under the government’s existing schemes. This includes the current Community Sponsorship scheme, where all sponsors must have robust safeguarding procedures in place.

The Government’s Asylum Policy Statement outlines the current challenges, the Government’s objectives, and a comprehensive package of measures to restore order, control, fairness and public confidence in the UK’s system.

As part of this, we will require individuals to contribute towards the cost of their asylum support where they have some assets or income, but not enough to support themselves independently. Further details on asylum reform, including support and contributions, will be announced in due course.

The Digital ID programme is part of a broader strategy to tackle illegal immigration. By making it harder for people without the right to work to gain employment, the government plans to reduce incentives for unlawful entry.

The digital ID will build on the existing digital right to work checks for foreign nationals where eVisa share codes are currently used, further streamlining the process. Digital IDs will:

o Make it easier for employers to comply by standardising and simplifying right to work checks

o Make it easier for British citizens to demonstrate a right to work

Removing the reliance on physical documents in the UK, making it harder for forged documents to be used as proof of right to work.

The Government will start a public consultation on the new digital ID in the coming weeks, and has already begun engaging key stakeholders.

Clamping down on illegal working is a critical part of this government’s Plan for Change, and as part of the strategy to tackle Organised Immigration Crime. Ensuring fairness, order and control within the immigration and asylum system.

Where an employer is found to have employed someone without the right to work, fines will be levied against the business. The Home Office has no current plan to further raise these fines at present.

Under this government has been a significant increase in immigration enforcement activity in the UK, including more than 8,000 arrests during illegal working visits in the year up to October 2025 – a 63% increase on the same period 12 months prior.

The Government is extending the Right to Work Scheme to ensure companies conduct right to work checks to prevent illegal working when they contract workers to provide services under their company name, this will include agency workers or self-employed individuals working in the gig economy. These new measures are included in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act.

These new legislative measures will restrict the ability of employers to take advantage of illegal workers and encourage businesses to provide work opportunities to only those permitted to work in the UK. It will provide parity across industries and will set a level playing field for businesses to uphold their responsibilities to prevent illegal working in the UK.

Clamping down on illegal working is a critical part of this government’s Plan for Change, and as part of the strategy to tackle Organised Immigration Crime. Ensuring fairness, order and control within the immigration and asylum system.

Where an employer is found to have employed someone without the right to work, fines will be levied against the business. The Home Office has no current plan to further raise these fines at present.

Under this government has been a significant increase in immigration enforcement activity in the UK, including more than 8,000 arrests during illegal working visits in the year up to October 2025 – a 63% increase on the same period 12 months prior.

The Government is extending the Right to Work Scheme to ensure companies conduct right to work checks to prevent illegal working when they contract workers to provide services under their company name, this will include agency workers or self-employed individuals working in the gig economy. These new measures are included in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act.

These new legislative measures will restrict the ability of employers to take advantage of illegal workers and encourage businesses to provide work opportunities to only those permitted to work in the UK. It will provide parity across industries and will set a level playing field for businesses to uphold their responsibilities to prevent illegal working in the UK.

Strengthening international cooperation is key to improving returns and redocumentation processes to enable quick, safe, and dignified returns.

The Home Office, working in collaboration with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, has prioritised engagement with countries where we want to see improved returns co-operation including those countries with high rates of those with no legal basis to remain in the UK.

There are some countries, including those with high small-boat arrivals, that have challenging country situations that either prevent the practicalities of return (routing and escorting) or have credible asylum and protection considerations. However, the Home Office, continues to progress returns of all those with no legal right to be in the UK.

The Home Office keeps the returns cooperation of all its international partners under close and regular review and will not hesitate to take action to secure cooperation. This includes the use of visa penalties, where necessary, when a country fails to cooperate.

We are continuously monitoring and evaluating the Agreement to ensure its continuing effectiveness, with a full evaluation to be completed at the end of the pilot period.

As of Friday 28 November, 153 returns have taken place under the exchange agreement. Anyone who re-enters illegally may face immediate detention and, where appropriate, we will seek to expedite removal. This will not count as a new removal in the reciprocal scheme.

We continue close cooperation with France to strengthen border security and disrupt criminal smuggling gangs. Our ongoing partnership with French law enforcement has prevented over 21,000 crossing attempts to the UK this year.

We have not terminated any hotels outside of the contract terms.

Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data. These reviews allow us to balance the production of our regular statistics whilst developing new statistics for future release.

During an oral contribution in Parliament on 17 November I committed to follow up in writing in reference to a question posed by the Rt Hon Member and plan to do this as soon as possible.

The Home Office publishes all available information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office Annual Report and accounts at: Home Office annual report and accounts: 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK. There are no plans to publish a breakdown of expenditure by premises or location.

The Home Office publishes all available information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office Annual Report and accounts at: Home Office annual report and accounts: 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK. There are no plans to publish a breakdown of expenditure by premises or location.

Hotel closure will be prioritised based on a wide range of criteria. The hotel exit plan will continue to be carefully managed to ensure that all supported asylum seekers are accommodated in suitable alternative accommodation, including large sites, elsewhere in the estate.

Information regarding basis of claim is not published and could only be collected and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

The Home Office does not routinely publish data on Prevent referrals by local authority, as releasing it could have detrimental effect on national security. However, the Home Office does publish data on Prevent referrals by region and type of concern for the last five years.

The type of concern categories have been updated twice in the period you have requested, 2020/21 and 2024/25. They were updated for the 2021/22 publication and the latest publication ( Individuals referred to and supported through the Prevent Programme, April 2024 to March 2025 - GOV.UK) to better describe the nature of concerns that are referred into Prevent. They were developed based on analysis of data available as well as consultation with frontline staff and policymakers about their experiences and requirements. The new type of concern categories do not exactly match onto previous years’ categories, therefore, there is a break in the time series and trends by type of concern should be interpreted carefully.

The type of concern presented is based upon information provided by the referrer. For cases that progress further into the programme, officers may update the type of concern based upon new information that comes to light. Therefore, the statistics regarding type of concern are likely to include a mix of the type of concern raised by the original referrer and the type of concern that the Channel Case Officers believe the individual is presenting as more information has become available.

c) Table A below provides a summary of the number of people referred to the Prevent programme by region and type of concern for 2024/25.

Table A: The number of referrals to Prevent by region and type of concern, 2024/25.

c) Table B below provides a summary of the number of people referred to the Prevent programme by region and type of concern for 2021/22 to 2023/24.

Table B: The number of referrals to Prevent by region and type of concern, 2021/22 to 2023/24.

c) Table C below provides a summary of the number of people referred to the Prevent programme by region and type of concern for 2020/21.

Table C: the number of referrals to Prevent by region and type of concern, 2020/21

The government is committed to tackling modern slavery, ensuring that victims are provided with the support they need to begin rebuilding their lives and that those responsible are prosecuted.

All businesses should monitor their supply chains with rigour to uncover, report where appropriate, and remedy any instances of modern slavery they may find in their operations and supply chains. Under section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, commercial businesses who operate in the UK and have a turnover of £36m or more must produce annual modern slavery statements setting out the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains.

The Home Office does not routinely review the quality or accuracy of individual modern slavery statements or assess compliance with the section 54 requirements. Section 54 was designed to increase transparency, allowing scrutiny by consumers, investors, and civil society. Section 54 has helped bring greater awareness of modern slavery in boardrooms across the country, but it is clear a decade after the Act, the UK’s approach needs to evolve. The government is considering how it can strengthen the section 54 regime, including penalties for non-compliance.

Significant long-term reform will take time, and in the interim, the Home Office published new section 54 statutory guidance in March. This new guidance is more comprehensive, practical and ambitious – calling on businesses to go further and faster.

There are no plans to create a public sex offender registry. The current system allows for targeted disclosures where necessary to manage risk and protect individuals.

Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are introducing a range of legislative changes to strengthen the management of registered sex offenders. This gives the Home Secretary a power to publish statutory guidance for police on disclosing information to prevent sexual harm. By putting sexual harm disclosure schemes on a statutory footing, their implementation will be more consistent nationally, ensuring a uniform approach to protecting the public.

Making information publicly available would undermine this approach, risk exposing victims, and make it harder for offenders to be monitored by the police and other agencies. Existing legal frameworks already provide effective safeguards and disclosure mechanisms where appropriate.

Modern slavery crimes are often described as “hidden” crimes: we know these crimes to be underreported and difficult to detect. For this reason, we do not know with certainty the true prevalence of the crime or the number of victims in the UK. It is a vicious crime: victims of modern slavery may experience multiple forms of abuse and exploitation, usually involving some element of coercion or abuse of power. This means that victims may not recognise themselves as such or may be too traumatised or in fear of their exploiters or the authorities to report the crime or support prosecutions.

The UK Government continues to work with a wide range of partners to raise awareness, increase resilience, and reduce public tolerance of exploitative behaviour. We have worked closely with NGOs and law enforcement partners to develop an Action Plan on Modern Slavery. The Action Plan sets out the Department’s commitments to tackling Modern Slavery for the 25/26 financial year and was an agreed objective from the 2024 Anti-Slavery Week roundtables. It includes actions around prevention of modern slavery both in the UK and upstream overseas, including our work on tackling forced labour.

The UK is committed to ensuring victims can access the necessary support to assist in their recovery from their experiences of exploitation or trafficking.

Adult victim support is provided on a national basis, across England and Wales. The Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract provides specialist support to adult victims of exploitation and trafficking who have been identified through the National Referral Mechanism (NRM).

The MSVCC provides safe accommodation where necessary, financial support and a support worker to help victims access other support services such as the NHS and legal aid.

With regards to support for child victims, local authorities are responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children in their area.

The Government-funded Independent Child Trafficking Guardianship (ICTG) service provides advocacy and support to child victims of exploitation and trafficking who have been referred to the NRM. In September 2025, we launched an invitation-to-tender for the national contract which will expand the service to provide national coverage in England and Wales, including Devon. The tender process is now underway.

The UK is committed to ensuring victims can access the necessary support to assist in their recovery from their experiences of exploitation or trafficking.

Adult victim support is provided on a national basis, across England and Wales. The Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract provides specialist support to adult victims of exploitation and trafficking who have been identified through the National Referral Mechanism (NRM).

The MSVCC provides safe accommodation where necessary, financial support and a support worker to help victims access other support services such as the NHS and legal aid.

With regards to support for child victims, local authorities are responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children in their area.

The Government-funded Independent Child Trafficking Guardianship (ICTG) service provides advocacy and support to child victims of exploitation and trafficking who have been referred to the NRM. In September 2025, we launched an invitation-to-tender for the national contract which will expand the service to provide national coverage in England and Wales, including Devon. The tender process is now underway.

The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK.

BN(O) visa holders will attract a 5-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after 5 years’ residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements.

The new mandatory requirements for settlement are basic requirements that we think are reasonable for people to meet if they want to settle here. However, we are seeking views on earned settlement through the public consultation A Fairer Pathway to Settlement and will continue to listen to the views of Hong Kongers. Until that concludes, we cannot confirm whether any future uplift in the English language requirement will apply to those on the BN(O) route.

In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.

The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK.

BN(O) visa holders will attract a 5-year reduction in the qualifying period for settlement, meaning they will continue to be able to settle in the UK after 5 years’ residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements.

The new mandatory requirements for settlement are basic requirements that we think are reasonable for people to meet if they want to settle here. However, we are seeking views on earned settlement through the public consultation A Fairer Pathway to Settlement and will continue to listen to the views of Hong Kongers. Until that concludes, we cannot confirm whether any future uplift in the English language requirement will apply to those on the BN(O) route.

In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.

UKVI are not currently experiencing any delays against our published service standards for either Seasonal or Skilled Workers.

These can be found at:

Visa processing times: applications inside the UK - GOV.UK

Visa processing times: applications outside the UK - GOV.UK

The earned settlement model is currently subject to a public consultation. Full details on earned settlement will be finalised following the conclusion of that public consultation.

Tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a top priority for this Government with a manifesto mission to halve VAWG in a decade. We will deliver a cross-government transformative approach, underpinned by a new strategy which we aim to publish as soon as possible.

In advance of the strategy, we have already introduced measures designed to strengthen the police response to VAWG, protect victims and hold perpetrators to account. These include: funding to rollout Drive Project to tackle high-risk and high-harm domestic abuse perpetrators across England and Wales; embedding the first domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms in five police forces; measures to tackle spiking; measures focusing on preventing and tackling ‘honour’-based abuse (HBA), and launching the new Domestic Abuse Protection Orders in selected police forces and courts which go further than any existing orders.

The Home Office has provided the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Surrey with an annual funding allocation of £998,248 for 2025/26 for interventions around perpetrators of domestic abuse. PCCs in England and Wales receive annual grant funding from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), to commission local practical, emotional, and therapeutic support services for victims of all crime types.

Furthermore, this government has increased funding to local authorities, which includes Surrey Heath constituency, to £160 million for 2025-26, an uplift of £30 million from the previous year, to provide further support in safe accommodation for domestic abuse survivors, including tailored support for protected groups.

Police forces in England and Wales are operationally independent of Government. Decisions on the procurement or allocation of resources, including vehicles, are matters for Chief Constables and directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners or equivalents and are not matters the Home Office would routinely be involved in.

The information requested could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

The information requested is not available from published statistics; nor do we break down the data as requested and we are unable to answer without disproportionate cost.

The Home Office has not made such an assessment. It is for companies in the delivery sector to act to ensure their employees are of good standing, and that appropriate and proportionate background checks are undertaken where this is deemed to be necessary.

In relation to Royal Mail, Ofcom’s regulatory framework places obligations on them, as the universal service provider, in relation to recruitment, training of employees (including temporary workers) and on security of the mail processes for employees. This does not apply to other delivery operators.

The Home Office does not hold information on the number of active Neighbourhood Watch schemes in England for each year from 2015 to date.

Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) is a long-established, volunteer-led movement that supports safer, stronger and more connected communities across England and Wales.

Schemes are locally run and independent, led by volunteers who decide how best to tackle issues affecting their neighbourhoods. There is no requirement for schemes to register with government, and they operate autonomously.

The Home Office values the important contribution made by volunteers involved in Neighbourhood Watch in helping to reduce crime, improve community resilience, and strengthen public confidence.

The Government works closely with the police and the National Crime Agency (NCA) to ensure that we have the right laws, intelligence, detection and enforcement capabilities to tackle the threat posed by the unlawful possession and use of firearms. While incidents of gun crime, including where illegally held guns are involved, are relatively rare in this country, we recognise the significant and long-lasting impact of such incidents on victims and local communities when they do occur.

Our work with the police and the NCA includes recent and ongoing multi-agency action to target the importation and supply of imitation firearms that can be readily converted by criminals to fire live ammunition, which has seen significant numbers of these guns removed from circulation, helping to ensure the safety of our communities.

We have also included measures in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, currently before Parliament, to make it an offence to possess or supply templates for the 3D printing of firearms. This is part of a broader multi-agency response to the threat posed by the illegal possession of firearms manufactured unlawfully in part, or fully, using 3D printing technology.

There are significant penalties for those convicted of the unlawful possession of firearms, including the maximum penalty of life imprisonment for possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life or injure property.

The Home Office does not hold data centrally on how many police warrant cards or police uniform items are lost.

The College of Policing set the professional standards for police in England and Wales. The College’s core guidance includes the initial training for officers under the Policing Education Qualifications Framework which incorporates autism, learning disabilities, mental health and vulnerabilities. Through this, officers are taught to assess vulnerability and amend their approaches as required.

The College further promotes the need for frameworks to assess vulnerability, to aid in consistent identification, support decision making, and to trigger appropriate safeguarding action. Such principles and practices are set out in a number of college products, including the Detention and Custody Authorised Professional Practice.

Policing is operationally independent, and it is a matter for the chief constables of each force to decide which additional training their officers should undertake and to set and enforce standards, giving them the flexibility to address their own local challenges, needs and priorities. They are inspected biannually by His Majesties Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) whose role is to independently report on the efficiency and effectiveness of police forces, including inspecting how forces protect vulnerable people.

The Government has been clear that the health and wellbeing of our police is a priority and that those who have faced suicide-related incidents in the line of duty receive the support they need to recover and continue serving.

We continue to fund the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS) who have introduced a Trauma Tracker tool to help forces better understand exposure to traumatic incidents and ensure timely support for officers and staff. NPWS have also created a national suicide action plan which aims to educate and support the workforce, reduce stress and improve data recording. In addition, the Service has a 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Support Line to provide urgent support for our police when they need it the most.

It is a matter for the chief constables of each force to decide which additional training their officers should undertake and to set and enforce standards, giving them the flexibility to address their own local challenges, needs and priorities. They are inspected biannually by His Majesties Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) whose role is to independently report on the efficiency and effectiveness of police forces, including inspecting how forces protect vulnerable people.

The Government has been clear that the health and wellbeing of our police is a priority and that those who have faced suicide-related incidents in the line of duty receive the support they need to recover and continue serving.

We continue to fund the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS) who have introduced a Trauma Tracker tool to help forces better understand exposure to traumatic incidents and ensure timely support for officers and staff. NPWS have also created a national suicide action plan which aims to educate and support the workforce, reduce stress and improve data recording. In addition, the Service has a 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Support Line to provide urgent support for our police when they need it the most.

It is a matter for the chief constables of each force to decide which additional training their officers should undertake and to set and enforce standards, giving them the flexibility to address their own local challenges, needs and priorities. They are inspected biannually by His Majesties Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) whose role is to independently report on the efficiency and effectiveness of police forces, including inspecting how forces protect vulnerable people.

The Police vehicle/fleet framework is owned and competed by Bluelight Commercial and goes through Bluelight’s commercial governance.

The vehicle specification requirements are determined by Policing in line with operational Policing requirements and by Bluelight Commercial to meet Procurement Act and existing public sector procurement requirements.

We have made £200 million available in 2025/26 to support the first steps towards delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel across England and Wales by the end of this parliament, including up to 3000 additional neighbourhood officers by the end of March 2026.

The Government has committed to publishing neighbourhood policing numbers every six months, alongside the official police workforce statistics, with the next update due at the end of January 2026 setting out the numbers in neighbourhood policing roles as at the end of September 2025.

Based on their £11,556,938 allocation from the Neighbourhood Policing Grant, Greater Manchester are projected to grow by 176 FTE neighbourhood police officers in 2025/26.

The right to peaceful protest is a vital part of our democracy and will not be curtailed by this Government. However, these rights are not absolute and must be balanced with the rights and freedoms of others.

Section 12 of the Public Order Act 1986 allows the police to impose conditions on a protest as appears necessary to prevent serious public disorder, serious damage to property or serious disruption to the life of the community. Any conditions that are considered necessary by a senior police officer can be placed on the protest including the location, route and date of the protest or prohibiting individuals entering any public place specified. There is no timeframe specified in the legislation for notifying the organisers of any conditions imposed.

The management of demonstrations are an operational matter for the police and forces work with organisers to plan protests and assess risks and manage safety. It is not for Government to direct the police in how they should manage protest activity.

Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.

Under the Government's Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, we are putting neighbourhood officers back into communities and restoring public confidence by bringing back community-led, visible policing. Surrey Police will receive £2,588,427 as part of the funding settlement for 2025-26.

In addition, the Home Office is providing £66.3 million funding in 2025-26 to all 43 forces in England and Wales to deliver high visibility patrols in the areas worst affected by knife crime, serious violence and anti-social behaviour. As part of the Hotspot Action Fund, Surrey Police will be in receipt of £1,000,000.

Following on from the Safer Streets Summer Initiative, the Home Secretary has announced a "Winter of Action" in which police forces across England and Wales will again partner with local businesses, councils and other agencies to tackle anti-social behaviour and other local issues that matter most to their communities.

In February, we introduced the new Respect Order in the Crime and Policing Bill, along with a range of other enhancements to the existing ASB powers. Respect Orders will be behavioural orders, issued by the civil courts. They will enable courts to ban adult offenders from engaging in harmful anti-social behaviours and can also compel adult perpetrators to take action to address the root cause of their behaviour. Breach of the order will be a criminal offence, allowing the police to immediately arrest anyone suspected of breach. Courts will have a wide range of sentencing options, including community orders, unlimited fines and, for the most severe cases, imprisonment.

Shop theft continues to increase at an unacceptable level. We will not stand for this.

We are ensuring the right powers are in place. Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are bringing in a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores. We are also removing the legislation which makes shop theft of and below £200 a summary-only offence, sending a clear message that any level of shop theft is illegal and will be taken seriously.

Additionally, we are providing over £7 million over the next three years to support the police and retailers tackle retail crime, including continuing to fund a specialist policing team – in partnership with the retail sector - to better understand the tactics used by organised retail crime gangs and identify more offenders.

Tackling retail crime requires a partnership approach between policing representatives and business. The previous Minister for Crime and Policing launched the ‘Tackling Retail Crime Together Strategy’, which was jointly developed by the police and industry and aims to provide a collaborative and evidence-based approach to preventing retail crime.

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.

We remain committed to delivering an inquiry that earns trust and delivers truth. Following the appointment of the Chair and the establishment of the Inquiry, the Chair will consult on the Terms of Reference with victims and survivors and other key stakeholders before agreeing a final version with the Home Secretary. The inquiry will then begin considering evidence and data to select the first local areas for investigations.

We are moving at pace, but we will not compromise rigour for speed. This is a complex and sensitive process, and we are not setting arbitrary deadlines – we are focused on getting it right. We will provide public updates when it is appropriate to do so.

The inquiry is expected to operate over a two to three-year period which will maximise the number of areas it can examine, while remaining time-limited so that victims and survivors receive answers swiftly.

The Government recognises the devastating impacts that child sexual exploitation and abuse can have on victims and survivors and is committed to ensuring that all victims and survivors receive better care and support.

As set out in the Government’s Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Progress Update in April, we are working across government to develop ambitious proposals to improve therapeutic support services for victims of child sexual abuse. Government committed in that update to double funding and invest an additional £1.6 million for adult victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. The Home Office continues to fund voluntary organisations providing nationally accessible services to support victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, investing £2.59 million this year to seven organisations through the Support for Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse (SVSCSA) fund.

We also recognise the importance of ensuring that all staff supporting victims have sufficient guidance on child sexual abuse to deliver effective trauma informed support. The Government is providing funding to the independent Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse to strengthen professional responses to child sexual abuse through evidence-based training and resources.

We remain committed to delivering an inquiry that earns trust and delivers truth. Following the appointment of the Chair and the establishment of the Inquiry, the Chair will consult on the Terms of Reference with victims and survivors and other key stakeholders before agreeing a final version with the Home Secretary. The inquiry will then begin considering evidence and data to select the first local areas for investigations.

We are moving at pace, but we will not compromise rigour for speed. This is a complex and sensitive process, and we are not setting arbitrary deadlines – we are focused on getting it right. We will provide public updates when it is appropriate to do so.

The inquiry is expected to operate over a two to three-year period which will maximise the number of areas it can examine, while remaining time-limited so that victims and survivors receive answers swiftly.

The Government recognises the devastating impacts that child sexual exploitation and abuse can have on victims and survivors and is committed to ensuring that all victims and survivors receive better care and support.

As set out in the Government’s Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Progress Update in April, we are working across government to develop ambitious proposals to improve therapeutic support services for victims of child sexual abuse. Government committed in that update to double funding and invest an additional £1.6 million for adult victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. The Home Office continues to fund voluntary organisations providing nationally accessible services to support victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, investing £2.59 million this year to seven organisations through the Support for Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse (SVSCSA) fund.

We also recognise the importance of ensuring that all staff supporting victims have sufficient guidance on child sexual abuse to deliver effective trauma informed support. The Government is providing funding to the independent Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse to strengthen professional responses to child sexual abuse through evidence-based training and resources.

We remain committed to delivering an inquiry that earns trust and delivers truth. Following the appointment of the Chair and the establishment of the Inquiry, the Chair will consult on the Terms of Reference with victims and survivors and other key stakeholders before agreeing a final version with the Home Secretary. The inquiry will then begin considering evidence and data to select the first local areas for investigations.

We are moving at pace, but we will not compromise rigour for speed. This is a complex and sensitive process, and we are not setting arbitrary deadlines – we are focused on getting it right. We will provide public updates when it is appropriate to do so.

The inquiry is expected to operate over a two to three-year period which will maximise the number of areas it can examine, while remaining time-limited so that victims and survivors receive answers swiftly.

The Government recognises the devastating impacts that child sexual exploitation and abuse can have on victims and survivors and is committed to ensuring that all victims and survivors receive better care and support.

As set out in the Government’s Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Progress Update in April, we are working across government to develop ambitious proposals to improve therapeutic support services for victims of child sexual abuse. Government committed in that update to double funding and invest an additional £1.6 million for adult victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. The Home Office continues to fund voluntary organisations providing nationally accessible services to support victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, investing £2.59 million this year to seven organisations through the Support for Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse (SVSCSA) fund.

We also recognise the importance of ensuring that all staff supporting victims have sufficient guidance on child sexual abuse to deliver effective trauma informed support. The Government is providing funding to the independent Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse to strengthen professional responses to child sexual abuse through evidence-based training and resources.