Asked by: Alex Brewer (Liberal Democrat - North East Hampshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of measures to deter antisocial behaviour among young people in rural areas, such as North East Hampshire.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
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, both urban and rural, and restoring public confidence by bringing back community-led, visible policing. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary will receive £5,187,776 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, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary will be in receipt of £1,454,452.
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.
Asked by: Siân Berry (Green Party - Brighton Pavilion)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what independent scrutiny is being carried out on the use of the ten new live facial recognition systems provided to local police services by the Home Office, starting in November 2025, and when the conclusions of this scrutiny will be published.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is committed to equipping police forces with the tools they need to tackle serious crimes, locate offenders and bring them to justice. As part of this commitment, the Home Office has funded the roll-out of ten live facial recognition (LFR) vans.
The National Audit Office reports on Home Office expenditure which is then independently scrutinised and reported on by the Public Accounts Committee.
Oversight of LFR is provided by a number of independent bodies including the Information Commissioner, Equality and Human Rights Commission and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire & Rescue Services.
However, oversight is fragmented and we want to improve it through the creation of a bespoke new legal framework. Subject to consultation, that framework will include specific oversight for the use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies.
The Home Office does not hold data on the number of arrests made following the police’s use of facial recognition technology, including the use of LFR, as specific LFR deployment decisions rest with individual police forces. The department is however funding national evaluation work to understand better the impact of facial recognition on police and crime outcomes.
Where police forces are using LFR, the number of arrests made following each deployment are published on their respective websites. Further, the Met Police have published these in their recent Live Facial Recognition Annual Report September 2025
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 20th November to question 86600, if she will use her powers under Section 41A of The Police Act 1996 to require Dorset Police to investigate remedial measures by reason of its failure to conclude to discharge its functions relating to the investigation and prosecution of fraud.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Operational policing is not a Home Office matter. Chief Constables are operationally independent, with decisions often made based on threat, risk and harm.
The Home Secretary has powers under the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 to ensure an efficient and effective policing system, which includes the power under S.40 and 40A of the Police Act 1996.
Under the Policing Protocol these powers can only be used in exceptional circumstances in order to prevent or mitigate risk to the public or national security. Where necessary, this Government has been clear it will provide active leadership for policing to make it more efficient and effective.
Fraud is now incorporated into His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) Police Efficiency Effectiveness and Legitimacy (PEEL) framework. The upcoming inspection cycle will formally assess each police force in England and Wales on their performance in tackling fraud. This will provide valuable insight on investigative practices whilst also improving standards and consistency across police forces.
Asked by: Mike Wood (Conservative - Kingswinford and South Staffordshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has issued on the provision of official cars to Ministers outside the Government Car Service by (a) the Metropolitan Police and (b) private contractors.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Home Office has not issued guidance regarding the provision of official cars to Ministers outside the Government Car Service, whether through (a) the Metropolitan Police or (b) private contractors.
The provision of any vehicle as part of a protective security package is determined by an assessment of threat and risk faced by a Minister.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
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 exposure to online drug marketing on teenage drug use in West Dorset.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government has not made an assessment of the potential impact of online drug marketing on drug use among young people. We are committed to protecting young people from the harms of drug use through a range of universal and targeted prevention activity and are using the recent report from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) ‘A Whole-System Response to Drug Prevention in the UK’ to inform our approach.
Furthermore, the Government is taking a co-ordinated approach to tackle harmful online content, which includes 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.
Asked by: Siân Berry (Green Party - Brighton Pavilion)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish data, broken down by police service, of all offences by category associated with suspects or offenders who were detected using live facial recognition (LFR) technology during each calendar year since 2016, along with any other categories of people added to LFR watchlists, if these were not suspects or offenders.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is committed to equipping police forces with the tools they need to tackle serious crimes, locate offenders and bring them to justice. As part of this commitment, the Home Office has funded the roll-out of ten live facial recognition (LFR) vans.
The National Audit Office reports on Home Office expenditure which is then independently scrutinised and reported on by the Public Accounts Committee.
Oversight of LFR is provided by a number of independent bodies including the Information Commissioner, Equality and Human Rights Commission and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire & Rescue Services.
However, oversight is fragmented and we want to improve it through the creation of a bespoke new legal framework. Subject to consultation, that framework will include specific oversight for the use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies.
The Home Office does not hold data on the number of arrests made following the police’s use of facial recognition technology, including the use of LFR, as specific LFR deployment decisions rest with individual police forces. The department is however funding national evaluation work to understand better the impact of facial recognition on police and crime outcomes.
Where police forces are using LFR, the number of arrests made following each deployment are published on their respective websites. Further, the Met Police have published these in their recent Live Facial Recognition Annual Report September 2025
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 20th November to question 86600, to whom Dorset Police is accountable for discontinuing investigations into serious fraud.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Operational policing is not a Home Office matter. Chief Constables are operationally independent, with decisions often made based on threat, risk and harm.
The Home Secretary has powers under the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 to ensure an efficient and effective policing system, which includes the power under S.40 and 40A of the Police Act 1996.
Under the Policing Protocol these powers can only be used in exceptional circumstances in order to prevent or mitigate risk to the public or national security. Where necessary, this Government has been clear it will provide active leadership for policing to make it more efficient and effective.
Fraud is now incorporated into His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) Police Efficiency Effectiveness and Legitimacy (PEEL) framework. The upcoming inspection cycle will formally assess each police force in England and Wales on their performance in tackling fraud. This will provide valuable insight on investigative practices whilst also improving standards and consistency across police forces.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to (a) prevent and (b) tackle transnational oppression.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
As I set out in my statement to the House on 14 May, the Defending Democracy Taskforce conducted a review into the UK’s response to transnational repression (TNR).
In line with the Review recommendations, this Government has introduced new training and guidance for all 45 territorial police forces. This includes upskilling 999 call handlers to improve frontline identification and escalation of state-directed crimes. Additionally, the Government published practical safety guidance on GOV.UK for individuals who believe they may be at risk.
The Government continues to work closely with international partners, victims of transnational repression, and civil society organisations to tackle this threat. For example, in November I met with UK-based pro-democracy activists targeted by Hong Kong arrest warrants and bounties to listen to their experiences of TNR and provide reassurance on the measures Government is taking to tackle the evolving threat.
Beyond that review, the National Security Act 2023 modernises the UK’s ability to detect, deter and disrupt hostile activity - including transnational repression - via a suite of new offences such as the Foreign Interference Offence. This ensures that the UK’s legal framework reflects the seriousness of TNR and raises the cost to foreign states of engaging in such activity.
The Government has also provided comprehensive written and oral evidence to the Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) as part of its inquiry into TNR, and submitted a detailed response to its report in October.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment the Government has made of the potential risk of hybrid threats, including migration pressures, at the EU–Belarus border and their potential impact on UK security.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
National security is the first priority of any government and a foundation of our Plan for Change. We take any malicious activity that might pose a significant threat to our security and public safety extremely seriously and are committed to strengthening our defences against state threats. This includes continuing to implement measures contained in the National Security Act 2023, which make the UK a harder target for those states which seek to conduct hostile acts.
The Home Office and its partner agencies continue to work closely with their international counterparts, including those working at the EU external border, to understand the drivers behind migration patterns, assess risks, and develop our responses accordingly.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps are being taken to ensure reports of domestic abuse are taken seriously and not missed by the system.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
We expect police to take all reports of domestic abuse seriously, taking necessary steps to protect victims. Missed opportunities are costing lives and far too many have already been lost.
At present, we know many domestic abuse victims do not receive an adequate response when they phone the police. The government will not stand by while women are failed by systems charged with keeping them safe. That's why earlier this year we launched 'Raneem's Law' in the first five police forces. Under 'Raneem's Law', domestic abuse specialists are embedded in 999 control rooms to improve the police response to reports of domestic abuse. The specialists use their expertise to advise on risk assessments, review 999 calls and support officers responding to domestic abuse incidents.
Through an expert-led and cohesive police response, ‘Raneem’s Law’ helps ensure that when a victim has the courage to come forward it will be treated with the seriousness and urgency it deserves.
We are also committed to ensuring policing have the right skills and training to respond appropriately to reports of domestic abuse, and are working closely with the new National Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection to deliver this.
The Home Office has already invested £13.1 million this year into the new National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection (NCVPP). This funding includes an uplift of nearly £2 million to deliver a robust package of training improvements.
Grounded in academic research and behaviour change science, new training programmes will prioritise trauma-informed learning to ensure that all officers are well equipped to investigate these crimes and provide support to victims.
The scale of violence against women and girls in our country is intolerable and this Government is treating it as the national emergency that it is. These steps are just some of many that we are taking towards tangible and impactful change.