Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of rural policing, and what rural lobbying groups they have discussed rural policing with.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government recognises that there can be challenges in responding to rural crime. That is why we collaborated with the National Police Chiefs’ Councils to deliver the renewal of their Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy, which was published in November. The strategy, lasting until 2028, will ensure efforts to reduce crime benefit every community no matter where they are, including rural communities.
Furthermore, the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will strengthen the connections between the police and the communities they serve, and clearly demonstrate to the public that the police are dealing with local concerns. Every neighbourhood, including in rural areas, now has named and contactable officers, supporting more visible policing and greater public confidence.
I have met with Police and Crime Commissioners at their rural conference to discuss rural policing.
Asked by: Baroness Monckton of Dallington Forest (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that suspected fraudulent activity in retail business premises can be investigated and tackled by the police.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
In March this year, the National Crime Agency coordinated a three-week crackdown (Operation MACHINIZE) against business premises such as barber shops and other cash intensive businesses across England and Wales. Operation MACHINIZE involved 19 different police forces and Regional Organised Crime Units, as well as national agencies including HM Revenue & Customs, Trading Standards and Home Office Immigration Enforcement. In total, 380 premises were visited across the three-week operation with officers securing freezing orders over bank accounts totalling in excess of one million pounds, executing 84 warrants and arresting 35 individuals.
This has been followed by a second phase of activity throughout October which involved every UK police force and Regional Organised Crime Unit. During the operation, which targeted a broader range of businesses, the operation saw: 2,734 premises visited and raided; 924 individuals arrested; over £13m of suspected criminal proceeds seized or restrained; and over £2.7m worth of illicit commodities destroyed.
At the Budget 2025, the Chancellor announced a new dedicated cross-government taskforce to design systemic interventions to disrupt money laundering and related criminality on the high street, as well as new funding for operational partners such as law enforcement and Trading Standards to tackle this threat.
Asked by: Edward Morello (Liberal Democrat - West Dorset)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of people who had visas sponsored by Jhoots Group who had those visas (a) transferred and (b) renewed to Allied Pharmacies in the last six months.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
UKVI does not produce published visa data related to individual sponsors.
Asked by: Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat - North East Fife)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Department how many UK Visas and Immigration seasonal worker visa scheme compliance visits were conducted in a) England, b) Scotland and c) Wales in 2025.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
UKVI does not produce published data on seasonal worker visa scheme compliance visits.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2025, to Question 86658, on Asylum: Housing, if she will outline what specific responsibilities and powers will strategic authorities have in this regard; whether this will involve taking responsibilities from local housing authorities; and whether this will include agreeing the number of asylum seekers to be housed within the strategic authority area, and its allocation to individual councils.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office is working with local authorities to develop several potential asylum accommodation models that could ‘pilot’ a more sustainable, flexible and collaborative outcome. Decisions on the provision of alternative asylum accommodation sites will be made on a site-by-site basis, and we will continue to work closely with key stakeholders and in compliance with published policy.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2025, to Question 86658, on Asylum: Housing, what specific function or role will the Greater London Authority have in relation to asylum housing.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office is working with local authorities to develop several potential asylum accommodation models that could ‘pilot’ a more sustainable, flexible and collaborative outcome. Decisions on the provision of alternative asylum accommodation sites will be made on a site-by-site basis, and we will continue to work closely with key stakeholders and in compliance with published policy.
Asked by: David Simmonds (Conservative - Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government has provided any support to the Sanctuary City and Sanctuary Council movement since July 2024.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
After reasonable checks, the Home Office does not seem to have supported either organisation mentioned.
Asked by: Lord Cameron of Lochiel (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are considering other sites to temporarily house asylum seekers; and if so, whether they will list any sites actively being considered.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government are working to move asylum seekers into more suitable accommodation such as military bases, to ease pressure on communities across the country.
It has been the longstanding policy of the Home Office under successive governments not to disclose information about specific hotels/sites which may or may not be used for asylum accommodation.
Asked by: Baroness Scott of Bybrook (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on local authorities of rising temporary accommodation costs; and what plans they have to respond to the Office for Budget Responsibility finding that long-term demand for asylum accommodation is expected to cost £15.3 billion over the next decade.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office are working with local authorities to manage the impact of asylum accommodation upon communities whilst the department reduces the number of asylum-seekers awaiting a decision.
The financial figure referenced by the Office for Budget Responsibility is taken from an NAO report from May 2025, and it covers the 10 year period 2019-2029 not the next 10 years; it includes peak levels of spending in previous years which is coming down – asylum support costs reduced by £700m between 23/24 and 24/25.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many illegal immigrants have been deported under the Dublin Convention.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of individuals transferred out of the UK under the Dublin regulation is published in the Dublin regulation detailed dataset (Dub_D01). Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The data relates up to the end of 2020, after which the UK was no longer subject to the Dublin regulation.