Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to prevent registered sex offenders from changing their names by deed poll.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The system for managing sex offenders and those that pose a risk of sexual harm is a crucial part of preventing sexual violence and delivering our mission to halve violence against women and girls.
The Crime and Policing Bill will introduce a range of legislative changes which will strengthen the management of registered sex offenders. Where the police consider it necessary to protect the public or children or vulnerable adults from sexual harm, it will enable them to serve a notice on offenders requiring them to seek the police’s authorisation before applying to change their name on a specified identity document (namely, a UK passport, driving licence or immigration document). The legislative changes will also require RSOs to notify the police of an intended change of name at least seven days in advance of using it, or if that is not reasonably practicable, as far in advance of their using it as it reasonably practicable.
Our name change restriction focuses on ID documents, which are required for work, overseas travel, and accessing services, because that is where name changes can be monitored and a restriction robustly enforced.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to page 59 of her Department's document entitled Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls, Volume 1: Strategy, published on 18 December 2025, whether her discussions with stakeholders on the misuse of joint financial products will include domestic abuse service providers.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
In the Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, HM Treasury undertook work with key stakeholders to explore how joint mortgages are used as a tool of abuse and how victims and survivors can be better supported.
The Government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy considers economic abuse as a key theme in recognition of the particular challenges victim-survivors’ can face in accessing financial products and services. This includes exploring how joint mortgages are used as a tool of abuse and how victims and survivors can be better supported. As part of this, HM Treasury are working closely with charity Surviving Economic Abuse who have been appointed a member of the Financial Inclusion Committee going forward to help inform the delivery of key interventions.
In addition, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) also held lived experience sessions with victim-survivors of economic abuse as part of their Mortgages Rule Review which HM Treasury also engaged in.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure full compliance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, in respect of the conditions in which living animals used for scientific purposes before and during these procedures are kept.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 is enforced by the Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) in the Home Office which operates a robust regulatory framework to ensure that animals used for scientific purposes are kept in appropriate conditions both before procedures take place and throughout the conduct of those procedures.
ASPA requires a three-tier system of licensing covering establishments, projects, and individuals. All licensed establishments must comply with standards for animal protections set out in ASPA and in the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used for Scientific Purposes which governs the accommodation, care, monitoring and veterinary oversight of the animals.
Licensed establishments are also required to have key named individuals in place, including veterinary surgeons and animal welfare officers, who are responsible for the health, care and welfare of animals and for advising on their use before and during regulated procedures. Establishments must operate local ethical review processes to provide ongoing oversight of animal welfare, review care and housing arrangements, and ensure that licence conditions are met.
ASRU assures compliance with these requirements through a programme of announced and unannounced audits. Any instances of non-compliance are taken seriously and addressed in accordance with ASRU’s published compliance policy, which provides for a range of regulatory responses, including enforcement action where necessary.
In 2025, ASRU implemented organisational reforms to strengthen delivery of its regulatory functions including increasing the size of its inspectorate, further enhancing oversight of animal protections across licensed establishments.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government on what date the role of the police commissioners in Wales will cease; whether the responsibility of the work of those commissioners will be transferred to the Senedd; if so, on what date; and if not, what plans they have for a replacement system, and when they will make a final decision on this matter.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government announced on 13 November 2025 that it plans to abolish the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) model across England and Wales at the end of their current term of office in May 2028.
Policing is a reserved matter. We are working closely with the Welsh Government, as well as other Welsh Stakeholders including Welsh local government, police forces and other partners, to ensure new governance arrangements provide strong and effective police governance in Wales. We will bring forward legislation to set out the new policing governance system for England and Wales when Parliamentary time allows.
We will continue to engage with Welsh Government and other Welsh stakeholders on matters relating to policing to ensure that Welsh priorities are fully considered within the existing devolution settlement.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether organisations subject to a policy of non-engagement are barred from (a) applying for and (b) receiving government funding.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Organisations who do not meet due diligence checks will not be eligible for government funding. It is up to each department to carry out due diligence when choosing to engage with, or fund, any organisation or individual and, if asked, we will advise and share information to help others inform their decisions.
As announced in the Protecting What Matters publication last week, we are currently updating and embedding the 2024 engagement principles which will assist public bodies to not confer legitimacy, funding or influence on extremist groups.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that individuals without (a) driving licences and (b) valid passports can use alternative forms of photo identification, such as senior citizen bus passes, for identity verification purposes.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
An identity document is defined in section 7 of the Identity Documents Act 2010, which includes passports, certain Home Office‑issued immigration documents, and UK or foreign driving licences. [legislation.gov.uk]
The forms of identification that are accepted in any given circumstance depend on the specific legal or operational requirements of the organisation conducting the check.
Home Office guidance already allows for a range of documents to be used for identity verification, depending on the purpose of the check. In contexts where statutory identity documents such as passports or driving licences are not available, alternative forms of photo identification may be accepted where they meet the necessary security, verification and assurance standards.
It is for the relevant organisation or scheme owner to determine which documents are suitable for their operational needs, provided they meet applicable legal and safeguarding requirements. The Government continues to work with public bodies and service providers to support proportionate and secure approaches to identity verification.
Asked by: Joy Morrissey (Conservative - Beaconsfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will ensure that hon. Members are consulted on proposals for provision of asylum accommodation within their constituencies.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office works closely with local authorities on all proposals for asylum accommodation. Engagement with local authority officials is a vital part of the procurement and mobilisation process, ensuring they are aware of ongoing activity in their areas and able to provide local insight and intelligence at an early stage to inform decision making.
This approach supports our commitment to ensuring that the provision of asylum accommodation is informed by local context and that any impacts on communities and services are minimised.
However, to protect the safety and security of those being housed, we do not consult with local residents or publish details of procurement decisions in the public domain.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
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 recent trends in (a) visa extensions and (b) visa switches on her Department’s net migration targets.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes a variety of analysis considering the impact of the visa system on net migration. Home Office Impact Assessments and wider analysis can be found here: Migration analysis at the Home Office - GOV.UK.
Asked by: Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer from Lord Hanson of Flint on 24 March (HL15656), whether they will now answer the question put: namely, what estimate they have made of the number of individuals who will be affected by the changes to the EU Settlement Scheme to extend the period to 60 months in which an individual can use an expired biometric residence card as proof of their identity and nationality.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
To support the de-commissioning of biometric residence cards (BRCs), cards issued since 2 August 2021 had an expiry date of 31 December 2024, irrespective of the length of immigration leave granted to the card holder. Cards were issued under the EU Settlement Scheme to non-EEA nationals granted pre-settled or settled status who did not already hold a BRC issued under the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2016 (the free movement regime). From 30 June 2021 to 31 December 2025, there were 110,228 grants of pre-settled status to non-EEA nationals. Whether these pre-settled status holders subsequently apply for settled status with their BRC is dependent on customer behaviour and their individual circumstances, but the change in HC1691 allows those who wish to do so to remain on a fully digital journey. Without this change, as we pass 18 months since the expiry date of most BRCs for this cohort, a significant portion would be required to attend a UK visa application centre to re-enrol their biometrics, creating an unsustainable demand on UK Visas and Citizenship Application Services.
Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Child Poverty Strategy, published on 5 December 2025, what discussions the Home Office have had with the Department for Education about the guidance to local authorities on statutory duties under section 17 of the Children Act 1989; and what steps they have taken to ensure that safeguarding and the best interests of children are considered in that guidance.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 establishes the general duty of local authorities in England to safeguard and promote the welfare of children within their area who are in need and, so far as is consistent with that duty, to promote the upbringing of such children by their families.
I can confirm that the Home Office is working with the Department for Education alongside other government departments and the NRPF network to produce guidance to assist local authorities in their duties to those with No Recourse to Public Funds as part of the Child Poverty Strategy.
The duty Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 duty does not apply to the Home Office. Instead, Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 places a duty on the Home Office to make arrangements for ensuring that immigration, asylum, nationality and general customs functions are discharged having regard to the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in the UK.
The statutory guidance, called ‘Every Child Matters’, issued under Section 55 (3), sets out the key arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children as they apply both generally to public bodies who deal with children in the UK (Part 1) and specifically to the Home Office (Part 2).