Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that pay for police contact centre staff reflects regional variations in the cost of living, including in Surrey.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government has no statutory role in determining police staff pay and conditions of service which are agreed locally by Chief Constables, in consultation with trade unions.
However, the Government recognises and deeply values the dedication of police staff. Their commitment to public service is exemplary, and the Government remains focused on ensuring they receive the support and recognition they need to carry out their vital roles.
Every member of the police workforce is valuable in keeping the public safe. Police officers and staff work in partnership, and their combined skills are essential to delivering better outcomes for the public.
Asked by: Zöe Franklin (Liberal Democrat - Guildford)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the impact of pay levels on morale among police contact centre staff.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government has no statutory role in determining police staff pay and conditions of service which are agreed locally by Chief Constables, in consultation with trade unions.
However, the Government recognises and deeply values the dedication of police staff. Their commitment to public service is exemplary, and the Government remains focused on ensuring they receive the support and recognition they need to carry out their vital roles.
Every member of the police workforce is valuable in keeping the public safe. Police officers and staff work in partnership, and their combined skills are essential to delivering better outcomes for the public.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled New UK-France agreement to reduce illegal crossings, published on 23 April 2026, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of previous UK-France agreements since 2023 in reducing illegal crossings; and if she will set out how those assessments informed the terms of the new agreement.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Illegal small boat crossings are driven by organised criminal gangs and have cost lives. The result is a severe strain on both our asylum system and our wider social contract. Since 2021, over 400,000 people have claimed asylum in the UK. At its peak in 2023, there were 400 asylum hotels across the country, at a daily cost of £9 million, paid for by the taxpayer. This Government’s determination to crack down on small boats is clear. No one should be making dangerous journeys, undermining our border security and putting lives at risk. We must restore order and control to our borders. That means bearing down on these dangerous crossings and bringing people smugglers to justice. The United Kingdom and France have signed an agreement to strengthen operations to combat illegal migration in northern France to prevent crossings to the UK with a significant increase in dedicated law enforcement, technological and intelligence resources.
The new multi-year partnership with France represents a necessary step-change. French beaches will see a surge in law enforcement, intelligence and military officers to track down illegal migrants and stop them boarding boats in Northern France. For the first time ever, the funding uplift will be conditional on results and reducing illegal migration. Of the total £662 million that compose the new funding arrangement, the UK has committed to a foundation fund of £501m over three years and a new flexible fund of £50m in year 1 and £110m in years 2 and 3. If the new tactics are not successful, funding will stop after one year.
The new agreement reflects sustained ministerial and operational engagement, including the UK-France Leaders Declaration and close working between the Border Security Command, the NCA, and French law enforcement and maritime authorities. Our close engagement with France since the general election has led to improvement of the law enforcement response in northern France, such as the introduction of specialist, dedicated police units. It has also led to an improved understanding of what delivers the most impact.
Joint action is already delivering results. Over 42,000 crossing attempts have been prevented since the election. Joint law enforcement operations have also seen 480 migrant traffickers arrested in 2025 alone. However, despite these successes, we must not be complacent. I acknowledge that there is no silver bullet in tackling this crisis. We must go further and faster to tackle this issue together with France, which is why this deal is so important.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled New UK-France agreement to reduce illegal crossings, published on 23 April 2026, what estimate she has made of the proportional reduction in small boat crossings resulting from that agreement over each year of its duration.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Illegal small boat crossings are driven by organised criminal gangs and have cost lives. The result is a severe strain on both our asylum system and our wider social contract. Since 2021, over 400,000 people have claimed asylum in the UK. At its peak in 2023, there were 400 asylum hotels across the country, at a daily cost of £9 million, paid for by the taxpayer. This Government’s determination to crack down on small boats is clear. No one should be making dangerous journeys, undermining our border security and putting lives at risk. We must restore order and control to our borders. That means bearing down on these dangerous crossings and bringing people smugglers to justice. The United Kingdom and France have signed an agreement to strengthen operations to combat illegal migration in northern France to prevent crossings to the UK with a significant increase in dedicated law enforcement, technological and intelligence resources.
The new multi-year partnership with France represents a necessary step-change. French beaches will see a surge in law enforcement, intelligence and military officers to track down illegal migrants and stop them boarding boats in Northern France. For the first time ever, the funding uplift will be conditional on results and reducing illegal migration. Of the total £662 million that compose the new funding arrangement, the UK has committed to a foundation fund of £501m over three years and a new flexible fund of £50m in year 1 and £110m in years 2 and 3. If the new tactics are not successful, funding will stop after one year.
The new agreement reflects sustained ministerial and operational engagement, including the UK-France Leaders Declaration and close working between the Border Security Command, the NCA, and French law enforcement and maritime authorities. Our close engagement with France since the general election has led to improvement of the law enforcement response in northern France, such as the introduction of specialist, dedicated police units. It has also led to an improved understanding of what delivers the most impact.
Joint action is already delivering results. Over 42,000 crossing attempts have been prevented since the election. Joint law enforcement operations have also seen 480 migrant traffickers arrested in 2025 alone. However, despite these successes, we must not be complacent. I acknowledge that there is no silver bullet in tackling this crisis. We must go further and faster to tackle this issue together with France, which is why this deal is so important.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled New UK-France agreement to reduce illegal crossings, published on 23 April 2026, what targets have been agreed with the French government for (a) interceptions, (b) prevented departures and (c) returns under the new arrangements.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The United Kingdom and France have signed an agreement to strengthen operations to combat illegal migration in northern France to prevent crossings to the United Kingdom with a significant increase in dedicated law enforcement, technological and intelligence resources. The new funding arrangement represents an evolution from previous iterations. For the first time ever, the funding uplift will be conditional on results and reducing illegal migration. Of the total £662 million that compose the new funding arrangement, the UK has committed to a foundation fund of £501m over three years and a new flexible fund of £50m in year 1 and £110m in years 2 and 3.
This new deal is underpinned by robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure every intervention is evidence-led and responsive to changing circumstances. The innovations in the flexible fund will be reviewed annually. If the new tactics are not successful, funding will stop after one year. Every pound spent will target results, maximising the effectiveness of UK investment to reduce small boat crossings.
We are working with France to develop the right metrics to evaluate success – including measures like arrests and disruptions. This is a partnership – we are working together on a shared problem.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled New UK-France agreement to reduce illegal crossings, published on 23 April 2026, what mechanisms are in place to monitor the productivity and operational outputs of the additional personnel.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The United Kingdom and France have signed an agreement to strengthen operations to combat illegal migration in northern France to prevent crossings to the United Kingdom with a significant increase in dedicated law enforcement, technological and intelligence resources. The new funding arrangement represents an evolution from previous iterations. For the first time ever, the funding uplift will be conditional on results and reducing illegal migration. Of the total £662 million that compose the new funding arrangement, the UK has committed to a foundation fund of £501m over three years and a new flexible fund of £50m in year 1 and £110m in years 2 and 3.
This new deal is underpinned by robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure every intervention is evidence-led and responsive to changing circumstances. The innovations in the flexible fund will be reviewed annually. If the new tactics are not successful, funding will stop after one year. Every pound spent will target results, maximising the effectiveness of UK investment to reduce small boat crossings.
We are working with France to develop the right metrics to evaluate success – including measures like arrests and disruptions. This is a partnership – we are working together on a shared problem.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled New UK-France agreement to reduce illegal crossings, published on 23 April 2026, what data her Department will collect to measure the operational effectiveness of the dedicated French unit to combat illegal immigration.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The United Kingdom and France have signed an agreement to strengthen operations to combat illegal migration in northern France to prevent crossings to the United Kingdom with a significant increase in dedicated law enforcement, technological and intelligence resources. The new funding arrangement represents an evolution from previous iterations. For the first time ever, the funding uplift will be conditional on results and reducing illegal migration. Of the total £662 million that compose the new funding arrangement, the UK has committed to a foundation fund of £501m over three years and a new flexible fund of £50m in year 1 and £110m in years 2 and 3.
This new deal is underpinned by robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure every intervention is evidence-led and responsive to changing circumstances. The innovations in the flexible fund will be reviewed annually. If the new tactics are not successful, funding will stop after one year. Every pound spent will target results, maximising the effectiveness of UK investment to reduce small boat crossings.
We are working with France to develop the right metrics to evaluate success – including measures like arrests and disruptions. This is a partnership – we are working together on a shared problem.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled New UK-France agreement to reduce illegal crossings, published on 23 April 2026, how much of the funding is contingent on performance-related outcomes.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The United Kingdom and France have signed an agreement to strengthen operations to combat illegal migration in northern France to prevent crossings to the United Kingdom with a significant increase in dedicated law enforcement, technological and intelligence resources. The new funding arrangement represents an evolution from previous iterations. For the first time ever, the funding uplift will be conditional on results and reducing illegal migration. Of the total £662 million that compose the new funding arrangement, the UK has committed to a foundation fund of £501m over three years and a new flexible fund of £50m in year 1 and £110m in years 2 and 3.
This new deal is underpinned by robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure every intervention is evidence-led and responsive to changing circumstances. The innovations in the flexible fund will be reviewed annually. If the new tactics are not successful, funding will stop after one year. Every pound spent will target results, maximising the effectiveness of UK investment to reduce small boat crossings.
We are working with France to develop the right metrics to evaluate success – including measures like arrests and disruptions. This is a partnership – we are working together on a shared problem.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of trends in the level of a) pain, b) suffering, c) distress and d) lasting harm caused to non-human primates recognised by service licences under Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
All project licence applications, including service licences which use specially protected species such as dogs and non-human primates, are subject to a rigorous harm-benefit analysis (HBA), required under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). The HBA ensures that a project is only granted where a Home Office Inspector is satisfied that the likely harms to animals, including pain, suffering, distress and any lasting harm, are justified by the expected benefits for humans, animals or the environment.
Under ASPA, projects proposing the use of specially protected species may only be authorised where no animal of lower sentience can be used to achieve the scientific objectives. In all cases, the principles of replacement, reduction and refinement (the 3Rs) must be fully applied. This means that animal use is permitted only where no validated alternative exists, the minimum number of animals is used, and the most refined methods are used to minimise harm.
The Home Office publishes annual statistics of scientific procedures on living animals in Great Britain, which break down procedures by species, type of procedure, and actual severity experienced by animals. They are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-of-scientific-procedures-on-living-animals. Information on the severity of procedures involving NHPs and dogs is set out in Table 3.1, with severity categorised under ASPA as non-recovery, mild, moderate or severe.
Additionally, the Home Office expects to respond to recommendations from the Animals in Science Committee on the use of NHPs in service licences, which is aimed at further strengthening protections for NHPs used in science for service licences.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment her Department has made of the level of a) pain, b) suffering, c) distress and d) lasting harm caused to dogs covered by service licences under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
All project licence applications, including service licences which use specially protected species such as dogs and non-human primates, are subject to a rigorous harm-benefit analysis (HBA), required under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). The HBA ensures that a project is only granted where a Home Office Inspector is satisfied that the likely harms to animals, including pain, suffering, distress and any lasting harm, are justified by the expected benefits for humans, animals or the environment.
Under ASPA, projects proposing the use of specially protected species may only be authorised where no animal of lower sentience can be used to achieve the scientific objectives. In all cases, the principles of replacement, reduction and refinement (the 3Rs) must be fully applied. This means that animal use is permitted only where no validated alternative exists, the minimum number of animals is used, and the most refined methods are used to minimise harm.
The Home Office publishes annual statistics of scientific procedures on living animals in Great Britain, which break down procedures by species, type of procedure, and actual severity experienced by animals. They are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-of-scientific-procedures-on-living-animals. Information on the severity of procedures involving NHPs and dogs is set out in Table 3.1, with severity categorised under ASPA as non-recovery, mild, moderate or severe.
Additionally, the Home Office expects to respond to recommendations from the Animals in Science Committee on the use of NHPs in service licences, which is aimed at further strengthening protections for NHPs used in science for service licences.