Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) fathers, and (2) mothers, were required to provide additional consent from the other parent when applying for passports for their children in 2023, and was the total number of applicants in each group.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

There are circumstances when additional consent is needed for a passport application. This includes where there is a change of name for a child, or where one parent is attempting to declare a child’s valid passport as lost that the other parent had applied for. Further information can be found at GOV.UK: Authorisation and consent: needed to issue a passport - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Data relating to the number of fathers and mothers that were required to provide additional consent from the other parent for passport applications in 2023 is not held in a reportable format.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of redefining criminality rules for British National (Overseas) visa applications.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Part 9 of the Immigration Rules, in relation to criminality and other adverse behaviour, apply to applications to the British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) route. All applications are carefully assessed against the latest country information. Guidance for caseworkers provides flexibility to ensure that overseas convictions and offences not recognised in the UK do not result in the automatic refusal of an application.

Following representations from stakeholders, we are considering whether the current approach to criminality remains appropriate given the situation in Hong Kong.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 15 March (HL2855), how long each of the 118 unaccompanied children seeking asylum have been missing; and what are the individual ages of the 18 children now under the age of 18 who are still missing.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

This data has not previously been published and quality assured to that standard. We are unable to provide it in response to this question.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what additional resources they have provided to police forces to combat the increase in organised crime in rural areas.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office ensures that the police have the resources they need. Ultimately, it is for Chief Constables and directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), and Mayors with PCC functions, to make operational decisions based on their local knowledge and experience. This includes how to allocate resources to reduce levels of organised crime.

Chief Constables, PCCs and Mayors with PCC functions have provided significant resource to the Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) network by allocating 725 extra officers to ROCUs between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2023. Those officers are tackling the range of SOC threats, helping to reduce crime and keep communities safe.

The Government also recognises that there can be particular challenges in responding to rural crime and welcomed the rural and wildlife crime strategy published by the National Police Chiefs’ Council in September 2022.

Additionally, the Home Office provided £200,000 for the National Rural Crime Unit to tackle rural crime including the theft of farming or construction machinery, livestock theft, rural fly tipping, rural fuel theft and equine crime.

The Government is committed to tackling the threat from Serious and Organised Crime (SOC). It has recently published a new SOC strategy that commits to reducing SOC in the UK by disrupting and dismantling organised crime groups and networks operating in and against the UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the College of Policing about updating their THRIVE guidance with regard to reporting and combating rural crime.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Guidelines on the use of THRIVE are published by the College of Policing here: https://www.college.police.uk/guidance/vulnerability-related-risks/introduction-vulnerability-related-risk.

The Home Office has not had conversations recently with College of Policing about updating their THRIVE guidance with regard to reporting and combating rural crime.

We are committed to driving down rural crime and the Home Office continues to work closely with the National Rural Crime Unit to help ensure an effective police response to rural crime.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to review the standard duration of licences for animal research, and (2) to introduce more challenge into the system for granting such licences, given the pace of technological change in the sector.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office is going to conduct an internal review in relation to the duration of project licences for animal research under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA), as announced in the parliamentary debate on 19 February 2024.

The use of animals in scientific procedures is only authorised by the Home Office Regulator where there is clear scientific benefit, to people, animals, or the environment. The regulatory framework has a rigorous approach to the application of the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement) in all applications for programmes of work involving animals. Establishments conducting research must have robust internal governance systems and processes that ensure the regulated activities carried out at the establishment are undertaken in accordance with the principles of the 3Rs. Our application of the 3Rs principles continuously evolves with scientific developments.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of efforts to reduce the numbers of illegal border crossings into the UK.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office’s priority is to deliver a safe and secure border and we will never compromise on this. We are relentless in our pursuit of those who seek to enter the UK illegally. Border Force have robust measures in place to detect clandestine entrants into the UK and stand ready to respond to any methods deployed.

Border Force, Immigration Enforcement and other law enforcement agencies work tirelessly, deploying to risk using tested, but continually assessed, intelligence and targeting techniques.

The Home Office publish irregular migration to the UK statistics on the GOV.UK website: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/irregular-migration-to-the-uk-year-ending-december-2023. In 2023, there were 36,704 irregular arrivals, one-third (33%) fewer than in 2022, and 80% of these arrived on small boats.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the measures relating to hare coursing introduced by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 since they came into force.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Official figures are not held on the number of instances of violent crime or intimidation related to hare coursing or poaching. Hare coursing or poaching are not crimes which the police are required to notify to the Home Office. However, where violence or intimidation is used in connection with an incident of hare coursing or poaching this would be recorded under the relevant violence against the person or public order offence classification. However, it is not possible to separately identify those that are connected to hare coursing or poaching in the data held centrally by the Home Office.

It is standard practice for primary legislation to be subject to a post-implementation review after sufficient time has passed to assess its impact.

The National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) Wildlife and Rural Crime Strategy aims to target hare coursing through better preventative action, improved intelligence, and enforcement activity.

The Government is committed to driving down rural crime and the Home Office continues to work closely with the National Rural Crime Unit to help ensure an effective police response to rural crime.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with, and what guidance they have issued to, the National Police Chiefs’ Council about tackling hare coursing.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Official figures are not held on the number of instances of violent crime or intimidation related to hare coursing or poaching. Hare coursing or poaching are not crimes which the police are required to notify to the Home Office. However, where violence or intimidation is used in connection with an incident of hare coursing or poaching this would be recorded under the relevant violence against the person or public order offence classification. However, it is not possible to separately identify those that are connected to hare coursing or poaching in the data held centrally by the Home Office.

It is standard practice for primary legislation to be subject to a post-implementation review after sufficient time has passed to assess its impact.

The National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) Wildlife and Rural Crime Strategy aims to target hare coursing through better preventative action, improved intelligence, and enforcement activity.

The Government is committed to driving down rural crime and the Home Office continues to work closely with the National Rural Crime Unit to help ensure an effective police response to rural crime.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many instances of violent crime or intimidation related to hare coursing or poaching were recorded by police in each of the past five years.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Official figures are not held on the number of instances of violent crime or intimidation related to hare coursing or poaching. Hare coursing or poaching are not crimes which the police are required to notify to the Home Office. However, where violence or intimidation is used in connection with an incident of hare coursing or poaching this would be recorded under the relevant violence against the person or public order offence classification. However, it is not possible to separately identify those that are connected to hare coursing or poaching in the data held centrally by the Home Office.

It is standard practice for primary legislation to be subject to a post-implementation review after sufficient time has passed to assess its impact.

The National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) Wildlife and Rural Crime Strategy aims to target hare coursing through better preventative action, improved intelligence, and enforcement activity.

The Government is committed to driving down rural crime and the Home Office continues to work closely with the National Rural Crime Unit to help ensure an effective police response to rural crime.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are giving to (1) the National Wildlife Crime Unit, and (2) the National Rural Crime Unit, to address hare coursing and poaching.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Official figures are not held on the number of instances of violent crime or intimidation related to hare coursing or poaching. Hare coursing or poaching are not crimes which the police are required to notify to the Home Office. However, where violence or intimidation is used in connection with an incident of hare coursing or poaching this would be recorded under the relevant violence against the person or public order offence classification. However, it is not possible to separately identify those that are connected to hare coursing or poaching in the data held centrally by the Home Office.

It is standard practice for primary legislation to be subject to a post-implementation review after sufficient time has passed to assess its impact.

The National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) Wildlife and Rural Crime Strategy aims to target hare coursing through better preventative action, improved intelligence, and enforcement activity.

The Government is committed to driving down rural crime and the Home Office continues to work closely with the National Rural Crime Unit to help ensure an effective police response to rural crime.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the publication of their rough sleeping statistics on 29 February which showed a 965.91 per cent increase from July to December 2023 in people sleeping rough after leaving asylum support over the previous 85 days, what consideration they have given to extending the move-on period from 28 days to 56 days for refugees leaving asylum support; and what assessment they have made of the impact this extension would have on homelessness.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Second Permanent Secretary and I recently met with the Bishop of London to discuss the Government support available to newly recognised refugees moving on from asylum accommodation.

Following the service of an asylum decision, an individual continues to be an asylum seeker for the purpose of asylum support until the end of the relevant prescribed period set out in legislation. This period is 28 calendar days from when an individual is notified of a decision to accept their asylum claim and grant them leave and we have no plans to extend this period. Whilst our legislative power is clear, we do in practice already extend support beyond this. Our current process means that individuals can remain on asylum support for at least 28 days after they have been issued a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), which means that individuals have longer than 28 days to make arrangements to move on before their asylum support ends. It is important that individuals initiate plans to move on from asylum support as soon as they are served their asylum decision in order to maximise the time they have to make move on arrangements.

We offer move on support to all individuals through Migrant Help or their partner organisation.  This includes providing advice on accessing the labour market, on applying for Universal Credit and signposting to local authorities for assistance with housing.  Individuals do not need to wait for their BRP to make a claim for benefits and are encouraged to do so as early as possible if they require them.

We continue to identify and make efficiencies in supporting newly recognised refugees during the move on period and to mitigate the risk of homelessness. We are fully committed to working with partners in doing this. We have already worked closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to ensure the right asylum decision data is being shared with local authorities to enable effective planning and to lessen the impact on existing homelessness and rough sleeping pressures.  We are also utilising Home Office Liaison Officers to replicate part of the Afghan resettlement move on process. We have been working in three local authority areas since December 2023; Glasgow, Brent and Hillingdon. This has now been expanded to Manchester and Liverpool.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to work with the third sector to jointly create a comprehensive and properly funded transition process for people whose asylum support is due to end, to enable information and support around housing and benefits to be given as far in advance as possible.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Second Permanent Secretary and I recently met with the Bishop of London to discuss the Government support available to newly recognised refugees moving on from asylum accommodation.

Following the service of an asylum decision, an individual continues to be an asylum seeker for the purpose of asylum support until the end of the relevant prescribed period set out in legislation. This period is 28 calendar days from when an individual is notified of a decision to accept their asylum claim and grant them leave and we have no plans to extend this period. Whilst our legislative power is clear, we do in practice already extend support beyond this. Our current process means that individuals can remain on asylum support for at least 28 days after they have been issued a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), which means that individuals have longer than 28 days to make arrangements to move on before their asylum support ends. It is important that individuals initiate plans to move on from asylum support as soon as they are served their asylum decision in order to maximise the time they have to make move on arrangements.

We offer move on support to all individuals through Migrant Help or their partner organisation.  This includes providing advice on accessing the labour market, on applying for Universal Credit and signposting to local authorities for assistance with housing.  Individuals do not need to wait for their BRP to make a claim for benefits and are encouraged to do so as early as possible if they require them.

We continue to identify and make efficiencies in supporting newly recognised refugees during the move on period and to mitigate the risk of homelessness. We are fully committed to working with partners in doing this. We have already worked closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to ensure the right asylum decision data is being shared with local authorities to enable effective planning and to lessen the impact on existing homelessness and rough sleeping pressures.  We are also utilising Home Office Liaison Officers to replicate part of the Afghan resettlement move on process. We have been working in three local authority areas since December 2023; Glasgow, Brent and Hillingdon. This has now been expanded to Manchester and Liverpool.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the benefits of staggering evictions of refugees from Home Office accommodation, particularly where the person is working with their local authority or a third sector organisation, to prevent their homelessness.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Second Permanent Secretary and I recently met with the Bishop of London to discuss the Government support available to newly recognised refugees moving on from asylum accommodation.

Following the service of an asylum decision, an individual continues to be an asylum seeker for the purpose of asylum support until the end of the relevant prescribed period set out in legislation. This period is 28 calendar days from when an individual is notified of a decision to accept their asylum claim and grant them leave and we have no plans to extend this period. Whilst our legislative power is clear, we do in practice already extend support beyond this. Our current process means that individuals can remain on asylum support for at least 28 days after they have been issued a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), which means that individuals have longer than 28 days to make arrangements to move on before their asylum support ends. It is important that individuals initiate plans to move on from asylum support as soon as they are served their asylum decision in order to maximise the time they have to make move on arrangements.

We offer move on support to all individuals through Migrant Help or their partner organisation.  This includes providing advice on accessing the labour market, on applying for Universal Credit and signposting to local authorities for assistance with housing.  Individuals do not need to wait for their BRP to make a claim for benefits and are encouraged to do so as early as possible if they require them.

We continue to identify and make efficiencies in supporting newly recognised refugees during the move on period and to mitigate the risk of homelessness. We are fully committed to working with partners in doing this. We have already worked closely with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) to ensure the right asylum decision data is being shared with local authorities to enable effective planning and to lessen the impact on existing homelessness and rough sleeping pressures.  We are also utilising Home Office Liaison Officers to replicate part of the Afghan resettlement move on process. We have been working in three local authority areas since December 2023; Glasgow, Brent and Hillingdon. This has now been expanded to Manchester and Liverpool.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) asylum seekers, and (2) other migrants are being housed in hotel-style accommodation; and how much financial support they are providing in support of these arrangements.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation (including in contingency hotels and other contingency accommodation) is published in table Asy_D11 here: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Data on other immigration groups is published in table Reg_01 of the Regional and local authority data. This includes the number of people accommodated in interim accommodation as part of the Afghan Resettlement Programme.

The standard weekly allowance is £49.18 for each supported asylum seeker in self-catered accommodation and £8.86 for each supported asylum seeker in catered accommodation.  Further information on what support asylum seekers receive can be found in the attached link: https://www.gov.uk/asylum-support/what-youll-get.

Individuals on our resettlement schemes with Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK have access to mainstream benefits and services to enable their integration; and we are working across Government to ensure these services meet the needs of refugees.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to help tackle the sale of illegal drugs on (a) social media and (b) other websites.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

Drugs ruin lives and devastate communities. The Government is committed to driving down drugs supply in the UK through tough law enforcement against the sale of drugs online.

Our Online Safety Act will introduce measures requiring platforms, including social media sites, to remove content relating to the sale of illegal drugs online. Under this ground-breaking piece of legislation, tech companies must proactively tackle this type of content and prevent users from being exposed to it. If they fail to comply, they risk stiff financial penalties or in the most serious cases, having their sites blocked by the independent regulator, Ofcom. The Online Safety Act delivers the government’s manifesto commitment to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online.

We also recognise that social media, gaming sites and other online platforms are critical enablers in the targeting, grooming and facilitation of county lines exploitation. Through the County Lines Programme, we are developing a better understanding of how these platforms are being used and how to disrupt harmful activity.

Considering other websites, the National Crime Agency, along with policing colleagues across the UK and internationally, is mapping and targeting key offenders operating online. Dedicated teams use a range of tools and techniques generally unavailable to most investigators and we make sure they have the resources and powers they need to keep our country safe.

Law enforcement agencies work with internet service providers to shut down UK-based websites found to be committing offences such as selling controlled drugs. To support this, proposals are also being taken forward in the Criminal Justice Bill to create a new power enabling law enforcement to suspend IP addresses and/or domain names being used for criminal purposes. This new power will allow agencies to obtain a court order to formally request action by organisations both domestically and outside of the UK.

Furthermore, the Government has commissioned the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to undertake a review into internet-facilitated drug markets. The ACMD ran a call for evidence which closed in January and expects to publish its findings later this year.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of illegal immigrants who gain entry to the United Kingdom via air travel; and what steps he has taken to tackle illegal immigration to the United Kingdom via air travel.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

The Home Office publishes statistics on detected irregular arrivals to the UK in the ‘Irregular migration to the UK’ statistics release, available on gov.uk. Data on irregular arrivals by method of entry is published in table Irr_D01 of the ‘Irregular migration to the UK detailed datasets’, with the latest data up to the end of September 2023.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many certificates of sponsorship which have been (a) suspended and (b) revoked have been successfully appealed in each year for which data is available.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

The Home Office do not suspend or revoke Certificates of Sponsorship, therefore we do not hold the requested data.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he has taken with relevant authorities to reduce shop lifting in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government recognises the significant impact theft has on businesses, communities, and consumers. The Crime Survey for England and Wales shows neighbourhood crime is down 51% compared to findings from the year ending March 2010.

We have recently taken significant steps to improve the police response to acquisitive crime, including car theft and shoplifting. The National Police Chiefs’ Council has made a commitment that police forces across England and Wales will follow up all crimes where there is actionable evidence and the chance of identifying an offender. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) have commenced a thematic inspection on the effectiveness of police investigations which will include an assessment of how police forces are implementing the reasonable lines of enquiry commitment.

The Government is working closely with police and motor manufacturers through the National Vehicle Crime Working Group, chaired by ACC Jennifer Sims, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for vehicle crime, to take forward a programme of work to prevent and reduce vehicle crime nationally. A network of vehicle crime leads has been established in every police force in England and Wales, ensuring forces share information about emerging trends in vehicle crime and are better able to tackle regional issues. The Metropolitan Police Service are represented on the Working Group and have an established vehicle crime lead.

We are legislating through the Criminal Justice Bill to create two new offences where a person possesses, makes, adapts, supplies or offers to supply electronic devices where there are reasonable grounds to suspect they will be used in vehicle theft. The legislation will make it easier for police to prosecute criminals making and supplying these devices, as well as vehicle thieves.

In October 2023, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) published the Retail Crime Action Plan - October 2023.pdf (nbcc.police.uk). Through this Plan, all forces across England and Wales have committed to prioritise police attendance at the scene where violence has been used towards shop staff, where an offender has been detained by store security, and where evidence needs to be secured and can only be done by police personnel. Additionally, where CCTV or other digital images are secured, police will run this through the Police National Database to aid efforts to identify prolific offenders or potentially dangerous individuals.

We are continuing to work closely with retail businesses, security representatives, trade associations and policing through the National Retail Crime Steering Group (NRCSG), which meets on a quarterly basis, to ensure the response to retail crime, including shoplifting, is as robust as it can be.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure the (a) integrity and (b) confidentiality of digital evidence in sexual assault cases.

Answered by Laura Farris - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Ministry of Justice) (jointly with Home Office)

The Government’s Rape Review highlighted the importance of digital forensics and disclosure of digital material in improving our response to sexual offences.

We have legislated to put the Forensic Science Regulator (FSR) and code of practice on a statutory footing. Compliance with the FSR’s code will ensure the integrity of digital evidence presented to the courts, helping to maintain public confidence in our systems.

Through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act (2022), we introduced a clear statutory basis for requesting devices from victims of crime so that information is only shared with their agreement and where necessary and proportionate and in response to a reasonable line of enquiry. This helps forces to ensure that the high standards of Data Protection Act are met when processing sensitive personal information belonging to victims of crime.

We are also working across the system to ensure that police forces have the technology and capabilities they require. In 23/24, the Home Office invested £8.2m to increase capacity and speed in digital forensics, including supporting selective extraction and examination of data on digital devices to better protect victims from intrusive investigations.

To drive further improvements in the response to sexual offences, we invested £9.4m in Operation Soteria, bringing together police and academics to develop a new national operating model for the investigation of rape which is currently being implemented by all police forces in England and Wales.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of whether private providers responsible for running asylum accommodation are meeting their contractual requirements.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

The Asylum Accommodation and Support Services Contracts (AASC) Statement of Requirements below gives a detailed breakdown of all of the services to be undertaken by our accommodation providers and to the standards we expect:

AASC_-_Schedule_2_- _Statement_of_Requirements.pdf (parliament.uk).

Home Office accommodation providers are required to visit each property at least monthly, and assurance that contractual requirements are met is tested by the Home Office Contract Assurance Team, which inspects properties and undertakes other assurance activities on an intelligence-led basis. Formal governance mechanisms are in place, to oversee performance and delivery against contractual requirements.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to help promote the integration of immigrants.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

All refugees and those granted protection in the UK should be able to fully integrate into British life and become self-sufficient, providing for themselves and their families, and contributing to the economy.

Refugees, as well as individuals arriving through refugee resettlement schemes with Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK, have access to the labour market and to mainstream benefits and services to enable their integration. We are working across Government to ensure these services meet the needs of refugees.

We recognise that the ability to speak English is key to helping refugees integrate into life in England, as well as to breaking down barriers to work and career progression. The Home Office works closely with other Government departments to ensure mainstream English language provision meets the needs of refugees.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2024 to Question 18307 on Immigration: Applications, whether pictures of language certificates can be used when applying for (a) citizenship and (b) settlement status.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

Pictures of language certificates can be used when applying for citizenship and settlement status. The Home Office may request original documents if they are not satisfied that the documents provided are sufficient to demonstrate that English language requirements are met.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason people born after 1 January 1983 are required to provide a valid passport when giving notice of marriage.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

Every person who gives notice to marry or to form a civil partnership in England and Wales must provide evidence of their given name, surname, date of birth, and nationality. A valid passport or another specified document can be used as evidence of nationality.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking with relevant authorities to help reduce instances of car theft in (a) Romford constituency and (b) England.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government recognises the significant impact theft has on businesses, communities, and consumers. The Crime Survey for England and Wales shows neighbourhood crime is down 51% compared to findings from the year ending March 2010.

We have recently taken significant steps to improve the police response to acquisitive crime, including car theft and shoplifting. The National Police Chiefs’ Council has made a commitment that police forces across England and Wales will follow up all crimes where there is actionable evidence and the chance of identifying an offender. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) have commenced a thematic inspection on the effectiveness of police investigations which will include an assessment of how police forces are implementing the reasonable lines of enquiry commitment.

The Government is working closely with police and motor manufacturers through the National Vehicle Crime Working Group, chaired by ACC Jennifer Sims, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for vehicle crime, to take forward a programme of work to prevent and reduce vehicle crime nationally. A network of vehicle crime leads has been established in every police force in England and Wales, ensuring forces share information about emerging trends in vehicle crime and are better able to tackle regional issues. The Metropolitan Police Service are represented on the Working Group and have an established vehicle crime lead.

We are legislating through the Criminal Justice Bill to create two new offences where a person possesses, makes, adapts, supplies or offers to supply electronic devices where there are reasonable grounds to suspect they will be used in vehicle theft. The legislation will make it easier for police to prosecute criminals making and supplying these devices, as well as vehicle thieves.

In October 2023, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) published the Retail Crime Action Plan - October 2023.pdf (nbcc.police.uk). Through this Plan, all forces across England and Wales have committed to prioritise police attendance at the scene where violence has been used towards shop staff, where an offender has been detained by store security, and where evidence needs to be secured and can only be done by police personnel. Additionally, where CCTV or other digital images are secured, police will run this through the Police National Database to aid efforts to identify prolific offenders or potentially dangerous individuals.

We are continuing to work closely with retail businesses, security representatives, trade associations and policing through the National Retail Crime Steering Group (NRCSG), which meets on a quarterly basis, to ensure the response to retail crime, including shoplifting, is as robust as it can be.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many certificates of sponsorship have been (a) suspended and (b) revoked in each year for which data is available.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

The Home Office do not suspend or revoke Certificates of Sponsorship, therefore we do not hold the requested data.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will take steps to ensure that women who are held in police cells are supported by at least one officer who is a woman.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is committed to ensuring that custody is a safe and dignified environment for all detainees, visitors and staff which operates professionally, respectfully and lawfully.

Police custody is governed by the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) Codes of Practice which sets out the legal framework for the detention, treatment and questioning of persons by police officers. PACE Code C requires that as soon as practicable after arrival at the police station, each detainee must be given an opportunity to speak in private with a member of custody staff of the same sex as them about any matter concerning their personal needs relating to their health, hygiene and welfare that might affect or concern them whilst in custody. Arrangements must also be made for ensuring that a girl under the age of 18 is placed under the care of a female member of staff.

As policing is operationally independent of Government, Chief Constables and elected Police and Crime Commissioners are responsible for the operational management of custody suites.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons he used a private charter flight for his visit to Rwanda in December 2023; and whether his Department made an assessment of the potential merits of using alternative forms of transport.

Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)

All Government spend goes through thorough due diligence to ensure best value for money.

Stopping the boats is one of our top priorities. The cost of the asylum system could reach up to £11 billion per year by 2026, so bold solutions like our partnership with Rwanda are required.

Various elements, such as security and timing, will be taken into consideration when looking at Government travel, including use of the Government’s plane.

On the visit, the Home Secretary signed a joint treaty with his counterpart, Foreign Minister Dr Vincent Biruta, strengthening the UK and Rwanda’s Migration and Economic Development Partnership and directly addressing the concerns of the Supreme Court.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department takes to assess the (a) potential impact and (b) value for money of (i) his visit to Rwanda in December 2023 and (ii) other ministerial overseas visits.

Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)

All Government spend goes through thorough due diligence to ensure best value for money.

Stopping the boats is one of our top priorities. The cost of the asylum system could reach up to £11 billion per year by 2026, so bold solutions like our partnership with Rwanda are required.

Various elements, such as security and timing, will be taken into consideration when looking at Government travel, including use of the Government’s plane.

On the visit, the Home Secretary signed a joint treaty with his counterpart, Foreign Minister Dr Vincent Biruta, strengthening the UK and Rwanda’s Migration and Economic Development Partnership and directly addressing the concerns of the Supreme Court.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department plans to provide funding to Women's Aid in the next three financial years.

Answered by Laura Farris - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Ministry of Justice) (jointly with Home Office)

Tackling violence against women and girls is a government priority. Our strategies aim to transform the whole of society’s response to these crimes with actions to prevent abuse, support victims and ensure more perpetrators are bought to justice.

The Home Office has provided funding to Women’s Aid of up to £1.34m until March 2025 to deliver the Flexible Fund. This fund will help hundreds of domestic abuse victims next year who will receive lifeline payments to help escape tormenting and often life-threatening abuse, providing the chance to rebuild their lives. We are also investing £753k into Women’s Aid next year to improve the awareness of domestic abuse amongst young people.

Funding beyond March 2025 is subject to future budgets which will be set through the next Spending Review process.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will issue guidance to the police on ensuring that people providing statements are asked whether they have had their drink spiked.

Answered by Laura Farris - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Ministry of Justice) (jointly with Home Office)

The Home Office does not intend to issue guidance as described, as it would not be appropriate for such a question to be asked to all individuals providing statements to the police.

All incidents are taken seriously by the police, and officers will always seek to follow relevant lines of enquiry. The questions asked by the police will therefore be specific to the circumstances of each particular incident, including the individual’s version of events.

If there is anything to indicate that there is an element of spiking it will be fully investigated.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what training is provided to police officers on the impact of the spiking of drinks on victims of that crime.

Answered by Laura Farris - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Ministry of Justice) (jointly with Home Office)

Each Police force has a dedicated spiking lead who all meet regularly to share learning. At present, forces design and deliver their own spiking training and this is informed by NPCC and Home Office policies.

Some forces, including Cumbria Police and the Metropolitan Police Service, are in the process of reviewing their spiking training.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his Department's press release entitled More synthetic opioids banned to protect communities, published on 20 March 2023, what assessment he has made of the impact of the change in legal status on the (a) spread and (b) use of these substances.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

Tackling Class A drugs, including synthetic opioids, is a priority for the Government due to the harm caused to users, society and the economy.

The HMG Synthetic Opioids Taskforce is working with partner agencies such as the National Crime Agency (NCA), the Department for Health and Social Care and the National Police Chiefs Council to deliver an evidence-based response to the level of risk posed by synthetic opioids, and implement policies to stem the demand and supply of these dangerous substances.

As of 20 March, 15 dangerous synthetic opioids have come under the tightest controls as Class A drugs. An impact assessment has been published which outlines the potential impacts of the legislation, and which includes a qualitative assessment of the potential use and spread of these substances.. By controlling these substances, we anticipate an increase in public awareness of their harms and that law enforcement are able to respond to the supply and production of these drugs.

To stem the supply of illicit synthetic opioids to and within the UK, the NCA, Police and Border Force are working together in a zero-tolerance approach, ensuring all lines of enquiry are prioritised and vigorously pursued. This involves mapping and targeting key offenders, including dark net markets. Dedicated teams use a range of tools and techniques generally unavailable to most investigators and we make sure they have the resources and powers they need to keep our country safe.

Border Force are leading on a series of intensifications at the border to strengthen our intelligence on how these substances reach the UK. Furthermore, Home Office supports the NCA’s International Liaison Officer network and Border Force’s international work through funding posts in key transit and source countries to stop drugs from coming to the UK in the first place.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to tackle the importation of nitazenes into the UK.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

Tackling Class A drugs, including synthetic opioids, is a priority for the Government due to the harm caused to users, society and the economy.

The HMG Synthetic Opioids Taskforce is working with partner agencies such as the National Crime Agency (NCA), the Department for Health and Social Care and the National Police Chiefs Council to deliver an evidence-based response to the level of risk posed by synthetic opioids, and implement policies to stem the demand and supply of these dangerous substances.

As of 20 March, 15 dangerous synthetic opioids have come under the tightest controls as Class A drugs. An impact assessment has been published which outlines the potential impacts of the legislation, and which includes a qualitative assessment of the potential use and spread of these substances.. By controlling these substances, we anticipate an increase in public awareness of their harms and that law enforcement are able to respond to the supply and production of these drugs.

To stem the supply of illicit synthetic opioids to and within the UK, the NCA, Police and Border Force are working together in a zero-tolerance approach, ensuring all lines of enquiry are prioritised and vigorously pursued. This involves mapping and targeting key offenders, including dark net markets. Dedicated teams use a range of tools and techniques generally unavailable to most investigators and we make sure they have the resources and powers they need to keep our country safe.

Border Force are leading on a series of intensifications at the border to strengthen our intelligence on how these substances reach the UK. Furthermore, Home Office supports the NCA’s International Liaison Officer network and Border Force’s international work through funding posts in key transit and source countries to stop drugs from coming to the UK in the first place.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with (a) the National Crime Agency and (b) local police forces on collaboration on tackling dark net markets involved in the distribution of synthetic opioids.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

Tackling Class A drugs, including synthetic opioids, is a priority for the Government due to the harm caused to users, society and the economy.

The HMG Synthetic Opioids Taskforce is working with partner agencies such as the National Crime Agency (NCA), the Department for Health and Social Care and the National Police Chiefs Council to deliver an evidence-based response to the level of risk posed by synthetic opioids, and implement policies to stem the demand and supply of these dangerous substances.

As of 20 March, 15 dangerous synthetic opioids have come under the tightest controls as Class A drugs. An impact assessment has been published which outlines the potential impacts of the legislation, and which includes a qualitative assessment of the potential use and spread of these substances.. By controlling these substances, we anticipate an increase in public awareness of their harms and that law enforcement are able to respond to the supply and production of these drugs.

To stem the supply of illicit synthetic opioids to and within the UK, the NCA, Police and Border Force are working together in a zero-tolerance approach, ensuring all lines of enquiry are prioritised and vigorously pursued. This involves mapping and targeting key offenders, including dark net markets. Dedicated teams use a range of tools and techniques generally unavailable to most investigators and we make sure they have the resources and powers they need to keep our country safe.

Border Force are leading on a series of intensifications at the border to strengthen our intelligence on how these substances reach the UK. Furthermore, Home Office supports the NCA’s International Liaison Officer network and Border Force’s international work through funding posts in key transit and source countries to stop drugs from coming to the UK in the first place.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how his Department plans to assess the impact of the Synthetic Opioid Taskforce on the (a) supply and (b) demand for these drugs.

Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)

Tackling Class A drugs, including synthetic opioids, is a priority for the Government due to the harm caused to users, society and the economy.

The HMG Synthetic Opioids Taskforce is working with partner agencies such as the National Crime Agency (NCA), the Department for Health and Social Care and the National Police Chiefs Council to deliver an evidence-based response to the level of risk posed by synthetic opioids, and implement policies to stem the demand and supply of these dangerous substances.

As of 20 March, 15 dangerous synthetic opioids have come under the tightest controls as Class A drugs. An impact assessment has been published which outlines the potential impacts of the legislation, and which includes a qualitative assessment of the potential use and spread of these substances.. By controlling these substances, we anticipate an increase in public awareness of their harms and that law enforcement are able to respond to the supply and production of these drugs.

To stem the supply of illicit synthetic opioids to and within the UK, the NCA, Police and Border Force are working together in a zero-tolerance approach, ensuring all lines of enquiry are prioritised and vigorously pursued. This involves mapping and targeting key offenders, including dark net markets. Dedicated teams use a range of tools and techniques generally unavailable to most investigators and we make sure they have the resources and powers they need to keep our country safe.

Border Force are leading on a series of intensifications at the border to strengthen our intelligence on how these substances reach the UK. Furthermore, Home Office supports the NCA’s International Liaison Officer network and Border Force’s international work through funding posts in key transit and source countries to stop drugs from coming to the UK in the first place.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to increase the fees for licences to use animals in scientific research, and (2) to seek to reduce the use of animals in such research.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government has laid a Statutory Instrument in parliament to increase the fees payable for licences under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA) to come into effect on 6th April 2024.

The Government recently announced that it will double investment, from £10m to £20m per annum, in research to achieve the three Rs (replacement, reduction and refinement) and develop non-animal alternatives. The Government will also publish a plan to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of technologies and methods to reduce reliance on the use of animals in science.

The Government is committed to opportunities for reducing the use of animals in scientific research. Specifically, this Government has recently accepted the recommendations of the independent Animals in Science Committee to further restrict the use of the forced swim test and apply enhanced scrutiny to any proposal to use it in research. However, we intend to go further and have set an aim to completely eliminate its use, thus driving the development and validation of suitable alternatives (see: www.gov.uk/government/publications/advice-on-the-use-of-the-forced-swim-test-letter-from-lord-sharpe/letter-from-lord-sharpe-of-epsom-responding-to-the-asc-forced-swim-test-report-accessible).

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the National Rural Crime Network's report Rural Crime: Serious, Organised and International, published on 10 March.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

We welcome the National Rural Crime Network’s report and will consider its recommendations.

This Government is committed to tackling the threat from Serious and Organised Crime (SOC). In December 2023, we published the 2023 Serious and Organised Crime Strategy that commits to reducing SOC in the UK by disrupting and dismantling organised crime groups and networks operating in and against the UK.

Serious and organised crime is a major threat to the national security and prosperity of the UK. It costs lives, blights communities, hampers economic growth, and corrodes the global reputation of the UK and its institutions.

Additionally, the Government recognises that there can be particular challenges in responding to rural crime and welcomed the rural and wildlife crime strategy published by the National Police Chiefs’ Council in September 2022.

The Home Office provided £200,000 for the National Rural Crime Unit to tackle rural crime including the theft of farming or construction machinery, livestock theft, rural fly tipping, rural fuel theft and equine crime. We will continue to work closely with the NRCU to help ensure an effective police response to rural crime.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to address the problem of criminal gangs intentionally crossing police force borders to exploit weaknesses in policing methods.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

We know serious and organised crime (SOC) does not respect police force borders which is why all police forces in England and Wales collaborate and share resources, funding and specialist capabilities to deliver Regional Organised Crime Units (ROCUs) to lead complex cross-border SOC investigations. There are nine ROCUs in England and Wales with equivalent capability in London.

Alongside approximately £70m in direct funding from the Home Office in 2023/24, Chief Constables, PCCs and Mayors with PCC functions have recently provided significant resource to the ROCU network by allocating 725 extra officers to ROCUs between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2023. Those officers are working in partnership now to tackle drugs supply and enablers, including firearms and criminal finances.

County lines is a major cross-cutting issue involving a range of criminality including drugs, violence, criminal gangs and child criminal exploitation, and involves the police, a wide range of Government departments, local government agencies and voluntary and community sector organisations. County lines gangs often export drugs across county borders from one police force area to another.

This Government is determined to crack down on county lines gangs which is why we are investing up to £145m over three years in our County Lines Programme to tackle the most violent and exploitative drug supply model yet seen. Through the County Lines Programme, we have established dedicated county lines taskforces in the four force areas exporting the majority of lines (MPS, Merseyside, West Midlands and Greater Manchester Police) as well as the British Transport Police to tackle the national rail network. We are also funding the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC), to monitor the intelligence picture and co-ordinate the national law enforcement response. The NCLCC has been vital in strengthening the law enforcement response, promoting best practice, and enabling police forces to work together to tackle this complex issue.

Since the County Lines Programme was launched in 2019, police activity has resulted in over 5,600 line closures, over 16,500 arrests and over 8,800 safeguarding referrals. This includes over 2,500 line closures since April 2022, surpassing the Drugs Strategy commitment of over 2,000 line closures by April 2025. Having met this target in half the time, we have now committed to close a further 1,000 lines by August 2024, bringing the total since the Drugs Strategy was launched in April 2022 to over 3,000.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what occupations are covered by the new Immigration Salary List.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Immigration Salary list can be found on page 230 to 232 of the statement of changes laid in Parliament on 14 March. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65f18e57ff11701fff6159bb/E03091226_-_HC_590_-_Immigration_Rules_Changes__Web_Accessible_.pdf.

The Government consult regularly with a broad range of stakeholders, including those in social care, on a regular basis.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to reconsider banning pillion riders on mopeds, scooters and motorbikes, to prevent their use for violent theft.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Crime Survey for England and Wales data shows a 74% fall in robbery when comparing the year ending September 2023 with year ending March 2010. This is clearly good news.

We recognise the impact robbery can have on individuals and communities and we are committed to tackling and preventing this crime. We are not considering a ban on pillion riders on mopeds, scooters and motorbikes.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the health and social care sectors regarding the implications for those sectors of the proposed new net migration measures, since the announcement of those measures on 4 December 2023.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Immigration Salary list can be found on page 230 to 232 of the statement of changes laid in Parliament on 14 March. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65f18e57ff11701fff6159bb/E03091226_-_HC_590_-_Immigration_Rules_Changes__Web_Accessible_.pdf.

The Government consult regularly with a broad range of stakeholders, including those in social care, on a regular basis.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to producing a rural crime strategy which would be fully integrated into the overall Government Crime Strategy, as called for in the National Rural Crime Network’s recent report, Rural Crime: Serious, Organised and International, published on 10 March.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

We welcome the National Rural Crime Network’s report and will consider its recommendations.

This Government is committed to tackling the threat from Serious and Organised Crime (SOC). In December 2023, we published the 2023 Serious and Organised Crime Strategy that commits to reducing SOC in the UK by disrupting and dismantling organised crime groups and networks operating in and against the UK.

Serious and organised crime is a major threat to the national security and prosperity of the UK. It costs lives, blights communities, hampers economic growth, and corrodes the global reputation of the UK and its institutions.

The Government welcomed the rural and wildlife crime strategy published by the National Police Chiefs’ Council in September 2022, this provides a comprehensive framework through which policing, and partner agencies can work together to tackle rural and wildlife crime, including where it is linked to other forms of serious and organised crime such as the drugs trade.

The National Rural Crime Unit works closely with Interpol to share information about stolen agricultural and construction machinery. As a result of the partnership it has established with INTERPOL, equipment has been recovered from criminal gangs across Europe.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the National Rural Crime Network’s call for the Home Office to undertake a comprehensive economic impact assessment of rural crime in its report Rural Crime: Serious, Organised and International, published on 10 March.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

We welcome the National Rural Crime Network’s report and will consider its recommendations.

This Government is committed to tackling the threat from Serious and Organised Crime (SOC). In December 2023, we published the 2023 Serious and Organised Crime Strategy that commits to reducing SOC in the UK by disrupting and dismantling organised crime groups and networks operating in and against the UK.

Serious and organised crime is a major threat to the national security and prosperity of the UK. It costs lives, blights communities, hampers economic growth, and corrodes the global reputation of the UK and its institutions.

The Government welcomed the rural and wildlife crime strategy published by the National Police Chiefs’ Council in September 2022, this provides a comprehensive framework through which policing, and partner agencies can work together to tackle rural and wildlife crime, including where it is linked to other forms of serious and organised crime such as the drugs trade.

The National Rural Crime Unit works closely with Interpol to share information about stolen agricultural and construction machinery. As a result of the partnership it has established with INTERPOL, equipment has been recovered from criminal gangs across Europe.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the UK’s decision to leave the EU on the UK’s ability to track down or trace stolen plant and agricultural machinery.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

We welcome the National Rural Crime Network’s report and will consider its recommendations.

This Government is committed to tackling the threat from Serious and Organised Crime (SOC). In December 2023, we published the 2023 Serious and Organised Crime Strategy that commits to reducing SOC in the UK by disrupting and dismantling organised crime groups and networks operating in and against the UK.

Serious and organised crime is a major threat to the national security and prosperity of the UK. It costs lives, blights communities, hampers economic growth, and corrodes the global reputation of the UK and its institutions.

The Government welcomed the rural and wildlife crime strategy published by the National Police Chiefs’ Council in September 2022, this provides a comprehensive framework through which policing, and partner agencies can work together to tackle rural and wildlife crime, including where it is linked to other forms of serious and organised crime such as the drugs trade.

The National Rural Crime Unit works closely with Interpol to share information about stolen agricultural and construction machinery. As a result of the partnership it has established with INTERPOL, equipment has been recovered from criminal gangs across Europe.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the links between wildlife offences and the drugs trade, as highlighted in the report Rural Crime: Serious, Organised and International published by the National Rural Crime Network, published on 10 March.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

We welcome the National Rural Crime Network’s report and will consider its recommendations.

This Government is committed to tackling the threat from Serious and Organised Crime (SOC). In December 2023, we published the 2023 Serious and Organised Crime Strategy that commits to reducing SOC in the UK by disrupting and dismantling organised crime groups and networks operating in and against the UK.

Serious and organised crime is a major threat to the national security and prosperity of the UK. It costs lives, blights communities, hampers economic growth, and corrodes the global reputation of the UK and its institutions.

The Government welcomed the rural and wildlife crime strategy published by the National Police Chiefs’ Council in September 2022, this provides a comprehensive framework through which policing, and partner agencies can work together to tackle rural and wildlife crime, including where it is linked to other forms of serious and organised crime such as the drugs trade.

The National Rural Crime Unit works closely with Interpol to share information about stolen agricultural and construction machinery. As a result of the partnership it has established with INTERPOL, equipment has been recovered from criminal gangs across Europe.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what evidence they have for describing socialism and communism as "united by a set of grievance narratives" in the latest version of the Home Office online Prevent duty training modules amended in July 2023.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Prevent plays a vital role in tackling radicalisation, seeking to intervene early where somebody is at risk of becoming a terrorist or supporting terrorism.

The Prevent duty training service is continually reviewed to align with the recommendations made in the Independent Review of Prevent, new Prevent Duty Guidance and CONTEST 2023. The latest update includes removal of the reference describing socialism and communism as "united by a set of grievance narratives" from the training module.

We will continue to improve and update the training modules to ensure that we can keep the public safe.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what progress has been made in correcting the errors in the Person Centric Data Platform and Atlas system, which have led to the merging of different immigration records.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Person Centric Data Platform (PCDP) holds millions of identities that have been submitted or otherwise provided in support of immigration applications to the UK over many years. The Home Office is aware of issues around ‘merged identity’ - where a single ‘identity island’ has been formed with data belonging to two or more individuals within the PCDP. This is not an issue with Atlas - which provides caseworking capabilities supporting business processing of applicants.

Through detailed analysis of PCDP data, the Home Office has identified around 46,000 records with an identity issue, of which over 13,000 have already been resolved. We have a dedicated team working to resolve the remainder as quickly, and as carefully, as possible.

The Home Office takes data security and accuracy very seriously. Substantial changes have been made to our IT systems to improve data quality, user experience, and caseworking productivity across multiple applications.

Where customers identify an issue with their data, we encourage them to contact the UK Visas and Immigration Contact Centre to enable this to be investigated and resolved.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of the National Audit Office’s report Investigation into asylum accommodation, published on 20 March, which found that (1) using large sites to accommodate asylum seekers could cost £46 million more than using hotels, and (2) the Home Office rated their own plans as “high risk or undeliverable”, why the large sites accommodation programme will be continued.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Government has always been clear that the use of asylum hotels is unacceptable, and that’s why we acted swiftly to reduce the impact on local communities by moving asylum seekers on to barges and former military sites.

Thanks to the actions the Government has taken to maximise the use of existing space and our work to cut small boat crossings by a third last year, the cost of hotels will fall, and we are now closing dozens of asylum hotels every month to return them to communities.

Large sites provide adequate and functional accommodation for asylum seekers and are designed to be as self-sufficient as possible, helping to minimise the impact on local communities and services. They reduce demand on an already pressured private rental market and their larger capacity allows the Home Office to be agile in responding to fluctuations in demand.

It is better value for money for the taxpayer to continue with these sites than to continue using hotels. The latest assessment of value for money, which excludes committed or spent costs in line with the Green Book methodology, shows that large sites would be £153 million cheaper than hotels.

Despite the need to stand up large sites at speed, controls were in place to assure value for money for the taxpayer. Operational challenges at the sites have changed our costs since original estimates. We continue to keep costs under review while developing ways to reduce it.

The latest Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) review has upgraded the rating of the programme, meaning that the successful delivery of time, quality and cost is feasible.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many complaints to Border Force are not answered within the service standard of 20 days.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The latest transparency data showing performance against service standards in relation to replies to customer complaints for UKVI, Immigration Enforcement and Border Force is available at the following: Customer service operations data: Q3 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what conditions exist in Rwanda that have led them to conclude that appropriate and professional age assessments will be capable of being carried out on people sent there for immigration purposes where special requirements apply in respect of an uncertainty over an individual’s age.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

Our age assessment policies for immigration purposes seek to protect genuine children and identify those who are adults.

The UK-Rwanda Treaty makes clear at Article 3 that the agreement reached between the governments of Rwanda and the UK does not cover unaccompanied children and that the UK Government shall not seek to relocate unaccompanied children under the age of 18. It is therefore only those individuals who are confirmed to be, or have been assessed to be, adults who will be removed to Rwanda.

We have already strengthened the age assessment process through measures introduced in the Nationality and Borders Act 2022.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to improve crime reporting in relation to national heritage, including through the development of a heritage crime marker to highlight protected sites and other cultural property in police call handling.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Crime Survey for England and Wales shows neighbourhood crime is down 48% compared to findings from the year ending March 2010; however, this Government recognises the significant impact crimes affecting heritage sites can have.

The Home Office is working closely with Historic England to prevent and tackle theft from historic buildings, monuments and sites, and through the established, expert Stolen Goods Working Group, is collaborating with policing and other partners, to deliver a programme of work that will make it harder for criminals to profit financially from acquisitive crime, including heritage crime.

The Home Office has encouraged the police, as part of their neighbourhood policing commitment, to work with communities to develop an understanding of the scale and extent of these crimes, whilst welcoming their commitment made last year to pursue all reasonable lines of enquiry so more perpetrators can be bought to justice.

In addition, crime prevention advice is published by Secured By Design, the police security initiative, including advice on how to improve the security of buildings and their surroundings, here: Secured by Design - Secured by Design.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to combat the theft of stone from historic sites.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Crime Survey for England and Wales shows neighbourhood crime is down 48% compared to findings from the year ending March 2010; however, this Government recognises the significant impact crimes affecting heritage sites can have.

The Home Office is working closely with Historic England to prevent and tackle theft from historic buildings, monuments and sites, and through the established, expert Stolen Goods Working Group, is collaborating with policing and other partners, to deliver a programme of work that will make it harder for criminals to profit financially from acquisitive crime, including heritage crime.

The Home Office has encouraged the police, as part of their neighbourhood policing commitment, to work with communities to develop an understanding of the scale and extent of these crimes, whilst welcoming their commitment made last year to pursue all reasonable lines of enquiry so more perpetrators can be bought to justice.

In addition, crime prevention advice is published by Secured By Design, the police security initiative, including advice on how to improve the security of buildings and their surroundings, here: Secured by Design - Secured by Design.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment, if any, have they made of the number of illegal migrants who have reached the UK from or via Tunisia in each of the last 3 years.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The Home Office publishes statistics on detected irregular arrivals to the UK in the ‘Irregular migration to the UK statistics’ release published on gov.uk. Data on detected irregular arrivals by nationality is published in table Irr_D01 of the ‘Irregular migration to the UK detailed datasets’ with the latest data up to the end of December 2023.

Please note these statistics do not include details of countries of transit, and nationality may differ from country of origin.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what procedures Border Force has in place to learn lessons from incidents of unnecessary detention or of the loss of paper-work such that a complaint takes 11 months to process.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

A Transformation Programme of work is currently underway to reduce the time taken to process incoming complaints within service level agreement. Part of the programme includes identifying and sharing lessons learned to improve the overall service at the border and monitor detention related complaints.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many times the pay of (1) Police and Crime Commissioners, and (2) Chief Officers of Police in England and Wales, has been increased since November 2012; and when these increases took place.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The independent Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) makes recommendations to the Government on the pay of Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs). PCCs are currently placed into five salary groups aligned to the 12 force weightings used to govern chief constables’ pay. The current PCC pay bands range from £68,200 to £101,900.

PCC pay has increased twice since 2012, with uplifts taking effect from 1 May 2018 and 1 May 2022. SSRB reviews in the 2014/15 and 2015/16 pay rounds recommended that the rates of pay should remain unchanged in those years.

PCC pay has increased by 2% to 5% since November 2012. Chief police officer pay has increased by 22% to 27%. PCC pay remains above that for chief inspectors, which ranges from £64,449 to £67,017.

In its last review, the SRRB recommended adjustments to PCC remuneration, including reducing the current five groups to three. The recommendations were not accepted by the Government at that time, who concluded the issue should be considered when the future structure of chief police officer pay is settled. The next review of PCC pay is scheduled to take place in the 2025/26 pay round.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what meetings have taken place between the Home Office and faith communities regarding those claiming asylum in the UK due to genuine faith-based persecution; and what steps are being taken to ensure that they receive appropriate and compassionate support.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

On 22 February, the Home Secretary held an initial meeting with ten Christian faith leaders to discuss the role of religious conversions in asylum applications. Following the meeting, the Home Secretary commissioned the establishment of a working group.

The aim of this group is for Home Office representations and Christian faith leaders to discuss ways in which each party can better scrutinise asylum claims based on religious persecution and ensure those in genuine need of protection by the UK asylum system are supported.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what evidence they have considered, and from which organisations, which has led them to the conclusion that Rwanda is a safe country.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The list of sources used are listed in the extensive country information notes, and the annexes that accompany them. This – alongside the additional assurances agreed with the Government of Rwanda under the terms of the UK-Rwanda Treaty: Provision of an Asylum Partnership – allow us to conclude that Rwanda is safe.

Detail of these is available via the ‘Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill: policy statement and evidence pack’ page on the GOV.UK website.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government why the pay of Police and Crime Commissioners, which was initially roughly equivalent to that of Assistant Chief Constables, is now roughly equivalent to that of Chief Inspector.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The independent Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) makes recommendations to the Government on the pay of Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs). PCCs are currently placed into five salary groups aligned to the 12 force weightings used to govern chief constables’ pay. The current PCC pay bands range from £68,200 to £101,900.

PCC pay has increased twice since 2012, with uplifts taking effect from 1 May 2018 and 1 May 2022. SSRB reviews in the 2014/15 and 2015/16 pay rounds recommended that the rates of pay should remain unchanged in those years.

PCC pay has increased by 2% to 5% since November 2012. Chief police officer pay has increased by 22% to 27%. PCC pay remains above that for chief inspectors, which ranges from £64,449 to £67,017.

In its last review, the SRRB recommended adjustments to PCC remuneration, including reducing the current five groups to three. The recommendations were not accepted by the Government at that time, who concluded the issue should be considered when the future structure of chief police officer pay is settled. The next review of PCC pay is scheduled to take place in the 2025/26 pay round.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government by what percentage the pay of (1) Police and Crime Commissioners, and (2) Chief Officers of Police in England and Wales, has been increased between November 2012 and 15 March 2024.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The independent Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) makes recommendations to the Government on the pay of Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs). PCCs are currently placed into five salary groups aligned to the 12 force weightings used to govern chief constables’ pay. The current PCC pay bands range from £68,200 to £101,900.

PCC pay has increased twice since 2012, with uplifts taking effect from 1 May 2018 and 1 May 2022. SSRB reviews in the 2014/15 and 2015/16 pay rounds recommended that the rates of pay should remain unchanged in those years.

PCC pay has increased by 2% to 5% since November 2012. Chief police officer pay has increased by 22% to 27%. PCC pay remains above that for chief inspectors, which ranges from £64,449 to £67,017.

In its last review, the SRRB recommended adjustments to PCC remuneration, including reducing the current five groups to three. The recommendations were not accepted by the Government at that time, who concluded the issue should be considered when the future structure of chief police officer pay is settled. The next review of PCC pay is scheduled to take place in the 2025/26 pay round.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the government of Georgia introducing a bill that would curtail LGBT+ rights on the UK government’s declaration that Georgia is a safe country for immigration purposes.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

In line with 80AA of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, we work closely with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to regularly monitor and review the situation in countries where migrants originate from, including how any new legislation is applied in practice.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 26 March (HL3210), when they anticipate that officials will complete their work and that a decision will be taken by ministers.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

As per my response on 26^th March, I will return to the House in due course after receiving advice from officials on the considerations of whether the type of review of Operation Conifer the noble Lord and colleagues call for is necessary.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government why no reason is given to inward travellers for being held for 6 hours; why they are offered no food or drink during such detention; and why no apology is offered when nothing untoward has been found in their travel to the UK.

Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

A passenger remains liable to examination on arrival in the United Kingdom until all necessary enquiries have been concluded and a decision is made on their application for permission to enter or admission.

Anyone detained beyond two hours is detained in compliance with the relevant guidance and legislation (notably The Short Term Holding Facility Rules 2018). The detained person is informed of their bail rights and reasons for their detention, and this is explained in a language that they understand.

Temperature controlled food was temporarily withdrawn from BF managed facilities during 2023 whilst we implemented a new training and governance procedure to ensure we were complaint with current food standards. Throughout this period, we followed Government guidance, continuing to serve water, hot drinks and snacks.

We always look to minimise detention as far as possible; however, the power to detain must be retained in the interests of maintaining effective immigration control.

It would not be appropriate for Border Force to apologise for conducting legitimate border security checks.

The Government should change the law so that courts cannot grant bail to those accused or convicted of domestic violence. Those accused or convicted of domestic violence should be added to the list of exceptions to the general right to bail in the Bail Act.

We want sections of the proposed Criminal Justice Bill that relate to "nuisance" begging and "nuisance" rough sleeping removed. We believe the proposed legislation is overly punitive and impractical, and risks further marginalising an incredibly vulnerable group of people.

I want pensioners to be able to continue to receive the severe disability premium even if they receive care from someone who receives a benefit in respect of the care they provide.

We urge the Government to collaborate with the EU to establish a Touring Professional Visa for UK touring industry, enabling 90+ day travel within the Schengen Zone for work purposes. This visa could help support the unique needs of the music industry, allowing artists and crews to tour more easily.

I want the Government to commission an independent review of arrangements for providing injury awards under the Police Pensions Regulations 2006. I believe injured officers are being unjustly denied injury awards.

We want the Government to launch a public inquiry into the treatment of cases involving missing Black people, both by police and by the media. We have seen cases where Black people have gone missing and were found dead, with little media coverage. We want a public inquiry to be launched.

We think car boot sales and markets are a major reason for tool theft from vans. Many tradespeople have their van broken into and have their tools stolen, which can deprive them of their livelihood. Replacing tools is not cheap, and we want the Government to take action to tackle tool theft.

We want the Government to issue an official document confirming any right to work under section 3C during visa renewal. We believe this would help ensure fairness in employment and protect those who contribute significantly to the UK.

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Found: Office; data on their use is not routinely collected or published centrally.

Found: The Home Office will work with DSIT and the Cabinet Office (as joint owners of the ATRS) to assess the

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Found: to the High Court to review the lawfulness of decisions made by public authorities such as the Home

Found: Data and monitoring●The Ministry of Justice and the Home Office should routinely collect and publish

Found: broke out there were many Ukraine nationals needing advice to navigate the scheme set up by the Home

Found: The Home Office refused her asylum application on 5 December 2022.

Found: Delays within the Home Office and Immigration and Asylum Chamber of the Tribunals compound the issue

Found: Her visa had expired in 2019 because she had been unable to afford the Home Office fee to apply

Found: 27 Eleventh report of Session 2023- 24 Home Office, Department of Health and Social Care Reducing

Found: The Home Office has been forced to apply a substantial number of exemptions where data subjects who

Found: Home Office, Home Office, and Border Force Oral Evidence

Found: It is evident that the Home Office announced the policy change in December with very little engagement

Found: It is evident that the Home Office announced the policy change in December with very little engagement

Found: Eleanor Lyons: My understanding is that I will have a line manager with the Home Office.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government what deficiency in NHS England’s Secure Data Environment was described in paragraph 5.1.10 of the minutes from the 29 February meeting of the Advisory Group for Data, and what steps are being taken to rectify that deficiency.

Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The point made in the meeting was unrelated to any deficiency within the Secure Data Environment (SDE). The requirement from the Home Office is for specific statistical models and systems to be applied across the dataset requested, which is made up of aggregated data. This specific functionality is available from within the Home Office’s own technical environment, and not from within the SDE. There are no plans at this time to migrate this functionality within the SDE.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Hong Kong Watch report, Tuition Fees for BNO Visa Holders: The Case for Home Fee Status, and the impact of the cost of international fees on the ability of young British National (Overseas) (BNO) visa holders to attend university; and whether they will follow the Scottish Government in introducing home fees status for BNO visa holders after three years of residency in the UK.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

To qualify for home fee status in England, a person must have settled status or ’a recognised connection’ to the UK. A recognised connection includes persons who are covered by the EU Withdrawal Agreement, have long residence in this country or who have been granted international protection by the Home Office. There are also requirements associated with ordinary residence in the UK.

Subject to meeting the normal eligibility requirements, Hong Kong BN(O) status holders will be able to qualify for home fee status and student finance once they have acquired settled status in the UK (usually after 5 years). Education is fully devolved, and administrations are able to make their own arrangements for accessing home fee status.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Barran on 19 February (HL2185), what steps they are taking to ensure financial literacy education is actually reaching the most disadvantaged students.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

It is crucial that all pupils are equipped with the knowledge and tools to manage their finances well in later life. That is why financial education is embedded in the national curriculum for mathematics at key stages 1 to 4, and in citizenship at key stages 3 and 4.

The national curriculum is compulsory for maintained schools, but all schools are measured by Ofsted on having a broad and balanced curriculum which is comparable to the national curriculum. As with other aspects of the curriculum, schools can choose how to teach financial education and they can tailor what they teach to make sure all pupils are taught what they need to know.

The Levelling Up White Paper identified 55 Education Investment Areas where the department will implement a package of measures to drive school improvement and accelerate progress towards the department’s 2030 ambition that 90% of pupils meet the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of primary school and that the average mathematics and English GCSE grade increases to a 5.

There is a range of financial education support for schools. For example, Oak National Academy, an Arm’s Length Body, has published its initial mathematics resources, with the full curriculum available by this autumn. As part of this, Oak is exploring including additional lessons in real life mathematics. Secondary citizenship resources will become available from autumn 2024 and will be complete by autumn 2025. The Money and Pensions Service has published guidance for schools and there is specialist support for fraud and tax education from the Home Office and HMRC respectively.

The department also works closely with the Money and Pensions Service which exists to help people make the most of their money and pensions, particularly those most in need and those most vulnerable to financial insecurity. The Money and Pensions Service has invested £1.1 million in financial education programmes to support children and young people in vulnerable circumstances and has published guidance to help children and young people's services to embed financial wellbeing into the services they offer.

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Found: Get the Home Office to point out to Chief Constables that they are not doing the job that the public

Found: HAF - Holiday Activities and Food programme ▪ HE - Higher Education ▪ HMT - HM Treasury ▪ HO - Home

Found: The Home Office provided £32m, which was an outlier compared to many other local areas, although 99%

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Found: Of these, the Home Office was the largest contributor.UK ODA Contributors: OGDs with total ODA over £200m

Found: 4823.75740831661 0.37727798987214206 5585.9249142784 0.3633247152682825 762.1675059617901 0.15800286818896445 Home

Found: From: Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and Home Office Published 9 April 2024

Found: The Home Office is also tabling an amendment which will make it mandatory for the police to notify schools

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Found: Wymott 31 4.29 Foreign national prisoners we spoke to wanted clarity about their status, but the Home

Found: • The Home Office (HO) led Project ADDER (Addiction, Diversion, Disruption, Enforcement and Recovery

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Found: The Animals in Science Policy Unit at the Home Office has raised this issue with officials from your

Found: The Department for Transport (DfT) and the Home Office are running the RADAR program which aims to further

Found: government should consider re -locating the animals in science regulation and po licy function from the Home

Found: Braithwaite, Julian - Director General, Organised Immigration Crime, Home Office - ACOBA Advice

Found: Braithwaite, Julian - Director General, Organised Immigration Crime, Home Office - ACOBA Advice

Found: Braithwaite, Julian - Director General, Organised Immigration Crime, Home Office - ACOBA Advice

Found: From: Home Office, Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, and The Rt Hon Chris Philp MP Published

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Found: At the time of writing, we are still waiting for the Home Office to provide us with an appropriate and

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Found: For Information : Border Force (Whilst this DSO includes mandatory actions for Home Office Immigration

Found: The Home Office will use the personal information provided to consider immigration applications.

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Found: To support this effort, Ministry of Defence officials have worked closely with colleagues in the Home

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