Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Crime and Policing Bill in its current form will see the protection of workers in quick service restaurants and food-to-go-style operators whose work has a functional overlap with their retail counterparts; and what, if any, impact assessment of such provisions has been undertaken.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Through our Crime and Policing Bill, we are introducing a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.
This definition of a retail worker captures someone working in or about retail premises for or on behalf of the owner or occupier of the retail premises.
Our definition is intentionally narrow and does not include hospitality staff, given the vital need to provide legal clarity and ensure there is no ambiguity for courts in identifying whether an individual is a retail worker and impacted during their job.
Those workers whose roles are not included within the definition are already covered under other legislation such as the Offences against the Person Act 1861, which also covers more serious violence, such as actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm.
There is also a statutory aggravating factor for assault against any public facing worker in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. This ensures the courts treat the public-facing nature of a victim’s role as an aggravating factor when considering the sentence for an offence.
Alongside this, we are ending the effective immunity that currently applies for theft of goods under £200 by repealing section 176 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
We are also providing over £7 million over the next three years to support the police and retailers tackle retail crime, including continuing to fund a specialist policing team to disrupt organised retail crime gangs and identify more offenders.
Asked by: Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how "retail" work is defined for the purposes of the Crime and Policing Bill; and whether that definition includes hospitality premises with a functional overlap, such as pubs which run village shops and restaurants selling branded products on the premises.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Through our Crime and Policing Bill, we are introducing a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.
This definition of a retail worker captures someone working in or about retail premises for or on behalf of the owner or occupier of the retail premises.
Our definition is intentionally narrow and does not include hospitality staff, given the vital need to provide legal clarity and ensure there is no ambiguity for courts in identifying whether an individual is a retail worker and impacted during their job.
Those workers whose roles are not included within the definition are already covered under other legislation such as the Offences against the Person Act 1861, which also covers more serious violence, such as actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm.
There is also a statutory aggravating factor for assault against any public facing worker in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. This ensures the courts treat the public-facing nature of a victim’s role as an aggravating factor when considering the sentence for an offence.
Alongside this, we are ending the effective immunity that currently applies for theft of goods under £200 by repealing section 176 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
We are also providing over £7 million over the next three years to support the police and retailers tackle retail crime, including continuing to fund a specialist policing team to disrupt organised retail crime gangs and identify more offenders.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to expand safe and accessible routes of asylum for people fleeing persecution and conflict, including those affected by escalating violence in countries such as Sudan.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The UK has a proud history of providing protection and we continue to welcome refugees and people in need through our safe and legal routes.
As announced in Restoring Order and Control, we are developing new sponsored refugee pathways across education, labour and community routes. This will ensure that there are routes available to support individuals in need of protection, but in a way that meets the need of UK communities too
Asked by: Lord Foster of Bath (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government why staff are "strongly advised" in the Immigration Enforcement Live Facial Recognition Policy Document published in November to refer to that document rather than being required to do so.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Immigration Enforcement live facial recognition policy document was based on standard police guidance. However, we can confirm that during operational deployments it was made clear to relevant Home Office members of staff that adherence to the agreed-upon policies and processes was mandatory.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they made an equality impact assessment of the proposals in A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, published on 20 November; if so, when they plan to publish that assessment; and, if not, why not.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The proposed earned settlement policy is currently subject to a public consultation. This was launched on 20 November and is due to close on 12 February 2026.
This public consultation directly asks for opinions on how English language proficiency should be assessed. This, and the wider details of the earned settlement policy, will be finalised in light of the information collected in that consultation.
An equality impact assessment has been developed alongside the policy. There are specific questions in relation to equalities as part of the consultation to inform the final equality impact assessment, which A Fairer Pathway to Settlement has already committed to publishing in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Lister of Burtersett (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they will assess the standard of English proposed in A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, published on 20 November.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The proposed earned settlement policy is currently subject to a public consultation. This was launched on 20 November and is due to close on 12 February 2026.
This public consultation directly asks for opinions on how English language proficiency should be assessed. This, and the wider details of the earned settlement policy, will be finalised in light of the information collected in that consultation.
An equality impact assessment has been developed alongside the policy. There are specific questions in relation to equalities as part of the consultation to inform the final equality impact assessment, which A Fairer Pathway to Settlement has already committed to publishing in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Information Commissioner's Office on the issue of bias in retrospective facial recognition searches of the Police National Database.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office is aware of the risk of bias in facial recognition algorithms and supports policing in managing that risk. Hence the Home Office, in collaboration with the Office of the Police Chief Scientific Adviser and the National Police Chiefs’ Council, commissioned independent testing of the facial recognition algorithm currently used by specially trained operators in police forces to search the Police National Database. Contracts were agreed in March 2024.
Independent testing helps to ensure algorithms are used at settings where statistically significant bias is reduced to negligible levels. Where potential bias is identified, the Home Office supports policing to ensure they have the operational processes in place to ensure the risk of any material impact is minimised.
Manual safeguards, embedded in police training, operational practice, and guidance, require all potential matches returned from the Police National Database to be checked by a trained user and investigating officer. These safeguards pre-date the National Physical Laboratory testing but they were reviewed once the results were known.
Home Office Ministers were first made aware of a bias in the algorithm used by specially trained operators in police forces to search the Police National Database in October 2024. Initial findings were shared with the Home Office between March 2024 and October 2024, and the final report was provided by NPL in April 2025 and updated for publication in October 2025.
A replacement system with a new algorithm has also been procured by the Home Office and independently tested. This testing has been published and shows that the system can be used with no statistically significant bias. It is due to be operationally tested early next year and will be subject to further evaluation.
The Home Office briefed the Information Commissioners Office on the findings of the independent report ahead of its publication and we continue to work closely with the ICO as we consult on a new legal framework for law enforcement use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies.
The Home Office has also commissioned His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, with support from the Forensic Science Regulator, to conduct an inspection of police and relevant law enforcement agencies’ use of retrospective facial recognition.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the impact of bias in retrospective facial recognition searches of the Police National Database.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office is aware of the risk of bias in facial recognition algorithms and supports policing in managing that risk. Hence the Home Office, in collaboration with the Office of the Police Chief Scientific Adviser and the National Police Chiefs’ Council, commissioned independent testing of the facial recognition algorithm currently used by specially trained operators in police forces to search the Police National Database. Contracts were agreed in March 2024.
Independent testing helps to ensure algorithms are used at settings where statistically significant bias is reduced to negligible levels. Where potential bias is identified, the Home Office supports policing to ensure they have the operational processes in place to ensure the risk of any material impact is minimised.
Manual safeguards, embedded in police training, operational practice, and guidance, require all potential matches returned from the Police National Database to be checked by a trained user and investigating officer. These safeguards pre-date the National Physical Laboratory testing but they were reviewed once the results were known.
Home Office Ministers were first made aware of a bias in the algorithm used by specially trained operators in police forces to search the Police National Database in October 2024. Initial findings were shared with the Home Office between March 2024 and October 2024, and the final report was provided by NPL in April 2025 and updated for publication in October 2025.
A replacement system with a new algorithm has also been procured by the Home Office and independently tested. This testing has been published and shows that the system can be used with no statistically significant bias. It is due to be operationally tested early next year and will be subject to further evaluation.
The Home Office briefed the Information Commissioners Office on the findings of the independent report ahead of its publication and we continue to work closely with the ICO as we consult on a new legal framework for law enforcement use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies.
The Home Office has also commissioned His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, with support from the Forensic Science Regulator, to conduct an inspection of police and relevant law enforcement agencies’ use of retrospective facial recognition.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they were first aware of bias in retrospective facial recognition searches of the Police National Database.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office is aware of the risk of bias in facial recognition algorithms and supports policing in managing that risk. Hence the Home Office, in collaboration with the Office of the Police Chief Scientific Adviser and the National Police Chiefs’ Council, commissioned independent testing of the facial recognition algorithm currently used by specially trained operators in police forces to search the Police National Database. Contracts were agreed in March 2024.
Independent testing helps to ensure algorithms are used at settings where statistically significant bias is reduced to negligible levels. Where potential bias is identified, the Home Office supports policing to ensure they have the operational processes in place to ensure the risk of any material impact is minimised.
Manual safeguards, embedded in police training, operational practice, and guidance, require all potential matches returned from the Police National Database to be checked by a trained user and investigating officer. These safeguards pre-date the National Physical Laboratory testing but they were reviewed once the results were known.
Home Office Ministers were first made aware of a bias in the algorithm used by specially trained operators in police forces to search the Police National Database in October 2024. Initial findings were shared with the Home Office between March 2024 and October 2024, and the final report was provided by NPL in April 2025 and updated for publication in October 2025.
A replacement system with a new algorithm has also been procured by the Home Office and independently tested. This testing has been published and shows that the system can be used with no statistically significant bias. It is due to be operationally tested early next year and will be subject to further evaluation.
The Home Office briefed the Information Commissioners Office on the findings of the independent report ahead of its publication and we continue to work closely with the ICO as we consult on a new legal framework for law enforcement use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies.
The Home Office has also commissioned His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services, with support from the Forensic Science Regulator, to conduct an inspection of police and relevant law enforcement agencies’ use of retrospective facial recognition.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to restrict the circumstances in which children may be added to facial recognition watchlists.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Facial recognition is a crucial tool that helps the police locate missing people, suspects, and those wanted by the courts.
In some cases, under the existing legal framework this includes vulnerable individuals such as missing children. When using facial recognition technology, police forces must comply with legislation including the Human Rights Act 1998, Equality Act 2010, Data Protection Act 2018, Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, as well as their own published policies. For live facial recognition, police forces must also follow the College of Policing’s Authorised Professional Practice (APP) on Live Facial Recognition.
This sets out the categories of people who may be included on a watchlist. These include individuals wanted by the police or the courts, suspects, missing or vulnerable people, or those posing a risk of harm to themselves or others. In each case, inclusion on a watchlist must be justified and authorised, and must pass the tests of necessity, proportionality and use for a policing purpose.
On 4th December the Government launched a consultation on a new legal framework for law enforcement use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies. During the consultation we want to hear views on when and how biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies should be used, and what safeguards and oversight are needed.