Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been arrested on suspicion of terrorism-related offences linked to supporting Palestine Action by (a) date, (b) police force area, (c) section of the Terrorism Act used, and (d) outcomes (charged, released without charge, released under investigation, bailed) for each arrest since 5 July 2025.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Home Office does not hold data breaking down arrests under the Terrorism Act 2000 by date or by police force area. Data on arrests, charges and convictions under the Terrorism Act 2000, including under different sections of the Terrorism Act, are published in the Home Office’s quarterly ‘Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’ and can be accessed on GOV.UK.
The most recent publication covering the year ending 30 September 2025, was published on 18 December 2025 and can be accessed here : Operation of police powers under TACT 2000, to September 2025 - GOV.UK. In this data, arrests and charges relating to supporting Palestine Action have been shown separately.
The next quarterly Home Office publication ‘Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’ is due to be published on 12 March 2026 and will cover the period up until the 31 December 2025.
Asked by: John Milne (Liberal Democrat - Horsham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the High Streets Illegality Taskforce; and how she measures that effectiveness.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
At the Autumn Budget 2025, the Chancellor announced the creation of a dedicated cross-government taskforce to tackle money laundering and associated criminality on our high streets.
The Taskforce is currently being established. It will develop an intelligence-led understanding of the threat, design systemic interventions to disrupt money laundering and related criminality and set strategic priorities for future operational activity. Effectiveness will be assessed through systematic monitoring and evaluation of progress against its objectives. Further details will be announced in due course.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the average cost to the public purse of deportations in each year since 2020.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The information you have requested about the average cost of deportations of foreign national offenders (FNOs) is not available from published statistics, as we do not publish these costs.
The Home Office publishes all available information on expenditure in the Home Office Annual Report and accounts, which can be found here: Home Office annual reports and accounts - GOV.UK.
Over 7,000 FNOs have been returned from the UK under this government, and we will continue to do everything we can to remove these vile criminals from our streets.
Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced and, where appropriate, we will pursue their deportation.
The Home Office makes no apology for the fact that its priority will always be to keep our communities safe. As such, we are fully committed to making our communities safer by deporting foreign nationals who break our laws.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce identity theft by ghost brokers selling fake car insurance policies.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Home Office works closely with law enforcement and industry partners to reduce fraud, including in the insurance sector. In October 2024, the Home Office also launched the Insurance Fraud Charter with major insurers to strengthen action against illegal intermediaries.
Operationally, the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department investigates referrals from insurers and runs targeted operations, alongside public awareness campaigns delivered with the Insurance Fraud Bureau and the Association of British Insurers. The Insurance Fraud Breau also launched its, Avoid Ghost Brokers, campaign in May 2025 to warn the public about fake car insurance deals.
The Motor Insurance Taskforce, has also set out measures to tackle fraud and ghost broking in their report published in December 2025. The report is available online at: Motor Insurance Taskforce: Final Report and Actions.
Asked by: Ian Sollom (Liberal Democrat - St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when part 2 of the Independent Review of Fraud Offences will be published.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Government has recently received the second and final report from Jonathan Fisher KC, Chair of the Independent Review of Disclosure and Fraud Offences.
We are now carefully considering the Review’s findings and recommendations and will respond in due course.
Asked by: Kim Johnson (Labour - Liverpool Riverside)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 for allegedly showing support for Palestine Action at demonstrations since its proscription; and what proportion of those arrests relate to people taking part in non-violent protest.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Home Office does not hold data breaking down arrests under the Terrorism Act 2000 by date or by police force area. Data on arrests, charges and convictions under the Terrorism Act 2000, including under different sections of the Terrorism Act, are published in the Home Office’s quarterly ‘Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’ and can be accessed on GOV.UK.
The most recent publication covering the year ending 30 September 2025, was published on 18 December 2025 and can be accessed here : Operation of police powers under TACT 2000, to September 2025 - GOV.UK. In this data, arrests and charges relating to supporting Palestine Action have been shown separately.
The next quarterly Home Office publication ‘Operation of Police Powers under the Terrorism Act 2000’ is due to be published on 12 March 2026 and will cover the period up until the 31 December 2025.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's policy paper entitled UK-Germany joint action plan: irregular migration, published on 10 December 2024, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the joint action plan on the level of illegal migration since December 2024.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The recent change to German legislation is a key part of the Government's efforts to crack down on small boat crossings and secure UK borders. This change was agreed as part of the UK-Germany Joint Action Plan (JAP) and demonstrates the strength of our international partnerships, continuing close UK-Ger cooperation and the value of the JAP.
Under the new legislation, people smuggling gangs storing boats and engines in Germany, for use in Channel crossings, will face 10 years in prison. This change gives UK and German law enforcement agencies stronger powers to dismantle criminal networks and tackle the supply and storage of small boat equipment. The legislation also strengthens sharing of information between UK and German law enforcement, which will lead to more people smugglers being brought to justice.
The UK and Germany judge that this legislation change is necessary and will make a difference. Law enforcement agencies continue to work closely, with both systems working to support effective implementation and monitor its operational impact.
The Home Secretary has spoken with her German counterpart, Interior Minister Dobrindt, about the importance of this legislative change and our continued close cooperation in the fight against people smuggling.
The Home Office and German Ministry of the Interior closely monitor delivery of the JAP on an ongoing basis, including through the UK-Germany Home Affairs Dialogue, as well as via frequent operational engagement. A formal assessment of the impact of the plan in its entirety has not yet been undertaken. However, operational outcomes are routinely monitored.
The UK and Germany are cooperating closely and at pace to ensure the criminal gangs undermining both countries’ respective border security face justice.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has assessed the potential effectiveness of recent German legislation targeted at people smugglers; and whether she has had discussions with her German counterpart on this matter.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The recent change to German legislation is a key part of the Government's efforts to crack down on small boat crossings and secure UK borders. This change was agreed as part of the UK-Germany Joint Action Plan (JAP) and demonstrates the strength of our international partnerships, continuing close UK-Ger cooperation and the value of the JAP.
Under the new legislation, people smuggling gangs storing boats and engines in Germany, for use in Channel crossings, will face 10 years in prison. This change gives UK and German law enforcement agencies stronger powers to dismantle criminal networks and tackle the supply and storage of small boat equipment. The legislation also strengthens sharing of information between UK and German law enforcement, which will lead to more people smugglers being brought to justice.
The UK and Germany judge that this legislation change is necessary and will make a difference. Law enforcement agencies continue to work closely, with both systems working to support effective implementation and monitor its operational impact.
The Home Secretary has spoken with her German counterpart, Interior Minister Dobrindt, about the importance of this legislative change and our continued close cooperation in the fight against people smuggling.
The Home Office and German Ministry of the Interior closely monitor delivery of the JAP on an ongoing basis, including through the UK-Germany Home Affairs Dialogue, as well as via frequent operational engagement. A formal assessment of the impact of the plan in its entirety has not yet been undertaken. However, operational outcomes are routinely monitored.
The UK and Germany are cooperating closely and at pace to ensure the criminal gangs undermining both countries’ respective border security face justice.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant of Answer of 22 December 2025 to Question 99417: Undocumented Migrants, what steps she is taking to strengthen sanctions against illegal migrants once they have been relocated and detained.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Where an absconder is located, they may be arrested and detained for the purposes of removal. It is generally in the public interest to pursue the removal of those with no permission to be in the UK.
Where detention is not appropriate, a person may be released on immigration bail as an alternative to detention, allowing the Home Office to maintain contact with those who require permission to be in the UK but do not have it whilst a decision is made on their case or pending their removal or deportation.
A person who is subject to immigration bail is required to comply with one or more bail conditions. Conditions may include a requirement to report regularly to the Home Office, to reside at a specific location, to be electronically monitored and a restriction on work. The number and type of immigration bail conditions imposed will vary depending on the circumstances of the individual case. A person who has previously absconded is likely to have more stringent bail conditions imposed.
Where someone fails to comply with their bail conditions, they may be arrested, detained, have their bail conditions varied to be more stringent, or they can be arrested for the criminal offence, which is punishable by a fine or term of imprisonment.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether (a) she and (b) officials in her Department reviewed social media posts referring to violence against police officers made by Alaa Abd el Fattah prior to his return to the United Kingdom.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
We do not routinely comment on individual cases however the Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister have made clear that Ministers and officials were previously unaware of the historic posts made by Mr El-Fattah.
All British citizens have a Right of Abode (ROA) in the UK which means they are entitled to live in the UK without any immigration restrictions and do not need to obtain the permission of an immigration officer to enter the UK.
Deportation from the UK only applies to foreign nationals. British citizens cannot be deported from the UK.
Deprivation of British citizenship is assessed individually on the basis of all available evidence.
This government and successive governments before it have been clear that the exercise of this tool must be used sparingly, and only against the highest harm and most dangerous individuals.
This includes those who pose a threat to the UK, including terrorists, and those who are involved in serious organised crime. The government does not propose to change the basis on which the power is used.
For those who are not deprived of citizenship but may have acted in a criminal manner, we encourage independent law enforcement to use their full suite of powers.