Home Office
The first duty of the government is to keep citizens safe and the country secure. The Home Office has been at the front line of this endeavour since 1782. As such, the Home Office plays a fundamental role in the security and economic prosperity of the United Kingdom.
Junior Shadow Ministers / Deputy Spokesperson
Conservative
Tom Tugendhat (Con - Tonbridge)Shadow Minister (Home Office) (Security)
Ministers of State
Angela Eagle (Lab - Wallasey)Minister of State (Home Office)
Diana Johnson (Lab - Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham)
Minister of State (Home Office)
Dan Jarvis (Lab - Barnsley North)
Minister of State (Home Office)
Lord Hanson of Flint (Lab - Life peer)
Minister of State (Home Office)
Parliamentary Under-Secretaries of State
Lord Sharpe of Epsom (Con - Life peer)Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Seema Malhotra (LAB - Feltham and Heston)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Jess Phillips (Lab - Birmingham Yardley)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
12:15
The Home Affairs Committee holds a two-part inquiry to examine the workplace culture in the Fire and Rescue Service, following …
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police stations have closed in Halifax since May …
Section 2(1) of the Illegal Migration Act 2023 (c. 37) (“the Act”) requires the Secretary of State to make arrangements …
Make provision about the removal of certain migrants to the Republic of Rwanda.
Home Office Commons Appearances
Oral Answers to Questions is a regularly scheduled appearance where the Secretary of State and junior minister will answer at the Dispatch Box questions from backbench MPs
Other Commons Chamber appearances can be:- Urgent Questions where the Speaker has selected a question to which a Minister must reply that day
- Adjornment Debates a 30 minute debate attended by a Minister that concludes the day in Parliament.
- Oral Statements informing the Commons of a significant development, where backbench MP's can then question the Minister making the statement.
Westminster Hall debates are performed in response to backbench MPs or e-petitions asking for a Minister to address a detailed issue
Written Statements are made when a current event is not sufficiently significant to require an Oral Statement, but the House is required to be informed.
Bills currently before Parliament
Home Office does not have Bills currently before Parliament
Acts of Parliament created in the 2024 Parliament
Home Office has not passed any Acts during the 2024 Parliament
Home Office - Secondary Legislation
Petitions
e-Petitions are administered by Parliament and allow members of the public to express support for a particular issue.
If an e-petition reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will issue a written response.
If an e-petition reaches 100,000 signatures the petition becomes eligible for a Parliamentary debate (usually Monday 4.30pm in Westminster Hall).
Departmental Select Committee
Home Affairs Committee
Commons Select Committees are a formally established cross-party group of backbench MPs tasked with holding a Government department to account.
At any time there will be number of ongoing investigations into the work of the Department, or issues which fall within the oversight of the Department. Witnesses can be summoned from within the Government and outside to assist in these inquiries.
Select Committee findings are reported to the Commons, printed, and published on the Parliament website. The government then usually has 60 days to reply to the committee's recommendations.
0 Members of the Home Affairs Committee
Home Affairs Committee: 10 Current Inquiries
Home Affairs Committee: Previous Inquiries
50 most recent Written Questions
(View all written questions)Prior to the report from the ICIBI, work was underway between UKVI and the social care sector to improve and develop their processes. This focussed on both the development of the sponsor licencing application process, and improvement of decision-making processes in relation to adult social care cases.
Regular engagement sessions between the Home Office and the sector also allow clear examples of good practice to be shared. This is happening alongside the trial of a support process whereby providers are able to seek a letter of support from the local Director of Adult Social Services confirming any requests are proportionate to the business model. We will continue to examine new ways to tackle exploitation in the immigration system, including in social care.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Our priority is to maintain a secure border. Border Force performs checks on all passengers arriving at the UK border on scheduled services to identify individuals who pose, or are suspected to pose, a risk to the national interest.
Identities, and combinations of names and dates of birth, are not necessarily unique. Individuals who share names with persons of interest may experience closer examination than would otherwise be the case.
The Home Office is making significant investment to improve the underlying technical infrastructure which performs border checks to identify individuals more precisely. This will reduce the number of individuals incorrectly matched to persons of interest and enable Border Force to identify more quickly individuals who are not to be confused with persons of interest. We expect these improvements to start having effect over the summer.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
In response to Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UK Government established three Ukraine visa schemes to provide temporary sanctuary to displaced Ukrainians and their families. Those granted under the schemes have the right to work, rent or study and access to benefits and services for the full duration of their permission.
The Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme is due to open for applications in advance of the expiry of the first Ukraine scheme visas in early 2025, providing the same rights and access to benefits and services that individuals on the existing Ukraine schemes have.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The previous government accepted the recommendations of the ICIBI report and we will continue to take this work forward. The Home Office has undertaken activity since 2023 to address issues in the sector including commissioning the Migration Advisory Committee to undertake a review of the Immigration Salary List and requiring those sponsoring care workers in England to be registered with the Care Quality Commission.
The Government is committed to reducing historically high levels of legal migration and addressing the root causes. We recognise the need to cut reliance on international recruitment in sectors like social care.
We will introduce measures to upskill workers and improve working conditions in the UK, ensuring quicker responses to labour market challenges and reducing the need for international recruitment.
We will continue to work across government, and with the adult social care sector to develop an understanding of the sector to inform our policies and decision making in relation to cases from it.
There are regular engagement sessions between the Home Office and the sector whereby clear examples of good practice are shared alongside the trial of a support process where providers are able to seek a letter of support from the local Director of Adult Social Services confirming any requests are proportionate to the business model.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Government is committed to strengthening neighbourhood policing as part of its Safer Streets Mission, which is a vital part of restoring confidence in policing. That is why we are introducing a Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, providing a more visible police presence in town centres, recruiting thousands of extra additional police officers, PCSOs and Special Constables, and giving every community a named local officer. We will set out our plans for the Guarantee as soon as is practicable.
The Government is also providing £66.3m funding this financial year (2024/25) to police forces in England and Wales for hotspot policing to tackle anti-social behaviour and serious violence, which is already helping to ensure the public feel safe in town centres.
Minister of State (Home Office)
A call for evidence on strengthening controls on crossbows on public safety grounds ran from 14 February to 9 April 2024. It tested ideas for whether there should be some form of licensing regime that would provide further controls on the use, ownership and supply of crossbows. The call for evidence also asked whether broadhead arrows should be prohibited.
The call for evidence received 2,991 responses. We are reviewing the responses and considering whether further controls on crossbows need to be introduced,
Minister of State (Home Office)
A call for evidence on strengthening controls on crossbows on public safety grounds ran from 14 February to 9 April 2024. It tested ideas for whether there should be some form of licensing regime that would provide further controls on the use, ownership and supply of crossbows. The call for evidence also asked whether broadhead arrows should be prohibited.
The call for evidence received 2,991 responses. We are reviewing the responses and considering whether further controls on crossbows need to be introduced,
Minister of State (Home Office)
A call for evidence on strengthening controls on crossbows on public safety grounds ran from 14 February to 9 April 2024. It tested ideas for whether there should be some form of licensing regime that would provide further controls on the use, ownership and supply of crossbows. The call for evidence also asked whether broadhead arrows should be prohibited.
The call for evidence received 2,991 responses. We are reviewing the responses and considering whether further controls on crossbows need to be introduced,
Minister of State (Home Office)
Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission to take back our streets.
The Government will give police the powers they need to take illegal, dangerous and antisocial bikes off the streets for good, so that they will be able to quickly destroy the bikes that they seize from offenders. We will set out more information in due course.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The total value of confiscation order receipts and compensation paid to victims through confiscation order receipts for 2011/12 to 2022/23 is £1.7 billion and £281.7 million respectively, with the annual breakdown given below. Data for financial years 2011/12 to 2022/23 can be found in the annually published Asset recovery statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) We do not hold 2010/11 in a readily accessible format. The next publication covering financial year 2023/24 is due to be published in September. Table 1: Value of proceeds of crime recovered from Confiscation Orders and value of compensation paid to victims through confiscation order receipts in the jurisdictions of England and Wales and Northern Ireland, financial years 2011/12 to 2022/23
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Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office collects and publishes data annually on the number of police officer leavers in the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales
Information on the number of police officers leaving the police service, by Police Force Area, between the years ending 31 March 2007 and 2023, can be found in the ‘Leavers Open Data Table’ here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64ba76662059dc000d5d27c0/open-data-table-police-workforce-leavers-260723.ods
The next release of the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, which covers the number of police officer leavers in the year ending 31 March 2024, is scheduled for release at 9:30am on Wednesday 24 July 2024.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Police recorded crime figures recorded 430,104 shoplifting offences for year ending December 2023, an increase by 37% in the 12 months leading up to. The British Retail Consortium Crime Report 2024 showed there were around 475,000 incidents of violence and abuse in 2022-23. Shoplifting continues to increase at an unsatisfactory level, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers to do this. Violence and abusive behaviour towards any worker, particularly those who provide a valuable service to the public, is never acceptable. The Government will not stand for this.
Through the Crime and Policing Bill, the Government will introduce a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores. We will also end the effective immunity that has been granted to low level shoplifting of goods under £200.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The latest Crime Survey for England and Wales data (year to December 2023) shows an estimated 391,000 incidents of domestic burglary. We recognise the impact these invasive crimes can have and are committed to tackling them as part of our mission to take back our streets and make our communities safer.
This is why we have been clear, when you call the police, they should come; and when you report a crime it should be properly investigated no matter who you are, or where you live.
We welcome the police's commitment across England and Wales to attending the scene of every home burglary, and the specific College of Policing good practice guidance on conducting residential burglary investigations; setting the standard for the entire investigation, not just initial attendance, including victim care.
Response times in Devon and Cornwall are a matter for the Chief Constable for Devon and Cornwall Police.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission to take back our streets.
We will put thousands of new neighbourhood police and community support officers into local communities, such as Halifax and in West Yorkshire, so that residents have a named officer they can turn to when things go wrong.
We will crack down on those causing havoc on our high streets by introducing tougher powers via a Crime and Policing Bill, including a new Respect Order to tackle repeat offending.
The Home Office is providing £66.3m funding this financial year (2024/25) to police forces in England and Wales for hotspot policing to tackle anti-social behaviour and serious violence. West Yorkshire police have been allocated £2,476,420 of this funding.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission to take back our streets.
We will put thousands of neighbourhood police and community support officers into local communities so that residents have a named officer they can turn to when things go wrong.
We will crack down on those causing havoc on our high streets by introducing tougher powers via a Crime and Policing Bill, including a new Respect Order to tackle repeat offending.The Home Office is providing £66.3m funding this financial year (2024/25) to police forces in England and Wales for hotspot policing to tackle anti-social behaviour and serious violence. The Metropolitan Police have been allocated £8,139,508 of this funding.
We know that drugs drive crime and cause harm to individuals and society. We will take action as part of our Safer Streets Mission to drive down crime and anti-social behaviour across the country, drawing on evidence for what works in identifying drug users and intervening effectively to change patterns of behaviour including, where appropriate, treatment and recovery services for those dependent on drugs. For instance, we will consider learning from Project ADDER (Addiction, Diversion, Disruption, Enforcement, Recovery), a programme that is testing a whole-system response to combatting drug-related harms in 13 areas across England and Wales, including through increased police activity to tackle visible street-level dealing and trialling new approaches to address persistent offending.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission to take back our streets.
We will put thousands of neighbourhood police and community support officers into local communities so that residents have a named officer they can turn to when things go wrong.
We will crack down on those causing havoc on our high streets by introducing tougher powers via a Crime and Policing Bill, including a new Respect Order to tackle repeat offending.The Home Office is providing £66.3m funding this financial year (2024/25) to police forces in England and Wales for hotspot policing to tackle anti-social behaviour and serious violence. The Metropolitan Police have been allocated £8,139,508 of this funding.
We know that drugs drive crime and cause harm to individuals and society. We will take action as part of our Safer Streets Mission to drive down crime and anti-social behaviour across the country, drawing on evidence for what works in identifying drug users and intervening effectively to change patterns of behaviour including, where appropriate, treatment and recovery services for those dependent on drugs. For instance, we will consider learning from Project ADDER (Addiction, Diversion, Disruption, Enforcement, Recovery), a programme that is testing a whole-system response to combatting drug-related harms in 13 areas across England and Wales, including through increased police activity to tackle visible street-level dealing and trialling new approaches to address persistent offending.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office has never centrally collected data on the number of police station closures and has not collected this data previously.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not centrally collect data on the number of police station closures and has not collected this data previously.
Minister of State (Home Office)
We owe a tremendous gratitude to dedicated emergency service workers for their continued hard work and sacrifice to protect the public. There is no doubt that those who have their service cut short have made, and in many cases will continue to make, an invaluable contribution to the emergency services.
Medals are awarded by the Government, on behalf of His Majesty The King to recognise individuals within the service. The creation of a new medal requires a cross Government consensus before advice is put to HM The King, the implementation of a fair set of criteria and processes, and the allocation of funding. Ultimately, these decisions sit with The Monarch but the Government is happy to consider the case for any new medal or award, subject to comprehensive assessment across government to consider whether a medal of this kind would be feasible.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Police Recorded Crime figures showed 443,995 shoplifting offences for the year ending March 2024, an increase by 30% in the 12 months leading up to. Shoplifting continues to increase at an unacceptable level, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers to do this. The Government will not stand for this.
Through the Crime and Policing Bill, the Government will end the effective immunity that has been granted to low level shoplifting of goods under £200. We will also introduce a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Estimate from the Crime Survey of England and Wales (for the year ending March 2023) showed the two most common methods of entry in theft of vehicles in England and Wales are “Offender manipulated signal from remote locking device” (40%) and “Offender used a key/electric fob” (32%). This information is published by the Office for National Statistics.
The Government works closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for vehicle crime and the police-led National Vehicle Crime Working Group, which focuses on tackling vehicle crime through various workstreams. This includes training police officers on the methods used to steal vehicles, focusing on prevention and deterrence of theft of and from vehicles, encouraging vehicle owners to secure their vehicles, and working with industry to address vulnerabilities in vehicles.
The Government keeps all legislation under review. We will be introducing a Crime and Policing Bill and will consider what measures are needed to support efforts to tackle and prevent vehicle crime.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Estimate from the Crime Survey of England and Wales (for the year ending March 2023) showed the two most common methods of entry in theft of vehicles in England and Wales are “Offender manipulated signal from remote locking device” (40%) and “Offender used a key/electric fob” (32%). This information is published by the Office for National Statistics.
The Government works closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for vehicle crime and the police-led National Vehicle Crime Working Group, which focuses on tackling vehicle crime through various workstreams. This includes training police officers on the methods used to steal vehicles, focusing on prevention and deterrence of theft of and from vehicles, encouraging vehicle owners to secure their vehicles, and working with industry to address vulnerabilities in vehicles.
The Government keeps all legislation under review. We will be introducing a Crime and Policing Bill and will consider what measures are needed to support efforts to tackle and prevent vehicle crime.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is committed to an investigation or inquiry into the policing of the events at Orgreave on 18 June 1984 and will consider options for delivering this. We will ensure that the House is updated as soon as practicable.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government will keep the list of proscribed organisations under close review, as we seek to protect the UK from the threats that we face. However, we will not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not being considered for proscription.
The Government is clear that Iran’s malign activity, including the activities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), are unacceptable and will not be tolerated in the UK. The UK already maintains sanctions on over 400 Iranian individuals and entities covering human rights abuses and nuclear proliferation, including sanctioning the IRGC in its entirety. The Government will continue to consider what further steps may be taken to deter Iran’s malign activity.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Christopher Chope
(Conservative - Christchurch)
Due to the operational independence of law enforcement partners, the government is not able to comment on any specific case that is currently under review.
Action Fraud and the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau will ensure that any case is dealt with appropriately with the necessary action taken.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is in the process of reviewing a number of Home Office policies including this one and will make a decision in due course.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Government is in the process of reviewing a number of Home Office policies including this one and will make a decision in due course.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Government is in the process of reviewing a number of Home Office policies including this one and will make a decision in due course.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Claire Hanna
(Social Democratic & Labour Party - Belfast South and Mid Down)
The Government is in the process of reviewing a number of Home Office policies including this one.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Currently, those seeking to come to the UK for private medical treatment, along with their family members, can apply for a visitor visa and consideration will be given to compelling, compassionate and exceptional circumstances.
The Word Heath Organisation (WHO) position is that people who are medically evacuated should stay as close to home as possible, so that they are likely amongst those who understand their language and culture, and so that their return home, when ready, is easier.
The Government will be reviewing the current arrangements as quickly as possible to ensure that, where it is appropriate for children to travel, this route is effective.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office are unable to provide the requested data. This is on the basis the information requested is not available in a reportable format.
The Home Office are relentless in the pursuit of those who seek to enter the UK illegally. Our extensive security measures include robust, specialist measures from both Border Force and Immigration Enforcement.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office are unable to provide the requested data. This is on the basis the information requested is not available in a reportable format.
The Home Office are relentless in the pursuit of those who seek to enter the UK illegally. Our extensive security measures include robust, specialist measures from both Border Force and Immigration Enforcement.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The introduction of eGates has been part of the Home Office’s wider approach to transforming our borders. Currently, there are over 270 eGates in place at 15 air and rail ports, open to British citizens and a range of other nationalities.
We are in the process of reviewing our approach to eGate eligibility policy and will announce our decision in due course.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Operation Notification Form (ONF) is used by Immigration, Compliance and Enforcement (ICE) teams outside the Metropolitan Police area
Its purpose is to enable Immigration Enforcement (IE) to request local police assistance for an enforcement visit or notify the police of a planned enforcement visit where no additional local police assistance is required. It is used by IE to gather intelligence held by the police regarding the subjects and addresses they plan to visit. In addition, it enables local police to carry out an equalities and community impact assessment of the proposed visit and allows IE to notify police of the result of the visit using the intelligence feedback report
Operational business assurance standards provide officers with guidance relating to the use of ONFs / equivalent police checks. Assurance checks for ONFs have been conducted in past operational assurance reviews
Published guidance on the ONF can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/powers-and-operational-procedure/enforcement-planning-assessments-accessible.
The role of ‘Operational Support Officer’ is not a standard position within every operational team / unit within IE, therefore the department would not consider creating a standardised best practice guide for this position
Guidance for officers dealing with immigration enforcement matters is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/enforcement-instructions-and-guidance.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Operation Notification Form (ONF) is used by Immigration, Compliance and Enforcement (ICE) teams outside the Metropolitan Police area
Its purpose is to enable Immigration Enforcement (IE) to request local police assistance for an enforcement visit or notify the police of a planned enforcement visit where no additional local police assistance is required. It is used by IE to gather intelligence held by the police regarding the subjects and addresses they plan to visit. In addition, it enables local police to carry out an equalities and community impact assessment of the proposed visit and allows IE to notify police of the result of the visit using the intelligence feedback report
Operational business assurance standards provide officers with guidance relating to the use of ONFs / equivalent police checks. Assurance checks for ONFs have been conducted in past operational assurance reviews
Published guidance on the ONF can be found at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/powers-and-operational-procedure/enforcement-planning-assessments-accessible.
The role of ‘Operational Support Officer’ is not a standard position within every operational team / unit within IE, therefore the department would not consider creating a standardised best practice guide for this position
Guidance for officers dealing with immigration enforcement matters is available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/enforcement-instructions-and-guidance.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
We are exploring appropriate funding options and models for the new Border Security Command (BSC) moving forward. More detail on the costing will be available after a spending review.
We are working closely with stakeholders including operational partners to determine how much funding will be needed to achieve the objectives of the BSC, ensuring that value for money is achieved for taxpayers. We will smash the gangs – disrupting the supply chain of their boats and engines and prosecuting those responsible.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government takes the issue of online fraud seriously and is dedicated to protecting all members of the public from this devastating crime. We are acutely aware of the impact fraud can have on the lives of vulnerable people, including the elderly.
The Online Safety Act (OSA) will make tech companies responsible for blocking fraud and fraudulent adverts on their platforms, to better prevent the public from encountering fraud at source. The OSA’s final Codes of Practice on illegal harms are expected by end of 2024 with tech firms needing to be compliant a year after (2025). Codes on the Act’s fraudulent advertising duties are set to follow in 2026.
The City of London Police have also created a new police Fraud Protect Network, designed to reduce the threat of fraud and revictimisation by providing consistent advice to victims of fraud. The network will provide targeted safeguarding advice, with a key focus on vulnerable groups.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The Department will keep under review the feasibility of alternative to detention pilots, taking account of effectiveness and cost efficiency, as part of our plans to transform the asylum and returns system.
Minister of State (Home Office)
Allocations from the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme (ARIS) with breakdowns for police forces, government departments, local authority and other bodies that participate in ARIS is only available from financial year 2016/17 to 2022/23
Published data from financial year 2016/17 to 2021/22 can be found in tab 9 of the data tables: Reporting force and agency data - assets recovered: September 2022.
Published data from financial year 2017/18 to 2022/23 can be found in tab 10 of the data tables: Asset Recovery Statistics, financial years ending 2018 to 2023: Data Tables.
The total value of ARIS allocations to police forces, government departments, local authority and other bodies from 2016/17 to 2022/23 is £679.7m
The next publication covering financial year 2023/24 is due to be published in September.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The government has set out intentions with regards to the MEDP. Any future legislation will be set out in due course.
Minister of State (Home Office)
This Government’s priority is to maintain strong border security and steps are always taken to constantly improve the accuracy of individual identification before arrival and at the border.
Border Force checks all passengers arriving at the UK border on scheduled services to identify individuals who pose, or are suspected to pose, a risk to the national interest.
Identities, and combinations of names and dates of birth, are not necessarily unique. Individuals who share names with persons of interest may experience closer examination than those who do not, and Border Force Officers may ask them additional questions to establish their identity and allow them to proceed as quickly as possible.
Enhancements to the technical infrastructure for border checks are being rolled out to assist Border Force officers as they make their decisions.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
As a matter of long-standing policy, we do not comment on the detail of security and intelligence issues.
More generally, the government’s first duty is to protect our national security and keep our country safe. We keep potential threats to the UK under constant review and, where necessary, we use all the tools at our disposal to mitigate these threats.
When it comes to China this Government will take a consistent, long term and strategic approach, rooted in UK and global interests. We will cooperate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must, including on issues of national security.
Minister of State (Home Office)
We are committed to stamping out crime and disorder in rural areas and we will ensure countryside communities blighted by organised crime, rural theft and antisocial behaviour will be protected.
The Home Office provided a startup grant of £300,000 to set up the National Rural Crime Unit (NRCU).
The NRCU supports forces nationally in their responses to rural crime, such as the theft of farming or construction machinery, livestock theft, rural fly tipping, rural fuel theft and equine crime. The unit aims to help police forces tackle rural crime priorities through the provision of specialist operational support, as well as through sharing best practice and encouraging regional and national approaches to tackling rural crime. The NRCU helps police across the country tackle organised theft and disrupt organised crime groups, as well as working closely with the National Crime Agency.
The Home Office also directly funds the National Wildlife Crime Unit to provide intelligence, analysis and investigative assistance to forces and other law enforcement agencies across the UK to support them in investigating wildlife crime which can affect the agriculture sector.
Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government does not routinely comment on the detail of operational matters or specific threats. But the UK will always stand up to threats from foreign states. This government will always take threats to the UK incredibly seriously.
Iran’s malign activity, including the activities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), are unacceptable and will not be tolerated in the UK.
In concert with partners, the UK Government will continue to use all tools at our disposal to protect the UK and its overseas interests against any threats from the Iranian state, including malign influence.
Minister of State (Home Office)
His Majesty’s Passport Office is exceeding its performance indicator of 98.5% of standard UK passport applications, where no further information is required, being processed within three weeks. We are working to ensure that these performance levels continue.
Performance data can be found in the most recent Transparency Data release at: HM Passport Office data: Q1 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Border Force is currently conducting a small-scale trial of electronic notebooks to better understand whether they will meet the future requirements of the organisation both operationally and legally as a simplified method of data capture and database checks to help secure our borders.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Government has not made a recent assessment of a migration impacts fund. The Home Office is continuing to work with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on supporting those who have resettled in the United Kingdom.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Home Office keeps all its policies under review, including the Health and Care visa. We will work across government to carefully consider policies relating to the treatment of internationally recruited care workers.
The Government will ensure that those who commit significant offences under UK employment law are not able to sponsor overseas workers to come to the UK. Workplace exploitation which allows migration to undercut British workers will end.
The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) has issued a code of practice for recruiters in the health and social care sector, as well as detailed guidance for overseas candidates on their rights in the UK and how to avoid being exploited by employers and third-party agencies.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
We have not undertaken an assessment of the governance of Fire and Rescue Services but recognise its importance in ensuring effective delivery of public safety outcomes.
We continue to work with Fire and Rescue Authorities, the Local Government Association and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners to seek governance improvements.
Minister of State (Home Office)