Home Office

The Defending Democracy Taskforce has met six times in the last 12 months.

The Taskforce comprises of Ministers and senior officials from multiple government departments, alongside representatives from law enforcement, the Parliamentary authorities, the Electoral Commission, and the UK Intelligence Community.

It is for employers and the sectors involved to set requirements for criminal record checks as part of their safeguarding requirements. However, the disclosure and barring regime does allow for transfer of criminal record certificates, provided by the Disclosure and Barring Service, if the certificate is for the same workforce and at the same level.

For further information, I would refer the hon member to the response previously provided by the Home Office, UIN: 119660.

Those who claimed asylum or made further submissions before 2 March 2026, and who are eligible for protection, will receive 5 years’ permission to stay in accordance with the transitional arrangements included in the Immigration Rules laid on 5 March 2026.

Refugees approaching the end of their 5 years’ permission remain eligible to apply under Appendix Settlement Protection.

The family reunion route was suspended to ease the pressures that local authorities and public services have been placed under due to the recent significant increase in people arriving under this route in recent years. Other family routes remain available including Appendix FM, and cases lodged before the suspension continue to be considered on a case-by-case basis. During the suspension, we are undertaking a review of the route, along with the wider family rules, to place the system on a more sustainable footing. Further information about forthcoming changes will follow in due course

The Home Office maintains regular engagement with a wide range of stakeholders on asylum and immigration matters, including providing updates on policy developments. As with any change, we recognise that there may be impacts arising from the package of reforms on organisations supporting asylum seekers and refugees.  We will maintain our regular engagement and on-going work with, for example, local authorities, Non-Government Organisations and other stakeholders.

Children are not a homogeneous cohort, and careful consideration will be given as to how children will be impacted when policy frameworks are applied in respect of them, in line with Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). We will work with external stakeholders to shape policy development, including elements which will impact children. Whilst the changes take place the Government will continue to protect the welfare and best interests of children, including refugees

This Government is committed to supporting refugees and those granted protection in the UK to fully integrate and contribute to British economy and society, in a way that promotes community cohesion. All refugees and those granted protection in the UK should be able to fully integrate into life here and become self-sufficient, providing for themselves and their families, and contributing to the economy.

Those who claimed asylum or made further submissions before 2 March 2026, and who are eligible for protection, will receive 5 years’ permission to stay in accordance with the transitional arrangements included in the Immigration Rules laid on 5 March 2026.

Refugees approaching the end of their 5 years’ permission remain eligible to apply under Appendix Settlement Protection.

The family reunion route was suspended to ease the pressures that local authorities and public services have been placed under due to the recent significant increase in people arriving under this route in recent years. Other family routes remain available including Appendix FM, and cases lodged before the suspension continue to be considered on a case-by-case basis. During the suspension, we are undertaking a review of the route, along with the wider family rules, to place the system on a more sustainable footing. Further information about forthcoming changes will follow in due course

The Home Office maintains regular engagement with a wide range of stakeholders on asylum and immigration matters, including providing updates on policy developments. As with any change, we recognise that there may be impacts arising from the package of reforms on organisations supporting asylum seekers and refugees.  We will maintain our regular engagement and on-going work with, for example, local authorities, Non-Government Organisations and other stakeholders.

Children are not a homogeneous cohort, and careful consideration will be given as to how children will be impacted when policy frameworks are applied in respect of them, in line with Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). We will work with external stakeholders to shape policy development, including elements which will impact children. Whilst the changes take place the Government will continue to protect the welfare and best interests of children, including refugees

This Government is committed to supporting refugees and those granted protection in the UK to fully integrate and contribute to British economy and society, in a way that promotes community cohesion. All refugees and those granted protection in the UK should be able to fully integrate into life here and become self-sufficient, providing for themselves and their families, and contributing to the economy.

Those who claimed asylum or made further submissions before 2 March 2026, and who are eligible for protection, will receive 5 years’ permission to stay in accordance with the transitional arrangements included in the Immigration Rules laid on 5 March 2026.

Refugees approaching the end of their 5 years’ permission remain eligible to apply under Appendix Settlement Protection.

The family reunion route was suspended to ease the pressures that local authorities and public services have been placed under due to the recent significant increase in people arriving under this route in recent years. Other family routes remain available including Appendix FM, and cases lodged before the suspension continue to be considered on a case-by-case basis. During the suspension, we are undertaking a review of the route, along with the wider family rules, to place the system on a more sustainable footing. Further information about forthcoming changes will follow in due course

The Home Office maintains regular engagement with a wide range of stakeholders on asylum and immigration matters, including providing updates on policy developments. As with any change, we recognise that there may be impacts arising from the package of reforms on organisations supporting asylum seekers and refugees.  We will maintain our regular engagement and on-going work with, for example, local authorities, Non-Government Organisations and other stakeholders.

Children are not a homogeneous cohort, and careful consideration will be given as to how children will be impacted when policy frameworks are applied in respect of them, in line with Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). We will work with external stakeholders to shape policy development, including elements which will impact children. Whilst the changes take place the Government will continue to protect the welfare and best interests of children, including refugees

This Government is committed to supporting refugees and those granted protection in the UK to fully integrate and contribute to British economy and society, in a way that promotes community cohesion. All refugees and those granted protection in the UK should be able to fully integrate into life here and become self-sufficient, providing for themselves and their families, and contributing to the economy.

Those who claimed asylum or made further submissions before 2 March 2026, and who are eligible for protection, will receive 5 years’ permission to stay in accordance with the transitional arrangements included in the Immigration Rules laid on 5 March 2026.

Refugees approaching the end of their 5 years’ permission remain eligible to apply under Appendix Settlement Protection.

The family reunion route was suspended to ease the pressures that local authorities and public services have been placed under due to the recent significant increase in people arriving under this route in recent years. Other family routes remain available including Appendix FM, and cases lodged before the suspension continue to be considered on a case-by-case basis. During the suspension, we are undertaking a review of the route, along with the wider family rules, to place the system on a more sustainable footing. Further information about forthcoming changes will follow in due course

The Home Office maintains regular engagement with a wide range of stakeholders on asylum and immigration matters, including providing updates on policy developments. As with any change, we recognise that there may be impacts arising from the package of reforms on organisations supporting asylum seekers and refugees.  We will maintain our regular engagement and on-going work with, for example, local authorities, Non-Government Organisations and other stakeholders.

Children are not a homogeneous cohort, and careful consideration will be given as to how children will be impacted when policy frameworks are applied in respect of them, in line with Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). We will work with external stakeholders to shape policy development, including elements which will impact children. Whilst the changes take place the Government will continue to protect the welfare and best interests of children, including refugees

This Government is committed to supporting refugees and those granted protection in the UK to fully integrate and contribute to British economy and society, in a way that promotes community cohesion. All refugees and those granted protection in the UK should be able to fully integrate into life here and become self-sufficient, providing for themselves and their families, and contributing to the economy.

Those who claimed asylum or made further submissions before 2 March 2026, and who are eligible for protection, will receive 5 years’ permission to stay in accordance with the transitional arrangements included in the Immigration Rules laid on 5 March 2026.

Refugees approaching the end of their 5 years’ permission remain eligible to apply under Appendix Settlement Protection.

The family reunion route was suspended to ease the pressures that local authorities and public services have been placed under due to the recent significant increase in people arriving under this route in recent years. Other family routes remain available including Appendix FM, and cases lodged before the suspension continue to be considered on a case-by-case basis. During the suspension, we are undertaking a review of the route, along with the wider family rules, to place the system on a more sustainable footing. Further information about forthcoming changes will follow in due course

The Home Office maintains regular engagement with a wide range of stakeholders on asylum and immigration matters, including providing updates on policy developments. As with any change, we recognise that there may be impacts arising from the package of reforms on organisations supporting asylum seekers and refugees.  We will maintain our regular engagement and on-going work with, for example, local authorities, Non-Government Organisations and other stakeholders.

Children are not a homogeneous cohort, and careful consideration will be given as to how children will be impacted when policy frameworks are applied in respect of them, in line with Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). We will work with external stakeholders to shape policy development, including elements which will impact children. Whilst the changes take place the Government will continue to protect the welfare and best interests of children, including refugees

This Government is committed to supporting refugees and those granted protection in the UK to fully integrate and contribute to British economy and society, in a way that promotes community cohesion. All refugees and those granted protection in the UK should be able to fully integrate into life here and become self-sufficient, providing for themselves and their families, and contributing to the economy.

Home Office officials have started conversations with the Office for National Statistics to investigate the technical feasibility of linking anonymised person-level data Census data to police recorded hate crime to improve its data quality.

I will write to you once these discussions have concluded.

The Home Office has two Directors with responsibility for human resources, both of which hold qualifications from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

The Home Office does not hold or collate the information requested.

The Motor Vehicle Tyres (Safety) Regulations 1994, set out requirements for re-treaded tyres, as well as brand new tyres. Consumers can be confident in the safety of any tyre that complies with these requirements.

The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February 2025, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public safety. The Government response set out the reasons why the Government considers this consultation to be important, and we intend to publish this shortly.

The Home Office publishes detailed annual statistics on the use of animals in science, including procedures for acute and subacute toxicity testing which covers tests such as LD50 (Lethal Dose 50) and LC50 (Lethal Concentration 50). These figures represent the total number of procedures carried out in this category each year.

The Home Office does not collect information on whether individual procedures were conducted specifically to meet UK only regulatory requirements, so the data is not available in the form requested.

Based on the published annual statistics, the total number of procedures in the acute and sub‑acute toxicity category (which includes LD50 and LC50 tests) in each of the last five years is as follows:

2024: 11,992

2023: 11,519

2022: 12,651

2021: 11,758

Statistics for 2025 have not yet been published. Official statistics on the use of animals in science are released annually and are available here:
www.gov.uk/government/collections/animals-in-science-statistics

The Home Office does not collect information on the nationality of police officers.

The Home Office does not collect information on the number of individuals aged 17 years old who have applied to join the police service.

As set out in my earlier response, the police have a responsibility to protect the public by detecting and preventing crime, including violent crime within the nighttime economy. They already have a wide range of powers to do this effectively, including those provided under the Prevention of Crime Act 1953 in relation to the possession and use of offensive weapons.

The Home Office keeps existing powers under review and would consider any new or emerging evidence as appropriate.

Antisocial behaviour causes misery in towns and communities across the country, often hitting the most vulnerable hardest. Under our Plan for Change, we have committed to cracking down on anti-social behaviour, including in local communities.

The central aim of our police reforms is to protect and revitalise neighbourhood policing. We are lifting national responsibilities off local forces, so they focus on tackling local issues, like fighting anti-social behaviour.

Under the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee every police force in England and Wales now has a dedicated lead officer for anti-social behaviour, who will work with communities to develop an action plan to tackle ASB, these will be published in early April.

The 2026–27 final police funding settlement provides up to £21.0 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. This is an increase of up to £1.3 billion compared with the 2025–26 settlement, representing a 6.7% cash increase and a 4.4% real terms increase.

Total funding to police forces will be up to £18.4 billion, an increase of up to £796 million compared to the 2025-26 police funding settlement. This equates to a 4.5% cash increase and a 2.3% real terms increase in funding.

The Home Office publishes official statistics on violent crime recorded by the police in England Wales at the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) Area level.

Figures for the CSP areas of St Albans and Dacorum can be found in Open Data Tables, available here: Police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables - GOV.UK

Given the relatively low volume of offences involving knives or sharp instruments, such statistics are only published at the Police Force Area (PFA) level and those for Hertfordshire PFA can also be found at the weblink given above.

The Home Office publishes official statistics on violent crime recorded by the police in England Wales at the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) Area level.

Figures for the CSP areas of St Albans and Dacorum can be found in Open Data Tables, available here: Police recorded crime and outcomes open data tables - GOV.UK

Given the relatively low volume of offences involving knives or sharp instruments, such statistics are only published at the Police Force Area (PFA) level and those for Hertfordshire PFA can also be found at the weblink given above.

The Home Office works closely with domestic and international partners to strengthen cooperation between law enforcement agencies in tackling cross‑border criminal activity. This includes supporting UK law enforcement’s use of established international frameworks and operational channels, including the UK’s arrangements with the European Union under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, as well as cooperation through organisations such as Europol and INTERPOL.

In line with the Common Understanding agreed at the 2025 UK‑EU Summit, the Department is continuing to build on the strong existing relationship with EU partners to improve practical cooperation against international criminality. This includes improved data‑exchange and operational capabilities, such as strengthened biometrics and criminal records sharing.

The Home Office also continues to develop bilateral and multilateral agreements with international partners to further improve law enforcement and judicial cooperation, where there is a need to do so, ensuring that UK law enforcement agencies are well equipped to prevent, investigate and disrupt criminal activity that operates across borders.

The Home Office maintains a rigorous approach to enforcing Section 2A of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, which embeds the statutory principles of replacement, reduction and refinement (the 3Rs). All applications proposing the use of animals undergo a robust assessment to ensure that non-animal alternatives have been fully explored, that any animals use is fully justified and that potential harms are minimised. Compliance with the 3Rs is actively monitored through a programme of audit and follow-up enforcement activity.

Animal Welfare and Ethical Review bodies (AWERBs) have an essential and statutory responsibility under ASPA in challenging the need for animal use and advising on the application of the 3Rs within establishments. The Home Office has commissioned the Animals in Science Committee for advice on enhancing the effectiveness and consistency of AWERBs across the system.

In November 2025, the Government published “Replacing animals in science: a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods”. This strategy commits to delivery of recommendations published in the ‘Rawle Report’, which involve strengthening Home Office processes for assuring full implementation of the 3Rs. The report is available here: The role of review and regulatory approvals processes for animal research in supporting implementation of the 3Rs

The Government is committed to tackling SOC in all its forms in line with the priorities we have set out on crime and policing and security, including the Safer Streets mission and border security. Due to the nature of the threat from SOC requires a whole system approach in tackling it.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) plays a pivotal role in leading the operational response at the national and international level, protecting the public by targeting and pursuing criminals who pose the greatest risk to the UK. That is why as part of the recent Spending Review, the Government has increased the NCA core budget by £120m from 2025/26 to 2026/27, to ensure that the Agency is well-equipped to tackle SOC. A review of the effectiveness and efficiency of NCA by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services is underway and will be published later in the Spring.

As set out in the Government’s Police Reform White Paper, the Department will further strengthen the response to SOC and other threats by creating a National Police Service (NPS). The NPS will bring together the NCA, Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) and the national facing capabilities of ROCUs. This will create a stronger, more coherent centre, delivering real benefit to the public. It will also improve efficiency and increase productivity, saving money to reinvest in local policing.

Our police reforms will end the postcode lottery of provision by setting central targets, increasing transparency so people can see how their force is performing, and taking robust action where forces are not performing.

With our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee every neighbourhood, rural or urban, now gets a named contactable officer and a response to non-urgent queries in 72 hours.

Every rural area will be covered by a Local Policing Area under a commander responsible for emergency response, local crime investigation and neighbourhood policing. They will be set targets to ensure they answer 90% of 999 calls within 10 seconds and attend 90% of the most serious incidents within 15 minutes in urban area or 20 minutes in rural areas.

We are ensuring forces have the tools and resources they need to deal with rural crime like equipment theft and livestock rustling. We are on track to deliver an additional 3,000 neighbourhood officers by March.

We are equipping those officers with tougher measures to clamp down on equipment theft and anti-social behaviour, and to prevent farm theft and fly-tipping. We are finally implementing the Equipment Theft Act, which will make it harder to steal All-Terrain Vehicles and GPS units used in an agricultural setting and easier for the police to identify the owners when such items are recovered.

We are ensuring the police have the capability to pursue the organised criminal gangs behind some rural crime. This financial year the Home Office has provided the first Government funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (£365,000) as well as continuing funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (£450,000) to help them target organised crime groups stealing farm equipment and to disrupt networks exploiting endangered species in the UK and abroad.

The Government encourages consumers to use providers that operate under a regulated trusted trader scheme, such as the Master Locksmiths Association (MLA), which has a licensing scheme in place. This licensing scheme ensures locksmiths are appropriately vetted, inspected and qualified, which includes a satisfactory standard DBS check.

The Home Office publishes annual statistics on the use of animals in science which contain information on the number of procedures conducted each year. The number of procedures is not equal the number of animals that have been used in procedures that year because some animals may be used more than once in certain circumstances.The published annual statistics are available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/animals-in-science-statistics

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/replacing-animals-in-science-strategy/replacing-animals-in-science-a-strategy-to-support-the-development-validation-and-uptake-of-alternative-methods

The Chief Constables of the three forces involved in the tripartite firearms licensing arrangement involving Bedfordshire Police, Cambridgeshire Constabulary and Hertfordshire Constabulary received an accelerated cause of concern notice from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) on 9 January 2026 relating to the management of firearms licensing.

HMICFRS requested that the Chief Constables of the three police forces set out in an action plan how they intended to address the issues in the accelerated cause of concern within 28 working days. The response to HMICFRS has since been sent within the deadline set out in the notice.

Section 17 of the Inquiries Act 2005 requires the Chair of an Inquiry established under the Act to act with fairness and with regard to the need to avoid any unnecessary cost. Once the Orgreave Inquiry is established, it will be expected to publish its costs periodically. Ministers will meet with the Chair to discuss budgets and timetables in more detail once the terms of reference have been published, at which point it will be possible to make more reliable estimates on the inquiry’s time and cost.

Under the 2005 Act, there are legal requirements concerning the expertise, balance and impartiality of the Chair. The previous Home Secretary made the decision to appoint the Chair of the Inquiry on the basis of those requirements being met.

From 8 April 2026, the English language requirement for settlement will be raised from level B1 to level B2 under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) for most routes that currently require B1. This increase will take effect on 26 March 2027, allowing those already on a pathway to settlement a 12-month period in which to undertake any necessary learning or preparation. We believe this will strengthen long-term integration outcomes.

The consultation for the earned settlement model, as proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, was open to the public between 20 November 2025 and 12 February 2026.

We are now reviewing and analysing all responses received. This analysis will help inform the development of the final earned settlement model, including consideration of any transitional measures for those already on a pathway to settlement.

As part of this consultation, we sought views on the potential impact of the proposed changes, including the impact on changes to the qualifying residence period for settlement; and the proposal for those working in roles below RQF level 6 to have a 15-year qualifying period for settlement.

Once the final model has been decided, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly.  As with all significant policy changes, the proposals will be subject to both economic and equality impact assessments.

From 8 April 2026, the English language requirement for settlement will be raised from level B1 to level B2 under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) for most routes that currently require B1. This increase will take effect on 26 March 2027, allowing those already on a pathway to settlement a 12-month period in which to undertake any necessary learning or preparation. We believe this will strengthen long-term integration outcomes.

The consultation for the earned settlement model, as proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, was open to the public between 20 November 2025 and 12 February 2026.

We are now reviewing and analysing all responses received. This analysis will help inform the development of the final earned settlement model, including consideration of any transitional measures for those already on a pathway to settlement.

As part of this consultation, we sought views on the potential impact of the proposed changes, including the impact on changes to the qualifying residence period for settlement; and the proposal for those working in roles below RQF level 6 to have a 15-year qualifying period for settlement.

Once the final model has been decided, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly.  As with all significant policy changes, the proposals will be subject to both economic and equality impact assessments.

From 8 April 2026, the English language requirement for settlement will be raised from level B1 to level B2 under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) for most routes that currently require B1. This increase will take effect on 26 March 2027, allowing those already on a pathway to settlement a 12-month period in which to undertake any necessary learning or preparation. We believe this will strengthen long-term integration outcomes.

The consultation for the earned settlement model, as proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, was open to the public between 20 November 2025 and 12 February 2026.

We are now reviewing and analysing all responses received. This analysis will help inform the development of the final earned settlement model, including consideration of any transitional measures for those already on a pathway to settlement.

As part of this consultation, we sought views on the potential impact of the proposed changes, including the impact on changes to the qualifying residence period for settlement; and the proposal for those working in roles below RQF level 6 to have a 15-year qualifying period for settlement.

Once the final model has been decided, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly.  As with all significant policy changes, the proposals will be subject to both economic and equality impact assessments.

From 8 April 2026, the English language requirement for settlement will be raised from level B1 to level B2 under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) for most routes that currently require B1. This increase will take effect on 26 March 2027, allowing those already on a pathway to settlement a 12-month period in which to undertake any necessary learning or preparation. We believe this will strengthen long-term integration outcomes.

The consultation for the earned settlement model, as proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, was open to the public between 20 November 2025 and 12 February 2026.

We are now reviewing and analysing all responses received. This analysis will help inform the development of the final earned settlement model, including consideration of any transitional measures for those already on a pathway to settlement.

As part of this consultation, we sought views on the potential impact of the proposed changes, including the impact on changes to the qualifying residence period for settlement; and the proposal for those working in roles below RQF level 6 to have a 15-year qualifying period for settlement.

Once the final model has been decided, the Government will communicate the outcome publicly.  As with all significant policy changes, the proposals will be subject to both economic and equality impact assessments.

The joint Home Office and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Forced Marriage Unit (FMU), provides support and advice to victims, those at risk, and professionals.

In the Restoring Order and Control policy statement, the Government committed to transforming its approach to safe and legal routes. This included the creation of a named sponsorship scheme to enable community groups to sponsor refugees and displaced persons.

The Government is working with a range of stakeholders to design and develop the new pathways. Stakeholder engagement will continue throughout the design process.

Further details, including timeframes for the launch of the route, will be provided in due course.

Recipients of Prevent Future Death reports are under a statutory obligation to respond within 56 days.

In the cases named, it would be a matter for the College of Policing and Independent Office for Police Conduct respectively to respond accordingly as they have to previous such reports.

Recipients of Prevent Future Death reports are under a statutory obligation to respond within 56 days.

In the cases named, it would be a matter for the College of Policing and Independent Office for Police Conduct respectively to respond accordingly as they have to previous such reports.

Recipients of Prevent Future Death reports are under a statutory obligation to respond within 56 days.

In the cases named, it would be a matter for the College of Policing and Independent Office for Police Conduct respectively to respond accordingly as they have to previous such reports.

The Home Office has now completed the initial scoping phase of the internal review and will shortly be reaching out to relevant stakeholders, including political parties, to arrange meetings in April to gather their views.

An internal report is expected to be completed by the end of May.

West Midlands Police is responsible for how guidance on charging for abnormal roads is implemented in its area. Local variation in the management of abnormal loads may be necessary to account for factors such as geography and road infrastructure.

NPCC guidance for police forces on managing abnormal loads, and the charging framework, were updated in March and May 2025 respectively. These seek to promote greater national alignment across forces, where possible, noting the need for variations. The NPCC has committed to review this guidance twelve months after publication to ensure it remains fit for purpose.

All Home Office Inspectors are specifically trained to assess licence applications rigorously and robustly and thereby assure compliance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). The National Centre for the 3Rs (NC3Rs) are providing training for all Inspectors which includes accessing 3Rs knowledge. Inspectors are also signposted to further resources, including Replacing Animal Research’s “Replacement Checklist”.

The responsibility of ensuring the principles of the 3Rs (replacement, reduction and refinement) have been fully applied in applications belongs to the applicant. The role of the Home Office is to assure that the applicant has conducted the necessary activity to maximally apply each of the 3Rs.

Establishments which test on animals must establish an Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body (AWERB). AWERBs have a statutory responsibility under ASPA to advise on the application of the 3Rs within establishments. Home Office guidance stipulates that all applications for a new project licence must be evaluated by the local AWERB.

The Government is committed to non-animal alternatives in science and has published a strategy which sets out our long-term vision for a world where the use of animals in science is eliminated in all but exceptional circumstances. The strategy is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/replacing-animals-in-science-strategy/replacing-animals-in-science-a-strategy-to-support-the-development-validation-and-uptake-of-alternative-methods

The Home Office publishes quarterly transparency data showing the number of applications for citizenship.

There are currently no plans to publish data with the level of detail mentioned in the question.

The decision to introduce a visa brake on the Student visa route for these nationalities was based on data-driven migration and border security considerations. While we recognise that most people who apply to study in the UK do so genuinely, the evidence is clear that the Student route for these nationalities has been a source of a high number and high proportion of visa-linked asylum claims. We have therefore acted to halt this unacceptable strain on our asylum system, and to ensure that the system remains fair, credible, and sustainable.

We have no plans to provide exceptions for individuals who studied at specific institutions or types of institution.

The Home Office has engaged with Highland Council, as well as other local stakeholders including the Police, NHS, Scottish Fire & Rescue Service and others since plans were announced in October 2025.

The department continues to engage regularly with all statutory partners as plans progress. Key information about the plans discussed with local partners can be found on the factsheet Cameron Barracks, Inverness: factsheet - GOV.UK, which will be updated as further information becomes available.

Latest published information shows that at the end of Q4 2025 there were 19,470 foreign national offenders (FNOs) living in the community having completed their custodial sentences and subject to deportation or administrative removal. The published information can be found at: Migration transparency data - GOV.UK.

Any FNO convicted of a crime who receives a custodial sentence in the UK is referred to the Home Office for deportation consideration following sentencing. We are focussing resource on those cases currently serving custodial sentences to maximise removals directly from prison.

Where removal is not immediately possible, electronic monitoring can be used to manage FNOs.

We will pursue deportation action against individuals living in the community rigorously, actively monitoring and managing cases through the legal process and negotiating barriers to removal.

No assessment has been made. Since the repeal of the Coronavirus Act easements, Death Certification Reform provisions came into force on 9 September 2024 which introduced more effective processes for death certification and registration, alongside a strengthened system of medical scrutiny for all deaths.

The Home Office is also committed to delivering the Civil Registration Service Transformation Programme which will provide the bereaved with greater flexibility and choice on how deaths are registered.

Operation Reckoning is delivering a surged enforcement response aimed at tackling all layers of criminal activity associated with the model of phone theft in London, including street level offenders, middle market handlers and those responsible for the export of stolen devices. It is delivering significant results: in the 12 months to February, mobile phone theft in the capital fell by 12.3% on the previous year.

We welcome this significant progress, but too many people are still being subjected to the considerable distress and disruption caused by these criminals and we are determined to bring these numbers down further.

To break the business model that drives mobile phone theft, we need to reduce the value of a stolen device. The Metropolitan Police are leading work with technology partners to look at the quickest and most effective ways of achieving this outcome and we are working in close support of this collaboration.