Home Office

The Home Office responded to the Hon. Member’s correspondence on 23 June 2022.

The Home Office does not have a target for the number of asylum seekers who should be housed in hotels.

Our aim is to eliminate the use of hotel accommodation as contingency accommodation and we are working with Local Authorities and our Commercial Partners to do so.

This includes moving to a system of full dispersal covering all local authority areas in England, Wales and Scotland, as opposed to the previous position where many, including 31 out of 32 local authority areas in Scotland, did not take part in the dispersal accommodation system.

US nationals are not required to apply for a visa before travelling to visit the UK.

US nationals applying in other visa routes do not need to pay to access a biometric appointment, instead they can use the free service run by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) which is available in 136 locations in the US.

If customers wish to opt for additional priority services, they can use one of the 10 Premium Application Centres (PAC) run by our commercial partner, VFS, in the US to provide an enhanced visa service which comes with an associated fee. The PAC service is entirely optional and a customer’s visa decision will not be impacted if they choose not to use this service.

The Government, working with the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) and the Centre for Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI), continues to ensure that all stakeholders have access to the advice, training and guidance to ensure they understand terrorist threats and measures which can be taken to protect their staff and the public.

To further support delivery across the public and private sector and sharing of CT content, the Home Office has collaborated with NaCTSO and Pool Reinsurance to develop a new interactive online platform; ProtectUK. The platform was released at Security & Policing 2022 and is gathering feedback ahead of a more formal, public launch later this year.

Whilst our engagement and advice has done much to improve security and preparedness measures at public places, this is undertaken on a voluntary basis. This Government announced our intention to introduce a ‘Protect Duty’ in legislation. The new duty will seek to improve the safety and security at public venues through the application of proportionate security measures.

Fraud is a national threat and often cases can be complex and sophisticated. It is therefore paramount our policing colleagues have what they need to keep pace with criminals and encourage innovation within industry. That is why, through the Spending Review 21 settlement and the Economic Crime Levy an overall package over the next three years of circa £400 million is being used to tackle economic crime, including fraud.

This funding will be used to replace and upgrade Action Fraud with a new national Fraud and Cyber Reporting and Analysis Service which will gather better analysis to improve the number, quality and timeliness of information packages given to police and expand fraud investigation teams across all Regional Organised Crime Units (ROCUs) and increase investigative capacity in the City of London Police (CoLP). This funding will also support the National Crime Agency, (NCA) to increase their capabilities on fraud.

The pilot of a national cyber crime force focused on fraud, based in the NCA was set out in the 2021 Statement of Progress on the Economic Crime Plan. The NCA’s pilot has delivered new tasking, intelligence and strategic communications capabilities in the NCA. This new national cyber crime force focused on fraud will be fully established by 2025.

Later this year, we will publish a new strategy to address the threat of fraud. This will further set out how we will work with law enforcement to tackle fraud and bring offenders to justice.

This information requested is routinely published as part of UKVI Transparency data.

The most recent published data for outstanding ECCA applications can be found here: Visas and Citizenship data: Q1 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Under Visas and Citizenship Data, Tab VC_02 includes the number of straightforward applications and non-straightforward applications which remained outstanding at the end of the last reported period.

The latest published Immigration Statistics detail the number of asylum seekers on Asylum Support. These statistics can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets#asylum-support.

The Home Office does not publish a breakdown of these statistics which disaggregates the number of asylum seekers awaiting an initial screening interview are in receipt of section 98 support. These figures are not available in a reportable format and to provide the information could only be done at disproportionate cost.

We estimate that as of 27 May 9,900 offers have been made to children from Ukraine from the two sponsorship schemes. This data is published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-placements-for-children-from-outside-of-the-uk/2022-may

The Department for Education’s second monthly data collection for Local Authorities to submit data to update the numbers of school places offered to children from outside of the UK will be open between 29 June and 5 July. DfE intends to publish this data mid-July.

Information on the number of visas granted under the Ukraine Family Scheme and the Homes for Ukraine Scheme and arrivals in the UK of relevant visa holders can be found in our published data on the GOV.UK webpage: Ukraine Family Scheme and Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme (Homes for Ukraine) visa data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) (www.gov.uk). We are not however able to provide a breakdown to show how many of those arriving in the UK under either scheme were school age children.

The Government consulted from October to December 2021 on the potential to create a Road Collision Investigation Branch. The Government published its response to the consultation on 29 June, announcing our intention to create a Road Safety Investigation Branch. This Branch will operate independently of Government and the police to better understand the causes of road collisions, with the aim of reducing death and injury on our roads.

The Home Office have no plans to introduce a review into the conduct of road death investigations.

The Government consulted from October to December 2021 on the potential to create a Road Collision Investigation Branch. The Government published its response to the consultation on 29 June, announcing our intention to create a Road Safety Investigation Branch. This Branch will operate independently of Government and the police to better understand the causes of road collisions, with the aim of reducing death and injury on our roads.

The Home Office have no plans to introduce a review into the conduct of road death investigations.

This Government recognises the devastating impact theft and other forms of neighbourhood crime has on communities and businesses. That is why we are recruiting 20,000 extra police officers and have introduced the Safer Streets Fund to prevent these crimes from happening in the first place, supporting the deployment of solutions such as home security, increased street lighting and CCTV in high crime areas.

The Home Office has not provided specific guidance to the police on preventing the theft of domestic heating oil. Practical crime prevention advice on reducing the risk of fuel theft, including domestic heating oil, is published on the Secured by Design website, developed by the Police Crime Prevention Initiatives: https://www.securedbydesign.com/guidance/crime-prevention-advice/fuel-theft.

The Home Office does not hold data on domestic heating oil thefts.

This Government recognises the devastating impact theft and other forms of neighbourhood crime has on communities and businesses. That is why we are recruiting 20,000 extra police officers and have introduced the Safer Streets Fund to prevent these crimes from happening in the first place, supporting the deployment of solutions such as home security, increased street lighting and CCTV in high crime areas.

The Home Office has not provided specific guidance to the police on preventing the theft of domestic heating oil. Practical crime prevention advice on reducing the risk of fuel theft, including domestic heating oil, is published on the Secured by Design website, developed by the Police Crime Prevention Initiatives: https://www.securedbydesign.com/guidance/crime-prevention-advice/fuel-theft.

The Home Office does not hold data on domestic heating oil thefts.

This Government recognises the devastating impact theft and other forms of neighbourhood crime has on communities and businesses. That is why we are recruiting 20,000 extra police officers and have introduced the Safer Streets Fund to prevent these crimes from happening in the first place, supporting the deployment of solutions such as home security, increased street lighting and CCTV in high crime areas.

The Home Office has not provided specific guidance to the police on preventing the theft of domestic heating oil. Practical crime prevention advice on reducing the risk of fuel theft, including domestic heating oil, is published on the Secured by Design website, developed by the Police Crime Prevention Initiatives: https://www.securedbydesign.com/guidance/crime-prevention-advice/fuel-theft.

The Home Office does not hold data on domestic heating oil thefts.

The Home Office does hold information on consultancy spending and reports this in the Annual Report and Accounts.

Refer to the links and pages below for the available published information that relates to consultancy spending.

Pages 99-101 of the 2020-21 Home Office Annual Report and Accounts

HO annual report and accounts 2020-21 (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Pages 88-89 of the 2019-20 Home Office Annual Report and Accounts

Home Office annual report and accounts 2019 - 2020 (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Pages 79-80 of the 2018-19 Home Office Annual Report.

Home Office Annual Report and Accounts 2018-19 (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Pages 71-72 of the 2017-18 Home Office Annual Report.

Home Office Annual Report - 2017-18 (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Pages 59-61 (Pages 61-63 on the PDF reader) of the 2016-17 Home Office Annual Report.

ho_annual_report_and_accounts_2016_2017.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Information relating to financial year 2021-22 will be available once the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts have been laid before Parliament. This is expected to be prior to the summer recess.

Sexual harassment in public places is appalling, and this Government is committed to tackling it. Women and girls have the right to both be and feel safe on our streets.

In the Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy, published in July 2021, we committed to a series of non-legislative actions to help tackle this issue. As a result of those commitments:

- In September 2021 the Home Office and National Police Chiefs’ Council launched a pilot tool, StreetSafe, which enables the public to report anonymously areas where they feel unsafe, so that local authorities and the police can take practical steps in response, such as improved CCTV and street lighting, as well as deploying an increased police presence. As of 24 June, almost 18,000 people have submitted reports using the tool.

- In October 2021 the Home Office announced awards of £23.5 million to Police and Crime Commissioners and local authorities under Round 3 of the Safer Streets Fund, to make public spaces safer for everyone through projects to help women and girls feel safer on the streets. Most of the projects which were awarded funding involved activity to deter offending such as increased CCTV surveillance, as well as changing attitudes towards violence against women and girls.

- In December 2021 the College of Policing published a new advice product for police officers, advising them about the preventative strategies and criminal offences which they can use to respond to reports of various different types of public sexual harassment.

- In March 2022 we launched the ‘Enough’ communications campaign, which seeks to change public attitudes and tolerance towards crimes such as public sexual harassment and to help create an atmosphere in which women and girls can report such crimes to the police with confidence.

The Strategy also confirmed that we were looking carefully at where there may be gaps in existing law and how a specific offence for public sexual harassment could address those. As a result of this work, we will by the summer recess begin a consultation on whether there should be a new offence of public sexual harassment.

There are 106 staff employed in the UK Visas and Immigration MP's correspondence team.

Performance against target has been impacted by a significant increase in the volume of correspondence received, including the unprecedented amount of correspondence about the situation in Afghanistan and more recently in Ukraine.

The Department continues to prioritise enquiries related to Ukraine and recognises it has not been able to meet service standard in other cases. Actions are being taken to clear backlogs and drive-up performance. MPs can escalate urgent and compassionate cases via the team at Portcullis House.

The Department continues to recruit additional resources and has recently been loaned staff from non-operational areas to assist in clearing the backlogs. A detailed recovery plan to support a return to an acceptable service standard is being prepared.

Data about intake and performance in answering Hon. Members correspondence are published quarterly with the latest Quarter available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/customer-service-operations-data-q1-2022

There are 106 staff employed in the UK Visas and Immigration MP's correspondence team.

Performance against target has been impacted by a significant increase in the volume of correspondence received, including the unprecedented amount of correspondence about the situation in Afghanistan and more recently in Ukraine.

The Department continues to prioritise enquiries related to Ukraine and recognises it has not been able to meet service standard in other cases. Actions are being taken to clear backlogs and drive-up performance. MPs can escalate urgent and compassionate cases via the team at Portcullis House.

The Department continues to recruit additional resources and has recently been loaned staff from non-operational areas to assist in clearing the backlogs. A detailed recovery plan to support a return to an acceptable service standard is being prepared.

Data about intake and performance in answering Hon. Members correspondence are published quarterly with the latest Quarter available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/customer-service-operations-data-q1-2022

There are 106 staff employed in the UK Visas and Immigration MP's correspondence team.

Performance against target has been impacted by a significant increase in the volume of correspondence received, including the unprecedented amount of correspondence about the situation in Afghanistan and more recently in Ukraine.

The Department continues to prioritise enquiries related to Ukraine and recognises it has not been able to meet service standard in other cases. Actions are being taken to clear backlogs and drive-up performance. MPs can escalate urgent and compassionate cases via the team at Portcullis House.

The Department continues to recruit additional resources and has recently been loaned staff from non-operational areas to assist in clearing the backlogs. A detailed recovery plan to support a return to an acceptable service standard is being prepared.

Data about intake and performance in answering Hon. Members correspondence are published quarterly with the latest Quarter available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/customer-service-operations-data-q1-2022

There are 106 staff employed in the UK Visas and Immigration MP's correspondence team.

Performance against target has been impacted by a significant increase in the volume of correspondence received, including the unprecedented amount of correspondence about the situation in Afghanistan and more recently in Ukraine.

The Department continues to prioritise enquiries related to Ukraine and recognises it has not been able to meet service standard in other cases. Actions are being taken to clear backlogs and drive-up performance. MPs can escalate urgent and compassionate cases via the team at Portcullis House.

The Department continues to recruit additional resources and has recently been loaned staff from non-operational areas to assist in clearing the backlogs. A detailed recovery plan to support a return to an acceptable service standard is being prepared.

Data about intake and performance in answering Hon. Members correspondence are published quarterly with the latest Quarter available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/customer-service-operations-data-q1-2022

Appointments for urgent services are released three weeks in advance. While this means new appointments are released daily, in busy periods these will be booked quickly.

Her Majesty’s Passport Office therefore continues to explore options to further increase appointment capacity to support its customers with urgent travel needs.

This work has led to the recent opening of an eighth public counter offering urgent service appointments, and further increasing appointment availability to help support those people who need their passport more quickly.

The guidance ‘Applications for a citizenship fee waiver for individuals under the age of 18’ sets out the policy on applications that may be eligible for a fee waiver or exception, not the Home Office’s overarching nationality policy.

The registration provisions within the BNA 1981 allow for children with a close connection to the UK to be registered as a British citizen. The Home Office’s Nationality policy is published on gov.uk and guidance on citizenship can be accessed via the following link: British citizenship (nationality guidance) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The information requested is not centrally held.

The Home Office collects and publishes data on use of various police powers and procedures, available here: Police powers and procedures England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

However, information on Osman warnings is not collected.

The Home Office does hold information on consultancy spending and reports this in the Annual Report and Accounts.

Refer to the links and pages below for the available published information that relates to consultancy spending.

Pages 99-101 of the 2020-21 Home Office Annual Report and Accounts

HO annual report and accounts 2020-21 (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Pages 88-89 of the 2019-20 Home Office Annual Report and Accounts

Home Office annual report and accounts 2019 - 2020 (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Pages 79-80 of the 2018-19 Home Office Annual Report.

Home Office Annual Report and Accounts 2018-19 (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Pages 71-72 of the 2017-18 Home Office Annual Report.

Home Office Annual Report - 2017-18 (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Pages 59-61 (Pages 61-63 on the PDF reader) of the 2016-17 Home Office Annual Report.

ho_annual_report_and_accounts_2016_2017.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Information relating to financial year 2021-22 will be available once the Home Office Annual Report and Accounts have been laid before Parliament. This is expected to be prior to the summer recess.

The Home Office collects and publishes data on the size of the police workforce in England and Wales on a biannual basis in the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, available here: Police workforce England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

These data are collected by Police Force Area only, and lower levels of geography, such as Parliamentary Constituencies or Metropolitan Boroughs are not collected. Data on the number of police officers in Greater Manchester Police, on both a full-time equivalent (FTE) and a headcount basis, as at 31 March each year since 2007 are available in the Open Data Tables that accompany the release here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1005761/open-data-table-police-workforce-280721.ods

The next release of ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’, which will cover the situation as at March 2022, is scheduled for release on Wednesday 27^th July.

While the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin remains the key measure of the size of the police workforce, throughout the duration of the Police Officer Uplift Programme, the Home Office also publishes a quarterly update on the number of officers (headcount only) in England and Wales by Police Force Area. The latest release contains provisional headcount figures for 31 March 2022, which are available here: Police Officer uplift statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has acknowledged the importance for police and others to be able to recognise the signs early when dealing with somebody with a gambling addiction who is going through the criminal justice process, to ensure the best support is offered. Policing is collaborating with both the public and private sectors to improve the understanding of officers and staff of the signs to look out for.

In September 2021, a Level 2 Ofqual course, funded by the Gambling Commission, was developed and launched in collaboration with a number of experts from Gambling Health Alliance, Beacon Gambling Trust, Unite the Union and Addiction Recovery Agency. This course provides better knowledge for those working in the criminal justice system as well as those within the gambling industry, on understanding and spotting early signs of gambling addictions. This course is the first step in improving the understanding of those working within the criminal justice system, who will come across addicts in their role, using a First Aid approach to addressing and supporting those experiencing gambling-related harms.

The NPCC is currently gathering best practice from police forces on early screening of gambling addicts, ensuring the right offer of support is in place, and signposting where people can seek further help. The Government will continue to work closely with them to understand their findings and consider next steps.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has acknowledged the importance for police and others to be able to recognise the signs early when dealing with somebody with a gambling addiction who is going through criminal justice process so that the best support is offered.

The NPCC is currently gathering best practice from forces on early screening of gambling addicts, ensuring the right offer of support is in place, and signposting where people can seek further help.

The Government will continue to work closely with them to understand and consider their findings.

We have no plans to review the use of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 for cases involving crime associated with gambling-related harms.

The Gambling Commission will continue to advise on the practical application of primary and secondary legislation to prevent gambling harm, and will continue to work with the Home Office and the rest of government to implement the Economic Crime Plan, the National Strategic Assessment and the Suspicious Activity Reports Transformation programme.

The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

The Home Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Establishing a National Crime and Justice Laboratory is part of the Government’s ambition to make better use of data in the fight against crime.

We are working closely with stakeholders from across the Criminal Justice System to deliver this manifesto commitment. This has included a project working with stakeholders and suppliers to explore the technical requirements needed to underpin its development.

In March 2022 we completed a two-part Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Review, delivering on the manifesto commitment to strengthen and expand the role of PCCs. Ten years on from the introduction of the PCC model, it is right to have stepped back and evaluated the role of PCCs to ensure we can continue to evolve the model.

Recommendations from the Review will sharpen local accountability, improve transparency and enhance the public’s ability to hold their PCC to account for their record on reducing crime.

The package of reforms will also ensure that PCCs have the necessary tools and levers to cut crime in their local areas; turning the dial on their involvement in the criminal justice system, including establishing the foundations for a greater role in offender management; improving their levers in local partnerships; and increasing their access to criminal justice data.

We are working closely with our partners to implement these important reforms as quickly as possible, including legislating when parliamentary time allows.

Recommendations from Part One of the review were announced to Parliament on 16 March 2021 here: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2021-03-16/debates/21031653000006/PoliceAndCrimeCommissionerReviewConcludingPartOne.

Recommendations from Part Two of the review were announced to Parliament on 7 March 2022 here: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2022-03-07/hcws664.

The Home Office does not hold figures below the level of Police Force Area.

On the 2^nd February 2022, the Government published a total police funding settlement of up to £16.9 billion in 2022/23, an increase of up to £1.1 billion when compared to 2021/22.

Lancashire’s funding will be up to £343.7m in 2022/23, an increase of up to £17.9m when compared to 2021/22.

Operational decisions, including those on local priorities, remain the responsibility of Chief Constables and directly elected Police and Crime Commissioner’s.

We recognise that the current police funding formula is out of date and no longer accurately reflects demand on policing. We are committed to introducing a new formula that fairly and transparently distributes the circa £8.6bn of annual core grant funding to the 43 police forces in England and Wales.

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, which received Royal Assent in April, strengthened the police’s powers to arrest and seize the vehicles and other property of those who set up unauthorised encampments and cause damage, disruption or distress.

The measures also extend the powers of the police to direct trespassers to leave land.

The Government is taking steps to remove discrimination on the grounds of age. This is associated with the transitional protection arrangements and linked to the 2015 pension reforms, which was identified by the courts.

Since 1 April 2022, all police officers who continue in service do so as members of the 2015 police pension scheme. The Government is undertaking work to enable eligible pension scheme members to choose, at retirement, to receive legacy pension scheme benefits or benefits equivalent to those available under the 2015 pension scheme for service between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2022. The Government intends that the provisions for this deferred choice underpin will be implemented by 1 October 2023.

The Pensions Ombudsman has been regularly updated on the development of the Government plans to remedy the identified age discrimination. The Pensions Ombudsman has not considered the case of any particular individuals affected as this would not be appropriate while the issue is the subject of legal proceedings before the Employment Tribunal.

For people of State Pension age, there is a contributory State Pension based on an individual’s National Insurance record. It is supported by further measures for older people including Pension Credit which provides means-tested support for those most in need.

We are putting in place arrangements across Government to ensure where members of the Windrush generation have been denied access to employment because they were unable to demonstrate their lawful status, their National Insurance position is corrected so the period of the loss does not impact their State Pension entitlement.

Work on this issue is ongoing, and we continue to work with other government departments to finalise this area of work. As soon as arrangements are finalised, we will write again to explain what this will mean for affected individuals.

The costs of our broken asylum system are at a 20 year record high, currently costing the UK taxpayer over £1.5bn a year, with £4.7 million a day being spent on hotels alone. This cannot continue – and the partnership with Rwanda is a key part of our plans to reform the system and put an end to unsustainable costs which impact the taxpayer.

The Government’s efforts to facilitate entirely legitimate and legal returns of people who have entered the UK illegally are too often frustrated by late challenges submitted hours before the flight. These claims are very often baseless and entirely without merit, but are given full legal consideration which can lead to removal being rescheduled.

Costs for individual flights and legal services will vary based on a number of different factors and are regularly reviewed to ensure that best value for money is balanced against the need to remove those individuals with no right to remain in the UK.

We do not routinely disclose commercial or operational information relating to individual charter flights.

The costs of our broken asylum system are at a 20 year record high, currently costing the UK taxpayer over £1.5bn a year, with £4.7 million a day being spent on hotels alone. This cannot continue – and the partnership with Rwanda is a key part of our plans to reform the system and put an end to unsustainable costs which impact the taxpayer.

The Government’s efforts to facilitate entirely legitimate and legal returns of people who have entered the UK illegally are too often frustrated by late challenges submitted hours before the flight. These claims are very often baseless and entirely without merit, but are given full legal consideration which can lead to removal being rescheduled.

Costs for individual flights and legal services will vary based on a number of different factors and are regularly reviewed to ensure that best value for money is balanced against the need to remove those individuals with no right to remain in the UK.

We do not routinely disclose commercial or operational information relating to individual charter flights.

The costs of our broken asylum system are at a 20 year record high, currently costing the UK taxpayer over £1.5bn a year, with £4.7 million a day being spent on hotels alone. This cannot continue – and the partnership with Rwanda is a key part of our plans to reform the system and put an end to unsustainable costs which impact the taxpayer.

The Government’s efforts to facilitate entirely legitimate and legal returns of people who have entered the UK illegally are too often frustrated by late challenges submitted hours before the flight. These claims are very often baseless and entirely without merit, but are given full legal consideration which can lead to removal being rescheduled.

Costs for individual flights and legal services will vary based on a number of different factors and are regularly reviewed to ensure that best value for money is balanced against the need to remove those individuals with no right to remain in the UK.

We do not routinely disclose commercial or operational information relating to individual charter flights.

The Government recognises that misuse of off-road bikes can cause nuisance and distress to communities. The Minister for Safeguarding set out the Government’s approach to dealing with this problem in an adjournment debate on 20 June 2022. Data on the number of incidents is not held centrally.

Between May and September 2021, the Government held a consultation seeking views on new levels of fees applied to the removal and storage of vehicles under the Police Reform Act 2002 in England and Wales. The consultation also sought views on whether aspects of the regulations and legislation are adequate to provide a sustainable service for vehicle recovery. However, the consultation did not include plans to amend the Section 59 powers. We will shortly announce the next steps following our consultation.

The Government does not believe that the introduction of a mandatory registration scheme for off-road quad bikes would be the most effective way to tackle dangerous and anti-social use. It would also place a burden and cost on law abiding citizens who would be most impacted by the requirements.

We will continue to support the police to enforce road traffic legislation and will use every available measure to confront the scourge of antisocial behaviour.

The Government recognises that misuse of off-road bikes can cause nuisance and distress to communities. The Minister for Safeguarding set out the Government’s approach to dealing with this problem in an adjournment debate on 20 June 2022. Data on the number of incidents is not held centrally.

Between May and September 2021, the Government held a consultation seeking views on new levels of fees applied to the removal and storage of vehicles under the Police Reform Act 2002 in England and Wales. The consultation also sought views on whether aspects of the regulations and legislation are adequate to provide a sustainable service for vehicle recovery. However, the consultation did not include plans to amend the Section 59 powers. We will shortly announce the next steps following our consultation.

The Government does not believe that the introduction of a mandatory registration scheme for off-road quad bikes would be the most effective way to tackle dangerous and anti-social use. It would also place a burden and cost on law abiding citizens who would be most impacted by the requirements.

We will continue to support the police to enforce road traffic legislation and will use every available measure to confront the scourge of antisocial behaviour.

The Government recognises that misuse of off-road bikes can cause nuisance and distress to communities. The Minister for Safeguarding set out the Government’s approach to dealing with this problem in an adjournment debate on 20 June 2022. Data on the number of incidents is not held centrally.

Between May and September 2021, the Government held a consultation seeking views on new levels of fees applied to the removal and storage of vehicles under the Police Reform Act 2002 in England and Wales. The consultation also sought views on whether aspects of the regulations and legislation are adequate to provide a sustainable service for vehicle recovery. However, the consultation did not include plans to amend the Section 59 powers. We will shortly announce the next steps following our consultation.

The Government does not believe that the introduction of a mandatory registration scheme for off-road quad bikes would be the most effective way to tackle dangerous and anti-social use. It would also place a burden and cost on law abiding citizens who would be most impacted by the requirements.

We will continue to support the police to enforce road traffic legislation and will use every available measure to confront the scourge of antisocial behaviour.

The Government recognises that misuse of off-road bikes can cause nuisance and distress to communities. The Minister for Safeguarding set out the Government’s approach to dealing with this problem in an adjournment debate on 20 June 2022. Data on the number of incidents is not held centrally.

Between May and September 2021, the Government held a consultation seeking views on new levels of fees applied to the removal and storage of vehicles under the Police Reform Act 2002 in England and Wales. The consultation also sought views on whether aspects of the regulations and legislation are adequate to provide a sustainable service for vehicle recovery. However, the consultation did not include plans to amend the Section 59 powers. We will shortly announce the next steps following our consultation.

The Government does not believe that the introduction of a mandatory registration scheme for off-road quad bikes would be the most effective way to tackle dangerous and anti-social use. It would also place a burden and cost on law abiding citizens who would be most impacted by the requirements.

We will continue to support the police to enforce road traffic legislation and will use every available measure to confront the scourge of antisocial behaviour.

The Government recognises that misuse of off-road bikes can cause nuisance and distress to communities. The Minister for Safeguarding set out the Government’s approach to dealing with this problem in an adjournment debate on 20 June 2022. Data on the number of incidents is not held centrally.

Between May and September 2021, the Government held a consultation seeking views on new levels of fees applied to the removal and storage of vehicles under the Police Reform Act 2002 in England and Wales. The consultation also sought views on whether aspects of the regulations and legislation are adequate to provide a sustainable service for vehicle recovery. However, the consultation did not include plans to amend the Section 59 powers. We will shortly announce the next steps following our consultation.

The Government does not believe that the introduction of a mandatory registration scheme for off-road quad bikes would be the most effective way to tackle dangerous and anti-social use. It would also place a burden and cost on law abiding citizens who would be most impacted by the requirements.

We will continue to support the police to enforce road traffic legislation and will use every available measure to confront the scourge of antisocial behaviour.

Police forces are operationally independent and the handling of 101 calls is a matter for them. It is for Chief Constables and elected Police and Crime Commissioners or Mayors to decide how to handle communications with the public, based on their experience and knowledge of the communities they serve.

However, the Home Office is clear that any call to the 101 number should be answered in a timely manner, and after providing details of the incident the caller should be given a crime reference number to track progress or request an update from the police on the case. In its Beating Crime Plan the Government committed to improving the responsiveness of local police to 101 and 999 calls by developing league tables for call answering times and ensuring that the public know how responsive their local force is when they call them for help.

On 31 May we published national data on answering times to 999 calls and later this year we are planning to publish performance data for all forces showing responsiveness to 101 calls.

The Home Office is making sure that the police have the resources they need to beat crime, which remains one of the Government’s top priorities.

This includes £14m in funding to the NPCC’s Digital Public Contact Programme to support delivery of the Single Online Home national policing digital platform. This provides a digital 101 service, an online facility to make it easier for victims of ASB to report incidents.