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.
Digital ID can refer to many different aspects of a person’s identity which can be recorded and stored digitally, including …
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: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.
Home Office does not have Bills currently before Parliament
A Bill to require persons with control of certain premises or events to take steps to reduce the vulnerability of the premises or event to, and the risk of physical harm to individuals arising from, acts of terrorism; to confer related functions on the Security Industry Authority; to limit the disclosure of information about licensed premises that is likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism; and for connected purposes.
This Bill received Royal Assent on 3rd April 2025 and was enacted into law.
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).
Ban immediately the use of dogs in scientific and regulatory procedures
Sign this petition Gov Responded - 5 Mar 2025 Debated on - 28 Apr 2025As a first step to end animal testing, we want an immediate ban for dogs. They are commercially bred in what we see as bleak and inhumane factory-like conditions. We believe there is evidence suggesting that dogs are left being unattended for extended periods in a Government-licenced establishment.
We believe our country is facing serious challenges both from legal and illegal migration, and think the only way to deal with this is to suspend all immigration temporarily for 5 years.
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.
The Government is committed to supporting all volunteers in policing, including Volunteer Police Cadets, who bring diverse and valuable skills that complement the roles of regular officers and staff in delivering the best service to the public. Volunteers strengthen the police’s ability to engage with local residents and build trust in communities, which are both crucial pillars of neighbourhood policing. It is essential that a variety of life experiences, skills and knowledge across all communities in England and Wales are brought into police services.
The Home Office does not directly fund individual Volunteer Police Cadet schemes. Decisions on management and funding of each force’s Volunteer Police Cadet scheme is the responsibility of its chief officer and Police and Crime Commissioner.
As part of the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistics the Home Office collects and publishes information on Police Support Volunteers, aged 18 and over. This information is available here: Police workforce England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK.
The Government is committed to supporting all volunteers in policing, including Volunteer Police Cadets, who bring diverse and valuable skills that complement the roles of regular officers and staff in delivering the best service to the public. Volunteers strengthen the police’s ability to engage with local residents and build trust in communities, which are both crucial pillars of neighbourhood policing. It is essential that a variety of life experiences, skills and knowledge across all communities in England and Wales are brought into police services.
The Home Office does not directly fund individual Volunteer Police Cadet schemes. Decisions on management and funding of each force’s Volunteer Police Cadet scheme is the responsibility of its chief officer and Police and Crime Commissioner.
As part of the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistics the Home Office collects and publishes information on Police Support Volunteers, aged 18 and over. This information is available here: Police workforce England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK.
The Government is committed to supporting all volunteers in policing, including Volunteer Police Cadets, who bring diverse and valuable skills that complement the roles of regular officers and staff in delivering the best service to the public. Volunteers strengthen the police’s ability to engage with local residents and build trust in communities, which are both crucial pillars of neighbourhood policing. It is essential that a variety of life experiences, skills and knowledge across all communities in England and Wales are brought into police services.
The Home Office does not directly fund individual Volunteer Police Cadet schemes. Decisions on management and funding of each force’s Volunteer Police Cadet scheme is the responsibility of its chief officer and Police and Crime Commissioner.
As part of the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistics the Home Office collects and publishes information on Police Support Volunteers, aged 18 and over. This information is available here: Police workforce England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK.
The Government is committed to supporting all volunteers in policing, including Volunteer Police Cadets, who bring diverse and valuable skills that complement the roles of regular officers and staff in delivering the best service to the public. Volunteers strengthen the police’s ability to engage with local residents and build trust in communities, which are both crucial pillars of neighbourhood policing. It is essential that a variety of life experiences, skills and knowledge across all communities in England and Wales are brought into police services.
The Home Office does not directly fund individual Volunteer Police Cadet schemes. Decisions on management and funding of each force’s Volunteer Police Cadet scheme is the responsibility of its chief officer and Police and Crime Commissioner.
As part of the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistics the Home Office collects and publishes information on Police Support Volunteers, aged 18 and over. This information is available here: Police workforce England and Wales statistics - GOV.UK.
The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders.
The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders.
The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders.
The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders.
The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders.
The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders.
Of the total returns since 5 July 2024, 4,436 were of FNOs. This is an increase of 14% compared to the 3,879 FNO returns in the same period 12 months prior (FNO returns include both enforced and voluntary returns).
Within the FNO returns, there have been 2,274 early removal scheme (ERS) returns, which is a 11% increase compared to the 2,050 in the same period 12 months prior.
Figures on the number of deportations that did not proceed due to the legal challenges, whether under the ECHR or otherwise, is not currently available from published statistics.
Work is currently underway to improve the quality of information held by the department on FNOs. If this work progresses as planned, the Home Office intend to publish more detailed information on FNOs subject to deportation.
As part of this Government’s Plan for Change, our Safer Streets Mission is determined to clamp down on the crime that damages our communities, and affects people’s lives, and tackling theft – including bike theft - is a crucial part of that work.
We are delivering on our commitment to restore and strengthen neighbourhood policing, recruiting 13,000 additional police personnel into neighbourhood roles by the end of the Parliament and ensuring every community has named, contactable officers to turn to on local issues.
As a part of this pledge, the Metropolitan Police Service have been allocated £45,639,456 funding in 2025/26 to bolster their neighbourhood policing teams. Based on their funding allocation, the Metropolitan Police Service’s projected growth over 2025 to 2026 will be 420 police officers (FTE) and 50 Police Community Support Officers (FTE).
The Crime and Policing Bill, introduced to the House of Lords on 19 June 2025, will amend the Theft Act 1968 to give police new powers. Officers will be able to enter and search premises where stolen items – such as GPS-tracked bicycles – are reasonably believed to have been stolen and located, and where it is not reasonably practicable to obtain a court warrant. This will significantly enhance the ability of the police to act swiftly and effectively in recovering stolen property.
In 2023/24, 28.3 tonnes of powder cocaine was seized by police and Border Force in England and Wales. This was an increase from 18.6 tonnes the previous year and the largest recorded quantity of cocaine seized since the time series began in 1973.
However, serious criminals are constantly developing their approaches to traffic cocaine into the UK in response to our efforts at the border. This includes changing their trafficking routes and evolving their methodologies to evade detection, for example, diversifying importation methods through at-sea-drop-offs.
We therefore recognise that we must continue to adapt our strategy and work more closely with law enforcement partners upstream to stop cocaine trafficking at source and all across the supply chain, targeting the gangs responsible, and bringing them to justice. Officials will continue to assess the impact of global drug trafficking on the UK and implement new approaches to respond to this threat.
The Government has no current plans to review the classification of cannabis.
The judgment is being reviewed in detail. Engagement has taken place with the National Police Chiefs’ Council.
Since 1 January 2020 there have been four immigration officials successfully prosecuted for bribery and immigration offences following a Home Office investigation. Three of these officials were prosecuted for Immigration offences. One was prosecuted for Bribery and Immigration offences. Two individuals were dismissed, one resigned and the final staff member’s contract ended. Three of these were British and one was French.
In the ten proceeding years, there were 27 prosecutions for immigration, and one for bribery.
Since 1 January 2020 there have been four immigration officials successfully prosecuted for bribery and immigration offences following a Home Office investigation. Three of these officials were prosecuted for Immigration offences. One was prosecuted for Bribery and Immigration offences. Two individuals were dismissed, one resigned and the final staff member’s contract ended. Three of these were British and one was French.
In the ten proceeding years, there were 27 prosecutions for immigration, and one for bribery.
The Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts are already published and available on Contracts Finder as follows:
Wales AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Wales - Contracts Finder
South AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract South - Contracts Finder
North West AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NW - Contracts Finder
Midlands & Eastern England AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract MEE - Contracts Finder
North East Yorks & Humber AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NEYH - Contracts Finder
Scotland AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract Scotland - Contracts Finder
Northern Ireland AASC - Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract NI - Contracts Finder
The Home Office keeps all its information pages under regular review.
I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 23 June to Question 59362.
UK wide enforcement of immigration law is critical to a functioning immigration system and effectively implementing the Government’s policies. As the public would expect, we continually review and evolve the different methods we use to prevent illegal migration, ensure compliance and enforce the UK’s immigration laws.
The Home Office publishes statistics on detected irregular arrivals to the UK in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on small boat arrivals by age group and sex is published in table Irr_D01 of the ‘Irregular migration to the UK detailed datasets’, with the latest data up to the end of March 2025.
The Home Office continues to work with a range of stakeholders to fulfil its legal obligations, whilst delivering on this Government’s commitment to reduce the overall cost of asylum accommodation, including ending the use of hotels by the end of this Parliament.
The Home Office continues to work with a range of stakeholders to fulfil its legal obligations, whilst delivering on this Government’s commitment to reduce the overall cost of asylum accommodation, including ending the use of hotels by the end of this Parliament.
There are a range of immigration routes through which children who are born in the UK may apply for and obtain Leave to Remain. Information about our service standards for specific immigration routes can be found at:
Customer service standards - GOV.UK.
An application only becomes valid, and the service standard period will only apply, once the application has been submitted, biometric enrolment (facial photograph and fingerprints) has been completed and all required information has been provided.
Access to healthcare, child benefits and other essential services are all matters for other Government Departments. However, the Home Office does facilitate access by departments to our digital immigration records to support their decision-making.
Applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain based on Family or Private life will be decided within six months.
Full details of current service standards can be found here:
I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 13 March to Question 35970.
Family and private life applications based on exceptionality are not subject to a service standard, however we do update GOV.UK with our average processing times and information is available in the published transparency data around consideration times.
We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year and further details on the proposed scheme will be provided at that time.
On 16 June, we announced that Reverend Clive Foster MBE had been appointed to be the new Windrush Commissioner. He started his role on 30 June.
Given this is a new appointment, we are discussing with the commissioner his priorities, his working arrangements and what he will need to support him in his role. Following these discussions, we will be in a position to produce a detailed budget, and will confirm this in the normal way in due course.
We remain committed to stopping dangerous drugs – including poisons – from entering the country. Our Border Force Officers continue to work to stop illegal drugs by making more, higher-quantity seizures than in previous years, using advanced technology, data analytics, and greater intelligence, derived from close working relationships with police, the National Crime Agency, and international partners.
It would not be in the interest of national security to disclose specific systems in place, nor further information regarding intelligence gathering and sharing.
On 12 May, we published our Immigration White Paper ‘Restoring Control over the Immigration System’, outlining our future approach to legal migration routes. The first set of immigration rules giving effect to the policies in the White Paper was published on 1 July, including raising the skills threshold to RQF 6 and we will publish an impact assessment of this change in due course.
The Home Office publishes data on entry clearance visas by nationality and visa type in the Immigration system statistics publication. Data on visas issued are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the ‘detailed entry clearance dataset’. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates up to the end of March 2025.
Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.
We continually assess potential threats to the UK and take the protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and the security of our information extremely seriously.
Anyone seeking to conduct hostile acts against the UK, steal our information for commercial advantage, or interfere in our society covertly is liable to prosecution under the National Security Act 2023.
More broadly, diplomatic activity in the UK is governed through the principles of the Vienna Conventions which allows for legitimate diplomatic activity. Where we find evidence of any activity that goes beyond what is accredited for, this could invalidate the accreditation, and the UK would take appropriate action.
I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave her on 6 May to Question 48303.
The scale of violence against women and girls (VAWG) in our country is intolerable and this Government is treating it as the national emergency that it is. We are going further than ever before to deliver a cross-government transformative approach, which will be underpinned by a new VAWG Strategy later this year.
In May 2025, we announced a £19.9m investment to provide vital support to victims of VAWG and increase awareness to prevent these horrific crimes. This includes over £6 million for national helplines supporting victims of domestic abuse, 'honour'-based abuse, revenge porn and stalking, and £2.5m on prevention and early intervention.
Specifically in Lancashire, we have allocated £442,000 to Lancashire PCC for perpetrator funding. PCCs are best placed to understand their local communities and providers, and to commission appropriate support to meet that need.
Lancashire PCC currently receives funding from the Home Office’s Domestic Abuse and Stalking Perpetrator Intervention Fund. Using this funding, they deliver the Drive Project, which works with high-risk, serial domestic abuse perpetrators who are deemed to cause the most harm, in a few local authority areas.
At the national level, we have embedded domestic abuse specialists and dedicated domestic abuse teams in the first five 999 control rooms under Raneem’s Law, launched the new Domestic Abuse Protection Orders in selected police forces and courts and announced a new package of measures to tackle spiking, including committing to introducing a new criminal offence for spiking and piloting new spiking training for bar staff.
Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are introducing a range of legislative measures to improve the response to sex offender management and stalking. Under the Bill, the police will be given new powers to issue a notice prohibiting registered sex offenders who pose a risk from changing their name without prior authorisation. Other measures include requiring registered sex offenders to provide advance notice before entering premises where children are present, and improving the management of stalkers. This includes statutory guidance for the police in releasing identifying information about online stalking perpetrators to victims as part of the “right to know”.
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. Any form of anti-social, dangerous or inconsiderate behaviour involving vehicles is a serious issue.
Our Crime and Policing Bill will give the police greater powers to clamp down on all vehicles, including e-bikes, involved in anti-social behaviour including street racing, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing these vehicles.
On 28 May, the Government launched a six-week consultation on proposals to allow the police to dispose of seized vehicles such as e-bikes, which have been used anti-socially from 14 days to 48 hours. Combined, these proposals will help tackle the scourge of vehicles ridden anti-socially and illegally by sending a clear message to would be offenders and local communities that this behaviour will not be tolerated.
Performance against service standards in relation to replies to customer complaints for UKVI, Immigration Enforcement and Border Force (excluding His Majesty’s Passport Office) is available from published data and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/migration-transparency-data#uk-visas-and-immigration
The National Police Chiefs’ Council is independent of government, and any assessment of compliance with its guidance on any subject would be for the NPCC to make.
The legal framework in the UK is set up to ensure that animals are only ever used in science where there are no alternatives, where the number of animals used is the minimum needed, and where the potential harm to animals is limited to that needed to achieve the scientific benefit.
Any application must take into account the replacement of animals with alternatives, the reduction of the number of animals used to the minimum possible and the refinement of any techniques to reduce the harm suffered by the animals to the minimum (known as the 3Rs). All project licence applications are reviewed by the Home Office Animals in Science Regulation Unit to ensure that any harm that may be caused to the animals is justified by the expected benefits for humans, animals or the environment. The Home Office only allows the use of animals if it can be demonstrated that the benefits outweigh the harms and the 3Rs have been fully applied. All licence holders have a responsibility to fully implement the 3Rs and demonstrate this requirement at audit.
The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) is engaging with stakeholders to finalise a strategy to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of alternatives to animal testing which is scheduled for publication later this year.
The legal framework in the UK is set up to ensure that animals are only ever used in science where there are no alternatives, where the number of animals used is the minimum needed, and where the potential harm to animals is limited to that needed to achieve the scientific benefit.
Any application must take into account the replacement of animals with alternatives, the reduction of the number of animals used to the minimum possible and the refinement of any techniques to reduce the harm suffered by the animals to the minimum (known as the 3Rs). All project licence applications are reviewed by the Home Office Animals in Science Regulation Unit to ensure that any harm that may be caused to the animals is justified by the expected benefits for humans, animals or the environment. The Home Office only allows the use of animals if it can be demonstrated that the benefits outweigh the harms and the 3Rs have been fully applied. All licence holders have a responsibility to fully implement the 3Rs and demonstrate this requirement at audit.
The Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) is engaging with stakeholders to finalise a strategy to accelerate the development, validation and uptake of alternatives to animal testing which is scheduled for publication later this year.
The Home Office does not collect data on the number of requests made by police forces to social media platforms, nor the outcomes of such requests.
The requested information is not held in a reportable format. To provide this information would require a manual review of case records, which could only be done for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
The requested information is not held in a reportable format. To provide this information would require a manual review of case records, which could only be done for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
As set out in the written answer of 21 October, the College of Policing set the curriculum for policing which includes educational outcomes on image-based abuse. At present, forces choose how to deliver this training, often by commissioning local experts and support services.
However, to ensure that every force has the right specialist capability to investigate Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) crimes, including Intimate Image Abuse, we have invested £13.1 million into the new National Centre for VAWG and Public Protection, which launched in April 2025. This included a £2 million uplift to support improvements in police training – this work is now under way, beginning with an extensive review of the current approach.
The Home Office will be working closely with the College and the National Police Chiefs’ Council to ensure the training covers all forms of VAWG, including intimate image abuse. In addition, innovative, data-driven and evidence-based police practices is being prioritised through ringfenced funding for academic input into the development of training and guidance.
The Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme, which opened to applications on 4 February 2025, provides up to an additional 18 months’ permission to stay in the UK for those with existing Ukraine Scheme permission.
The scheme provides the same rights and entitlements to access work, benefits, healthcare, and education as the existing Ukraine schemes.
This extension represents a generous and meaningful commitment. It aligns with the UK Government’s ongoing support for Ukraine and its people, while also respecting the Ukrainian Government’s strong desire for the eventual return of its citizens. It is for this reason that our offer of sanctuary through the Ukraine schemes remains temporary in nature and does not lead to settlement in the UK.
There are other routes available for those who wish to settle in the UK permanently, if they meet the requirements, such as work routes and family routes. These routes are published on GOV.UK at: Work in the UK - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab) and Family in the UK - GOV.UK(opens in a new tab).
The UK Government continues to keep both the Ukraine Schemes and the evolving situation in Ukraine under active review.
On the 16 June the Home Secretary announced that she had accepted all 12 of Baroness Casey’s recommendations from her National Audit into Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.
As part of this, and as recommended by Baroness Casey, the Government is moving swiftly to establish an Independent Commission on Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation under the Inquiries Act 2005.
We are working closely with partners across government and beyond to develop the Terms of Reference, which will be shaped through engagement with the appointed Chair, victims and survivors, and other key stakeholders.
Following the appointment of the independent Chair and the establishment of the inquiry structure, the Commission will begin considering evidence and data to select the first local areas for targeted investigations.
Further details will be announced in due course.
To deliver our pledge to halve knife crime in the next decade, it is crucial that we tackle the drug gangs that run county lines through violence and exploitation. That is why we are investing more than £43m this financial year (25/26) in the County Lines Programme, to target exploitative drug dealing gangs whilst breaking the organised crime groups behind this trade.
While the majority of lines originate from the areas covered by the Metropolitan Police Service, West Midlands Police, Merseyside Police, West Yorkshire Police and Greater Manchester Police, county lines is a national issue which affects all forces.
That is why, through the County Lines Programme, we fund the National County Lines Co-ordination Centre (NCLCC) to monitor the intelligence picture and co-ordinate the national law enforcement response. The County Lines Programme taskforces regularly conduct joint operations with other forces, and we have established a dedicated fund which provides local forces with additional funding to tackle county lines, including Lancashire Police.
The NCLCC also regularly coordinates weeks of intensive action against county lines gangs, which all police forces take part in. The most recent of these took place 23-29 June 2025 and resulted in 241 lines closed, as well as 1,965 arrests, 1,179 individuals safe-guarded and 501 weapons seized.
The statutory framework for PSPOs sets out clear conditions for their use.