Home Office

The first duty of this Government is to keep the country safe. Any attempt by any foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK will never be tolerated.

As of March 2025, guidance on the National Security Act and foreign interference is available to all police forces in the UK through the College of Policing, and the guidance has been used by each force. Counter Terrorism Police (CTP) continue to encourage forces to increase usage of these products to enhance awareness of the threat from foreign interference and how to respond.

Anyone who believes they are a victim of state‑directed activity should report to the police via 101, 999, or at a local station. Allegations of unlawful activity will be handled sensitively, treated seriously, and swiftly investigated in line with UK law.

The first duty of this Government is to keep the country safe. Any attempt by any foreign state to intimidate, harass or harm individuals in the UK will never be tolerated.

The police and intelligence services have mature mechanisms to continually assess potential threats in the UK. They use a wide range of tactics to counter the most acute forms of state-directed threats and protect those individuals identified as at risk.

The National Security Act 2023 has provided a comprehensive suite of powers to counter the threat of TNR. In particular, the Foreign Interference Offence and State Threats aggravating factor, have been specifically designed to bear down on harmful state-linked conduct (including state-directed activity such as transnational repression). Foreign Interference in the UK carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.

Anyone who believes they are a victim of state‑directed activity should report to the police via 101, 999, or at a local station. Allegations of unlawful activity will be handled sensitively, treated seriously, and swiftly investigated in line with UK law.

The private security industry plays a crucial role in keeping the public safe and it is critical that there is a high standard of regulatory oversight of the industry. The Security Industry Authority (SIA) provides such oversight by operating the regulatory regime set up by the Private Security Industry Act 2001 (PSIA).

This oversight includes setting minimum standards for mandatory training for roles within scope of the regime, and ensuring individuals seeking to work in designated roles have completed the training required, as well as running criminal record and other checks to ensure that SIA licence holders are ‘fit and proper’ individuals who have the relevant skills and knowledge needed to perform their role.

Businesses seeking to supply private security operatives under a contract for services must ensure all their partners, directors, managers and supervisors are licensed by the SIA, as well as any frontline staff who perform certain security roles specified in the PSIA Act 2001 (for example door supervisors and security guards).

The SIA is currently conducting a 5-year review of training standards to ensure skills keep pace with emerging threats and will be working closely with experts and the industry on this. The SIA maintains regular engagement with the Home Office throughout this review.

Furthermore, the Government remains committed to delivering the intended outcomes of the Manchester Arena Inquiry, including Monitored Recommendations 7 and 8 which relate to licensing of in-house operatives and security businesses. The Home Office launched a 12-week public consultation on 18 December 2025 to help better understand the impact of the proposals for change.

The consultation aims to inform proposals that will ensure high quality oversight of the private security industry, while ensuring any new costs and regulatory burdens are proportionate and consider impact on business.

The Home Office is not aware of any direct involvement by Palantir in the police’s use of facial recognition systems.

The Home Office is not aware of any direct involvement by Palantir in the police’s use of facial recognition systems.

The Home Office is not aware of any direct involvement by Palantir in the police’s use of facial recognition systems.

The Home Office and the Department for Health and Social Care published a joint evaluation on the implementation of the Right Care, Right Person in December 2024, which showed that RCRP has led to a reduction in calls and deployments to RCRP-related incidents following implementation, estimating a saving of c.370,000 police hours per year across the five forces covered by this aspect of the evaluation.

In accordance with the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, the Home Office has a statutory obligation to provide destitute asylum seekers with accommodation and subsistence support whilst their application for asylum is being considered.

We are committed to ensuring that destitute asylum seekers are housed in safe, secure and suitable accommodation, and that they are treated with dignity while their asylum claim is considered.

The site has been assessed as safe, legal and compliant for use as asylum accommodation, and all accommodation must meet contractual standards and be safe, fit for purpose and properly equipped.

The Home Office has met regularly with Wealden Council Leader and Deputy Council Leader in relation to the use of Crowborough Training Camp and joined the Wealden District Council Scrutiny and Performance Committee in November 2025 at which a number of elected members were present.

This is a temporary arrangement; we intend to return the site to MoD at which point it would cease to be used as asylum accommodation.

Making use of existing basic accommodation on MoD sites such as the Crowborough site is just the first step in the government’s work to exit hotels and source more appropriate accommodation to meet our statutory obligations.

There were a variety of ways in which the voices of children and young people, or their parents, were included as we considered reform of the asylum and immigration system. The earned settlement model, proposed in A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, announced changes to the mandatory requirements and qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain. The public consultation on the Earned Settlement Proposals closed on 12 February.

In that consultation, we carefully considered the appropriate pathways for dependent children, and we expected a wide range of stakeholders to have contributed.

Separately, we considered the specific pathways for children in care and care leavers without status who were outside the scope of that consultation. We proposed that separate targeted engagement would take place with external stakeholders to understand the challenges and develop a policy solution. As part of that targeted engagement, we explored how we could engage the views of children or young adults with experience of the care system.

Work on pathways for unaccompanied asylum‑seeking children, as part of the asylum reforms, included consideration of how children’s perspectives could be taken into account.

We also considered the appropriate pathways for asylum‑seeking families with children and took into account their needs and vulnerabilities.

At the May 2025 UK-EU Summit we were pleased to agree with the EU a package of work to further strengthen our extensive law enforcement and judicial cooperation capabilities, making our streets safer and ensuring criminals are brought to justice. Work is now underway to deliver on those commitments. We are not going to provide a running commentary on those discussions but will keep Parliament updated on any significant developments.

Both sides have also agreed to hold regular Summits which will provide an opportunity to build on our strategic partnership, including implementing the undertakings published in the 2025 Common Understanding, and to further strengthen our relationship over time.

A person granted Core Protection will need to apply to renew their status every 30 months. We will encourage refugees to switch out of the Core Protection route wherever possible into a new, bespoke work and study route to access family reunion and settlement rights with new fees and conditions in accordance with the rules of that route.

While I am not able to provide specific details at the moment with regards to timings and cohorts, I can provide reassurance that we will carefully manage the transition into the new system and put in place transitional provisions to ensure that the offer remains clear and fair.

There is a 6-month service standard for this route. The below links show published data on Home Office performance.

• migration transparency data - March 2014 to December 2024
• migration transparency data - January to March (Q1) 2025 onwards

This Government is committed to protecting the right of individuals to freely practise their religion at their chosen place of worship, and to ensuring that our streets and communities remain safe.

That is why up to £39.4 million is available through the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme in 2025/26. This includes additional funding announced by the Prime Minister of £10 million to further strengthen security at mosques and other Muslim community sites. The scheme provides protective security measures (such as security personnel services, CCTV, intruder alarms and secure perimeter fencing) to mosques, Muslim faith schools and associated Muslim faith community centres.

To safeguard the integrity of the scheme and ensure the continued protection of vulnerable sites, the Home Office does not publish the total number of successful applications. Disclosure of this information could inadvertently reveal sensitive details about specific communities and their security needs.

The Protective Security for Mosques Scheme provides successful applicants with physical protective security measures and/or security guarding, depending on individual needs. For the year 25/26, £39.4m is available for this purpose, including the £10m emergency cash injection announced by the Prime Minister in October 2025.

Information on the scheme is publicly available via GOV.UK and easily accessible online.

This Government is committed to protecting the right of individuals to freely practise their religion at their chosen place of worship, and to ensuring that our streets and communities remain safe.

This funding is provided for all faiths except the Jewish and Muslim faiths who are funded for their protective security needs through separate schemes. In total, the Government is providing up to £70.9m to protect faith communities in 2025/26.

To safeguard the integrity of the scheme and ensure the continued protection of vulnerable sites, the Home Office does not publish the total number of successful applications, or any breakdown of applicants by religious group. Disclosure of this information could inadvertently reveal sensitive details about specific communities and their security needs.

The VAWG Strategy, published on 18 December, set out clear action to tackle ‘honour’-based abuse (HBA) including legislating to introduce multi-agency statutory guidance and an accompanying statutory definition of HBA. The Government will introduce this statutory definition as an amendment in the Crime and Policing Bill at Report Stage in the House of Lords.

The Government has engaged extensively with specialist sector charities, statutory safeguarding professionals, and other government departments in the development of this definition and will do the same as we develop the statutory guidance which we will publish as soon as possible.

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. We intend to publish this consultation shortly.

No decisions have yet been made on whether and what changes might be necessary. Our approach will be informed by the public consultation, and we will consider the views put forward before deciding on what further action to take. We will then provide an assessment of the impact of any changes that the Government intends to bring forward.

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. We intend to publish this consultation shortly.

No decisions have yet been made on whether and what changes might be necessary. Our approach will be informed by the public consultation, and we will consider the views put forward before deciding on what further action to take. We will then provide an assessment of the impact of any changes that the Government intends to bring forward.

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. We intend to publish this consultation shortly.

No decisions have yet been made on whether and what changes might be necessary. Our approach will be informed by the public consultation, and we will consider the views put forward before deciding on what further action to take. We will then provide an assessment of the impact of any changes that the Government intends to bring forward.

The resettlement of Afghan refugees under ARP continues and we are proud of this safe and legal route for those affected by events in Afghanistan. Those who are eligible and arrive in the UK legally under ARP receive Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).

Transitional accommodation (TA), including Service Family Accommodation (SFA), has been used on the Defence Estate to support eligible Afghan families arriving under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) and the wider Afghan Resettlement Programme. This has ensured safe, immediate housing for eligible persons resettled in the UK.

The use of large bridging hotels has now ended, and the Government is reducing reliance on temporary Ministry of Defence accommodation. Recent arrivals increasingly move directly into permanent settled homes where available, or into other forms of transitional accommodation on a short‑term basis.

Under the Afghan Resettlement Programme, transitional accommodation is offered for up to nine months, within which households are expected to move into their settled home. The Government continues to work closely with local authorities to secure suitable permanent accommodation and to support families towards sustainable long‑term resettlement. Settled homes remain the best long‑term solution, providing newly arriving individuals and families with the stability to integrate, put down roots, and build their new lives in the UK.

The White Paper represents the most significant reforms to policing for nearly 200 years. The reforms to our policing system set out in the White Paper will have significant consequences for the way policing is funded in future. Changes to police governance, force mergers and the creation of the National Police Service require a new way of allocating funding between forces, aligned with these new structures.

We will launch an independent review of police force structures, which will report in the summer. Once we have considered the outcome of the review, we will set out further proposals to reflect changes in the new model of policing.

The change budget is the capital property budget used to fund infrastructure installation costs only.

The Home Office Hotel booking operator is currently unable to provide star‑rating information for the hotels displayed within their booking tool.

This is because several external content providers do not supply star ratings consistently, which means the operator cannot offer accurate or reliable star‑rating data to its customers.

The earned settlement model, proposed in ‘A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, announced changes to the mandatory requirements and qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain. The changes were subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.

The consultation sought views on the impact proposed changes might have on different groups. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised now the consultation has concluded.

The final model will also be subject to economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.

This Government takes road safety extremely seriously and is committed to ensuring police forces are supported and have the resources they need ensure road safety and reduce the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads, as well as tackling behaviours that make our roads less safe.

Total funding to police forces in 2026-27 will be up to £18.4 billion, an increase of up to £796 million compared to the 2025-26 police funding settlement.

The police are operationally independent, and it is a matter for Police and Crime Commissioners and Chief Officers to determine how to best to use their available resources, including for road safety on enforcement of traffic laws, taking into account local known problems and priorities.

The Department for Transport continues to run the THINK! Campaign which offers a suite of road safety teaching resources for children (used by teaching intermediaries) and aims to educate young drivers (working alongside police and local authorities). THINK! also delivers paid campaigns aimed at high-risk groups (primarily men aged 17-24), and targets priority issues such as drink driving and speeding. The government will continue to encourage safer road user behaviours via THINK!.

State visits, especially those by our closest allies, create opportunities to strengthen alliances, support trade and investment, encourage innovation, and research collaboration, and reinforce the United Kingdom’s global influence.

While we do not comment on operational matters, we and the police have well-established arrangements to ensure state visits are managed safely and securely, while maintaining regular policing across communities.

We continue to work closely with policing partners to ensure that eligible costs arising from nationally significant operations are recovered in line with established funding principles.

The Animals in Science Regulation Unit has routinely published its Annual Report since 2011 and will continue to do so.

The Report sets out all confirmed non‑compliance cases with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and any enforcement actions taken.

The Reports are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/animals-in-science-regulation-unit-annual-reports

The Government recognises the major role UK cybersecurity professionals play in enhancing and protecting the UK’s resilience against cyber threats, and it is vital that we support them. I acknowledge the strong sentiment regarding Computer Misuse Act 1990 (CMA) reform.

The Government is conducting an ongoing review of the Computer Misuse Act (CMA). It is crucial that any changes brought forward are proportionate, adaptable to evolving techniques, and do not undermine law enforcement’s ability to take action against cyber criminals. Engagement, including with the cyber security industry, is underway to refine the proposal and ensure it includes strong safeguards to prevent misuse.

The Home Office will provide an update on proposals taken forward in due course.

The Government recognises the major role UK cybersecurity professionals play in enhancing and protecting the UK’s resilience against cyber threats, and it is vital that we support them. I acknowledge the strong sentiment regarding Computer Misuse Act 1990 (CMA) reform.

The Government is conducting an ongoing review of the Computer Misuse Act (CMA). It is crucial that any changes brought forward are proportionate, adaptable to evolving techniques, and do not undermine law enforcement’s ability to take action against cyber criminals. Engagement, including with the cyber security industry, is underway to refine the proposal and ensure it includes strong safeguards to prevent misuse.

The Home Office will provide an update on proposals taken forward in due course.

The Home Office collects and publishes data on fixed penalty notices (FPNs) and other outcomes for motoring offences as part of the annual "Police Powers and Procedures: Roads Policing” statistics. The latest publication can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-powers-and-procedures-roads-policing-to-december-2023

Table FPN_03 of the data tables available at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67506ce8d12a2dad3bc97ab4/FPN-other-motoring-offences-statistics-police-powers-procedures-year-ending-dec-23.ods contains information on the number of FPNs (and other outcomes) for motoring offences, recorded by police forces in England and Wales, broken down by offence type, during each calendar year between 2011 and 2023.

Middle lane misuse is treated under the general offence of careless driving (classified in these statistics under offence class 804a). Home Office statistics do not record middle lane misuse as a distinct category, and it cannot be separated from other forms of careless driving.

The Home Office collects and publishes data on fixed penalty notices (FPNs) and other outcomes for motoring offences as part of the annual "Police Powers and Procedures: Roads Policing” statistics. The latest publication can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-powers-and-procedures-roads-policing-to-december-2023

Table FPN_03 of the data tables available at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67506ce8d12a2dad3bc97ab4/FPN-other-motoring-offences-statistics-police-powers-procedures-year-ending-dec-23.ods contains information on the number of FPNs (and other outcomes) for motoring offences, recorded by police forces in England and Wales, broken down by offence type, during each calendar year between 2011 and 2023.

Middle lane misuse is treated under the general offence of careless driving (classified in these statistics under offence class 804a). Home Office statistics do not record middle lane misuse as a distinct category, and it cannot be separated from other forms of careless driving.

No assessment of any potential implications of the registration of birth provisions in the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 on the equal treatment of both parents has been made.

We are unable to estimate the number of workers with specific roles that have physically arrived to take up employment, but we do hold data on the numbers that have obtained visas with the intention of taking up a role.

The Home Office publishes data on sponsored work visas, by occupation, in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on grants of Skilled Worker visas are published in table ‘Occ_D02’ of the Sponsored work visas by occupation and industry dataset. A visa grant does not necessarily correspond to the person arriving in the UK.

Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. Data is from January 2021 up to the end of September 2025.

We are unable to estimate the number of workers with specific roles that have physically arrived to take up employment, but we do hold data on the numbers that have obtained visas with the intention of taking up a role.

The Home Office publishes data on sponsored work visas, by occupation, in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on grants of Skilled Worker visas are published in table ‘Occ_D02’ of the Sponsored work visas by occupation and industry dataset. A visa grant does not necessarily correspond to the person arriving in the UK.

Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. Data is from January 2021 up to the end of September 2025.

The Home Office does not currently provide additional support for Iranian nationals seeking to visit family members in the UK. Foreign nationals can apply for a visit visa to visit the UK and the UK welcomes genuine visitors.

We are rolling out the use of eVisas for all visitors coming to the UK, which will make it easier for genuine visitors to apply and enter the UK. UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) have also produced a series of “How to Videos” which offer step by step guides and support for customers to complete eVisa tasks and assist with their UKVI accounts.

These “How to Videos” are available on GOV.UK and on streaming platforms such as YouTube, can be translated, and used by all applicants, including Iranian nationals, to support them applying for a Visit Visa to visit family members in the UK.

Immigration Rules concessionary arrangements are temporary and subject to regular Ministerial review. The sheep shearing concession had been operating for 14 years and closed after the 2025 shearing season as it reasonable to expect that over this period a long-term sustainable solution had been found to fill this workforce gap. To provide plenty of time to plan and transition to new arrangements DEFRA officials were informed last year that the concession would not be renewed again.

Ministers regularly meet with their DEFRA counterparts to discuss a wide range of issues, including the closure of this concession.

Immigration Rules concessionary arrangements are temporary and subject to regular Ministerial review. The sheep shearing concession had been operating for 14 years and closed after the 2025 shearing season as it reasonable to expect that over this period a long-term sustainable solution had been found to fill this workforce gap. To provide plenty of time to plan and transition to new arrangements DEFRA officials were informed last year that the concession would not be renewed again.

Ministers regularly meet with their DEFRA counterparts to discuss a wide range of issues, including the closure of this concession.

Immigration Rules concessionary arrangements are temporary and subject to regular Ministerial review. The sheep shearing concession had been operating for 14 years and closed after the 2025 shearing season as it reasonable to expect that over this period a long-term sustainable solution had been found to fill this workforce gap. To provide plenty of time to plan and transition to new arrangements DEFRA officials were informed last year that the concession would not be renewed again.

Ministers regularly meet with their DEFRA counterparts to discuss a wide range of issues, including the closure of this concession.

The information requested is not currently available from published statistics.

Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the code of practice for statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data.

There is a difference between Asylum Seekers who leave Home Office provided accommodation while their claim is pending and an absconder. Those who leave accommodation may be deemed as missing from that particular location but are not automatically considered as ‘absconders’ as they may remain in contact with the Home Office whilst their claim is processed.

Absconders are individuals who have breached one or more conditions of their immigration bail and all efforts to contact the person have been exhausted.

The information requested is not currently available from published statistics.

Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the code of practice for statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data.

There is a difference between Asylum Seekers who leave Home Office provided accommodation while their claim is pending and an absconder. Those who leave accommodation may be deemed as missing from that particular location but are not automatically considered as ‘absconders’ as they may remain in contact with the Home Office whilst their claim is processed.

Absconders are individuals who have breached one or more conditions of their immigration bail and all efforts to contact the person have been exhausted.

We do not report and hold data at this granularity and would only be obtainable at disproportionate cost.

The Home Office publishes information on asylum expenditure in the Home Office annual report and accounts: 2024 to 2025 - GOV.UK.

The Department has recovered £74 million in the current financial year through profit-share repayments and service credits – the largest restitution since the contracts were mobilised.

The information requested on how many penalty deductions, service credits and contractual remedies have been applied to suppliers under the Asylum Accommodation & Support Services Contract (AASC) series since 1 March 2019, broken down by supplier and by year, is considered commercially sensitive.

Regular disclosure of such detailed contractual performance data would prejudice the commercial interests of both the Home Office and its suppliers. For this reason, the Department does not routinely publicly release this information.