Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Defending Democracy Taskforce has made an assessment of the potential implications for its policies of the report by Demos entitled Epistemic Security 2029: Protecting the UK’s information supply chain and strengthening democratic discourse for the next political era, published on 29 November 2024.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is a core member of the Defending Democracy Taskforce and is working to build information resilience and protect our democracy, including through key levers such as the Online Safety Act.

My officials have been in touch with Demos to learn more about their work and consider any potential policy implications arising from their research.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 21 May 2025 to Question 52622 on National Security: China, what information her Department holds on whether the United Front Work Department has sought to interfere in the planning process for the proposed Chinese Embassy in London.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)

In line with my previous response to UIN 29609 on 12/02/25, the planning application has been called in by the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and she will make this quasi-judicial decision independent from the rest of Government, and from any form of external interference by any other party.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Defending Democracy Taskforce (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to help tackle threats to democracy outside of election periods.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Defending Democracy Taskforce is driving forward a programme of work to secure the democratic integrity of the UK from the full range of threats. Alongside its work to protect elections, since the General Election the Taskforce has:

• Conducted a wide-ranging review to understand how we can prevent and deter harassment and intimidation of anyone involved in our electoral institutions and processes and is now taking forward priority work to address this issue.
• Sponsored the National Cyber Security Centre to deliver an enhanced cyber security offer for elected representatives across the UK to help better protect them online.
• Concluded a comprehensive assessment of the UK’s response to Transnational Repression to understand the scale and nature of Transnational Repression in the UK, as well as Government’s response to the issue.

Engaged with international partners to share lessons learnt and expertise to help tackle similar threats to our democracies.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress her Department has made on recruiting a Permanent Prevent Commissioner.

Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Secretary announced the creation of a new Independent Prevent Commissioner role in a statement to the House on 17 December 2024.

Lord David Anderson KC was announced as the interim Commissioner on 21 January, to allow work to begin swiftly.

An open competition to recruit the permanent Independent Prevent Commissioner is underway, and an update will be provided once an appointment has been made.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) total headcount and (b) full-time equivalent number of police officers was in England and Wales as of 30 June in each year from 2015 to 2024.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office collects and publishes data on the size of the police workforce in England and Wales, as at 31 March and 30 September each year, on a full-time equivalent (FTE) and headcount basis, in the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales.

While data as at 30 June has not historically been routinely collected, between 31 March 2020 and 2023, during the Police Officer Uplift Programme, the Home Office published quarterly data on the number of police officers (headcount only) in England and Wales. This included quarterly data for June 2020 to June 2022 and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-officer-uplift-statistics

Additionally, the latest release of the Police Workforce statistics included an ad-hoc Annex to show the number of officers in England and Wales, on a headcount basis, at 30 June 2024: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-workforce-england-and-wales-30-september-2024/police-workforce-england-and-wales-30-september-2024#annexa

Information prior to June 2020 was not collected centrally.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to increase the number of available appointments at the Visa Application Centre in Minsk, Belarus.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) monitor the number of appointments released in Minsk on a regular basis and work with our supplier, VFS, to provide additional slots where this is possible. UKVI review appointment requests for those customers with compelling or compassionate circumstances, where there is an urgent need to travel, as well as applications from family members of British nationals or those applying for a EUSS Family permit to prioritise these customer groups.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of people who arrived in the UK illegally were granted leave to remain in the last 12 months.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office publishes statistics on detected irregular arrivals to the UK in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on outcomes of asylum claims from small boat arrivals is published by arrival date in table Irr_D03 of the ‘Irregular migration to the UK detailed datasets’, and by initial decision date in table Asy_02c of the ‘asylum summary tables’, with the latest data up to the end of March 2025. Data on asylum outcomes for people who arrived irregularly by other routes is not published.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average waiting time for a decision for any asylum seeker is once they have received confirmation that their application is receiving prioritisation due to compassionate circumstances.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The requested information is not currently available from published data and could only be collated and verified for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

However, the Home Office does publish data on the number of asylum claims awaiting an initial decision by duration in table Asy_D03 of the ‘Asylum detailed datasets’, as part of the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’.

Additionally, data on the percentage of applications processed within 6 months is published in table ASY_01 of the ‘Immigration and Protection’ data of the Migration Transparency Data collection.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average waiting time is for any asylum seeker to receive a decision from the date they claimed asylum.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The average time taken to process a substantive decision is not currently available from published data and could only be collated and verified for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

However, the Home Office does publish data on the number of asylum claims awaiting an initial decision by duration in table Asy_D03 of the ‘Asylum detailed datasets’, as part of the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’.

Additionally, data on the percentage of applications processed within 6 months is published in table ASY_01 of the ‘Immigration and Protection’ data of the Migration Transparency Data collection.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which database systems are the people who have arrived via small boat crossing checked against for (a) criminal and (b) counter-terrorism information; and how long does it take on average for full checks on people to be conducted and the full results received.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office checks all small boat arrivals against a range of secure systems. These include internal databases, law enforcement records, biometric verification platforms and immigration history systems.

Biometrics and biographic details taken are checked and compared against relevant Home Office systems and police criminality databases, including domestic and international data to establish whether the person is a threat to public safety.

Timings for the returns of results can vary, some systems provide instant access due to direct integration and others require third party intervention. Overall, we aim to receive results within 24-hours.

All security checks are completed before any individual is bailed from Manston.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to (a) bring forward legislative proposals and (b) strengthen enforcement on fast food delivery companies to ensure they are not employing illegal immigrants.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Yes.

Through the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, the Government is introducing tough new laws to clamp down on illegal working, including in the food delivery sector. This means that for the very first time, employment checks will be extended to cover businesses hiring gig economy and zero-hours workers in sectors like food delivery.

The Government is also already working closely with all major food delivery platforms to ensure they understand their responsibilities in terms of preventing illegal working. As a result, Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat are now undertaking employment checks on all of their workers, including registered substitutes.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to house asylum seekers who enter the country illegally with a pet; and what happens to the pet.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office has an obligation to provide destitute asylum seekers with accommodation and subsistence support whilst their application for asylum is being considered.  This does not extend to accommodating pet animals.

Great Britain has one of the toughest pet border checking regimes in the world and we are committed to preserving the UK’s high standards of biosecurity and animal welfare.

If full compliance with our import health requirements cannot be demonstrated pets will be placed in quarantine at the owner’s expense, which can be up to four months depending on the circumstances. Where an individual is unable to pay quarantine fees, this may result in the pet being rehomed.

The Hon Member’s question may have been prompted by media reports on 20-21 May stating that – for the first time – a dog (reported to be an Alsatian) had been taken into quarantine at Dover after arriving with its owner by small boat.

For the official record, I can clarify that this was not the first dog to arrive by small boat, but the fifth since 2021, and it was not an Alsatian but a Chihuahua. The four dogs previously recorded as arriving over that period came on 21/8/21 (Mixed Breed), 14/6/22 (Jack Russell), 11/10/22 (Pomeranian) and 24/8/23 (Yorkshire Terrier).

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of assessments undertaken by the National Age Assessment Board that were subject to a legal challenge in (a) 2023 and (b) 2024; and how many and what proportion of those decisions found in favour of the National Age Assessment Board.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The number of age assessments undertaken by the National Age Assessment Board that were subject to a legal challenge was 22 in total (1 in 2023 and 21 in 2024).

20 of the 22 age assessments decisions were successfully defended (91%).

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 2 May 2025 to Question 47267 on Cambridgeshire Constabulary: Domestic Visits, whether special advisers in her Department wrote her speech at this event.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

No.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether any external contractors were procured by her Department in relation to her press conference at the Cambridgeshire Police headquarters on 10 April 2025.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

No.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Portugal about allowing UK passport holders to use e-gates at Portuguese airports.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

We have secured confirmation that there will be no legal barriers to eGates use for UK nationals travelling to and from EU Member States after the introduction of the EU's Entry/Exit System.

But the Prime Minister has been clear that we believe European countries should go further and faster now.

We are therefore working with individual Member States at pace to make that transition happen as soon as possible. This includes discussions with Portugal.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether Police National Computer checks have been carried out on all asylum applicants in the last 10 years.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

When an individual claims asylum, the Home Office conducts mandatory identity, criminality and security checks. Biographic and biometric data are routinely checked against relevant Home Office systems and police criminality databases including domestic and international data.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what background checks her Department conducts on irregular migrants applying for asylum.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

When an individual claims asylum, the Home Office conducts mandatory identity, criminality and security checks. Biographic and biometric data are routinely checked against relevant Home Office systems and police criminality databases including domestic and international data.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the cost of considering asylum applications at the further submissions stage in each of the last five years.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

I welcome the Hon Member to her new role, and I wish her well representing the great people of Runcorn and Helsby.

The Cabinet Office’s Guide to Parliamentary Work states that: “There is an advisory cost limit known as the disproportionate cost threshold which is the level above which departments can decide not to answer a written question. The current disproportionate cost threshold is £850.”

I regret that the information she has requested is not currently available from published statistics, and would require a manual trawl of case files to identify and collate, something that could only be done at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many irregular migrants have absconded while their asylum applications were being considered in the last 10 years.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

I welcome the Hon Member to her new role, and I wish her well representing the great people of Runcorn and Helsby.

The Cabinet Office’s Guide to Parliamentary Work states that: “There is an advisory cost limit known as the disproportionate cost threshold which is the level above which departments can decide not to answer a written question. The current disproportionate cost threshold is £850.”

I regret that the information she has requested is not currently available from published statistics, and would require a manual trawl of case files to identify and collate, something that could only be done at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the longest recorded duration is for an asylum application to remain in the further submissions process without conclusion.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

I welcome the Hon Member to her new role, and I wish her well representing the great people of Runcorn and Helsby.

The Cabinet Office’s Guide to Parliamentary Work states that: “There is an advisory cost limit known as the disproportionate cost threshold which is the level above which departments can decide not to answer a written question. The current disproportionate cost threshold is £850.”

I regret that the information she has requested is not currently available from published statistics, and would require a manual trawl of case files to identify and collate, something that could only be done at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the highest number of further submissions was for an asylum application in last ten years.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

I welcome the Hon Member to her new role, and I wish her well representing the great people of Runcorn and Helsby.

The Cabinet Office’s Guide to Parliamentary Work states that: “There is an advisory cost limit known as the disproportionate cost threshold which is the level above which departments can decide not to answer a written question. The current disproportionate cost threshold is £850.”

I regret that the information she has requested is not currently available from published statistics, and would require a manual trawl of case files to identify and collate, something that could only be done at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the standard training period is for Asylum Decision Makers employed by her Department; and whether this period has changed in the last 10 years.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Details of sickness absence and staff turnover are routinely published by the Home Office in the department’s annual report and accounts, but are not broken down by the individual tasks to which members of staff have been assigned over the previous year.

The training schedule for asylum decision-makers was revised in 2023, with the initial training period reduced from nine weeks to around three weeks, with further specialist training provided as the decision-maker progresses. As a general rule, asylum decision-makers will complete their initial training period prior to taking on casework.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the staff sickness rate for Asylum Decision Makers employed by the Home Office was (a) on 3 June 2025 and (b) in each of the last five years.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Details of sickness absence and staff turnover are routinely published by the Home Office in the department’s annual report and accounts, but are not broken down by the individual tasks to which members of staff have been assigned over the previous year.

The training schedule for asylum decision-makers was revised in 2023, with the initial training period reduced from nine weeks to around three weeks, with further specialist training provided as the decision-maker progresses. As a general rule, asylum decision-makers will complete their initial training period prior to taking on casework.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Asylum Decision Makers employed by the Home Office on 3 June 2025 had not completed the full training programme required for their role.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Details of sickness absence and staff turnover are routinely published by the Home Office in the department’s annual report and accounts, but are not broken down by the individual tasks to which members of staff have been assigned over the previous year.

The training schedule for asylum decision-makers was revised in 2023, with the initial training period reduced from nine weeks to around three weeks, with further specialist training provided as the decision-maker progresses. As a general rule, asylum decision-makers will complete their initial training period prior to taking on casework.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Asylum Decision Makers left their role after (a) three, (b) six and (c) nine months in post.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Details of sickness absence and staff turnover are routinely published by the Home Office in the department’s annual report and accounts, but are not broken down by the individual tasks to which members of staff have been assigned over the previous year.

The training schedule for asylum decision-makers was revised in 2023, with the initial training period reduced from nine weeks to around three weeks, with further specialist training provided as the decision-maker progresses. As a general rule, asylum decision-makers will complete their initial training period prior to taking on casework.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Spain about allowing UK passport holders to use e-gates at Spanish airports.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

We have secured confirmation that there will be no legal barriers to eGates use for UK nationals travelling to and from EU Member States after the introduction of the EU's Entry/Exit System.

But the Prime Minister has been clear that we believe European countries should go further and faster now.

We are therefore working with individual Member States at pace to make that transition happen as soon as possible. This includes discussions with Spain.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with (a) West Midlands Police and (b) the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner on (i) maintaining and (ii) increasing community policing levels in Aldridge-Brownhills constituency, following the closure of (A) Aldridge Police Station and (B) police stations across the West Midlands.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is committed to strong neighbourhood policing for everyone in England and Wales. The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee will ensure that by July, every community will have named and contactable officers dedicated to addressing the issues facing their communities and local communities and businesses will also have ongoing opportunities to engage with neighbourhood teams and raise local concerns and priorities through regular local beat meetings.

The Government has also committed to boosting neighbourhood policing by 13,000 more policing personnel by the end of the Parliament and the Government will provide £200 million to police forces in financial year 2025/26 to support the first steps of delivering this commitment.

West Midlands Police has been allocated £12,210,903 from the £200 million fund for 2025/26. Based on their funding allocation, the projected growth for West Midlands Police over 2025/26 will be 289 police officers (FTE) and 20 Police Community Support Officers (FTE).

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of reviewing the current police widow(er)s’ pension regulations.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The 2015 police pension scheme is the scheme currently open to serving police officers. This scheme provides life-long survivor benefits for spouses, civil partners and unmarried partners, including those who remarry or cohabit after losing a spouse. The introduction of the 2006 police pension scheme meant that all eligible police officers were able to join a pension scheme with such survivor benefits.

For officers who joined policing prior to 2006, the 1987 police pension scheme provides a pension for the widow, widower or civil partner of a police officer who dies. In common with most other public service pension schemes of that time, these benefits cease to be payable where the widow, widower or civil partner remarries or cohabits with another partner.

From 1 April 2015, the 1987 Police Pension Scheme was amended to allow widows, widowers and civil partners of police officers who have died as a result of an injury on duty to receive their survivor benefits for life regardless of remarriage, civil partnership or cohabitation.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2024 to Question 8506 on Asylum: Employment, whether she plans to reduce the waiting time from 12 to six months for asylum seekers to apply for permission to work.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office’s priority remains to ensure that employers and employees who play by the rules are not undercut by people working illegally, or by unscrupulous employers exploiting their labour.

We have repeatedly resisted calls to relax our policy position on asylum seeker permission to work. Allowing asylum seekers the right to work sooner than under the current rules could enable migrants to bypass established work visa routes, and may act as an incentive for people to travel here illegally via dangerous routes. Asylum seekers do not need to make dangerous journeys to seek employment in the UK. There are various legal routes for those seeking to work in the UK under the Points Based System.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If she will take legislative steps to introduce a gender-neutral marker on passports.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The purpose of identity documents, including passports, is to verify a person’s identity and confirm they are the rightful holder of the document.

Current policy is that only ‘male’ and ‘female’ sexes are recognised for official purposes under UK law, which is reflected in UK passport policy.

There are no current plans to introduce a gender-neutral marker on passports.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has undertaken Watchlist and Information Control Unit checks on all asylum applications in the last 10 years.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

When an individual claims asylum, the Home Office conducts mandatory identity, criminality and security checks. Biographic and biometric data are routinely checked against relevant Home Office systems and police criminality databases including domestic and international data.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate her Department has made of the number of asylum claims made on the grounds of religious persecution from (a) Nigeria, (b) Eritrea and c) Pakistan between December 2001 and December 2024; and what steps she is taken to ensure claims are processed (i) fairly and (ii) efficiently.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

We do not publish the number of asylum claims that were granted based on religious persecution. This information is not recorded in a reportable format. Information regarding initial decisions on asylum applications, by outcome, is contained within ASY_D02 tab of the Asylum applications, decisions and resettlement dataset on GOV.UK at: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Detailed Home Office policy guidance provides a framework for considering asylum claims. All caseworkers receive extensive training to consider claims objectively and impartially, and they receive mentoring support before interviewing claimants and making such decisions. Each individual assessment is made against the background of relevant case law and the latest available country of origin information.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to provide an additional resettlement quota for Afghan refugees in Pakistan identified by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for resettlement.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Between 2021 and March 2025, over 34,000 individuals have been resettled and relocated through the Afghan Resettlement Programme. The latest immigration statistics can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-system-statistics-year-ending-march-2025.

The Government’s priority remains the resettlement and relocation of those already identified as eligible but who have not yet travelled.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department holds data on the number of people who have illegally arrived in the UK via small boat crossings having previously been deported.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 7 March to Question 35056.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many offences were recorded for enforcement action against delivery e-bikes in the last 12 months.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office collects and publishes data on fixed penalty notices (FPNs) and other outcomes for motoring offences in England and Wales on an annual basis, as part of the ‘Police powers and procedures: Roads policing’ statistical bulletin. The most recent data, up to 2023, is available here: Police powers and procedures: Roads policing, to December 2023 - GOV.UK

However, the Home Office does not centrally collect data on the type of vehicle involved in the offence.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will increase the number of police officers in neighbourhood teams in Nottinghamshire.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government has committed to restoring neighbourhood policing through the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. This includes putting thousands more police personnel on the beat in neighbourhood policing roles up and down the country. As a part of this pledge, Nottinghamshire Police have been allocated £3,570,488 funding in 2025/26 to bolster their neighbourhood policing teams.

Based on their funding allocation, Nottinghamshire Police’s projected growth over 2025/26 will be 30 police officers (FTE), 20 Police Community Support Officers (FTE), and 20 Special Constables (headcount).

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of training available to police forces for engaging with neurodiverse suspects.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Training on mental ill health and autism is already integrated throughout the initial police learning programme which all new recruits must complete.

Policing is operationally independent, and it is a matter for the chief constables of each force to decide which additional training their officers should undertake. The National Police Chiefs’ Council has produced an e-learning course and a glossary of terms on neurodiversity, which are available to all police officers.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the National Police Chiefs’ Council's guidance entitled Practice Advice on Child Death Investigation, published in February 2025, on (a) bereaved families and (b) trust in maternity services.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Guidance to support operational policing in discharging their duties is a matter for the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress her Department has made on improving neighbourhood policing in (a) Beckenham and Penge constituency and (b) the UK.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is committed to strong neighbourhood policing for everyone in England and Wales, no matter where they live.

As the Prime Minister announced on 10 April, by July, every community will have named, and contactable officers dedicated to addressing the issues facing their communities as part of the Government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee.

We are providing £200 million to police forces in financial year 2025/26 to support the first steps of delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel.

The Metropolitan Police has been allocated £45,639,456 from the £200 million fund for 2025/26. Based on their funding allocation, the projected growth for neighbourhood officers in the Metropolitan Police over 2025/26 will be 420 (FTE) police officers and 50 (FTE) Police Community Support Officers.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the levels of knife crime in the West Midlands in the last five years.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Halving knife crime over the next decade is a key part of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission and driving down serious violence across the UK, including in the West Midlands, will play a key role in meeting this ambition.

In the West Midlands, the government has allocated c.£3.7m for the Hotspot Action Fund in 2025-2026 to deliver high visibility patrolling and problem-oriented policing tactics in the areas with the highest densities of knife crime and Anti-Social Behaviour (‘hotspots’).

We routinely monitor police recorded crime data trends for all forces. West Midlands Police recorded 4,664 offences involving a knife or a sharp instrument in the year ending December 2024, a 12% fall compared with the previous year (5,323 offences). The fall was driven by a 14% fall in knife-enabled robbery (from 2,684 to 2,309 offences) and a 11% fall in assault with injury and assault with intent to cause serious harm (from 1,952 to 1,730).

Through our Young Futures Programme, the Government will introduce Prevention Partnerships across the country, including in the West Midlands, to intervene earlier and ensure that children and young people who are vulnerable to being drawn into crime are identified and offered support in a more systematic way.

As we continue to design the Young Futures Programme, we want to ensure that it learns from and builds on the work of the Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) in this regard. In 2025/26 we are investing £47m via the Home Office in core grant funding to VRUs, including making over £4.3m available to the West Midlands VRU this year.

This funding will support the delivery of a range of early intervention and prevention programmes such as youth workers in hospital settings (A&E Navigators), social skills training, and tailored support to individuals at risk of involvement in gangs and county lines to divert young people away from crime.

A further £14.3m in grant funding has been made available across all 43 local policing body areas to deliver the Serious Violence Duty with £254k available to the West Midlands.

Additionally, we have launched the Knife Enabled Robbery (‘KER’) Taskforce, focusing on reducing KER in the highest volume police force areas, including the West Midlands. The Taskforce identified school-age KER as a specific operational challenge and has worked with the Department for Education and school leaders to tackle it by developing bespoke “KER school action plans”.

To ensure community leaders, campaign groups, families of those who have tragically lost their lives to knife crime and young people who have been impacted are involved in our plans, the Prime Minister launched the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime in September 2024. The Coalition contributes to policy development in key areas. I (Minister for Crime Prevention and Policing) have attended several coalition meetings since it was founded, chairing its most recent meeting. The Coalition has discussed key policy issues, including the online sale of knives, child criminal exploitation and the banning of ninja swords.

To date, we have implemented a ban on the sale and possession of zombie-style knives and zombie-style machetes and a ban on ninja swords will come into effect from 1 August. We are planning an expanded surrender scheme in July to allow those who currently own dangerous weapons to hand them in safely and securely.

In the Crime and Policing Bill 2025, we are increasing the penalties for illegal sales of knives, creating a new offence of possessing a knife with the intention to commit unlawful violence and are giving the police a new power to seize knives when they believe they are likely to be used in connection with unlawful violence.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to encourage (a) (i) community and (ii) campaign groups and (b) families affected by knife crime to participate in the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Halving knife crime over the next decade is a key part of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission and driving down serious violence across the UK, including in the West Midlands, will play a key role in meeting this ambition.

In the West Midlands, the government has allocated c.£3.7m for the Hotspot Action Fund in 2025-2026 to deliver high visibility patrolling and problem-oriented policing tactics in the areas with the highest densities of knife crime and Anti-Social Behaviour (‘hotspots’).

We routinely monitor police recorded crime data trends for all forces. West Midlands Police recorded 4,664 offences involving a knife or a sharp instrument in the year ending December 2024, a 12% fall compared with the previous year (5,323 offences). The fall was driven by a 14% fall in knife-enabled robbery (from 2,684 to 2,309 offences) and a 11% fall in assault with injury and assault with intent to cause serious harm (from 1,952 to 1,730).

Through our Young Futures Programme, the Government will introduce Prevention Partnerships across the country, including in the West Midlands, to intervene earlier and ensure that children and young people who are vulnerable to being drawn into crime are identified and offered support in a more systematic way.

As we continue to design the Young Futures Programme, we want to ensure that it learns from and builds on the work of the Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) in this regard. In 2025/26 we are investing £47m via the Home Office in core grant funding to VRUs, including making over £4.3m available to the West Midlands VRU this year.

This funding will support the delivery of a range of early intervention and prevention programmes such as youth workers in hospital settings (A&E Navigators), social skills training, and tailored support to individuals at risk of involvement in gangs and county lines to divert young people away from crime.

A further £14.3m in grant funding has been made available across all 43 local policing body areas to deliver the Serious Violence Duty with £254k available to the West Midlands.

Additionally, we have launched the Knife Enabled Robbery (‘KER’) Taskforce, focusing on reducing KER in the highest volume police force areas, including the West Midlands. The Taskforce identified school-age KER as a specific operational challenge and has worked with the Department for Education and school leaders to tackle it by developing bespoke “KER school action plans”.

To ensure community leaders, campaign groups, families of those who have tragically lost their lives to knife crime and young people who have been impacted are involved in our plans, the Prime Minister launched the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime in September 2024. The Coalition contributes to policy development in key areas. I (Minister for Crime Prevention and Policing) have attended several coalition meetings since it was founded, chairing its most recent meeting. The Coalition has discussed key policy issues, including the online sale of knives, child criminal exploitation and the banning of ninja swords.

To date, we have implemented a ban on the sale and possession of zombie-style knives and zombie-style machetes and a ban on ninja swords will come into effect from 1 August. We are planning an expanded surrender scheme in July to allow those who currently own dangerous weapons to hand them in safely and securely.

In the Crime and Policing Bill 2025, we are increasing the penalties for illegal sales of knives, creating a new offence of possessing a knife with the intention to commit unlawful violence and are giving the police a new power to seize knives when they believe they are likely to be used in connection with unlawful violence.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Coalition to Fight Knife Crime on tackling knife crime.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Halving knife crime over the next decade is a key part of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission and driving down serious violence across the UK, including in the West Midlands, will play a key role in meeting this ambition.

In the West Midlands, the government has allocated c.£3.7m for the Hotspot Action Fund in 2025-2026 to deliver high visibility patrolling and problem-oriented policing tactics in the areas with the highest densities of knife crime and Anti-Social Behaviour (‘hotspots’).

We routinely monitor police recorded crime data trends for all forces. West Midlands Police recorded 4,664 offences involving a knife or a sharp instrument in the year ending December 2024, a 12% fall compared with the previous year (5,323 offences). The fall was driven by a 14% fall in knife-enabled robbery (from 2,684 to 2,309 offences) and a 11% fall in assault with injury and assault with intent to cause serious harm (from 1,952 to 1,730).

Through our Young Futures Programme, the Government will introduce Prevention Partnerships across the country, including in the West Midlands, to intervene earlier and ensure that children and young people who are vulnerable to being drawn into crime are identified and offered support in a more systematic way.

As we continue to design the Young Futures Programme, we want to ensure that it learns from and builds on the work of the Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) in this regard. In 2025/26 we are investing £47m via the Home Office in core grant funding to VRUs, including making over £4.3m available to the West Midlands VRU this year.

This funding will support the delivery of a range of early intervention and prevention programmes such as youth workers in hospital settings (A&E Navigators), social skills training, and tailored support to individuals at risk of involvement in gangs and county lines to divert young people away from crime.

A further £14.3m in grant funding has been made available across all 43 local policing body areas to deliver the Serious Violence Duty with £254k available to the West Midlands.

Additionally, we have launched the Knife Enabled Robbery (‘KER’) Taskforce, focusing on reducing KER in the highest volume police force areas, including the West Midlands. The Taskforce identified school-age KER as a specific operational challenge and has worked with the Department for Education and school leaders to tackle it by developing bespoke “KER school action plans”.

To ensure community leaders, campaign groups, families of those who have tragically lost their lives to knife crime and young people who have been impacted are involved in our plans, the Prime Minister launched the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime in September 2024. The Coalition contributes to policy development in key areas. I (Minister for Crime Prevention and Policing) have attended several coalition meetings since it was founded, chairing its most recent meeting. The Coalition has discussed key policy issues, including the online sale of knives, child criminal exploitation and the banning of ninja swords.

To date, we have implemented a ban on the sale and possession of zombie-style knives and zombie-style machetes and a ban on ninja swords will come into effect from 1 August. We are planning an expanded surrender scheme in July to allow those who currently own dangerous weapons to hand them in safely and securely.

In the Crime and Policing Bill 2025, we are increasing the penalties for illegal sales of knives, creating a new offence of possessing a knife with the intention to commit unlawful violence and are giving the police a new power to seize knives when they believe they are likely to be used in connection with unlawful violence.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to reduce youth-related violence in Sutton Coldfield constituency.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Halving knife crime over the next decade is a key part of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission and we are determined to tackle the scourge of serious youth violence on our streets.

To date, we have implemented a ban on the sale and possession of zombie-style knives and zombie-style machetes and a ban on ninja swords will come into effect from 1 August. We are planning an expanded surrender scheme in July to allow those who currently own dangerous weapons to hand them in safely and securely. Limiting the availability and accessibility of lethal blades is a central part of our work.

To that end, we have also announced “Ronan’s Law”, following an independent review into online knife sales by Commander Stephen Clayman, which sets out a range of measures including strengthening age verification and delivery checks and reporting bulk sales to the police. These vital changes are included in the Crime and Policing Bill currently making its way through Parliament.

We are increasing the penalties for illegal sales of knives, creating a new offence of possessing a knife with the intention to commit unlawful violence and are giving the police a new power to seize knives when they believe they are likely to be used in connection with unlawful violence.

The Young Futures Programme is another key part of the Safer Streets Mission and the Government’s ambition to halve knife crime over the next decade. Through this programme, the Government will introduce Prevention Partnerships across the country, including in the West Midlands, to intervene earlier and ensure that Children and Young People who are vulnerable to being drawn into crime are identified and offered support in a more systematic way.

As we continue to design the Young Futures Programme, we want to ensure that it learns from and builds on the work of the Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) in this regard. In 2025/26 we are investing £47m via the Home Office in core grant funding to VRUs, including making over £4.3m available to the West Midlands VRU this year.

This funding will support the delivery of a range of early intervention and prevention programmes such as youth workers in hospital settings (A&E Navigators), social skills training, and tailored support to individuals at risk of involvement in gangs and county lines to divert young people away from crime.

A further £14.3m in grant funding has been made available across all 43 local policing body areas to deliver the Serious Violence Duty with £254k available to the West Midlands.

Additionally, we have launched the Knife Enabled Robbery (‘KER’) Taskforce, focusing on reducing KER in the highest volume police force areas, including the West Midlands. The Taskforce identified school-age KER as a specific operational challenge and has worked with the Department for Education and school leaders to tackle it by developing bespoke “KER school action plans”.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help end the use of (a) vape shops, (b) barbers and (c) other high street businesses by organised crime groups.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

There are a range of powers available to deal with criminal use and exploitation of high street properties. Authorities can use closure powers under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 to close quickly premises which are being used, or are likely to be used, to commit nuisance or disorder. Courts may in turn grant a Closure Order where a person has engaged in criminal behaviour on the premises. This power is designed specifically to protect victims and communities by enabling swift action where premises are creating harm.

Law enforcement agencies are taking robust action to deal with criminal use of high street properties wherever they see it. For example, in March the National Economic Crime Centre, part of the National Crime Agency, coordinated Operation Machinize, a three-week crackdown against cash-intensive businesses linked to serious and organised crime across England and Wales.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on what the average processing time for a shotgun license application was in the last 12 months.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The issuing of firearms certificates and the efficiency of police forces is a matter for individual Chief Constables and local Police and Crime Commissioners.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle levels of anti-social behaviour involving catapults in Surrey.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

We are clear that catapults should not be used for illegal or anti-social purposes, whether against wildlife, people or property.

The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other local agencies with a range of tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to anti-social behaviour, including the misuse of catapults.

Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are strengthening the powers available to relevant agencies to tackle ASB, including introducing new Respect Orders to tackle the most persistent ASB offenders.

The police have powers relating to the use of any item as an offensive weapon, including a catapult. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996, the police also have powers to deal with cases where wildlife is attacked, including cases involving the misuse of catapults.

We continue to keep all relevant legislation under review in the interest of public safety.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle (a) shoplifting and (b) violence against shopworkers (i) in Beckenham and Penge constituency and (ii) nationally.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government is committed to tackling retail crime and is absolutely clear that everybody has a right to feel safe at their place of work. Through our Crime and Policing Bill, we have introduced a standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores.

The Bill will also repeal existing legislation which makes shop theft of and below £200 a summary-only offence, which means it can only be tried in a magistrate’s court. This will send a clear message that any level of shop theft is illegal and will be taken seriously.

We will provide £5 million over the next three years to continue to fund a specialist analysis team within Opal, the national policing intelligence unit for serious, organised acquisitive crime.

We will also invest £2 million over the next three years in the National Business Crime Centre which provides a resource for both police and businesses to learn, share and support each other to prevent and combat crime.

Further, the National Police Chiefs' Council will receive funding to give further training to police and retailers on prevention tactics. The training will aim to empower retailers to develop and implement tactics to prevent retail crime across all of the UK.

I speak regularly with representatives of the retail sector and chair the Retail Crime Forum which brings together policing and industry to discuss practical ways to work together to tackle retail crime.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to make LGBTQ+ hate crimes aggravated offences; and if she will implement a national Hate Crime Strategy and Action Plan to improve (a) reporting and (b) support for victims of hate crimes based on (i) sexual orientation and (ii) gender identity.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

All hate crimes are unacceptable, and we back the police in taking the strongest action against the perpetrators of these appalling offences.

We are currently considering the best way to implement commitments in this space.

The Government funds an online hate crime reporting portal called True Vision, designed so victims of all types of hate crime - including homophobic, biphobic and transphobic hate crime - do not have to visit a police station to report. We are also continuing to fund the National Online Hate Crime Hub which supports individual local police forces in dealing specifically with online hate crime.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has consulted (a) medical professionals and (b) women’s rights organisations on the potential impact of the National Police Chiefs’ Council's guidance entitled Practice Advice on Child Death Investigation, published in February 2025, on (i) Black women, (ii) migrant women and (iii) other marginalised groups.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Guidance to support operational policing in discharging their duties is a matter for the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will review the National Police Chiefs' Council's guidance on investigating stillbirths.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

Guidance to support operational policing in discharging their duties is a matter for the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support victims of the Windrush scandal.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

This government is determined to put right the appalling injustices caused by the Home Office’s treatment of members of the Windrush community, making sure that those affected receive the compensation they deserve quickly and ensuring cultural change is embedded permanently into the fabric of the department.

We are committed to engaging directly with the communities most affected to understand their views and priorities, and to ensure their voices are heard. Both I and the Home Secretary have met, and will continue to listen to, those directly affected by the scandal and representatives of groups advocating for them.

In February, we launched the recruitment for a Windrush Commissioner, which marks a vital step in resetting the government’s response to the Home Office Windrush scandal. The Commissioner will serve as an independent advocate for those affected, assure delivery of the Windrush Compensation Scheme and hold the department to account as we learn the lessons of the past to drive improvements. The immediate priority is to appoint the right person into the role and ensure they engage swiftly with impacted communities to truly understand what they need and identify how the Commissioner can deliver meaningful change through their role.

We have injected £1.5 into a programme of grant funding for organisations to provide support for Compensation Scheme applicants who need additional help with the application process, ensuring claimants feel supported.  We invited applications for funding on 11^th April 2025, with successful organisations expected to be announced by summer 2025.

Financial compensation cannot make up for what has been lost but we are committed to giving the maximum amount at the earliest point possible and doing so with compassion and understanding.

This is why we introduced a new single named caseworker process in July so the individuals who apply for compensation are better supported and have increased transparency on the progress of their claim. The time taken to allocate claims has also been reduced significantly, down to six weeks from 3 months a year ago. The time taken to finalise a claim has similarly reduced significantly now down to approximately 3 months compared to 6-7 months a year ago.

We also have a dedicated Vulnerable Persons Team who provide trusted help and advice to vulnerable people in urgent need. The Vulnerable Persons Team also administers the Urgent and Exceptional Payments policy, which provides immediate financial support to people in urgent need.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the timeline is for UK travellers to start having expanded access to EU eGates.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

We have secured confirmation that there will be no legal barriers to eGates use for UK nationals travelling to and from EU Member States after the introduction of the EU's Entry/Exit System.

But the Prime Minister has been clear that there should be no reason why European countries cannot go further and faster on this now.

We are therefore working with individual Member States at pace to make that transition happen as soon as possible.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many hotels are being used to accommodate migrants; how many migrants are being housed in hotels across the United Kingdom; and whether those numbers have increased or decreased since July 2024.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

According to the latest official data, published on 22 May 2025, there were 32,345 individuals staying in hotel accommodation as of 31 March 2025.

The current number of hotels in use is lower than it was at the time of the election, and significantly lower than the peak of 400 in use in autumn 2023.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the changes to the qualification period for indefinite leave to remain apply to people who are already living and working in the United Kingdom or whether the changes will apply to new visa applicants only.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year and further details on the proposed scheme will be provided at the time.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of which academic fields have benefitted most from the Global Talent visa scheme.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Following its introduction in February 2020, the Home Office commissioned Ipsos to undertake research into the impact of the Global Talent visa. Wave 1 of the research was published in May 2022 and wave 2 was published in March 2024.

The Global Talent Visa Evaluation is published at:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/global-talent-visa-evaluation/global-talent-visa-evaluation-exploring-experiences-of-the-global-talent-visa-process-wave-1-report.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/global-talent-visa-evaluation-wave-2-report/global-talent-visa-evaluation-wave-2-report.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, whether the proposals will apply to British National (Overseas) visa holders; and whether provisions will be introduced to allow access for British National (Overseas) visa holders to local university tuition fee rates before settlement is achieved.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Government is committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK and those who may come here in future.

Further details of all measures announced in the Immigration White Paper will be set out in the normal way in due course, and where necessary, will be subject to consultation.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the Global Talent visa scheme.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Following its introduction in February 2020, the Home Office commissioned Ipsos to undertake research into the impact of the Global Talent visa. Wave 1 of the research was published in May 2022 and wave 2 was published in March 2024.

The Global Talent Visa Evaluation is published at:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/global-talent-visa-evaluation/global-talent-visa-evaluation-exploring-experiences-of-the-global-talent-visa-process-wave-1-report.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/global-talent-visa-evaluation-wave-2-report/global-talent-visa-evaluation-wave-2-report.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of enabling school groups to travel to the EU with ID cards.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Entry requirements to the EU are a matter for EU Member States.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of her Department's revised guidance entitled Nationality: good character requirement, published on 11 February 2025, on levels of community cohesion in Greater Manchester.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

I refer the Hon Member to the answers I gave on 3 April to Question 40163, and on 25 February to Question 31371.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has an internal target for net migration in 2025.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

In the Immigration White Paper published on 12 May, we set out our commitment to continue reducing net migration from the record highs that were reached when the Rt Hon Member was the Home Secretary in June 2023.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the duration of the Ukrainian Visa scheme for Ukrainian national visa holders with children currently working towards GCSE or A Level qualifications in the UK.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme, which opened on 4 February 2025, enables Ukrainians who have been provided sanctuary here in the UK to apply for a further 18 months’ permission to remain. The scheme provides the same rights and entitlements to access work, benefits, healthcare and education as the other Ukraine schemes.

We keep the Ukraine schemes under continuous review in line with the ongoing conflict and the Ukrainian government’s desire for the future return of its citizens to Ukraine. This is why the Ukraine Schemes remain temporary.

The Home Office is mindful of the importance of continuity of education and my officials are exploring options so that more clarity can be provided.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the error rate in asylum applications where decisions had an (a) automated and (b) AI-based element was between November 2024 and March 2025.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

No automated / AI tools were deployed in Asylum decision making between November 2024 and March 2025.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, whether the reforms will apply retrospectively to current visa holders; and whether (a) transitional arrangements and (b) specific exemptions will be considered for people currently on the five-year residency pathway.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

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.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the guidance entitled Nationality: good character requirement, published on 11 February 2025, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of changes to the good character requirement for British citizenship on long-term UK residents who were granted protection after arriving by irregular routes.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

I refer the Hon Member to the answers I gave on 3 April to Question 40163, and on 25 February to Question 31371.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the guidance entitled Nationality: good character requirement, published on 11 February 2025, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that people who arrived in the UK as children are not affected by changes to the guidance on the good character requirement when applying for UK citizenship as adults.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

I refer the Hon Member to the answers I gave on 3 April to Question 40163, and on 25 February to Question 31371.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, which visa schemes the points-based system would apply to; and whether it would apply retrospectively to existing visa holders.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

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.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with representatives of the higher education sector on the revocation of student visas for those foreign nationals convicted of serious criminal offences in the United Kingdom.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

Any foreign national who commits serious crimes in the UK should expect to be removed from our country, regardless of the visa on which they travelled here.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's planned timetable is for raising the salary threshold for Skilled Worker visa applicants.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Immigration White Paper, published 12^th May, set out a range of proposed reforms, further details of which will be set out in due course, and - where necessary – subject to consultation.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's planned timetable is for abolishing the immigration salary list.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Immigration White Paper, published 12^th May, set out a range of proposed reforms, further details of which will be set out in due course, and - where necessary – subject to consultation.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 22 May 2025 to Question 52624 on Asylum: Housing, if she will publish the template accommodation contract for accommodation under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

Information about contracts with the government and its agencies, including the Asylum Accommodation Support and Service Contracts are available at: Contracts Finder - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the press release entitled Prime Minister unveils new plan to end years of uncontrolled migration, published on 11 May 2025, whether the English language requirements for (a) migrants and (b) adult dependents will apply to claims for asylum made (i) outside and (ii) by people who have illegally entered the UK.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Immigration White Paper, published on 12 May 2025, announced new measures on a wide range of issues – including English language requirements – further details of which will be set out in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's planned timetable is for raising the skilled worker threshold to RQF 6 and above.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Immigration White Paper, published 12^th May, set out a range of proposed reforms, further details of which will be set out in due course, and - where necessary – subject to consultation.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her planned timetable is for the completion of the e-Visa rollout.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

We are working to complete the rollout of eVisas across all eligible routes by 2026.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Windrush Unit plans to complete its review of the Windrush Lessons Learned Review, published on 19 March 2020.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

We have established a new Windrush Unit in the Home Office dedicated to driving systemic, cultural change across the whole Department to ensure that what happened to the Windrush generation never happens again.

The reinstated Windrush Unit comprises of existing Home Office Civil Servants, so re-establishing the unit did not incur any additional cost.

The appointment process for the Windrush Commissioner is nearing completion, and we will make an announcement shortly. Once appointed, the Commissioner will advise on the Home Office’s response to the Windrush Lessons Learned Review which will inform when the review is completed.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to appoint a Windrush Commissioner.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

We have established a new Windrush Unit in the Home Office dedicated to driving systemic, cultural change across the whole Department to ensure that what happened to the Windrush generation never happens again.

The reinstated Windrush Unit comprises of existing Home Office Civil Servants, so re-establishing the unit did not incur any additional cost.

The appointment process for the Windrush Commissioner is nearing completion, and we will make an announcement shortly. Once appointed, the Commissioner will advise on the Home Office’s response to the Windrush Lessons Learned Review which will inform when the review is completed.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost was of re-establishing the Windrush Unit.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

We have established a new Windrush Unit in the Home Office dedicated to driving systemic, cultural change across the whole Department to ensure that what happened to the Windrush generation never happens again.

The reinstated Windrush Unit comprises of existing Home Office Civil Servants, so re-establishing the unit did not incur any additional cost.

The appointment process for the Windrush Commissioner is nearing completion, and we will make an announcement shortly. Once appointed, the Commissioner will advise on the Home Office’s response to the Windrush Lessons Learned Review which will inform when the review is completed.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to use data from the eVisa system to aid immigration enforcement operations.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Immigration Enforcement already uses information contained in relevant visa applications and interactions when taking enforcement action against suspected immigration offenders – this will continue to be the case with eVisas.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to issue guidance to (a) refugees and (b) BN(O) visa holders in the United Kingdom on the potential impact of its White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published 12 May 2025, on the pathways to (i) citizenship and (ii) indefinite leave to remain.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The White Paper commits to a review of our existing refugee sponsorship and resettlement schemes. Further information on the reviews will be provided in due course.

The Government is committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK and those who may come here in future.

Further details of all measures announced in the Immigration White Paper will be set out in the normal way in due course. Where necessary, measures will be subject to consultation.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to paragraph 185 of the White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, when she plans to introduce (a) tighter controls, (b) restrictions and (c) scrutiny of people who attempt to misuse the immigration system.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Immigration White Paper, published on 12 May 2025, announced new measures on a wide range of issues, including those who seek to misuse the immigration system, further details of which will be set out in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the size of the asylum backlog was on (a) 5 July 2024 and (b) 1 May 2025.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of asylum claims awaiting an initial decision is published in table Asy_D03 of the Asylum claims awaiting a decision detailed dataset. The latest data relate to as at 31^st March 2025.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department's White Paper entitled Restoring control over the immigration system, published on 12 May 2025, what assessment she has made on the ability of British Nationals Overseas visa holders to (a) access higher education (i) home fee status and (ii) student finance, and (b) withdraw (A) private and (B) individual pensions from overseas after five years of UK residence.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Government is committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK and those who may come here in future.

Further details of all measures announced in the Immigration White Paper will be set out in the normal way in due course, and where necessary, will be subject to consultation.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of a youth mobility scheme with Saudi Arabia.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, consistent with our commitment to reduce net migration significantly over the course of parliament.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of a youth mobility scheme with Turkey.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, consistent with our commitment to reduce net migration significantly over the course of parliament.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of age-related pay for people with Skilled Worker visas on opportunities for exploitation by unscrupulous employers.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Immigration White Paper, published on 12 May, sets out the Home Office’s proposals for reform in a number of areas, including exploitation of individuals on worker visas.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of age-related pay for workers on the Skilled Worker Visa on exploitation in the airline industry.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Immigration White Paper, published on 12 May, sets out the Home Office’s proposals for reform in a number of areas, including exploitation of individuals on worker visas.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of UK citizenship applications refused since 10 February 2025 have had entry to the UK by irregular means cited as the reason for refusal.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The information requested is not centrally held, and could only be collected and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Palestinian children have entered the UK for medical treatment since October 2023; and what steps her Department plans to take to increase the number of Palestinian children able to receive medical treatment in the UK.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The information requested on visas is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

The UK has supported an initiative by Project Pure Hope to bring a small number of children from Gaza to the UK for privately funded specialist care. On 1 May, the Minister for the Middle East announced that two children have arrived in the UK to begin treatment. The Government also announced a £7.5m package of support to bolster vital medical care in Gaza and the region, which includes additional funding for UK-Med, WHO Egypt and the OCHA OPTs Humanitarian Fund.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many visas have been issued to Gazan children seeking medical evacuation to the UK since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The information requested on visas is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

The UK has supported an initiative by Project Pure Hope to bring a small number of children from Gaza to the UK for privately funded specialist care. On 1 May, the Minister for the Middle East announced that two children have arrived in the UK to begin treatment. The Government also announced a £7.5m package of support to bolster vital medical care in Gaza and the region, which includes additional funding for UK-Med, WHO Egypt and the OCHA OPTs Humanitarian Fund.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many visas have been denied for Gazan children seeking medical evacuation to the UK.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The information requested on visas is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

The UK has supported an initiative by Project Pure Hope to bring a small number of children from Gaza to the UK for privately funded specialist care. On 1 May, the Minister for the Middle East announced that two children have arrived in the UK to begin treatment. The Government also announced a £7.5m package of support to bolster vital medical care in Gaza and the region, which includes additional funding for UK-Med, WHO Egypt and the OCHA OPTs Humanitarian Fund.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Innovator Founder visa on entrepreneurial talent studying at UK universities.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

We recognise the importance of retaining top entrepreneurial talent coming through our world leading universities. As part of this, we set out in the Immigration White Paper that we will support entrepreneurial talent currently studying at UK universities further. This will enable those with innovative business ideas to engage in that business activity while transitioning onto an Innovator Founder visa, so they can build their business and career in the UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of a youth mobility scheme with the United Arab Emirates.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, consistent with our commitment to reduce net migration significantly over the course of parliament.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the White Paper entitled Restoring Control over the Immigration System, publish on 12 May 2025, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of her proposed changes to short-term study visas on language schools in the UK.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Further details of all the measures announced in the White Paper will be set out in due course, and where necessary, subject to consultation.

Across Government, we will also make it easier for those already in the UK, working with partners in the Department for Education, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to access classes for English language lessons for those who need additional help.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the White Paper entitled Restoring Control over the Immigration System, published on 12 May 2025, when she plans to publish further information on how changes to the five-year settlement pathway will affect people already in the UK on a pathway to settlement.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

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.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she plans to take to evaluate the effectiveness of her Department's Enough campaign at tackling violence against women and girls.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

To evaluate communications activity, including the Enough campaign to help tackle violence against women and girls, the Department follows the steps set out by the Government Communication Service: GCS Evaluation Cycle - UK Government Communications.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8 April 2025 to Question 42554 on Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority: Complaints, whether North West includes Scotland, Northern Ireland, North Wales and geographical areas of North West England.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

“North West” in this instance includes Scotland, Northern Ireland, North Wales and North West England.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to allocate the £20 million fund to services supporting victims of abuse in (a) Buckinghamshire and (b) Milton Keynes.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

On Monday 12 May, we announced a £19.9m funding boost to support thousands more victims of violence against women and girls (VAWG). This funding will help victims access specialist services . This includes £6m for specialist helplines to support victims of VAWG across England and Wales, £2m for a Flexible Fund administered by Women’s Aid Federation England, which offers direct cash payments to victims fleeing abuse across England and Wales, and £2.4 million for the Supporting Migrant Victims Scheme, a national programme that supports migrant victims of abuse who are unable to access public funds. This comprehensive national package reflects our commitment to ensuring that all victims and survivors - regardless of their background, circumstances or postcode - can access the support they need.

Regarding investment into local services, on 28 November 2024 the Government announced a £30m funding increase to the Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation Grant, bringing the total investment to £160m in 2025-26. This will enable local authorities to invest in essential support in frontline safe accommodation services. Furthermore, Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in England and Wales also receive annual grant funding from the MOJ’s victim and witness budget to commission local support services for victims of all crime types. PCCs are best placed to understand their local communities and providers and to commission appropriate support to meet that need.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the ban on employment for women seeking asylum on levels of gender-based violence and exploitation.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 3 June to Question 53862.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 8 April 2025 to Question 42556 on Visas: Seasonal Workers, whether Scheme Operators provide written reports to her Department in relation to their work in enforcing welfare on farms.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

There is no such requirement at present.

UKVI Seasonal Agricultural Worker Officers visit farms, interviewing both workers and farm managers to ensure that worker welfare, accommodation standards, as well as pay and conditions meet the requirements of the route.

Regular bi-monthly meetings are held with the licensed sponsors to ensure any complaints raised or issues identified are addressed as soon as possible.

Should systemic issues relating to worker welfare be identified that are not acted upon, UKVI will consider taking punitive action against the associated provider, up to and including the revocation of their licence.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of rules requiring social care workers who fail to find alternative sponsorship arrangements to leave the UK on their dependents.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The White Paper, published on May 12 2025, set out that the Government intend to end access to the Health and Care visa for carers due to worker exploitation in the route. There will be a transition period until 2028, we will permit visa extensions and in-country switching for those already in the country with working rights, but this will be kept under review.

On 9 April the Home Office previously restricted access to overseas recruitment unless employers have first tried to recruit international care workers in the UK. Sponsors are also required to access the redeployment pool before sponsoring switching applications in-country so although we are considering whether this requirement will be needed longer term, we are not in a position to confirm at this stage.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what mechanisms are in place to remove social care workers who fail to secure alternative sponsorship arrangements within the specified 60-day period.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The White Paper, published on May 12 2025, set out that the Government intend to end access to the Health and Care visa for carers due to worker exploitation in the route. There will be a transition period until 2028, we will permit visa extensions and in-country switching for those already in the country with working rights, but this will be kept under review.

On 9 April the Home Office previously restricted access to overseas recruitment unless employers have first tried to recruit international care workers in the UK. Sponsors are also required to access the redeployment pool before sponsoring switching applications in-country so although we are considering whether this requirement will be needed longer term, we are not in a position to confirm at this stage.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a certificate of common sponsorship for future social care workers from overseas.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The White Paper, published on May 12 2025, set out that the Government intend to end access to the Health and Care visa for carers due to worker exploitation in the route. There will be a transition period until 2028, we will permit visa extensions and in-country switching for those already in the country with working rights, but this will be kept under review.

On 9 April the Home Office previously restricted access to overseas recruitment unless employers have first tried to recruit international care workers in the UK. Sponsors are also required to access the redeployment pool before sponsoring switching applications in-country so although we are considering whether this requirement will be needed longer term, we are not in a position to confirm at this stage.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Border Security Command staff are (a) employed directly and (b) seconded from other Government (i) departments, (ii) agencies and (iii) public bodies.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave him on 14 February to Question 30693.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what date the Border Security Commander became responsible for (a) border security and (b) collection of illegal migration data.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave him on 14 February to Question 30693.

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Found: This warning, which I reported to the Home Office in 2012, foreshadowed the sustained harassment, surveillance

Found: the Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, the Committee asked the Home Office

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Found: slavery-in-global-supply-chains/7 An independent review of the Modern Slavery Act prepared by the Home Office

Found: addressing forced labour within supply chains maintains independence from the Government and the Home Office

Found: 35530 Number Title Reference 8th Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage HC 351 7th Asylum accommodation: Home Office

Found: the Home Office’s ability to detain someone subject to deportation from the point at which the Home Office

Found: In each case 12 Home Office, ‘Immigration system statistics, year ending September 2024: How many people

Found: agencies who have a responsibility to undertake Merton-compliant Age Assessments in line with the Home Office

Found: The Home Office has engaged survivors on issues such as the future adult victim support model and the

Found: co-ordination across departments including the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Home Office

Found: o Working closely with the Home Office and National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) to deliver the NPCC

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Found: It also wants to reduce Home Office spending on refugees in the UK.

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Found: Letter from the Second Permanent Secretary of the Home Office relating to the Support for Victims of

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Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what recent discussions his Department has had with the Home Office on protecting (a) elderly and (b) vulnerable people against AI-generated scams in the form of deepfake content.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

DSIT regularly engages with Home Office on ongoing efforts to protect users from online harms, including AI-Generated scams. AI generated content is regulated by the Online Safety Act where it is shared on an in-scope service and constitutes either illegal content or content which is harmful to children.

In March this year the Act’s illegal harms duties came into force, with fraud captured as a priority offence. User-to-user services must take preventative measures to stop fraudulent content from appearing and swiftly remove it where it does. Search services must minimise fraudulent content from appearing in results. This includes AI generated deepfake scams.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the number of people not from the UK or EU who are sleeping rough.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The expectation is that migrants coming into the UK should be able to maintain and accommodate themselves without recourse to public funds. This reflects the need to maintain the confidence of general public that immigration brings benefits to our country, rather than add costs to the public purse.

When individuals granted refugee status leave Home Office accommodation, they are entitled to help with finding accommodation from their local authority if homeless. If in priority need, they will be provided with temporary accommodation.

The Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant funding can be used to help anyone, as long as areas act within the law in doing so.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of abolishing the Home Office.

Answered by Abena Oppong-Asare - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

There are no plans of this kind.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how responsibility for animal welfare policy is divided between (a) his Department, (b) the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and (c) the Home Office; and who the lead ministers are.

Answered by Feryal Clark - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is responsible for technology policy around the development, validation and uptake of alternative testing methods, led by Lord Vallance. The Home Office is responsible for regulation of the use of animals in research under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 which is the legislation that protects animals used for scientific purposes, led by Lord Hanson. Defra is responsible for enacting and enforcing the Animal Welfare Act 2006 which outlines the basic duty of care for animals, led by Baroness Hayman. Defra also develops and implements specific animal welfare regulations, such as animal transport.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make it her policy to introduce traceable labels on nitrous oxide canisters to identify the point of sale.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer given by the Home Office on 9 May 2025 to PQ 49048.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department had discussions with the Home Office on the development of the Restoring control over the immigration system: white paper; and what representations his Department has made since its publication on the potential impact of the white paper on British National (Overseas) visa holders.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As the Foreign Secretary said in the latest 6-monthly Report, this Government remains steadfast in our commitment to the British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) visa route. The UK provides a welcoming home to Hong Kongers today and it will continue to do so for Hong Kongers tomorrow.

Further details of all measures announced in the Immigration White Paper will be set out in the normal way in due course, and where necessary, will be subject to consultation. As with all matters, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is in close communication with the Home Office on how best to deliver the Government's objectives.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Restoring control over the immigration system: white paper on the UK's foreign policy in relation to Hong Kong.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As the Foreign Secretary said in the latest 6-monthly Report, this Government remains steadfast in our commitment to the British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) visa route. The UK provides a welcoming home to Hong Kongers today and it will continue to do so for Hong Kongers tomorrow.

Further details of all measures announced in the Immigration White Paper will be set out in the normal way in due course, and where necessary, will be subject to consultation. As with all matters, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is in close communication with the Home Office on how best to deliver the Government's objectives.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Home Office on the impact of the Restoring control over the immigration system: white paper on British Nationals (Overseas) visa holders.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

As the Foreign Secretary said in the latest 6-monthly Report, this Government remains steadfast in our commitment to the British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) visa route. The UK provides a welcoming home to Hong Kongers today and it will continue to do so for Hong Kongers tomorrow.

Further details of all measures announced in the Immigration White Paper will be set out in the normal way in due course, and where necessary, will be subject to consultation. As with all matters, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is in close communication with the Home Office on how best to deliver the Government's objectives.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2025 to Question 55226 on Electric Bicycles: Road Traffic Offences, whether her Department is taking steps with (a) the Home Office and (b) other agencies on implementing a consistent approach to (i) enforcement and (ii) public safety.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

While enforcement of road traffic offences concerning e-cycles is a matter for the police, the Department is working with the Home Office on new offences intended to tackle those rare instances where a cyclist’s behaviour is dangerous or careless, and results in the death or serious injury of another road user.

This is in addition to the new powers for the police to seize any vehicle, including e-cycles, being used in an anti-social manner and without first being required to give a warning.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many newly upgraded mobile masts will be in North Northumberland constituency; and what plans he has to develop the shared rural network in North Northumberland constituency.

Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

In North Northumberland, there are four government funded Home Office masts that are due to be upgraded as part of the Shared Rural Network. The first of these upgrades at Herdlaw Farm should be activated in July and we will write to you with the details once the mast is delivering new coverage. The remaining masts in Mindrum, Bell Hill and The Ladyship Field will be activated no later than by the end of next year in line with the overall programme’s delivery timescales.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if her Department will publish the average response time for British Transport Police at Stockport station in each of the last five financial years.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

British Transport Police (BTP) response times are dependent on the severity of the incident.

BTP have provided the following figures for incidents at Stockport railway station over the last 5 financial years:

* incidents where there is, or is likely to be, a danger of death, the use of violence, or a serious injury to a person or serious damage to property.

ˤ urgent initial police action is required, but the incident does not meet the threshold for immediate response

Home Office forces will also attend if they are available and are able to arrive at the scene before BTP.

Please note that reduced rail travel in 2020/21 and 2021/22 due to COVID-19, and therefore also reduced numbers of incidents, may have contributed to the reduced response times for those years.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the impact of the UK leaving the EU on workforce shortages in the construction industry.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The current migration route for employing individuals into the construction industry is through Skilled Worker Visas.

DBT and industry has worked with the Home Office (HO) to provide clearer guidance to construction employers on the Sponsor Licence process. The construction industry also worked with Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to add in-demand construction occupations to the Shortage Occupation List.

Following publication of the Immigration White Paper DBT is working with the HO and the MAC to feed into priority occupations that should be considered for the Temporary Shortage List while building investment in the training of the domestic workforce.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the Home Secretary on reports of (a) abuse and (b) harassment of women cyclists.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government aims to reduce violence against women and girls (VAWG) by half over the next decade, and agrees that any abuse or harassment of women cyclists is entirely inappropriate. Enforcement of any offences of this sort is a matter for the police. The Department for Transport is working very closely with the Home Office on their plans for a cross-government VAWG strategy, which is due to be published later this year.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking with the (a) police and (b) Home Office to help tackle (i) unlicensed drivers obtaining vehicles though registration loopholes and (ii) vehicles disappearing from systems but still using the roads.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) takes the accuracy of its vehicle register seriously. It is crucial that registered keeper details are accurate for road safety and law enforcement purposes. The latest available data shows that more than 92 per cent of vehicle keepers are contactable and traceable from the information held on the DVLA’s records. Of the remainder, six per cent are in the motor trade which means that there will be no registered keeper details on the vehicle record.

The DVLA works closely with a range of key stakeholders on these important issues. The DVLA gathers information and intelligence regarding illegal and improper conduct and will follow up any notifications of fraudulent activity with the relevant authorities. The DVLA also sends the police ‘vehicle of interest’ reports so that the police can use automatic number plate recognition cameras to identify potential offenders. These reports include vehicles which have no registered keeper details, no insurance or no valid MOT.

Evidence of identity, which can be a passport, driving licence or utility bill, must be presented when a vehicle is being registered for the first time. However, to ensure that services remain both easy for customers to use and cost effective for taxpayers, there are no plans to introduce checks when a vehicle subsequently changes hands. It would be very difficult for ordinary members of the public to verify or authenticate the identity documents being provided to them when selling their vehicle privately.

It is already an offence to provide false or misleading information or to use a vehicle on the road without a valid driving licence. The police have existing powers to seize vehicles which are not complying with legal requirements.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has considered deploying military assets to assist the Border Force in preventing illegal maritime entry into the UK.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

The Home Office is the lead Government Department responsible for border security and migration. It has established the Border Security Command to strengthen global partnerships and enhance the UK’s efforts to investigate, arrest, and prosecute people smugglers profiting from the dangerous movement of people across the channel. This continues to incorporate the lessons identified by Defence when it had primacy for migration operations in the channel, including the procurement and use of task-specific assets.

Defence assets are procured for Defence tasks and are therefore not optimised for the issue the hon. Member raises. These assets play a critical part in preserving UK maritime security through shadowing and monitoring warships transiting the UK Exclusive Economic Zone or territorial waters.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve reporting mechanisms for women cyclists who experience (a) abuse and (b) intimidation.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Everyone should have the right to travel in safety, and abuse or intimidation of any kind is entirely unacceptable.

In respect of women, including those who cycle, the Department for Transport is working with the Home Office on their plans for a cross-government strategy to reduce violence against women and girls. This is due to be published later this year.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much and what proportion of the Official Development Assistance budget has been reallocated to meet asylum-related costs since July 2024.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Home Secretary is committed to ensuring that asylum costs fall and has already acted. The Government has taken measures to reduce the asylum backlog and reform the asylum accommodation system to end the use of expensive accommodation in the next Spending Review period to ensure more of our Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget is spent on our development priorities overseas.

The aid spent in the UK on refugee and asylum costs fell by a third last year and the Home Office is working to bring it down further. The provisional Statistics on International Development show that in 2024, £2.8 billion was spent on support to refugees or asylum seekers in the UK, a £1.4 billion or one third reduction on the previous year. This reduces the share of ODA spent on asylum costs in the UK to 20 per cent, down from 28 per cent.

We report on ODA spend annually as part of the Statistics on International Development publication. Provisional figures for 2025 will be available in spring 2026.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2024 to Question 15239 on Arms Length Bodies: Equality, what exemptions have been authorised by (a) departments and (b) arm's length bodies.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

For departments, external equality, diversity and inclusion expenditure for financial year 2024/2025 has recently been published on Gov.uk. Delegated authority from a minister to a Permanent Secretary has been reported to the Cabinet Office for the following departments:

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

HM Treasury

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Department for Business and Trade

Cabinet Office

Home Office

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Transport

The exemption requirement does not apply to arm’s-length bodies. As stated in paragraph four of the Civil Service Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Expenditure Guidance, for arm’s-length bodies, the Principal Accounting Officer, in consultation with the Board, must authorise the expenditure.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what meetings she has had with the Fire Brigades Union since 4 July 2024.

Answered by Alex Norris - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The fire and rescue policy function transferred from the Home Office to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 01 April 2025.

The government is proactively engaging with the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) alongside other fire and rescue sector stakeholders both at Ministerial and at official level. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Building Safety, Fire and Local Growth has met with the FBU on several occasions and addressed the FBU spring conference.

The FBU are also members of the Ministerial Advisory Group on Fire and Rescue Reform (MAGFRR) which has been established under this government and has met twice. The MAGFRR brings together key fire and rescue sector leaders to discuss policy and key issues.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with ineligible immigration status applied for (a) Universal Credit and (b) other welfare payments in the last 12 months.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

To access public funds benefits, individuals are required to be either a British or Irish citizen or hold an immigration status which does not prevent them from accessing public funds. The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) cannot pay public funds benefits, such as Universal Credit, to a person if the Home Office has applied a ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ condition to their immigration status.

Nationals of countries other than the UK and Ireland who have a valid immigration status and that does not prohibit recourse to public funds are subject to the same eligibility criteria as any other claimant, including the need to be ‘habitually resident’ (meaning they have made the UK their home in addition to having a legal right to claim benefits).

The Department has defined ‘ineligible immigration status’ as a claimant with a ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ condition attached to their immigration status or who have no valid UK immigration status. The Department has provided a figure on the number of individuals who undertake the Habitual Residency Test (HRT) and fail due to being a ‘Person Subject to Immigration Control’, i.e. having No Recourse to Public Funds.

There were 38,000 individuals who were refused Universal Credit due to fail reason: ‘Person Subject to Immigration Control’ between May 2024 and April 2025. The Department does not hold equivalent information for non-Universal Credit benefits and to provide it would exceed cost limits.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with no recourse to public funds applied for (a) Universal Credit and (b) other welfare payments in the last 12 months.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

To access public funds benefits, individuals are required to be either a British or Irish citizen or hold an immigration status which does not prevent them from accessing public funds. The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) cannot pay public funds benefits, such as Universal Credit, to a person if the Home Office has applied a ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ condition to their immigration status.

Nationals of countries other than the UK and Ireland who have a valid immigration status and that does not prohibit recourse to public funds are subject to the same eligibility criteria as any other claimant, including the need to be ‘habitually resident’ (meaning they have made the UK their home in addition to having a legal right to claim benefits).

The Department has defined ‘ineligible immigration status’ as a claimant with a ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ condition attached to their immigration status or who have no valid UK immigration status. The Department has provided a figure on the number of individuals who undertake the Habitual Residency Test (HRT) and fail due to being a ‘Person Subject to Immigration Control’, i.e. having No Recourse to Public Funds.

There were 38,000 individuals who were refused Universal Credit due to fail reason: ‘Person Subject to Immigration Control’ between May 2024 and April 2025. The Department does not hold equivalent information for non-Universal Credit benefits and to provide it would exceed cost limits.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many non-UK and Irish nationals have applied for (a) Universal Credit and (b) other welfare payments in the last 12 months.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

To access public funds benefits, individuals are required to be either a British or Irish citizen or hold an immigration status which does not prevent them from accessing public funds. The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) cannot pay public funds benefits, such as Universal Credit, to a person if the Home Office has applied a ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ condition to their immigration status.

Nationals of countries other than the UK and Ireland who have a valid immigration status and that does not prohibit recourse to public funds are subject to the same eligibility criteria as any other claimant, including the need to be ‘habitually resident’ (meaning they have made the UK their home in addition to having a legal right to claim benefits).

The Department has defined ‘ineligible immigration status’ as a claimant with a ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ condition attached to their immigration status or who have no valid UK immigration status. The Department has provided a figure on the number of individuals who undertake the Habitual Residency Test (HRT) and fail due to being a ‘Person Subject to Immigration Control’, i.e. having No Recourse to Public Funds.

There were 38,000 individuals who were refused Universal Credit due to fail reason: ‘Person Subject to Immigration Control’ between May 2024 and April 2025. The Department does not hold equivalent information for non-Universal Credit benefits and to provide it would exceed cost limits.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether there are enough English for Speakers of Other Languages classes throughout the country to meet demand, and whether those classes are free for asylum seekers and refugees.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Minister for Women and Equalities)

The department supports adults aged 19+ in England to access English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision, funded through the Adult Skills Fund (ASF), subject to the eligibility requirements laid out in the ASF. This allows learners to develop the English language skills they need for everyday life, work or further learning.

Adults who are granted refugee status or humanitarian protection by the Home Office, and asylum seekers whose cases have been pending for six months or longer, are eligible for the same skills funding as any other English resident and are not subject to the normal three year qualifying period to access ASF funding.

Currently, approximately 60% of the ASF is devolved to nine mayoral strategic authorities and delegated to the Mayor of London acting through the Greater London Authority. These authorities are responsible for the provision of adult education and allocation of the ASF in their local areas.

The department is responsible for the remaining ASF in non-devolved areas where colleges and training providers have the freedom and flexibility to determine how they use their ASF to meet the specific needs of their communities.

In non-devolved ASF areas, adults eligible for ASF funding, including those granted humanitarian protection and asylum seekers whose cases have been pending for six months or more, can be fully funded or co-funded to study ESOL, depending on their employment status and salary.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which bodies are responsible for (a) monitoring (i) shortages and (ii) unavailability of NHS prescription medicines, (b) overseeing the manufacturing locations of brands licensed for use in the UK and (c) assessing potential supply risks where multiple brands are produced by the same third-party manufacturer.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department has overall policy, strategic, and operational responsibility for ensuring the continuity of the supply of medicines to the National Health Service in England. The Department works closely with NHS England, which has delegated responsibility for managing the continuity of supply for medicines procured on Medicines Procurement and Supply Chain Team frameworks. Manufacturers have a legal requirement to inform the Department of any supply issues. We work closely with industry, the NHS, manufacturers, and other partners across the supply chain to make sure patients across the United Kingdom can access the medicines they need.

The supply of medicines, including procurement, storage, allocation, and distribution is a devolved matter. However, we regularly engage with the devolved administrations to discuss potential supply issues.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency regulates medicines, medical devices, and blood components for transfusion in the UK. The Home Office issues controlled drug licences for companies that possess, manufacture, produce, or supply controlled drugs in England, Wales, or Scotland, and Department of Health (Northern Ireland) for Northern Ireland.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his French counterpart on the lack of visible (a) controls and (b) public information at French ports of departure on the risk of foot and mouth disease under the new import restrictions.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Government communicated the ban on personal imports of meats and dairy products from EU countries, introduced on 12 April 2025, via a press release and information on social media and on GOV.UK. It has also published updated posters for operational partners to display.

As part of our national mission to protect our food sector and farmers, Defra has written to ports, airports and travel operators requesting that they take further steps in communicating the new rules to travellers as a matter of urgency.

Defra has also written to Department for Transport, Home Office and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Ministers for their support in asking for their help with making travellers aware of the new rules.

Found: 226.1 3.0% Education 94.1 98.3 100.1 101.5 0.7% of which: core schools 64.8 67.0 68.4 69.5 0.4% Home Office

Found: who have the same powers as police. 4 Home Affairs Committee, Oral evidence: The work of the Home Office

Found: applied to the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority under its Framework Agreement with the Home Office

Found: applied to the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority under its Framework Agreement with the Home Office

Found: status and the ending of their eligibility for accommodation and financial support provided by the Home Office

Found: The 2024 RCRP agreement set out a collective national commitment from the Home Office, Department of

Found: National figures from the Home Office Annual Data Requirement still show that use of police cells (for

Children's Online Safety APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: • Relevant Government Departments: Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport; Home Office

Explosive Weapons and their Impact APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Grand-Committee debate 6 Apr 2022, Ukraine refugees. xVII www.parliament.uk - Ministers questioned over Home Office

Fair Banking APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: money. 16 Economic Crime Manifesto POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS IN FULL Enforcement „ The Treasury and Home Office

HIV, AIDS and Sexual Health APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: indeterminate immigration status fear accessing healthcare services will result in being reported to the Home Office

HIV, AIDS and Sexual Health APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: know they can, access HIV care and treatment without fear or intimidation by policies from the Home Office

HIV, AIDS and Sexual Health APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: Supplementary Volume 2 to Crime in England and Wales 2008/09. 2010  Home Office Statistical Bulletin.

Modernising Employment APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: information on his work experience too, claiming to have held senior positions and once seconded to the Home Office

Modernising Employment APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: The Institute held a productive meeting with the Minister of State for Home Office and proposals for

Modernising Employment APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: The Institute held a productive meeting with the Minister of State for Home Office and proposals for

Israel APPG
Tuesday 10th June 2025

Found: Intelligence (DNI), November 2022), https://www.dni.gov/nctc/ftos/pflp_gc_fto.html. 34 United Kingdom Home Office

Miscarriages of Justice APPG
Wednesday 11th June 2025

Found: The police and Home Office should not be piloting the sector alone.

Found: Defence (London, Greater London) Philip DOUGLAS Director General, Border Force, Home Office

Found: empty">Not set

Found: 1, FIA_2, FIA_3, and FIA_4 5 The Immigration Act 2014 removed a number of appeal rights against Home Office

Found: the Immigration Act 2014. 5) The Immigration Act 2014 removed a number of appeal rights against Home Office

Found: expert/medical report 79 4 14 61 0 AP01 Appellant/Sponsor/witness non attendance 73 8 3 61 1 HO03 Home Office

Found: Social Care 201,855 2841 5786 9071 4.5% Education (excluding core schools) 29,277 76 166 248 0.8%2 Home Office

Found: Pensions 15.0% 0.5% 98.2% HM Revenue and Customs 4.6% 4.6% 4.2% HM Treasury 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Home Office

Found: 20.3 20.2 22.0 22.6 22.1 22.3 -1.4% -2.2% of which: Home Office (excl. asylum forecast) 15.6 16.3 18.4

Found: 20.3 20.2 22.0 22.6 22.1 22.3 -1.4% -2.2% of which: Home Office (excl. asylum forecast) 15.6 16.3 18.4

Found: previously held by Dame Antonio Romeo DCB, who was appointed as the new Permanent Secretary at the Home Office

Found: The Home Office has completed an open procurement process and awarded Tech Nation the contract as the

Found: Page 1 of 26 Published for Home Office staff on 12 June 2025

Found: Prior to the audit the IAA will request information from the Home Office regarding applications received

Found: Page 1 of 8 Published for Home Office staff on 24 February 2025

Found: Upstairs within the extension are two double bedrooms (one with ensuite), bathroom, and home office/

Found: From: Forensic Science Regulator and Home Office Published 5 June 2025 Get emails about

Found: The Home Office has today (10 June) tabled amendments to the flagship Crime and Policing Bill which will

Found: Craig’s extensive experience in Home Office policing has contributed positively to bring greater alignment

Found: What, if any, were the reasons given by the Home Office for rejecting your family visa application?

Found: Sponsor income from Home Office Family route operational dip sample of 300 applicants from July 2023

Found: We encourage the Home Office to review current policy to ensure that separation of children from parents

Found: We have also undertaken analysis of Home Office visa data alongside external data sources.

Found: Immigration Statistics (Out of Country Applications); Home Office Management Information (In Country

Found: out-of-country applicants (25% and 75% respectively, which were estimates based on data held by the Home Office

Found: What, if any, were the reasons given by the Home Office for rejecting your family visa application?

Found: The Home Office can provide Asylum Support in the form of money and housing until a decision is made

Found: victim of modern slavery who is the subject of a positive Conclusive Grounds decision from the Home Office

Found: supported by a local authority in local authority social housing - citizen supported by the Home Office

Found: in regulations may be available: • victims of modern slavery who have been identified by the Home Office

Found: and do not need to hold a specific type of immigration visa • visa schemes established by the Home Office

Found: Home Office Resettlement Grants Home Office resettlement grants for refugees are treated as capital

Found: In these cases, the individual can apply to the Home Office for Indefinite Leave to Enter (ILE) to allow

Found: placed on their freedom of movement Victims of Modern Slavery who have been identified by the Home Office

Found: Home office check Settled status Certificate of application No information from the Home Office EU

Found: But staff choosing to change their home office may have unintended consequences and we should think

Found: But staff choosing to change their home office may have unintended consequences and we should think

Found: when they feel they are able to do the work as (or more) effectively in other places, like their home office

Found: financial savings from not commuting; and better work environment for those who can create a suitable home office

Found: when they feel they are able to do the work as (or more) effectively in other places, like their home office

Found: been included in the public sector series from Q2 2004.4, 6Q1 2005Other Civil Service includes Home Office

Found: for National Statistics website. 59 The Commercial Victimisation Survey (CVS) conducted for the Home Office

Found: Instead the Home Office will seek to engage with other Government Departments to identify evidence of

Found: definition of a ‘bedroom’ for the purposes of tax calculation, given that several rooms (such as a home office

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has received from the UK Government regarding the projected budget and revised timescales for the delivery of the Emergency Services Network (ESN) in Scotland, and what impact any delays are expected to have on emergency services in Scotland.

Answered by Constance, Angela - Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs

The Scottish Government received an Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme (ESMCP), Draft Programme Business Case (PBC) from the Home Office in May 2024. This indicated that the Emergency Services Network (ESN) would be delivered by 2029-30.

Since then the Home Office has completed a major re-procurement exercise, which has resulted in the appointment of new commercial suppliers to deliver the Programme. The Home Office is currently updating the 2024 PBC and associated documentation, to reflect the impact of the new suppliers. This information is expected to be shared with partner organisations, including Scottish Government, in the coming weeks.

While the re-procurement exercise has introduced delays into the Programme, this has not had any operational impacts on the emergency services in Scotland, who continue to use the Airwave network for critical communications.

Found: It is sponsored by the Home Office. 2.

Found: My officials have been engaging with officials in the Home Office on the Bill, which has included the