Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of refugees received indefinite leave to remain in the latest period for which data is available.

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

The Home Office publishes statistics relating to indefinite leave to remain and asylum in the Immigration system statistics publication.

Data on the number grants of Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) to refugees, is published in table Se_D01 of the Settlement detailed datasets. The latest data relates to 2023. In addition, information on the number of ILR grants to refugees, including persons given ELR (Exceptional Leave to Remain), HP (Human Protection) or DL (Discretionary leave) is published in table Se_D02 of the Settlement detailed datasets for which latest data relates to 2024.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with the National Police Chiefs' Council on the handling of FOI requests by the Central Referral Unit.

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

Responding to Freedom of Information requests and ensuring compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 is a matter for the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), or any public authority which receives such a request.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many first time applications there were for British passports in 2024.

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

The information requested 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.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria she plans to use in applying her discretionary powers to give an exception to the current ban on citizenship being granted to an asylum seeker who has arrived irregularly.

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

We have strengthened measures to make it clear that anyone who enters the UK illegally or who arrives without a required valid entry clearance or electronic valid authorisation having made a dangerous journey, including small boat arrivals, faces having a British citizenship application refused. The change applies to citizenship applications made from 10 February 2025, regardless of the time that has passed since the illegal entry took place.

However, citizenship applications have always been, and will continue to be, considered on a case-by-case basis considering all positive and negative factors. The Secretary of State may choose to apply discretion to grant citizenship on an exceptional basis where there are particularly exceptional, compelling, or mitigating circumstances and where necessary to comply with our international obligations.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what data they collect on wildfires.

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

The Home Office collects data on incidents attended by Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs), including outdoor fires. However, "wildfires" is not a category recognised in the current system.

We are reviewing the incident records system, and the data it collects, and considering which categories to record in the future. Adding new categories, including wildfires, will be considered as part of this work.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Mayor of London on supporting London boroughs to house asylum seekers.

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

The Home Office is working closely with a range of stakeholders to fulfil its statutory obligations, while seeking to reduce the overall cost of asylum accommodation for the taxpayer.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has issued on (a) ascertaining a court judgement and (b) informing a relevant local authority in cases where someone who (i) is seeking asylum, (ii) is housed in hotel accommodation and (iii) has been convicted of an offence has been given a non-custodial sentence.

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

No specific guidance has been published for the scenario referenced, but the Home Office works closely with our contracted accommodation providers and law enforcement partners to deal with any cases of concern, and we will always do everything necessary to keep local communities safe.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers who have had their applications rejected have been deported from the UK since July 2024; and what steps is she taking to increase such deportations in the next six months.

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

The Home Office has recently published the number of asylum related returns between 05 July 2024 and 22 March 2025 in Returns from the UK from 5 July 2024 to 22 March 2025 - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2025 to Question 35307, on Asylum: Contracts, whether her Department directly procures asylum accommodation itself, separate to those contracts.

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

The Home Office is working closely with a range of stakeholders to fulfil its statutory obligations, while seeking to reduce the overall cost of asylum accommodation for the taxpayer.

As part of this programme, the Home Office works with its contracted Estates delivery partner, Cushman and Wakefield, to identify potential leasehold and freehold properties for the Home Office to acquire. This involves assessing the feasibility of options and working with Local Authorities and MPs.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether, before selecting hotels as accommodation for asylum seekers, it is their policy to consult the chief executives and leaders of affected local authorities.

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

This Government inherited an asylum system under exceptional strain, with tens of thousands of people stuck in limbo without any prospect of having their claims processed. At their peak use under the previous Government, in the autumn of 2023, more than 400 asylum hotels were being leased by the Home Office, at a cost of almost £9 million a day.

Inevitably, due to the size of the backlog we inherited, the Government has been forced to continue with the use of hotels for the time being. It remains our absolute commitment to end the use of hotels over time, as part of our reduction in overall asylum accommodation costs.

When a hotel has been identified for use as contingency accommodation, Home Office officials will write to the local authority Chief Executive and the constituency MP to inform them of plans to accommodate asylum seekers there.

The Home Office continues to work closely with local authorities to manage all the pressures arising from the provision of asylum accommodation including the impact on wider local authority obligations and plans.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with her international counterparts on third-country processing arrangements for people seeking to claim asylum in the UK.

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

The Government will continue to work with international partners to tackle the global migration crisis. The Home Secretary has convened an international summit focussed on Organised Immigration Crime, bringing together Interior ministers and law enforcement experts from across the world to develop our combined response to the gangs who facilitate this vile trade in human lives.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to support victims of human trafficking in Havering London Borough.

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

The Government is committed to tackling modern slavery, ensuring that all victims are provided with the support they need to begin rebuilding their lives and that those responsible are prosecuted.

The Government offers support to all adult potential and confirmed victims of modern slavery in England and Wales through the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract (MSVCC). Consenting adults who are potential victims of human trafficking can access safe and secure accommodation and financial support where necessary, and a support worker who will facilitate access to other support including medical assistance and mental health support, through the Modern Slavery Victim Care Contract.

Local authorities are responsible for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children in their area, including child victims of modern slavery. The Independent Child Trafficking Guardianship (ICTG) service, which is being piloted in Havering London Borough, also provides support to potential child victims of modern slavery. An ICTG offers direct or indirect support and advocacy to ensure the child is protected from further harm, and promote their child's recovery.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the average cost of a visa for a scientist from overseas to work in the UK, and whether they have benchmarked this against costs for similar visas provided by other countries.

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

The cost of a visa for a scientist to work in the UK will vary depending on the visa route they enter the UK through. Visa fees are published on gov.uk and can be viewed through the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-fees-transparency-data.

Should an applicant wishing to work in the UK as a scientist apply for a skilled worker from overseas the current cost is £719 (up to three-years) or £1,420 (over three-years). Alternatively, should they enter the UK via the Global Talent route the current fee is £716. They could also apply for a 12-month Standard Visitor visa for academics which currently costs £200.

Visa products are difficult to compare because visa offers, including benefits and entitlements gained and duration of stay, vary significantly between countries. However, UK visa fees are broadly competitive when compared with the fees charged by comparative countries globally.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to establish a dedicated resettlement route for Palestinians leaving Gaza.

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

The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains extremely challenging. The UK committed £129 million in the last financial year, including £41 million for UNRWA. This supports vital infrastructure and ensures that those most in need across the Occupied Palestinian Territories, as well as those in neighbouring countries, are able to access healthcare, shelter and food assistance.

In any humanitarian situation, the UK must carefully consider its approach in response. Any decision to implement a bespoke visa scheme would need to consider a range of factors, including assessing the unique crisis and relevant impacts on security, compliance and returns.

The Government is working with the Israeli, Jordanian and Egyptian authorities to identify safe routes for British nationals and other eligible people to leave Gaza. Palestinians who wish to settle in the UK can do so via the existing routes available which allow a person to apply to work, study, settle or join family in the UK. Further information can be found on the GOV.UK website: UK Visas and Immigration - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on Ukrainian families invited to the UK following the Russian invasion wishing to seek (a) employment, (b) rental agreements, (c) educational continuity for their children and (d) indefinite leave to remain; and whether time already spent in the UK counts towards qualifying for such leave.

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

The UK’s Ukraine visa schemes (including the new Ukraine Permission Extension scheme) provide full access to the right to work, rent, access benefits, healthcare, and education in the UK.

The Ukraine Visa Schemes provide temporary sanctuary and do not lead to settlement in the UK. We recognise the Ukrainian government’s desire for the future return of its citizens to Ukraine. It is important our approach respects these wishes.

Similarly, time spent in the UK with permission granted under the Ukraine Schemes cannot be relied upon towards the continuous qualifying period for the purposes of a Long Residence application.

There are other routes available for those who wish to settle in the UK permanently, if they meet the requirements.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of applications for naturalisation as a British citizen took longer than the six month service standard in the latest reporting period for which data is available.

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

The information requested is published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/passports-and-citizenship-data-q4-2024.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 25 March (HL5728), whether they collect or collate information about the removal of foreign nationals following the revocation of their student visas in unpublished format.

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

Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data. These reviews allow us to balance the production of our regular statistics whilst developing new statistics for future release.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 25 March (HL5728), why information about the removal of foreign nationals following the revocation of student visas is not collected and published.

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

Official statistics published by the Home Office are kept under review in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, taking into account a number of factors including user needs, the resources required to compile the statistics, as well as quality and availability of data. These reviews allow us to balance the production of our regular statistics whilst developing new statistics for future release.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they still intend to convert Derwentside immigration removal centre to a male-only facility.

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

Plans for Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) are still being considered. Currently the centre remains a functioning female IRC, and we remain focused on the specific needs for women in our care.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of invoices from UK suppliers her Department paid within 10 days of receipt between September 2024 and February 2025.

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

All Government departments publish payment performance on a quarterly basis, showing the percentage of invoices paid in 5 days, the percentage of invoices paid in 30 days, and net debt interest liability. This is available on GOV.UK.

The Home Office’s payment performance is available at:

Home Office prompt payment data 2024 to 2025 (accessible) - GOV.UK

The specific information requested is not readily available, and could only be collated and verified for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much and what proportion of funding allocated to the (a) National Rural Crime Unit and (b) National Wildlife Crime Unit will be for (i) operations and (ii) activities in Northern Ireland.

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

Chief Constables have operational independence to tackle the crimes that matter most to their communities; these decisions will inform the support that they request and receive from the units in question.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to prevent illegal street vending in Greater London.

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

Responsibility for tackling illegal street vending in Greater London is a matter for the relevant local police forces.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to prevent pedal cycle theft within the Havering London Borough.

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

Bike theft has a significant impact on individuals and for too long, many victims have felt not enough was being done to prevent their bikes being stolen or track down the thieves responsible.

As part of this Government’s Plan for Change, our Safer Streets Mission is determined to clamp down on the crime that damages our communities, and affects people’s lives, and tackling theft is a crucial part of that work.

The BTP-led National Cycle Crime Group, working with DfT, have set up Cycle Crime Reduction Partnerships across the country to coordinate regional enforcement activity to disrupt organised cycle theft.

We are also delivering on our commitment to restore and strengthen neighbourhood policing, recruiting 13,000 police personnel into neighbourhood roles, ensuring every community has a named officer to turn to, and doubling investment to £200 million to kickstart this.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of whether particular types of retail outlets in high streets and town centres are used for money laundering from the sale of drugs.

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

The Government recognises that cash intensive businesses such as barber shops and nail bars can be exploited by criminals seeking to launder their criminal cash from serious and organised crime. Addressing cash-based money laundering is one of the strategic priorities of the National Economic Crime Centre which sits within the National Crime Agency, and who are currently working with partners to facilitate an increased operational response to this threat.

In parallel, the National Police Chiefs’ Council economic crime co-ordinators are engaged in the development of Clear Hold Build strategies to help police forces tackle serious and organised crime. Clear Hold Build aims to reclaim and rebuild neighbourhoods affected by organised crime, including tackling financial crime on the high street.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding her Department has provided for improving Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems in the last three years.

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

A total of £85.45 million has been provided for maintaining and improving national Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems in the last three years.

ANPR technology is used for law enforcement purposes, to help detect, deter and disrupt criminality at a local, force, regional and national level.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of reviewing the (a) categorisation of nitrous oxide as a Class C drug and (b) the potential impacts this categorisation has on levels of use of nitrous oxide.

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

Nitrous oxide was controlled as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 in November 2023. At the same time the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 were amended to regulate its lawful use in healthcare, catering and other sectors.

In the year to March 2024, the most recent year for which we have data, 0.9% of people aged 16 to 59 years in England and Wales reported having used nitrous oxide in the last year, a decrease compared to the previous year (1.3%). Various factors underlie drug use and this decline cannot be attributed directly to the control implemented in 2023.

The Government will continue to keep all drug legislation under review.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of regulations governing the sale of nitrous oxide.

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

Nitrous oxide was controlled as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 in November 2023. At the same time the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 were amended to regulate its lawful use in healthcare, catering and other sectors.

In the year to March 2024, the most recent year for which we have data, 0.9% of people aged 16 to 59 years in England and Wales reported having used nitrous oxide in the last year, a decrease compared to the previous year (1.3%). Various factors underlie drug use and this decline cannot be attributed directly to the control implemented in 2023.

The Government will continue to keep all drug legislation under review.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the (a) Mayor of London and (b) Metropolitan Police Commissioner on increasing investment in the Metropolitan Police Estate.

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

The Metropolitan Police will receive up to £3.8 billion in 2025-26, an increase of up to £262.1 million compared to the 2024-25 funding settlement. This represents a 7.4% cash increase and 4.9% real terms increase in funding.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people employed by the Metropolitan police in (a) counter terrorism and (b) other national responsibility areas are based outside London.

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

The Home Office does not hold the requested information. Details of the numbers of Metropolitan Police Services employees in different locations are a matter for the service itself.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Metropolitan Police employees are based outside London.

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

The Home Office does not hold the requested information. Details of the numbers of Metropolitan Police Services employees in different locations are a matter for the service itself.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to respond to e-petition 701064.

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

A response was sent to the Petitions Committee (Commons Select Committee) on 3 April 2025 for consideration for publication.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many police officers are currently assigned to the Operation Olympos investigation into the Post Office Horizon case; what ranks they hold; whether they are full time or part time; and where they are based.

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

The Home Office does not hold the requested information. The resourcing of individual police investigations are operational matters for the force responsible.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has issued guidance to South Wales Police on the roll-out of facial recognition surveillance in a city-wide CCTV network.

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

All police forces are expected comply with existing legislation and published guidance when they use facial recognition technology. In particular, when forces use live facial recognition, they must comply with the College of Policing’s Authorised Professional Practice. Its use must always be justified and pass the tests of necessity, proportionality and use for a policing purpose.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a medal to recognise people who have suffered severe injuries in the line of duty.

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

It is only right that we recognise the sacrifices made many members of the emergency services and we are always willing to consider proposes for new medals towards that end.

However, any official award is a gift from the Government, on behalf of His Majesty The King, and the creation of a new award requires cross Government consensus and approval from the Committee on The Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals (“HD Committee”), before advice is put to HM The King to make any subsequent decision.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what funding she has allocated to frontline policing to mitigate changes to employer National Insurance contributions.

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

The 2025-26 final police funding settlement provides funding of up to £19.6 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. This is an overall increase of up to £1.2 billion when compared to the 2024-25 and represents a 6.4% cash increase and 3.9% real terms increase in funding.

This includes an additional £230.3 million of funding for territorial police forces to cover the costs of the increases to National Insurance Contributions.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of her Department's budget was spent on international operations during the 2024-25 financial year to date.

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

Details of all the Departments expenditure, including on activities and operations overseas, are set out on a regular basis in the Home Office’s Annual Reports, published on Gov.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 implications for her policies of police use of live facial recognition technology.

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

The Government supports the police use of live facial recognition technology and will continue to ensure the right balance is struck between ensuring public safety and safeguarding individuals’ rights.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of domestic abuse victims were (a) men and (b) boys in the latest period for which data is available.

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

The Crime Survey for England and Wales year ending September 2024 showed that 3% of men aged 16 and over were victims of domestic abuse between September 2023 and September 2024 (compared to 6.6% of women).

The Government funds services that provide essential support to male victims, including support in accessing safe accommodation. These include Respect, Galop, SignHealth and Hourglass.

According to Women's Aid 2025 Annual Audit report, there were 50 refuges in England with bedspaces for men in May 2024, an increase of 11 from the previous year.

Since 2021, Part 4 of the Domestic Abuse Act has required local authorities in England to ensure support is available to all victims of domestic abuse in safe accommodation such as refuges.

Local authority data shows that in 2023/24 there were 63,950 individuals supported in safe accommodation, of which 3% (1,830) were men.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children were referred to the national referral mechanism in Huntingdon constituency in each year since its start.

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

The Home Office does not hold or publish data on the number of National Referral Mechanism (NRM) referrals received for individuals on a constituency level.

The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics regarding the NRM including the nationality of children referred. NRM statistics can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-referral-mechanism-statistics

Further disaggregated data is published via the UK Data Service and can be accessed here: https://beta.ukdataservice.ac.uk/datacatalogue/studies/study?id=8910

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of refuge spaces for victims of domestic abuse are committed to supporting male survivors.

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

The Crime Survey for England and Wales year ending September 2024 showed that 3% of men aged 16 and over were victims of domestic abuse between September 2023 and September 2024 (compared to 6.6% of women).

The Government funds services that provide essential support to male victims, including support in accessing safe accommodation. These include Respect, Galop, SignHealth and Hourglass.

According to Women's Aid 2025 Annual Audit report, there were 50 refuges in England with bedspaces for men in May 2024, an increase of 11 from the previous year.

Since 2021, Part 4 of the Domestic Abuse Act has required local authorities in England to ensure support is available to all victims of domestic abuse in safe accommodation such as refuges.

Local authority data shows that in 2023/24 there were 63,950 individuals supported in safe accommodation, of which 3% (1,830) were men.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children from (a) Guinea-Bissau and (b) Portugal have been referred to the national referral mechanism in each year since its start.

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

The Home Office does not hold or publish data on the number of National Referral Mechanism (NRM) referrals received for individuals on a constituency level.

The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics regarding the NRM including the nationality of children referred. NRM statistics can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-referral-mechanism-statistics

Further disaggregated data is published via the UK Data Service and can be accessed here: https://beta.ukdataservice.ac.uk/datacatalogue/studies/study?id=8910

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department plans to provide to (a) fairs, (b) parades and (c) other local community events on the (i) supply and (ii) administration of first aid under Martyn’s Law.

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

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act requires those responsible for certain premises and events to consider how they would respond to a terrorist attack. In addition, appropriate steps to reduce vulnerability to terrorist attacks must also be considered at certain larger premises and events. The Act does not have specific requirements relating to the provision of medical treatment and associated equipment.

Wider work is ongoing to strengthen Healthcare Standards. The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) is working with partners to put in place updated guidance for health care at events. Once published the Event Healthcare Standard will be assessed in partnership with NHS England to determine whether this standard should become a statutory obligation.

DHSC has also undertaken work with the National Counter Terrorism Security Office and health sector partners to standardise the contents of Public Access Trauma kits.

The Home Office will be issuing statutory guidance, which will assist those responsible for qualifying premises and events in understanding the requirements set out in the legislation. The Home Office will also continue to engage with sectors affected by the legislation, to support them in understanding their obligations.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure the safety of Hong Kongers in the UK experiencing (a) bounties, (b) sanctions and (c) other forms of transnational repression.

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

The safety and security of Hong Kongers in the UK is of the upmost importance. The UK will always stand up for the rights of the people of Hong Kong. Where we identify individuals at heightened risk, we are front footed in deploying protective security guidance and other measures as appropriate

We have a broad suite of powers available to counter transnational repression. This includes measures in the National Security Act 2023 which make the UK a harder target for those states which seek to conduct hostile acts.

On 4 March, I announced a new package of training for frontline police officers and staff to increase their understanding of foreign state threats. This training will improve law enforcement’s ability to detect and investigate incidents which may be state directed.

The Defending Democracy Taskforce is also reviewing the UK’s existing response to transnational repression to ensure it is robust and joined across government and law enforcement.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent discussions with the Metropolitan Police on an apology to Ali Kololo following his overturned conviction.

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

The operationally independent Metropolitan Police continue to progress matters relating to this case. It would not be appropriate for Home Office Ministers to comment on any discussions concerning the individual.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 28 November 2023 to Question 2562 on Jewish Safety, when the Jewish Community Crime, Policing and Security Taskforce last met.

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

The taskforce last met on October 23^rd, 2023. To discuss the surge in antisemitism seen in UK following the Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7^th, 2023.

We continue to work closely with the Community Security Trust (CST) and other stakeholders in the Jewish community to discuss the scourge of antisemitism and the protection of Jewish synagogues, schools and other communal centres. The Home Secretary addressed these and other issues in her speech to the CST annual dinner on 26 March 2025, which can be read here: Home Secretary speech at the Community Security Trust - GOV.UK.

Antisemitism has absolutely no place in British society, and we are funding measures to protect Jewish communities and places of worship. We have assigned £72M from 2024/25 to 2027/28 as part of the Jewish Protective Security Grant, which is administered by the Community Security Trust.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what specific first aid equipment will be required under Martyn’s Law for (a) venues and (b) events; and whether there will be different requirements based on (i) venue size and (ii) risk level.

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

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act requires those responsible for certain premises and events to consider how they would respond to a terrorist attack. In addition, appropriate steps to reduce vulnerability to terrorist attacks must also be considered at certain larger premises and events. The Act does not have specific requirements relating to the provision of medical treatment and associated equipment.

Wider work is ongoing to strengthen Healthcare Standards. The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) is working with partners to put in place updated guidance for health care at events. Once published the Event Healthcare Standard will be assessed in partnership with NHS England to determine whether this standard should become a statutory obligation.

DHSC has also undertaken work with the National Counter Terrorism Security Office and health sector partners to standardise the contents of Public Access Trauma kits.

The Home Office will be issuing statutory guidance, which will assist those responsible for qualifying premises and events in understanding the requirements set out in the legislation. The Home Office will also continue to engage with sectors affected by the legislation, to support them in understanding their obligations.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2025 to Question 37318 on Animal Experiments: Animal Welfare, how many animals were bred for use in procedures licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 but deemed surplus and disposed of without being used for scientific purposes in the last full calendar year for which data is available.

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

The most recent statistics in this category were published in 2017, when 1.81 million non-genetically altered (non-GA) animals were bred for scientific procedures but were killed or died without being used in regulated procedures. These statistics can be found here:

Additional statistics on breeding and genotyping of animals for scientific procedures, Great Britain, 2017

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2025 to Question 33380 on Animal Experiments, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the concordance range; whether she has made an assessment of the potential limitations of the paper; and whether she has considered evidence on the predictive value of non-animal methods.

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

The paper in question is published in a reputable scientific journal and will have undergone rigorous peer review before publication.

The Government invests £10m annually in The National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs). The NC3Rs places significant investment into programmes and projects specifically for developing non-animal methods.

In March 2023 the NC3Rs made its biggest award to date in a single investment (£1.6M) to develop a ‘Virtual Dog’. The project aims to exploit advances in computational approaches and machine learning to ultimately replace their use as a second species in drug development.

This government has made a commitment to “partner with scientists, industry, and civil society as we work towards the phasing out of animal testing”. The government will publish a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods later this year.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the private security licencing regime.

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

The Security Industry Authority (SIA) has been brought under the Security Minister’s portfolio in a move that will ensure that the SIA is provided clear, strategic direction from the Home Office on both regulation of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill and also the Private Security Industry Act moving forward. The Home Office and the SIA are overseeing a substantial programme of work to ensure that the SIA can deliver for the public. This will include:

• tightening existing safeguards, to ensure that those who present a risk to the public cannot access an SIA licence.
• work to ensure criminality is driven out of the industry, including a review of the SIA’s investigation and enforcement remit, powers and tools for its current role.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he could publish the full list of sites that could be inspected by the Animals in Science Regulations Unit; on what dates did (a) announced and (b) unannounced audits by the Unit take place at those locations; and what was the outcome of each of the inspections.

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

The Animals in Science Regulation Unit publishes an Annual Report containing information on the number of licensed establishments, the number and type of audits that have been conducted and a summary of audit outcomes. The Annual Report also publishes information on all cases of non-compliance, including the number of animals involved and the actions taken by the Regulator.

The Home Office has published Guidance on how it administers and enforces ASPA and a Code of Practice which provides appropriate standards for the care and accommodation of animals used for scientific purposes. Assessment of compliance includes ensuring adherence to this Code of Practice. Each establishment that holds specially protected species will be audited at least once every year. All other establishments will receive an audit at least every three years.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken in response to Recommendation MR8 of the Manchester Arena Inquiry on business licensing in the private security sector.

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

The Government is committed to reviewing the recommendations of the Manchester Arena Inquiry with a view to delivering better uniformity of standards in the private security industry, enhanced provision of security services, and effective counter-terrorism measures. Home Office officials are working with the SIA to ensure criminality continues to be driven out of the industry, and this includes a review of the SIA’s investigation and enforcement remit, powers and tools.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what demographic information is held about the subjects of DBS checks in England and Wales.

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

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is operationally independent from the Home Office and as such the Home Office does not hold any demographic information about the subjects of DBS checks in England and Wales. The DBS itself only holds demographic information that is mandatory for the processing of disclosure checks and barring referrals.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to help prevent online intimate image abuse.

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

Tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) in all of its forms, including when it takes place online, is a top priority for this Government. This is why we have set out an unprecedented ambition to halve it in a decade.

As of 17 March 2025, online platforms have new legal duties to assess the risk of illegal harms on their services and to take additional steps to tackle priority offences. These priority offences include sharing and threatening to share intimate images including 'deepfake' pornography without consent.

We have also announced our intention to legislate to make the creation of intimate images, including sexually explicit deepfake images, a criminal offence. In addition, Ofcom are required to produce guidance setting out how providers can take action on harmful content and activity that disproportionately affects women and girls. The consultation on their draft guidance is currently open and closes on 23 May 2025.

The Government is also funding the Revenge Porn Helpline. The helpline provides high-quality support and advice to victims of intimate image abuse, engages with law enforcement and other stakeholders to improve processes to respond to intimate image abuse, and raises awareness of the nature of intimate image abuse and the harm that it can cause.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle money laundering in (a) shops and (b) other services using high street premises.

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

The Government recognises that cash intensive businesses such as barber shops and nails bars can be exploited by criminals who seek to legitimise their criminal cash, enabling them to profit from their illegal activities. Addressing cash-based money laundering is one of the strategic priorities of the National Economic Crime Centre, which sits within the National Crime Agency, who are currently working with partners to drive an increased operational response to this threat, including money laundering through cash intensive businesses.

In parallel, the National Police Chiefs Council economic crime co-ordinators are engaged in the development of Clear Hold Build strategies to help police forces tackle serious and organised crime. Clear Hold Build aims to reclaim and rebuild neighbourhoods affected by organised crime and increase public confidence in the police and partner agencies. This includes tackling financial crime on the high street.

While businesses such as barber shops are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority they interact with regulated businesses, such as banks, who under the Money Laundering Regulations are required to undertake customer due diligence and under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 submit reports to the National Crime Agency if they suspect money laundering.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help ensure that people of Chagossian descent who are planning to move to the UK are offered help with finding permanent accommodation.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 18 March to Question 37161.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of people of Chagossian descent who have arrived at Heathrow Airport since 1 July 2024.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 18 March to Question 37161.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2025 to Question 37161 on Resettlement: Chagossians, what information her Department holds on the costs incurred by local authorities for the provision of statutory support for recent migrants of Chaggosian descent.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 18 March to Question 37161.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2025 to Question 37161 on Resettlement: Chagossians, whether Hillingdon Council has claimed costs for the statutory provision of support for Chagossians who have recently migrated to the UK.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 18 March to Question 37161.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2025 to Question 37161 on Resettlement: Chagossians, if she will publish the costs for the provision of statutory support claimed by each local authority as of 31 March 2025.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 18 March to Question 37161.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to support people of Chagossian descent who arrive in the UK.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 18 March to Question 37161.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the number of incidences of upskirting.

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

Tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a top priority for this Government and we are committed to addressing all forms of VAWG, including non-contact sexual offences, such as exposure and voyeurism (such as so-called 'upskirting').

Through the Crime and Policing Bill, three new offences will be introduced, for the taking of intimate images without consent, alongside two offences for the installation of equipment with intent to enable these offences. This will cover a broader range of behaviour than the two existing voyeurism offences that they will replace.

We will continue to work with law enforcement agencies to ensure that the right powers are available for the authorities to tackle sexual crimes, bring perpetrators to justice and manage sex offenders. More broadly, we will be publishing a new VAWG Strategy later this year, taking forward our unprecedented mission to halve VAWG over the next decade.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle upskirting.

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

Tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) is a top priority for this Government and we are committed to addressing all forms of VAWG, including non-contact sexual offences, such as exposure and voyeurism (such as so-called 'upskirting').

Through the Crime and Policing Bill, three new offences will be introduced, for the taking of intimate images without consent, alongside two offences for the installation of equipment with intent to enable these offences. This will cover a broader range of behaviour than the two existing voyeurism offences that they will replace.

We will continue to work with law enforcement agencies to ensure that the right powers are available for the authorities to tackle sexual crimes, bring perpetrators to justice and manage sex offenders. More broadly, we will be publishing a new VAWG Strategy later this year, taking forward our unprecedented mission to halve VAWG over the next decade.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 37194 on Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority: Inspections, how many complaints were received by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

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

'Complaints' is taken to mean referrals received by the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) about labour abuses, mistreatment of workers, labour providers operating without a licence or a business using an unlicensed gangmaster.

The GLAA reports the number of referrals received in each of the GLAA's regions, over the last 5 years, as:

'Regions' denote the regions of England. However, 'North West' includes reporting related to Scotland and Northern Ireland; 'North West' includes reporting related to North Wales; and 'South West' includes reporting related to South Wales and Dyfed.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to help ensure that UK Border Force eGates are configured to permit entry to holders of Irish passport cards travelling from outside the Common Travel Area.

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

Irish nationals can travel to the UK on either an Irish passport or associated passport card. In line with other identity cards, Irish passport cards cannot be used at eGates and there are no plans to change this.

If an Irish national wishes to use their passport card to enter the UK from outside the Common Travel Area, they are required to present it to a Border Force officer.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Hanson of Flint on 13 December 2024 (HL Deb cols 2010–12), whether the pilot will involve newly recognised refugees with lived experience of the moving on period; what the criteria will be to evaluate success; who is undertaking the pilot; and whether the interim findings will be published, and if so when.

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

The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) & RSM have been contracted to undertake an evaluation of the changes to the move on period on behalf of the Home Office. This evaluation will cover the extension of the move on period to 56 days, the provision of liaison officers to support those granted asylum, and the provision of £2.8m recognition payment for select local authorities. It will assess the implementation, early outcomes and value for money of these initiatives. It will also assess the early impact of the rollout of eVisas and how this interacts with the above initiatives.

The following outcomes are of interest, and the evaluation will assess how/whether the changes to the move on period have:

• Reduced the length of stay in asylum accommodation from decision to exit.
• Reduced homelessness amongst newly granted refugees.
• Improved early engagement by local authorities and partners in the move on process.
• Improved signposting to support.
• Improved move on outcomes, e.g. smoother transitions into secured housing, with access to bank account, Universal Credit / work.

Evaluation methods include interviews with newly granted refugees to capture insights from those with lived experience of the move on process.

Interim evaluation findings are due to be delivered shortly, with final evaluation findings delivered this summer.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to define the charity Karma Nirvana’s definition of honour-based abuse in statute.

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

Ensuring that 'honour'-based abuse (HBA) is well understood by frontline professionals, Government agencies, and impacted communities, is essential to preventing abuse, supporting victims and bringing perpetrators to justice.

Currently there is a definition of HBA used by the Criminal Justice System, but we recognise there is more that can be done to raise the level of consistency of understanding regarding HBA in Government and beyond and we are aware of the proposals for a statutory definition of HBA.

On 6 February 2025, the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls hosted a roundtable on HBA which was attended by multiple Government departments and specialist sector organisations, including Karma Nirvana. The question of what a statutory definition could look like was discussed at length. Home Office officials are working through the next steps following that discussion.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has issued to refugees on the process of applying for indefinite leave to remain.

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

Guidance setting out the rules on settlement protection for refugees is available on GOV.UK at: Settlement protection.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with local authorities on the potential impact of migrants from the Chagos Islands on levels of service provision.

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

The Home Office has made funding available to support local authorities in meeting their statutory duties in relation to Chagossian British citizens arriving in the UK. Alongside other responsible departments, the Home Office continues to engage in discussions and work with the local authorities most impacted by the arrival of Chagossian British citizens in the UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to publish the Immigration White Paper.

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

Our upcoming Immigration White Paper will set out a comprehensive plan to restore order to our broken immigration system, end reliance on overseas labour and boost economic growth. The paper will be published in due course, and announced in Parliament in the normal way.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many UK Visas and Immigration Compliance Unit inspections were carried out in 2024 in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland.

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

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

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they will publish the feasibility study on the possibility of developing prevalence estimates of female genital mutilation and forced marriage, and their response to that study.

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

To prevent and respond effectively to forced marriage and FGM it is essential that we understand the prevalence of these crimes.

As such, the Home Office commissioned a feasibility study in 2023 to examine whether it is possible to produce robust prevalence estimates for FGM and forced marriage. We are currently considering the next steps in this area, and will set these out in due course.

While not markers of prevalence, the Government monitors other indicators of forced marriage and FGM to inform its understanding. These indicators include police recorded crime, contacts to the joint Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and Home Office Forced Marriage Unit, and data from the National Health Service in England and the courts.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2025 to Question 40390 on Data, Statistics and Research on Sex and Gender Independent Review, what steps her Department is taking to implement the recommendations of the Sullivan Review.

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

The Government has now published the independent review of data, statistics and research on sex and gender commissioned by the previous Government.

We are considering the findings in light of ongoing policy work in this area.

The Home Office recognises the contribution of this review to the important issues of accurate and consistent recording of data on sex and gender in statistics and research. We are considering the recommendations and the implications for policing and across the Criminal Justice System.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend how long a person with a Skilled Worker visa can remain in the UK.

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

The Government currently has no plans to extend how long a person with a skilled worker visa can remain in the UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the link between domestic abuse and victim suicide.

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

The Home Office is working to develop the evidence base on suicides that follow domestic abuse through funding the Domestic Homicide and Suspect Victim Suicides Project, which captures information on suicides with a known history of domestic abuse from all 43 police forces in England and Wales.

In the latest published data capturing deaths from April 2023 to March 2024, 262 deaths were counted, with 98 deaths (37%) classified as suspected victim suicides following domestic abuse. The full report can be found online: https://www.vkpp.org.uk/vkpp-work/domestic-homicide-project/

The Home Office also funds the organisation Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse to support families bereaved by suicide and unexplained deaths following domestic abuse. However, we recognise that more needs to be done to understand the link between domestic abuse and suicide and ultimately prevent future deaths. Our upcoming Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy will outline the Government's work going forward to better understand and prevent all domestic abuse related deaths.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will offer (a) safeguarding and (b) witness protection support to (i) victims and (ii) whistleblowers that give evidence to the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth's private inquiry into grooming gangs.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the various statements to the House made on these issues by Home Office ministers in recent months. Most recently on 8 April.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) mental health and (b) trauma support services are available to survivors of grooming gangs who participate in non-statutory inquiries.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the various statements to the House made on these issues by Home Office ministers in recent months. Most recently on 8 April.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will provide a liaison contact to assist with the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth's inquiry into grooming gangs.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the various statements to the House made on these issues by Home Office ministers in recent months. Most recently on 8 April.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will meet with the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth to discuss his private inquiry into grooming gangs.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the various statements to the House made on these issues by Home Office ministers in recent months. Most recently on 8 April.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide alternatives to immigration detention for women.

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

The Government keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a range of experts and stakeholders.

There is detailed published guidance for all staff working in Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs). Detention Services Order 06/2016 'Women in the immigration removal estate', which sets out the processes that are undertaken in IRCs to ensure that the needs of women are identified and appropriately met and their rights to dignity and privacy are upheld.

The constant supervision of women who are subject to an Assessment Care in Detention and Teamwork (ACDT) plan, should wherever possible, be undertaken by a female detainee custody officer (DCO). In the unlikely event that this is not operationally possible for reasons of safety and security, the details for this decision must be fully documented by the duty manager on the ACDT plan.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish all (a) correspondence and (b) internal assessments on the decision not to proceed with a full public inquiry into grooming gangs.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the various statements to the House made on these issues by Home Office ministers in recent months. Most recently on 8 April.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will consider the findings of privately funded independent inquiries into (a) grooming gang activity and (b) associated institutional failures.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the various statements to the House made on these issues by Home Office ministers in recent months. Most recently on 8 April.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing anonymised (a) data and (b) reports to support the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth's inquiry into grooming gangs.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the various statements to the House made on these issues by Home Office ministers in recent months. Most recently on 8 April.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will instruct relevant Departmental officials to engage with the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth's inquiry into grooming gangs.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the various statements to the House made on these issues by Home Office ministers in recent months. Most recently on 8 April.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will instruct relevant Departmental officials to engage with the hon. Member for Great Yarmouth's inquiry into grooming gangs.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the various statements to the House made on these issues by Home Office ministers in recent months. Most recently on 8 April.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the report published on 17 March by Women for Refugee Women, A Decade of Harm: Survivors of gender-based violence locked up in immigration detention, what action they will take regarding the finding that women under constant supervision are being watched by male staff.

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

The Government keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a range of experts and stakeholders.

There is detailed published guidance for all staff working in Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs). Detention Services Order 06/2016 'Women in the immigration removal estate', which sets out the processes that are undertaken in IRCs to ensure that the needs of women are identified and appropriately met and their rights to dignity and privacy are upheld.

The constant supervision of women who are subject to an Assessment Care in Detention and Teamwork (ACDT) plan, should wherever possible, be undertaken by a female detainee custody officer (DCO). In the unlikely event that this is not operationally possible for reasons of safety and security, the details for this decision must be fully documented by the duty manager on the ACDT plan.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of violence against women and girls in immigration detention.

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

The Government keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a range of experts and stakeholders.

There is detailed published guidance for all staff working in Immigration Removal Centres (IRCs). Detention Services Order 06/2016 'Women in the immigration removal estate', which sets out the processes that are undertaken in IRCs to ensure that the needs of women are identified and appropriately met and their rights to dignity and privacy are upheld.

The constant supervision of women who are subject to an Assessment Care in Detention and Teamwork (ACDT) plan, should wherever possible, be undertaken by a female detainee custody officer (DCO). In the unlikely event that this is not operationally possible for reasons of safety and security, the details for this decision must be fully documented by the duty manager on the ACDT plan.

We want the government to reinstate the Resident Labour Market Test, requiring employers to advertise a job role in two approved places for 28 days to show that the position can only be filled by a non-British national before sponsoring a Skilled Worker visa for the role.

Found: We do not currently compete with the Home Office, DWP or HMRC.

Found: If the Chancellor is right and GNI goes up—and, indeed, if the Home Office is right and they are able

Found: the government's broader strategy, given their pledge to halve violence against women and girls (Home Office

Found: in the year ending September 2023, just over 13,000 dependent children sought asylum in the UK (Home Office

Found: aiming to enter HE. 1 Numbers in these categories in 2024 were 40,300 achieving refugee status, (Home Office

Found: Home Office data for 2024 shows that there was a year-on- year decrease across the sector of 14% in international

Found: Home Office data for 2024 shows that there was a year-on- year decrease across the sector of 14% in international

Found: Home Office data for 2024 shows that there was a year-on- year decrease across the sector of 14% in international

Found: Another reported that when they accepted a post abroad in France their spouse—a Civil Servant in the Home Office—had

Found: Letter from the Second Permanent Secretary of the Home Office relating to Committee’s report Asylum accommodation

Found: Under the Home Office, there is a vessel detection service that is using satellite data to support

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to provide sustainable funding to the British Transport Police.

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

The British Transport Police’s (BTP) budget is set independently by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) and the Department of Transport has no powers to intervene in this process. BTPA sets the BTP’s budget annually following proposals from the Force and views from industry. Set against a backdrop of wider public sector efficiencies and affordability by the rail industry it has agreed a budget increase for the financial year 2025/26 of 5.9%. This is comparable with the budget settlements of Home Office police forces.

The cost of policing the rail network in Great Britain is primarily covered through the funding agreements that the British Transport Police Authority holds with Network Rail, the rail operators and Transport for London.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group is obliged to take into consideration the views of adherents of any other religion besides Islam.

Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

All forms of racial and religious discrimination are completely unacceptable and have no place in our communities.

In the most recently published Home Office statistics the number of religious hate crimes targeting Muslims accounted for 38% of all religious hate crimes. The number of religious hate crimes targeting Jews accounted for 33%. These together make up 71%, and show government action here is urgently needed and whilst the government has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition for antisemitism, it does not have an equivalent definition to aid its work in tackling hate directed towards Muslims.

The Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group’s objective is to develop a working definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia which is reflective of a wide range of perspectives and priorities for British Muslims. The Chair will agree a work and engagement plan with the Minister for Faith and Communities and will use this as the basis for the work of the Group.

The Group’s proposed definition will be non-statutory and will provide the government and other relevant bodies, including the police, with an understanding of unacceptable treatment and prejudice against Muslim communities.

Full terms of reference for the Working Group have been published on GOV.UK.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group will meet with representatives of any other religion besides Islam.

Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

All forms of racial and religious discrimination are completely unacceptable and have no place in our communities.

In the most recently published Home Office statistics the number of religious hate crimes targeting Muslims accounted for 38% of all religious hate crimes. The number of religious hate crimes targeting Jews accounted for 33%. These together make up 71%, and show government action here is urgently needed and whilst the government has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition for antisemitism, it does not have an equivalent definition to aid its work in tackling hate directed towards Muslims.

The Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group’s objective is to develop a working definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia which is reflective of a wide range of perspectives and priorities for British Muslims. The Chair will agree a work and engagement plan with the Minister for Faith and Communities and will use this as the basis for the work of the Group.

The Group’s proposed definition will be non-statutory and will provide the government and other relevant bodies, including the police, with an understanding of unacceptable treatment and prejudice against Muslim communities.

Full terms of reference for the Working Group have been published on GOV.UK.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the police will be expected to use the working definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia once it is formulated by the Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group.

Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

All forms of racial and religious discrimination are completely unacceptable and have no place in our communities.

In the most recently published Home Office statistics the number of religious hate crimes targeting Muslims accounted for 38% of all religious hate crimes. The number of religious hate crimes targeting Jews accounted for 33%. These together make up 71%, and show government action here is urgently needed and whilst the government has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition for antisemitism, it does not have an equivalent definition to aid its work in tackling hate directed towards Muslims.

The Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group’s objective is to develop a working definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia which is reflective of a wide range of perspectives and priorities for British Muslims. The Chair will agree a work and engagement plan with the Minister for Faith and Communities and will use this as the basis for the work of the Group.

The Group’s proposed definition will be non-statutory and will provide the government and other relevant bodies, including the police, with an understanding of unacceptable treatment and prejudice against Muslim communities.

Full terms of reference for the Working Group have been published on GOV.UK.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to formulate official definitions of hatred or abuse of adherents of Sikhism, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, or any other religions besides Islam.

Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

All forms of racial and religious discrimination are completely unacceptable and have no place in our communities.

In the most recently published Home Office statistics the number of religious hate crimes targeting Muslims accounted for 38% of all religious hate crimes. The number of religious hate crimes targeting Jews accounted for 33%. These together make up 71%, and show government action here is urgently needed and whilst the government has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition for antisemitism, it does not have an equivalent definition to aid its work in tackling hate directed towards Muslims.

The Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group’s objective is to develop a working definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia which is reflective of a wide range of perspectives and priorities for British Muslims. The Chair will agree a work and engagement plan with the Minister for Faith and Communities and will use this as the basis for the work of the Group.

The Group’s proposed definition will be non-statutory and will provide the government and other relevant bodies, including the police, with an understanding of unacceptable treatment and prejudice against Muslim communities.

Full terms of reference for the Working Group have been published on GOV.UK.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of (1) theft from farms and (2) flytipping in each of the last three years, and what steps they are taking to reduce these.

Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Data on overall levels of farming theft has been collected by stakeholders. In 2023, National Farmers Union Mutual estimated the cost of specific crimes that victimise famers:

• GPS theft: £4.2 million
• Quad bike/All-Terrain vehicle theft: £3.2 million
• Agricultural vehicle theft: £10.7 million

We recognise the importance of tackling rural crime and are committed to safeguarding rural communities. The Home Office and Defra are working closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council to deliver the updated Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy.

The Equipment Theft (Prevention) Act 2023 requires secondary legislation before it can come into effect. We are currently considering the views of those who may be affected by the legislation and its regulations, to understand the potential implications and determine the scope of the legislation. We will publish the Government’s response to the Call for Evidence on the scope of the legislation soon and intend to have the necessary regulations in place later this year.

Local authorities are required to report fly-tipping incidents and enforcement actions to Defra, which we publish annually at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fly-tipping-in-england. This excludes the majority of private-land incidents.

Local authorities have enforcement powers to help them tackle fly-tipping, including fixed penalty notices and prosecution action which can lead to a significant fine or imprisonment. We intend to seek powers in the Crime and Policing Bill to enable the Secretary of State to issue statutory enforcement guidance to support local authorities to appropriately and consistently exercise their enforcement powers.

We have committed in our manifesto to forcing fly-tippers and vandals to clean up their mess. We will provide an update on this in due course.

We will continue to work with stakeholders through the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group, such as the National Farmers Union, local authorities and police, to promote and disseminate good practice on tackling fly-tipping.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will require the Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group to take into consideration the views of adherents of religions other than Islam; and if not, why not

Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

All forms of racial and religious discrimination are completely unacceptable and have no place in our communities.

In the most recently published Home Office statistics the number of religious hate crimes targeting Muslims accounted for 38% of all religious hate crimes. The number of religious hate crimes targeting Jews accounted for 33%. These together make up 71%, and show government action here is urgently needed. Whilst the government has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition for antisemitism, it does not have an equivalent definition to aid its work in tackling hate directed towards Muslims.

The Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group’s objective is to develop a working definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia which is reflective of a wide range of perspectives and priorities for British Muslims. Full terms of reference for the Working Group have been published on GOV.UK.

It is important that government is transparent in the actions it takes to address all forms of hatred, however any independent work should also have the space to consider sensitive and complex issues in private. This is the approach the Working Group will take when considering the appropriate and sensitive language to describe, understand and define unacceptable treatment, prejudice, discrimination and hate targeting Muslims or anyone who is perceived to be Muslim.

Once the Government has had time to review the advice, it will consider its next steps.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the planned definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia will allow for ridicule or abuse of Islamic beliefs and practices.

Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

All forms of racial and religious discrimination are completely unacceptable and have no place in our communities.

In the most recently published Home Office statistics the number of religious hate crimes targeting Muslims accounted for 38% of all religious hate crimes. The number of religious hate crimes targeting Jews accounted for 33%. These together make up 71%, and show government action here is urgently needed. Whilst the government has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition for antisemitism, it does not have an equivalent definition to aid its work in tackling hate directed towards Muslims.

The Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group’s objective is to develop a working definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia which is reflective of a wide range of perspectives and priorities for British Muslims. Full terms of reference for the Working Group have been published on GOV.UK.

It is important that government is transparent in the actions it takes to address all forms of hatred, however any independent work should also have the space to consider sensitive and complex issues in private. This is the approach the Working Group will take when considering the appropriate and sensitive language to describe, understand and define unacceptable treatment, prejudice, discrimination and hate targeting Muslims or anyone who is perceived to be Muslim.

Once the Government has had time to review the advice, it will consider its next steps.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will require the Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group to meet adherents of religions other than Islam.

Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

All forms of racial and religious discrimination are completely unacceptable and have no place in our communities.

In the most recently published Home Office statistics the number of religious hate crimes targeting Muslims accounted for 38% of all religious hate crimes. The number of religious hate crimes targeting Jews accounted for 33%. These together make up 71%, and show government action here is urgently needed. Whilst the government has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition for antisemitism, it does not have an equivalent definition to aid its work in tackling hate directed towards Muslims.

The Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group’s objective is to develop a working definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia which is reflective of a wide range of perspectives and priorities for British Muslims. Full terms of reference for the Working Group have been published on GOV.UK.

It is important that government is transparent in the actions it takes to address all forms of hatred, however any independent work should also have the space to consider sensitive and complex issues in private. This is the approach the Working Group will take when considering the appropriate and sensitive language to describe, understand and define unacceptable treatment, prejudice, discrimination and hate targeting Muslims or anyone who is perceived to be Muslim.

Once the Government has had time to review the advice, it will consider its next steps.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government on what grounds they determined that the work of the Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group should not be made public.

Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

All forms of racial and religious discrimination are completely unacceptable and have no place in our communities.

In the most recently published Home Office statistics the number of religious hate crimes targeting Muslims accounted for 38% of all religious hate crimes. The number of religious hate crimes targeting Jews accounted for 33%. These together make up 71%, and show government action here is urgently needed. Whilst the government has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition for antisemitism, it does not have an equivalent definition to aid its work in tackling hate directed towards Muslims.

The Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group’s objective is to develop a working definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia which is reflective of a wide range of perspectives and priorities for British Muslims. Full terms of reference for the Working Group have been published on GOV.UK.

It is important that government is transparent in the actions it takes to address all forms of hatred, however any independent work should also have the space to consider sensitive and complex issues in private. This is the approach the Working Group will take when considering the appropriate and sensitive language to describe, understand and define unacceptable treatment, prejudice, discrimination and hate targeting Muslims or anyone who is perceived to be Muslim.

Once the Government has had time to review the advice, it will consider its next steps.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will invite the Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group in formulating its definition to protect freedom of expression in similar terms to the saving provision in section 29J of the Public Order Act 1986, so that the definition does not, for example, restrict criticism of Islam or prevent individuals from urging Muslims to cease practising Islam.

Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

All forms of racial and religious discrimination are completely unacceptable and have no place in our communities.

In the most recently published Home Office statistics the number of religious hate crimes targeting Muslims accounted for 38% of all religious hate crimes. The number of religious hate crimes targeting Jews accounted for 33%. These together make up 71%, and show government action here is urgently needed. Whilst the government has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition for antisemitism, it does not have an equivalent definition to aid its work in tackling hate directed towards Muslims.

The Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group’s objective is to develop a working definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia which is reflective of a wide range of perspectives and priorities for British Muslims. Full terms of reference for the Working Group have been published on GOV.UK.

It is important that government is transparent in the actions it takes to address all forms of hatred, however any independent work should also have the space to consider sensitive and complex issues in private. This is the approach the Working Group will take when considering the appropriate and sensitive language to describe, understand and define unacceptable treatment, prejudice, discrimination and hate targeting Muslims or anyone who is perceived to be Muslim.

Once the Government has had time to review the advice, it will consider its next steps.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to formulate official definitions of hatred or abuse against adherents of any religion other than Islam.

Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

All forms of racial and religious discrimination are completely unacceptable and have no place in our communities.

In the most recently published Home Office statistics the number of religious hate crimes targeting Muslims accounted for 38% of all religious hate crimes. The number of religious hate crimes targeting Jews accounted for 33%. These together make up 71%, and show government action here is urgently needed. Whilst the government has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition for antisemitism, it does not have an equivalent definition to aid its work in tackling hate directed towards Muslims.

The Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia Definition Working Group’s objective is to develop a working definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred/Islamophobia which is reflective of a wide range of perspectives and priorities for British Muslims. Full terms of reference for the Working Group have been published on GOV.UK.

It is important that government is transparent in the actions it takes to address all forms of hatred, however any independent work should also have the space to consider sensitive and complex issues in private. This is the approach the Working Group will take when considering the appropriate and sensitive language to describe, understand and define unacceptable treatment, prejudice, discrimination and hate targeting Muslims or anyone who is perceived to be Muslim.

Once the Government has had time to review the advice, it will consider its next steps.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government how many Christians have been recorded as victims of Islamophobic hate crimes in the last five years.

Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

MHCLG has policy responsibility for racial and religiously motivated hate crime, but all hate crime data recorded by the police is collected by the Home Office.

In the year ending March 2024, there were 140,561 hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales. There was a 5% decrease compared with the previous year on total hate crimes recorded, but there was a 25% increase in religious hate crimes compared with the previous year. 38% of religious hate crimes were targeted against Muslims, a 13% rise on the previous year.

The Home Office collects and publishes official statistics on religious hate crimes which is recorded by the police in England and Wales. This is broken down by the perceived religion of the victim, but information is not collected on the actual religion/identity of the victim, so it is not possible to disaggregate the number of victims of Islamophobic hate crimes who were not Muslims.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government how many non-Muslims have been recorded as victims of Islamophobic hate crimes in the last five years.

Answered by Lord Khan of Burnley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

MHCLG has policy responsibility for racial and religiously motivated hate crime, but all hate crime data recorded by the police is collected by the Home Office.

In the year ending March 2024, there were 140,561 hate crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales. There was a 5% decrease compared with the previous year on total hate crimes recorded, but there was a 25% increase in religious hate crimes compared with the previous year. 38% of religious hate crimes were targeted against Muslims, a 13% rise on the previous year.

The Home Office collects and publishes official statistics on religious hate crimes which is recorded by the police in England and Wales. This is broken down by the perceived religion of the victim, but information is not collected on the actual religion/identity of the victim, so it is not possible to disaggregate the number of victims of Islamophobic hate crimes who were not Muslims.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information his Department holds on the number of 16-week old puppies brought into the UK for animal testing purposes in the latest period for which data is available.

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

Defra does not hold the data requested. Imports data drawn down from the import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS) does not record the age of the animal.

The Home Office assures that, in every research proposal, animals are replaced with non-animal alternatives wherever possible, the number of animals are reduced to the minimum necessary to achieve the result sought, and that, for those animals which must be used, procedures are refined as much as possible to minimise their suffering.

Dogs are a specially protected species under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. The Home Office will only grant a project licence for a programme of work using dogs where the purpose of the programme of work specified in the licence can only be achieved by their use, or where it is not practicable to obtain other suitable animals.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on increased tax receipts as a result of new registers of beneficial ownership in overseas territories and crown dependencies.

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

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Home Office and Treasury officials coordinate regularly on work around advancing beneficial ownership transparency. We are clear on the benefits of accessible registers of beneficial ownership, which not only include tackling illicit finance and corruption, but also fighting tax and sanctions evasion.

At the Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) in November 2024, the Falkland Islands and Saint Helena committed to join Montserrat and Gibraltar in implementing fully public registers by April 2025. The British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Anguilla and Turks and Caicos Islands agreed to implement registers of beneficial ownership, accessible to those with a legitimate interest, by June 2025. It remains our expectation that the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies will ultimately implement fully public registers.

The Crown Dependencies have committed to increasing the transparency of their beneficial ownership registers and are working towards implementing access to those with legitimate interest, in line with the EU's 6th Anti-Money Laundering Directive.

I have and will continue to raise this directly with elected leaders across the Overseas Territories, and Home Office Ministers and officials will continue to engage with the Crown Dependencies. I regularly engage with Ministerial colleagues on matters related to the Overseas Territories, including in HM Treasury.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to his Department's Civil Service HQ occupancy data transparency data, last updated on 28 February 2025, which changes in reporting methodology lead to a revision of the figures.

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

The revision of figures applied to the Home Office occupancy stats only. This was because of a change in reporting by the Home Office.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what further consideration they have given to the size and coverage of the Shared Rural Network programme, and whether they have made any change to the scale of the programme or number of masts required as a result.

Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Shared Rural Network (SRN) has already delivered significant coverage improvements across the UK. However, there are still rural parts of the UK where there is either limited or no mobile coverage. The government-funded parts of the SRN will deliver this new coverage by utilising existing Home Office masts across Great Britain and building new masts in Scotland. We continue to work with the four mobile network operators to minimise the number of new masts required in Scotland and now expect to meet this part of the programme’s objectives with far fewer masts than originally planned. We expect to reach a position on exactly how many new masts will be built in Scotland soon.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of the population of England and Wales has a criminal record.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

To answer the question exactly would be disproportionate costs. The Ministry of Justice holds an extract of data from the Police National Computer (PNC). To obtain data on all those with a criminal record would require collaborating with the Home Office as they hold the complete source data.

In October 2024, the Ministry of Justice published an ad-hoc statistical publication which estimated that 9.4 million working age people in the UK have a nominal record with a criminal element against their name held on the MoJ extract of the PNC. This is a high-level estimate based on the UK population and is equivalent to 22% of the working aged population (those aged 16-64). This is an estimate with limitations. A comprehensive programme of work would need to be undertaken to determine a precise figure and this would incur disproportionate cost.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of service life on non-UK nationality families of serving personnel.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

This Government recognises and values the vital support which all Service families provide to our Armed Forces, which enables them to serve our country both in the UK and overseas in order to maintain national security.

We are therefore committed through the Armed Forces Covenant to continuously work to improve the lives of the Armed Forces community in conjunction with other Government Departments, and work is currently underway to fully extend the legal duty further.

For our non-UK families, much of that work focusses on their UK immigration status, and the Ministry of Defence works very closely with the Home Office to ensure that those who serve or have served in the Regular Armed Forces and their families are not disadvantaged by Service life. This includes special Immigration Rules Appendix HM Armed Forces which offer a number of advantages for families such as being exempt from paying the Immigration Health Surcharge to access NHS services; being granted visas for entry to the UK valid for up to 60 months compared to 30 months on other family routes; being able to count time outside the UK on accompanied overseas assignments towards future Settlement or naturalisation applications; and children born in the UK or qualifying territories to Serving personnel are British by birth.

Support and information is also available to families on a range of issues including relocation, accommodation, education and NHS facilities through the Single Services, the HIVE Information Centres, the new Families Hub and the Families Federations.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help identify victims of child-trafficking in schools in Cambridgeshire.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Protecting children requires cooperation and coordination across multiple agencies. Local authorities, police, and health services share a joint and equal statutory duty to work together to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The three safeguarding partners (local authorities, police, and health services) collaborate with other relevant agencies, including education settings, to make strategic decisions essential for effective practice and child safety.

There is also an established robust framework in place in the form of ‘Keeping children safe in education’ (KCSIE), which is the statutory safeguarding framework to which all schools and colleges must have regard when safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

Part 1 of this guidance, which should be read by all staff who work directly with children, not only sets out the different types of abuse and harm but it also supports all staff to know what signs to look out for, including how to respond to any concerns about a child.

In addition, the guidance includes information on modern slavery, the National Referral Mechanism and links to joint guidance from the Department for Education and the Home Office. The full guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safeguarding-children-who-may-have-been-trafficked-practice-guidance.

This safeguarding framework ensures that all concerns are identified and managed swiftly, effectively and in line with local safeguarding protocols. Schools and colleges must also work with their local safeguarding partners to ensure these processes are implemented consistently.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will increase the powers of local education authorities to take action against parents who threaten teaching staff over decisions taken under school disciplinary procedures.

Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

No teacher should feel unsafe or face violence or abuse in the workplace. The department will always support teachers to ensure they can work in safe and calm classrooms. All school employers, including trusts, have a duty to take reasonable steps to protect the health, safety, and welfare of their employees.

Schools should have their own clear processes in place for dealing with issues of bullying or harassment from parents. All incidences of bullying or harassment by a parent should be reported immediately to the designated lead and head teacher or governing body or proprietor.

Should the incident constitute a potential criminal offence, it would be for the school to consider involving the police, having followed the advice contained in the ‘When to call the police’ guidance for schools and colleges by the National Police Chief’s Council, written in partnership with the department and Home Office.

For staff who are experiencing bullying or harassment from any source, support is available from sources including Education Support, a charity supporting the mental health and wellbeing of teachers and education staff in schools, colleges and universities.

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Found: • The Scottish Government is working closely with the Home Office to update the Prevent Duty Guidance

Question

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of fatal accident inquiries have involved public bodies in each of the last three years, broken down by type of organisation.

Answered by None

In relation to concluded Fatal Accident Inquiries where the Determination was published in 2024-25, 74% featured public bodies as interested parties. The public bodies were as follows: Scottish Prison Service (53% of all FAIs), NHS boards (50%), Prison Officers’ Association of Scotland (17%), Police Service of Scotland (6%), Scottish Ambulance Service (4%), Health and Safety Executive, Scottish Fire & Rescue Service, The British Army and the Office of the Advocate General for Scotland (all 2%).

In relation to concluded Fatal Accident Inquiries where the Determination was published in 2023-24, 80% featured public bodies as interested parties. The public bodies were as follows: NHS boards (51% of all FAIs), Scottish Prison Service (46%), Prison Officers’ Association of Scotland (20%), Police Service of Scotland (9%), Scottish Ambulance Service, Health and Safety Executive and Home Office (all 3%).

In relation to concluded Fatal Accident Inquiries where the Determination was published in 2022-23, 62% featured public bodies as interested parties. The public bodies were as follows: NHS boards (50% of all FAIs), Scottish Prison Service (45%), Prison Officers’ Association of Scotland (24%), Police Service of Scotland, Health and Safety Executive, Scottish Fire & Rescue Service, Glasgow City Council, Maritime & Coastguard Agency, Orkney Islands Council and the Attorney General of the Republic of Cyprus (all 2%).

Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many police (a) officers and (b) staff currently have access to a body-worn camera.

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

As highlighted in the launch of Police Scotland's Body Worn Video (BWV) rollout, around 750 Tayside (D) Division officers, including road policing officers, operational support and custody staff, will be equipped with the new devices over the coming weeks. As the roll out progresses, Police Scotland will issue more than 10,500 Home Office-approved Motorola VB400 cameras to frontline officers from constable to inspector ranks, and to police custody staff, across the country.

Previously to this national rollout, approximately 440-Armed Policing Officers have access to BWV. BWV has been used in A Division since 2010 as part of a legacy Grampian Police deployment and currently have 228 operational devices in use on a pool basis. The national BWV solution will replace this legacy system in line with other divisions.

In total approximately 1440 BWV devices are currently operational with a mixed estate of both pool and personal issue. Training across Tayside is currently ongoing, which will increase officer use of this technology daily.

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