Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will provide a timeline for their engagement with technology companies on preventing nude image sharing among children, as referenced in Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls, published on 18 December 2025.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
We committed in the Violence Against Women and Girls strategy ‘to make it impossible for children in the UK to take, share or view a nude image’, and that ‘we are working constructively with companies to make this a reality’. This engagement will be targeted and carried out with the urgency that the issue deserves.
We want device operating systems to be doing more to protect their child users. Applying nudity detection technology more comprehensively across the operating system can prevent nude imagery from being taken, shared or viewed on the phone at all. This intervention is about preventing the harm from happening by blocking the imagery entirely. Preventing the creation and sharing of self-generated indecent imagery (SGII) would undermine grooming and sextortion models, where imagery is extorted out of the child by offenders.
This intervention will also prevent children from being exposed to harmful content, building on similar protections already enacted through the Online Safety Act. Exposure to harmful content – especially pornography – at such an impressionable age can feed misogynistic views and give distorted views of healthy relationships.
We will provide an update on this work as soon as possible. If voluntary action from industry is not sufficient, we will not hesitate to consider other means.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the the3Million report The Digital Status Crisis, published on 10 November; and whether they plan to increase resources to fix the failures of the current eVisa system.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
We consistently monitor the transition to eVisas, and encourage people to report any issues so they can be addressed. We listen to feedback from visa holders, stakeholders and MPs and address concerns, such as introducing greater flexibility for carriers to accept BRPs that expired on 31 December 2024 until 1 June 2025, to smooth the transition for those travelling internationally without compromising on border security.
We have considered the3Million report ‘The Digital Status Crisis’. We welcome feedback, but do not recognise the picture that the3Million report presents regarding the eVisa transition or the figures they present. In total, we have issued over 10 million digital IDs in the form of eVisas. Over 4.5m online (UKVI) accounts were created between March 2024 and July 2025, enabling people to access their eVisa.
We recognise that some people will be anxious about switching to and navigating a digital system, or may encounter an issue. We are committed to ensuring that accessing and using eVisas is as straightforward as possible for all status holders. We are providing clear guidance and direct support for vulnerable, and less digitally confident people to help them.
The Home Office has a robust support model in place that strives to ensure that all people, including the most vulnerable, are properly supported to access their eVisa and use the View and Prove service. People who need support can contact the UKVI Resolution Centre, which provides support via email and webchat to those creating their UKVI account, and telephone support to those using the online immigration status services. This includes supporting users through the online journey by:
o helping them to access or recover their account
o helping them to update their personal details
o sharing status on behalf of users if they are unable to do so themselves
Employers and landlords in England can use the Employer Checking Service (ECS) and Landlord Checking Service (LCS) to check the status of people who cannot currently provide digital status evidence.
Status holders can also get help to access their eVisa from Grant Funded Organisations or Local Authorities, or through the Assisted Digital Service if they are digitally excluded.
We have increased the number of support services available to vulnerable people and have delivered £4m of grant funding to 72 voluntary and community sector organisations across the UK.
An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) was completed on the first phase of the roll out of eVisas to EEA nationals on 9 November 2020, which built on the Policy Equality Statement (PES) for the EUSS which was produced in 2017 and published on the gov.uk website on 18 November 2020:
A separate EIA considering equalities issues in relation to the use of digital only right to work and rent checks was published on gov.uk in June 2022:
We are also in the process of reviewing our eVisas EIA, setting out further analysis of the equalities issues to reflect the current stage in the roll out of eVisas, and we will continue to keep the issue under review.
The Department publishes a range of data on its digital status programme and will be, in due course, publishing management information on the volumes of eVisa error corrections webforms received.
All our digital status online services are designed to be compliant with relevant accessibility legislation. The design and development of the View and Prove service was completed and tested in line with accessibility standards within WCAG 2.2 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), and the accessibility statement is linked on the service. It is currently compliant in 53 of 57 categories, and work is ongoing to meet the remaining criteria early in 2026, whereupon the Accessibility Statement will also be refreshed. View and Prove itself is not assessed against the UK Digital Identity & Attributes Trust Framework, but the underlying services follow the principles of the framework.
The accessibility statements for the employer and landlord checking services are available here:
Accessibility statement for Employer’s Checking Service – Employer checking service – GOV.UK
The View and Prove service is part of the wider delivery of the Government’s eVisa strategy within the Future Borders and Immigration System Programme. It is one of many Digital Status Services, and the Programme is still delivering significant new functionality in support of all these services, which is why it is currently in a Beta phase. We aim to move the View and Prove service from Beta into Live status once these enhancements have been delivered in mid/late 2026.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have plans to conduct an independent review of the eVisa system; and whether they will increase transparency on the volume and range of errors of the eVisa system reported to the Home Office.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
We consistently monitor the transition to eVisas, and encourage people to report any issues so they can be addressed. We listen to feedback from visa holders, stakeholders and MPs and address concerns, such as introducing greater flexibility for carriers to accept BRPs that expired on 31 December 2024 until 1 June 2025, to smooth the transition for those travelling internationally without compromising on border security.
We have considered the3Million report ‘The Digital Status Crisis’. We welcome feedback, but do not recognise the picture that the3Million report presents regarding the eVisa transition or the figures they present. In total, we have issued over 10 million digital IDs in the form of eVisas. Over 4.5m online (UKVI) accounts were created between March 2024 and July 2025, enabling people to access their eVisa.
We recognise that some people will be anxious about switching to and navigating a digital system, or may encounter an issue. We are committed to ensuring that accessing and using eVisas is as straightforward as possible for all status holders. We are providing clear guidance and direct support for vulnerable, and less digitally confident people to help them.
The Home Office has a robust support model in place that strives to ensure that all people, including the most vulnerable, are properly supported to access their eVisa and use the View and Prove service. People who need support can contact the UKVI Resolution Centre, which provides support via email and webchat to those creating their UKVI account, and telephone support to those using the online immigration status services. This includes supporting users through the online journey by:
o helping them to access or recover their account
o helping them to update their personal details
o sharing status on behalf of users if they are unable to do so themselves
Employers and landlords in England can use the Employer Checking Service (ECS) and Landlord Checking Service (LCS) to check the status of people who cannot currently provide digital status evidence.
Status holders can also get help to access their eVisa from Grant Funded Organisations or Local Authorities, or through the Assisted Digital Service if they are digitally excluded.
We have increased the number of support services available to vulnerable people and have delivered £4m of grant funding to 72 voluntary and community sector organisations across the UK.
An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) was completed on the first phase of the roll out of eVisas to EEA nationals on 9 November 2020, which built on the Policy Equality Statement (PES) for the EUSS which was produced in 2017 and published on the gov.uk website on 18 November 2020:
A separate EIA considering equalities issues in relation to the use of digital only right to work and rent checks was published on gov.uk in June 2022:
We are also in the process of reviewing our eVisas EIA, setting out further analysis of the equalities issues to reflect the current stage in the roll out of eVisas, and we will continue to keep the issue under review.
The Department publishes a range of data on its digital status programme and will be, in due course, publishing management information on the volumes of eVisa error corrections webforms received.
All our digital status online services are designed to be compliant with relevant accessibility legislation. The design and development of the View and Prove service was completed and tested in line with accessibility standards within WCAG 2.2 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), and the accessibility statement is linked on the service. It is currently compliant in 53 of 57 categories, and work is ongoing to meet the remaining criteria early in 2026, whereupon the Accessibility Statement will also be refreshed. View and Prove itself is not assessed against the UK Digital Identity & Attributes Trust Framework, but the underlying services follow the principles of the framework.
The accessibility statements for the employer and landlord checking services are available here:
Accessibility statement for Employer’s Checking Service – Employer checking service – GOV.UK
The View and Prove service is part of the wider delivery of the Government’s eVisa strategy within the Future Borders and Immigration System Programme. It is one of many Digital Status Services, and the Programme is still delivering significant new functionality in support of all these services, which is why it is currently in a Beta phase. We aim to move the View and Prove service from Beta into Live status once these enhancements have been delivered in mid/late 2026.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what accessibility assessments have been conducted of the View and Prove immigration status service; whether they will publish those assessments; and whether those assessments meet the standards of the UK digital identity and attributes trust framework.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
We consistently monitor the transition to eVisas, and encourage people to report any issues so they can be addressed. We listen to feedback from visa holders, stakeholders and MPs and address concerns, such as introducing greater flexibility for carriers to accept BRPs that expired on 31 December 2024 until 1 June 2025, to smooth the transition for those travelling internationally without compromising on border security.
We have considered the3Million report ‘The Digital Status Crisis’. We welcome feedback, but do not recognise the picture that the3Million report presents regarding the eVisa transition or the figures they present. In total, we have issued over 10 million digital IDs in the form of eVisas. Over 4.5m online (UKVI) accounts were created between March 2024 and July 2025, enabling people to access their eVisa.
We recognise that some people will be anxious about switching to and navigating a digital system, or may encounter an issue. We are committed to ensuring that accessing and using eVisas is as straightforward as possible for all status holders. We are providing clear guidance and direct support for vulnerable, and less digitally confident people to help them.
The Home Office has a robust support model in place that strives to ensure that all people, including the most vulnerable, are properly supported to access their eVisa and use the View and Prove service. People who need support can contact the UKVI Resolution Centre, which provides support via email and webchat to those creating their UKVI account, and telephone support to those using the online immigration status services. This includes supporting users through the online journey by:
o helping them to access or recover their account
o helping them to update their personal details
o sharing status on behalf of users if they are unable to do so themselves
Employers and landlords in England can use the Employer Checking Service (ECS) and Landlord Checking Service (LCS) to check the status of people who cannot currently provide digital status evidence.
Status holders can also get help to access their eVisa from Grant Funded Organisations or Local Authorities, or through the Assisted Digital Service if they are digitally excluded.
We have increased the number of support services available to vulnerable people and have delivered £4m of grant funding to 72 voluntary and community sector organisations across the UK.
An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) was completed on the first phase of the roll out of eVisas to EEA nationals on 9 November 2020, which built on the Policy Equality Statement (PES) for the EUSS which was produced in 2017 and published on the gov.uk website on 18 November 2020:
A separate EIA considering equalities issues in relation to the use of digital only right to work and rent checks was published on gov.uk in June 2022:
We are also in the process of reviewing our eVisas EIA, setting out further analysis of the equalities issues to reflect the current stage in the roll out of eVisas, and we will continue to keep the issue under review.
The Department publishes a range of data on its digital status programme and will be, in due course, publishing management information on the volumes of eVisa error corrections webforms received.
All our digital status online services are designed to be compliant with relevant accessibility legislation. The design and development of the View and Prove service was completed and tested in line with accessibility standards within WCAG 2.2 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), and the accessibility statement is linked on the service. It is currently compliant in 53 of 57 categories, and work is ongoing to meet the remaining criteria early in 2026, whereupon the Accessibility Statement will also be refreshed. View and Prove itself is not assessed against the UK Digital Identity & Attributes Trust Framework, but the underlying services follow the principles of the framework.
The accessibility statements for the employer and landlord checking services are available here:
Accessibility statement for Employer’s Checking Service – Employer checking service – GOV.UK
The View and Prove service is part of the wider delivery of the Government’s eVisa strategy within the Future Borders and Immigration System Programme. It is one of many Digital Status Services, and the Programme is still delivering significant new functionality in support of all these services, which is why it is currently in a Beta phase. We aim to move the View and Prove service from Beta into Live status once these enhancements have been delivered in mid/late 2026.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government why the View and Prove immigration status service is labelled as a beta service; and what is the timeline for that service to be in a fully live stage.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
We consistently monitor the transition to eVisas, and encourage people to report any issues so they can be addressed. We listen to feedback from visa holders, stakeholders and MPs and address concerns, such as introducing greater flexibility for carriers to accept BRPs that expired on 31 December 2024 until 1 June 2025, to smooth the transition for those travelling internationally without compromising on border security.
We have considered the3Million report ‘The Digital Status Crisis’. We welcome feedback, but do not recognise the picture that the3Million report presents regarding the eVisa transition or the figures they present. In total, we have issued over 10 million digital IDs in the form of eVisas. Over 4.5m online (UKVI) accounts were created between March 2024 and July 2025, enabling people to access their eVisa.
We recognise that some people will be anxious about switching to and navigating a digital system, or may encounter an issue. We are committed to ensuring that accessing and using eVisas is as straightforward as possible for all status holders. We are providing clear guidance and direct support for vulnerable, and less digitally confident people to help them.
The Home Office has a robust support model in place that strives to ensure that all people, including the most vulnerable, are properly supported to access their eVisa and use the View and Prove service. People who need support can contact the UKVI Resolution Centre, which provides support via email and webchat to those creating their UKVI account, and telephone support to those using the online immigration status services. This includes supporting users through the online journey by:
o helping them to access or recover their account
o helping them to update their personal details
o sharing status on behalf of users if they are unable to do so themselves
Employers and landlords in England can use the Employer Checking Service (ECS) and Landlord Checking Service (LCS) to check the status of people who cannot currently provide digital status evidence.
Status holders can also get help to access their eVisa from Grant Funded Organisations or Local Authorities, or through the Assisted Digital Service if they are digitally excluded.
We have increased the number of support services available to vulnerable people and have delivered £4m of grant funding to 72 voluntary and community sector organisations across the UK.
An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) was completed on the first phase of the roll out of eVisas to EEA nationals on 9 November 2020, which built on the Policy Equality Statement (PES) for the EUSS which was produced in 2017 and published on the gov.uk website on 18 November 2020:
A separate EIA considering equalities issues in relation to the use of digital only right to work and rent checks was published on gov.uk in June 2022:
We are also in the process of reviewing our eVisas EIA, setting out further analysis of the equalities issues to reflect the current stage in the roll out of eVisas, and we will continue to keep the issue under review.
The Department publishes a range of data on its digital status programme and will be, in due course, publishing management information on the volumes of eVisa error corrections webforms received.
All our digital status online services are designed to be compliant with relevant accessibility legislation. The design and development of the View and Prove service was completed and tested in line with accessibility standards within WCAG 2.2 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), and the accessibility statement is linked on the service. It is currently compliant in 53 of 57 categories, and work is ongoing to meet the remaining criteria early in 2026, whereupon the Accessibility Statement will also be refreshed. View and Prove itself is not assessed against the UK Digital Identity & Attributes Trust Framework, but the underlying services follow the principles of the framework.
The accessibility statements for the employer and landlord checking services are available here:
Accessibility statement for Employer’s Checking Service – Employer checking service – GOV.UK
The View and Prove service is part of the wider delivery of the Government’s eVisa strategy within the Future Borders and Immigration System Programme. It is one of many Digital Status Services, and the Programme is still delivering significant new functionality in support of all these services, which is why it is currently in a Beta phase. We aim to move the View and Prove service from Beta into Live status once these enhancements have been delivered in mid/late 2026.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the provisions of the Sentencing Bill which relate to the removal of foreign criminals from the United Kingdom are compatible with Article 2 of the Windsor Framework.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
We have carried out an assessment of the compatibility of the provisions in the Sentencing Bill which relate to the removal of foreign criminals from the UK with Article 2 of the Windsor Framework.
The Government is currently appealing the scope and operation of Article 2 of the Windsor Framework before the higher Courts.
However, it is the Government’s view that the provisions are compatible with Article 2.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the compatibility of the Sentencing Bill with Article 2 of the Northern Ireland Protocol and the Windsor Framework.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
We have carried out an assessment of the compatibility of the Bill with Article 2 of the Northern Ireland Protocol and the Windsor Framework.
The Government is currently appealing the scope and operation of Article 2 of the Windsor Framework before the higher Courts.
It is the Government’s view that [the Bill] is compatible with the Protocol and the Framework.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government to what extent the provisions of the Sentencing Bill which relate to the removal of foreign criminals from the United Kingdom will apply to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The current deportation regime applies in Northern Ireland as it does in the rest of the UK. It is the government’s view that deportation powers are consistent across the UK and that clause 42 will apply UK wide.
We will do everything we can to remove foreign criminals and protect the public in Northern Ireland and all other parts of the UK.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to publish the tackling violence against women and girls strategy.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
This Government has been clear that the level of violence against women and girls (VAWG) in our country is intolerable, and we are treating it as the national emergency that it is.
The new VAWG Strategy will set the direction for the next decade, driving forward the Government’s bold ambition to halve VAWG within ten years. This is a landmark commitment that demands a truly transformational approach.
We are working tirelessly across government to deliver a Strategy that will set out bold, concrete actions to prevent violence and abuse, pursue perpetrators and bring them to justice, and protect victims and survivors. It’s vital we get it right. We're working towards publication of the Strategy as soon as possible and I will continue to keep the House updated on its development and forthcoming publication.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the role of the Home Office on policy for tackling (1) anti-Palestinian racism, and (2) the dehumanisation of Palestinians.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
I refer the Nobel Lady to the Answer provided on 18 February 2025 to PQ HL4710.