Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government which recommendations of the Domestic Homicide Sentencing Review, published in March 2023, have been taken forward; and which recommendations have not been taken forward; and why.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Domestic Homicide Sentencing Review made 17 recommendations for reform. Of these, eight fall within the remit of the Ministry of Justice, five of which were accepted. The previous Government introduced a statutory aggravating factor for murders involving ‘overkill’, and a statutory aggravating factor and a statutory mitigating factor for murder in relation to controlling or coercive behaviour, which came into force in February 2024. This Government introduced statutory aggravating factors for murders connected with the end of a relationship, and for those involving strangulation, which came into force in October 2025.

The Ministry of Justice rejected three recommendations, including the recommendation to disapply the 25-year starting point in domestic murder cases. Implementing this recommendation would lead to significant inconsistency between domestic and non-domestic murders where a weapon has been taken to the scene. The Government rejected the Review’s recommendation to exclude sexual infidelity as mitigation and to exclude the use of a weapon as aggravation in domestic murder cases because the framework currently in place already enables judges to consider and account for the varied facts of each case.

Two of the recommendations fall within the remit of other Government Departments. The review recommended establishing a system for collecting data relevant to domestic homicides. The Home Office, in partnership with the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, created a central library for all Domestic Homicide Reviews. The recommendation to create mandatory training for lawyers and judges on coercive control is not within Government’s remit, so the previous Government wrote to the judiciary and regulatory bodies for solicitors and barristers to offer support with any potential review of training. The CPS already provides a comprehensive training package on domestic abuse and coercive or controlling behaviour.

The remaining seven recommendations fall under the remit of the independent Sentencing Council. In April 2024, following consultation, the Sentencing Council made changes to the manslaughter sentencing guidelines relating to strangulation and coercive control.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the disparity of sentencing between domestic and street homicides, in particular with regard to minimum sentencing terms.

Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

We recognise that there are significant concerns regarding the sentencing framework in relation to domestic murders and the importance of ensuring that sentencing in these cases delivers justice for victims and their families. We have taken action by implementing further recommendations made by Clare Wade KC in the Domestic Homicide Sentencing Review. Legislation introducing statutory aggravating factors for murders involving strangulation and those connected with the end of a relationship came into force in October 2025. While it is for the judge to determine the appropriate weight to be given to the aggravating factors in each case, we expect that these measures, along with Clare Wade KC’s recommendations that have already been implemented, will have a significant impact on the custodial terms given to the perpetrators in these cases.

We know that there is more to be done. That is why the Government has asked the Law Commission to undertake a wholesale review of homicide law and sentencing, which will completely reconsider and make recommendations for a new sentencing framework for murder. It is important the Law Commission is able to consider all issues relating to homicide law and sentencing holistically. The Law Commission closed a call for evidence on 31 October 2025. They are reviewing the responses ahead of a public consultation due to be published in 2026.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister for Housing on 5 February 2024 (HC8158), what proportion of the budget for social and affordable housing is spent on (1) Ukrainian and Afghan refugee and guests schemes, (2) asylum seekers, (3) migrant workers on the shortage occupation list, (4) dependents of such migrant workers, (5) workers on the health and social care visa scheme and (6) non-UK citizens.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

There is not a single budget for social and affordable housing. Most of the income for social housing providers come from rent paid by tenants, some of whom have help from the welfare system to pay it. New social and affordable homes are typically funded by a mix of subsidy from government grant programmes, or through Section 106 agreements in planning permissions, combined with borrowing by landlords against future rental income.

Completed new social homes are allocated to new tenants by local authorities, unless agreed otherwise. Local authorities are responsible for their own allocation scheme for social housing within the framework of legislation.

Eligibility for social housing is tightly controlled. If a person’s visa means that they cannot access state benefits or local authority housing assistance, they are not eligible for an allocation of social housing. Asylum seekers and migrants in the UK on work or student visas are not eligible for social housing.

Data is available for all social housing lettings in England. This data does not include details of official refugee or immigration status, or route into the country. However, it does include details of nationality, based on the self-reported nationality of the lead tenant. The data shows that between April 2024 and March 2025:

• There were 29,700 new social lettings in England to households led by non-UK nationals (11.3% of all new social lettings). Of these;
• There were 1,100 new social lettings in England to households led by Ukrainian nationals (0.5% of all new social lettings).
• There were 1,300 new social lettings in England to households led by Afghan nationals (0.6% of all new social lettings).

These figures are publicly available (attached) in Social housing lettings in England, April 2024 to March 2025 - GOV.UK

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

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister for Housing on 17 January 2024 (HL9067), how many full time equivalent staff currently work in the self-commissioned homes delivery unit in Homes England.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

There are currently three full time employees in the Self Commissioned Homes Unit of Homes England.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by the Minister for Housing on 17 January 2024 (HC9065 and HC9066), whether they will start collecting data about (1) the proportion of planning permissions for new homes granted to small and medium sized housebuilders in each year, and (2) the proportion of new homes built by small and medium sized housebuilders.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Our Department has no specific plans to start new collection of data on these topics, but as part of our ambitious plans to digitalise the planning system, we are committed to introducing a planning application data standard to standardise and openly publish detailed data on planning application submissions and decisions for all types of residential development across the country.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to issue guidance to police forces in England and Wales that rapists and suspected rapists are recorded as male in crime statistics.

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

The Government is considering the implications of the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of sex within the Equality Act. The Government Statistical Service Harmonisation team, based in the Office for National Statistics, are also in the process of reviewing standards and guidance for statistical data on sex and on gender identity. Once this has concluded the Government will review current guidance to agencies that collect crime statistics across the criminal justice system.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government by what date they plan to appoint a chair of the grooming gangs inquiry.

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

We are working urgently to establish the Inquiry and Baroness Casey of Blackstock is supporting this process. Our immediate priority is appointing a Chair with the credibility and experience to lead the inquiry, ensuring a trauma-informed approach to engaging victims and survivors throughout - from its design to reporting. We aim to announce a Chair as soon as possible. Under the Inquiries Act, the Minister is responsible for defining the scope and structure of an inquiry. Once a Chair is appointed, in line with the requirements of the Inquiries Act 2005, the Chair will play a central role in shaping the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 5 November (HL11321), by what date they will publish the data on how many asylum claims have been granted on the basis of fear of persecution in their country of origin because of sexual orientation for 2024.

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

The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release on GOV.UK. Data on the number of grants where sexual orientation forms part of the claim is published in table SOC_00 of the ‘Asylum claims on the basis of sexual orientation’ dataset. The latest data relates to 2023.Updated published data from 2023 onwards is currently unavailable due to ongoing work as immigration data transitions to a new case working system and it will be included in a future edition of the Immigration System Statistics Release. There is currently no confirmed date for the next release of this data,but we intend to resume publishing in 2026. 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 forfuture release.

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to introduce legislation to make it illegal for a convicted rapist to obtain a gender recognition certificate to be recognised as a woman.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

There are significant safeguards built into the process for obtaining a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) under the Gender Recognition Act 2004; not everyone who applies is granted one. Additionally, there are safeguards in place to ensure that the relevant authorities can manage the risk posed by sex offenders. These include a requirement for registered sex offenders to notify the police of any changes to their personal information such as change of name. Alongside this, His Majesty’s Passport Office monitors high-risk offenders to ensure they cannot obtain a new passport without police consultation. Failure to comply with requirements in this area is a criminal offence.

The Crime and Policing Bill will introduce a range of legislative changes which will strengthen the management of registered sex offenders, including where they aim to change their name.

Where the police consider it necessary to protect the public or children or vulnerable adults from sexual harm, they will be able to serve a notice on offenders requiring them to seek the police’s authorisation before applying to change their name on a specified identity document (namely, a UK passport, driving licence or immigration document).

Police will also be able to require registered sex offenders to notify them of an intended change of name at least seven days in advance of using it, or if that is not reasonably practicable, as far in advance of their using it as it is reasonably practicable.

We continue to monitor these arrangements to ensure they safeguard the public.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 5 November (HL11264), what evidence they have that recording non-crime hate incidents has kept the public safe, and whether they will publish that evidence.

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

The Home Office does not hold data on crime reduction attributable to the recording of non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs). These are not criminal offences; they are recorded by police forces as intelligence to help monitor patterns of behaviour and community tensions that could escalate into serious harm. This practice, recommended by the Macpherson Inquiry following the murder of Stephen Lawrence, is intended to support safeguarding and public safety. Recording NCHIs enables police to capture information on incidents motivated by hate which, while not criminal, may present safeguarding risks or contribute to rising tensions within communities. The National Police Chiefs’ Council and College of Policing are currently conducting a review of NCHIs. We look forward to receiving the review’s recommendations shortly.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hanson of Flint on 5 November (HL11264), what estimate they have made of crime reduction as a result of the recording of non-crime hate incidents.

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

The Home Office does not hold data on crime reduction attributable to the recording of non-crime hate incidents (NCHIs). These are not criminal offences; they are recorded by police forces as intelligence to help monitor patterns of behaviour and community tensions that could escalate into serious harm. This practice, recommended by the Macpherson Inquiry following the murder of Stephen Lawrence, is intended to support safeguarding and public safety. Recording NCHIs enables police to capture information on incidents motivated by hate which, while not criminal, may present safeguarding risks or contribute to rising tensions within communities. The National Police Chiefs’ Council and College of Policing are currently conducting a review of NCHIs. We look forward to receiving the review’s recommendations shortly.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will take steps to encourage those survivors who have called for the resignation of Jess Phillips MP as Safeguarding Minister, and made statements that they will not take part in any grooming gangs inquiry while she remains in post, to give their testimony; and what action they will take to ensure that the inquiry has the confidence of all survivors of grooming gangs.

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

We are committed to ensuring that the voices of victims and survivors continue to be meaningfully heard to inform our work to establish the national inquiry into group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse.

We are continuing to engage with those victims and survivors that remain in the consultation group established by the National Working Group (NWG). This ensures that their voices are heard in a safe, supportive environment that is sensitive to the trauma they have endured.

We are sorry that some have felt discouraged and have chosen to leave that group, and we respect their decision to do so. There is a range of views within the victim and survivor community, and it is important that all voices are heard. As we have said to those who left the consultation group, the door remains open should they wish to engage with us further.

In addition, the national inquiry, once established, will develop its own plans for engaging victims and survivors who wish to do so. Baroness Casey is now supporting efforts to identify a Chair that can earn the trust of those who have been let down far too often, and we will confirm the appointment as soon as possible.