Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her Department's policy is on publishing details of grants on asylum housing costs to individual local authorities.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office does not publicly publish grant payment levels by local authority, and we have no plans to do so. We do however publish the grant funding instructions, which can be found here:
Unaccompanied asylum seeking children and leaving care: funding instructions - GOV.UK
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the answer of 7 January 2026 to Question HL13000 on Police and Crime Commissioners, whether those savings include the operational costs of PCC functions being transferred to the offices of elected combined authority mayors.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
As set out in the government’s answer to Question HL13000, we expect to be able to save at least £20m per annum from 2028/29 as a result of aligning back office and support arrangements for policing governance with wider local government functions.
This includes savings as a result of transferring PCC functions to combined authority mayors.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the oral answer of 26 November 2025, Official Report, House of Lords, Column 1331, on West Midlands Police: Maccabi Tel Aviv Fans, if she will publish the review.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary’s inspection report on West Midlands Police’s match assessment for the Aston Villa v Maccabi Tel Aviv match has been published on GOV.UK.
The report has also been deposited in both House libraries and shared with the Home Affairs Select Committee.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 16 December 2025 to Question 98781 on Radicalism, what is her Department's policy on naming specific organisations which are (a) regarded as extremists and (b) subject to a policy of non-engagement.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Although The Home Office cannot comment on specific groups or individual cases, I would like to reassure you that we are committed to addressing the full range of threats that we currently face as a country and tackling anyone who spreads views that promote violence and hatred against individuals and communities.
We have robust safeguards to tackle those who sow hatred and division in our communities and we make no apology for this.
The government’s focus is to reduce and disrupt the influence of high-harm groups and individuals and the spread of extremist ideologies that can lead to community division and to radicalisation into terrorism. Where there is evidence of purposeful actions that are potentially radicalising others into terrorism or violence, proportionate legislative action will be considered.
The Home Office is continually building our knowledge of potential threats, including information exchange and cooperation with partners on shared issues of concern. Each department must consider their own due diligence when choosing to engage with any organisation or individual and, if asked, we will advise and share information to help inform their decisions.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 1 December 2025, to Question 90236, on Traveller: Caravan Sites, what information her Department holds on whether any police forces have been able to use the powers following the court’s declaration of incompatibility.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
In May 2024 the High Court made a declaration of incompatibility directed to sections 60C(3), 61(4ZA)(a), 62(1A)(a) and 62B(2) of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, in so far as they identify a 12-month no-return period to an unauthorised site after being directed to leave.
This legislation remains in force until it is amended or repealed by the government. It is an operational matter for individual police forces to determine whether and how to enforce the legislation and the Home Office does not collect this information.
The government is working on a response to the Court’s judgment. In the Crime and Policing Bill Committee stage debate on 17 November, Home Office Minister Lord Hanson committed to set out the Government’s response to the judgment ahead of the Report stage of the Bill.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has a policy on naming organisations (a) regarded as extremist and (b) subject to non-engagement.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Home Office cannot comment on specific groups or individual cases.
This Government takes the threat from extremism very seriously. As a society we must not permit those that radicalise others into violence and terrorism to act with impunity. The Government is committed to tackling those who spread views that promote violence and hatred against individuals and communities in our society, and that radicalise others into terrorism
Each department must consider their own due diligence when choosing to engage with any organisation or individual.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 78673 on Travellers: Caravan Sites, if he will publish his Department's engagements with the National Police Chief’s Council including (a) notes of meetings and (b) exchanges of correspondence.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office regularly engages with the National Police Chiefs’ on policy issues relating to operational policing.
The Government is working on a response to the Court’s judgment. In the Crime and Policing Bill Committee stage debate on 17 November, Home Office Minister Lord Hanson committed to set out the Government’s response to the judgment ahead of the Report stage of the Bill.
In considering the Court’s judgment, the Government will carefully balance the rights of individuals to live a private life without discrimination, while recognising the importance of protecting public spaces and communities affected by unauthorised encampments.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 20 October 2025 to Question 85948 on Immigration: English Language, whether the English language requirements would apply to asylum seekers.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The English language requirements will not apply to asylum seekers. As a signatory to the Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), we are legally obliged to consider all asylum claims admitted to the UK asylum system and to consider people’s human rights in all circumstances where a person would be removed from the UK. This is irrespective of a person’s ability to speak English, and it ensures that we do not remove anyone to their own or any other country where they would face persecution or serious harm.
Every asylum claim admitted to the UK asylum system is carefully considered on its individual merits. Protection is normally granted where a claimant has a well-founded fear of persecution under the Refugee Convention, or a claimant faces a real risk of serious harm. Those found not to need protection are refused. Once appeal rights are exhausted, they are expected to leave the UK. Otherwise, they will be liable for enforcement action and removal.
English language proficiency is a requirement across a range of other immigration routes. Full details, including the list of routes and acceptable evidence, is available in the official guidance on Assessing the English Language requirement (accessible version) - GOV.UK.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the press release entitled Record funding to protect Jewish communities, published on 16 October 2025, over what period is the up to £10 million of funding to be allocated; and through which mechanisms will the funding be allocated.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
Following the horrific terrorist attack at Heaton Park Synagogue, the Prime Minister announced £10 million of emergency funding on 16 October as part of a wider package of measures to combat antisemitism in the UK.
The funding will be provided to the Community Security Trust (CST) through the Jewish Community Protective Security (JCPS) Grant and is intended to be used within this financial year. The funding brings the total allocated through the JCPS Grant in 2025/26 to £28 million.
The additional funding will support increased security staffing and enhanced protective measures around Jewish sites, including synagogues, schools, and community centres. These measures include security personnel, CCTV, alarm systems, and floodlights.
Asked by: James Cleverly (Conservative - Braintree)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the press release entitled £10 million boost to protect Muslim communities, published on 23 October 2025, over how many financial years the funding will be allocated; and whether it will be subject to a bidding mechanism.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
In 2025/26, £29.4 million is available through the Protective Security for Mosques scheme and for security at Muslim faith schools. In addition, up to £10 million of emergency funding has been made available for Muslim communities to further strengthen security measures at their places of worship and other community sites.
This additional funding is available for financial year 2025/26 only.
Mosques and associated Muslim community centres where regular worship takes place are eligible to apply for the scheme through the application form on gov.uk. The Protective Security for Mosques Scheme provides protective security measures such as security personnel services, CCTV, intruder alarms and secure perimeter fencing.