Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps has she taken with the relevant authorities to reduce car and other road vehicle theft in Lincolnshire.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
This Government is determined to drive down vehicle crime and we are working with the automotive industry and police, including working closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead on the issue, to ensure the strongest response possible. I have recently met the NPCC vehicle crime lead, ACC Jenny Sims, as well as other law enforcement representatives and representatives from industry, to discuss how we work together to tackle these damaging crimes.
Working with the recently established National Vehicle Crime Reduction Partnership and the police-led National Vehicle Crime Working Group, we are focusing on prevention and deterrence of theft of and from vehicles. This includes training police officers on the methods used to steal vehicles, encouraging vehicle owners to secure their vehicles, and working with industry to address vulnerabilities in vehicles.
We are adding to the armoury the police have to drive down vehicle theft. In the Crime and Policing Bill we have banned electronic devices used to steal vehicles, empowering the police and courts to target the criminals using, manufacturing and supplying them. This will support the changes manufacturers continue to make to make their vehicles as secure as possible.
In addition, we provided £250,000 funding in the financial year 2024-25 to help support work at the ports to prevent stolen vehicles and vehicle parts being shipped abroad, including providing additional staff and specialist equipment.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to open a return hub in Kosovo.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
We do not provide a running commentary on discussions with our overseas partners.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps with the police to review procedures to help ensure that serving officers do not face punitive disciplinary proceedings for raising concerns about operational risks
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
Police officers have a statutory duty to report any wrongdoing under their Standards of Professional Behaviour and it is vital that they are supported in doing so. There are a number of routes, both internal and external, to raise such concerns, including through the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) Reporting Line, which enables police officers and staff to report concerns of wrongdoing that a criminal offence has been committed, or where there is evidence of conduct that would justify disciplinary proceedings.
The Code of Ethics, issued by the College of Policing, encourages policing to use the recognised route to report concerns through force confidential reporting lines, and explains that ‘whistleblowers’ will be provided legal protections set out in the Employment Right Act 1996.
Crimestoppers have also announced a new phone number to report corruption and abuse within the police, jointly commissioned by the National Police Chiefs Council and the Association of Police Crime Commissioners, which, in addition to the public, is also available for use by serving police officers and staff
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much Fentanyl by (a) volume and (b) value has been seized in the UK in the last 12 months.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office latest published data on Fentanyl seizures made by the police and Border Force for England and Wales covers the period April 2023-March 2024 and can be found here:
The Home Office does not publish the monetary (£) value of drugs seized. In the year ending March 2024, the latest published statistics show that police forces and Border Force seized:
Fentanyl analogues include Carfentanil, Lofentanil, Sufentanil, Alfentanil (Rapifen) and Fentanyl (derivatives of).
Border Force also release quarterly transparency data which include Fentanyl seizures. The latest available data are below:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/border-force-transparency-data-q4-2024
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to increase visible policing in areas in Lincolnshire with high rates of road traffic offences.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)
On 10 April the Government outlined further details about our Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, including by July, every community will have named, and contactable officers dedicated to addressing the issues facing their communities.
At the heart of the Guarantee is ensuring communities have a say in neighbourhood policing in their area, including through regular beat meetings, to help set local priorities, such as tackling high rates of road traffic offences.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed 10-year pathway to settlement on people nearing their five-year eligibility.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
We will reform our settlement and citizenship rules by expanding the Points-Based System and increasing the standard qualifying period for settlement to ten years. Individuals will have the opportunity to reduce the qualifying period to settlement and citizenship based on contributions to the UK economy and society.
We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year and further details on the proposed scheme will be provided at the time.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the proposed 10-year pathway to settlement will apply retrospectively to migrants already legally residing in the UK.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
We will reform our settlement and citizenship rules by expanding the Points-Based System and increasing the standard qualifying period for settlement to ten years. Individuals will have the opportunity to reduce the qualifying period to settlement and citizenship based on contributions to the UK economy and society.
We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year and further details on the proposed scheme will be provided at the time.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which scientific methods will be used to strengthen the age verification process of asylum applicants.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is committed to strengthening the age assessment process and continues to review all options for improving the accuracy and efficiency of the age assessment system.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to ensure that people on (a) family and (b) student visas do not claim asylum when there has not been a material change in circumstances in their country of origin.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the announcements made in this area in the Immigration White Paper published on 12 May 2025, further details of which will be set out in due course.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which countries her Department has had discussions with on temporarily taking failed asylum seekers from the UK.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Home Office)
We do not provide a running commentary on discussions with our overseas partners.