Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment has been made of the level of risk of assaults on prison officers during duties requiring close contact with prisoners.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Prison officers receive training to manage and de-escalate potentially violent situations, including those involving close contact with prisoners. Risk assessments are conducted and kept under review, with prisons implementing appropriate controls to protect staff. Staff in the adult male estate have access to Body-Worn Video Cameras, batons, rigid-bar handcuffs and synthetic pepper spray, and we are investing around £15 million in protective equipment, including protective body armour prioritised for higher-risk environments.
HMPPS assesses the risk of assaults on prison officers through established risk assessment and violence monitoring processes, including consideration of risks associated with activities involving close contact with prisoners.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of agreements with France in reducing small boat crossings.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government keeps the effectiveness of its cooperation with France under constant review. The UK-France Border Security Partnership agreed in April 2026 significantly increases law enforcement activity, intelligence sharing and maritime disruption to tackle organised immigration crime. Joint action is already delivering results, with French law enforcement having prevented more than 48,000 attempted crossings since the election. French authorities report that 61% of crossing events were prevented between 27 April and 2 August, an increase of 5% on the same period last year. In four separate weeks, every attempted crossing event was prevented. The agreement includes robust monitoring and evaluation arrangements, with funding linked to performance and a focus on delivering measurable reductions in illegal migration.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to seek additional agreements with European countries on the return of people who enter the United Kingdom illegally.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)
Over 80,000 individuals with no right to remain in the UK, including those working illegally and foreign criminals, have been returned or removed from the UK since the 2024 election. This includes 13,129 enforced returns and 12,446 voluntary returns to European countries.
Illegal migration is a shared European challenge that requires a coordinated response. The UK’s cooperation with France has resulted in an over 40% reduction in small boat arrivals this year, and the transfer of over 1400 individuals under our UK-France Returns Treaty. We remain committed to working closely with European partners to find a solution to this shared challenge.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government plans to seek agreements with additional safe countries for the return of people who arrive in the United Kingdom by small boat.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)
Over 80,000 individuals with no right to remain in the UK, including those working illegally and foreign criminals, have been returned or removed from the UK since the 2024 election. This includes 13,129 enforced returns and 12,446 voluntary returns to European countries.
Illegal migration is a shared European challenge that requires a coordinated response. The UK’s cooperation with France has resulted in an over 40% reduction in small boat arrivals this year, and the transfer of over 1400 individuals under our UK-France Returns Treaty. We remain committed to working closely with European partners to find a solution to this shared challenge.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of assaults on police officers on levels of sickness absence and workforce retention.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is clear that assaults against police officers are completely unacceptable. Officers should be able to carry out their duties without fear of violence, and we are committed to ensuring they have the protection, support and wellbeing provision they need throughout their careers.
The Police Covenant recognises the unique risks and pressures faced by those working in policing and seeks to ensure that the police workforce is not disadvantaged as a result of their role. Improving the physical protection, health and wellbeing of officers are core elements of the Covenant. Assaults can have both physical and psychological consequences, affecting health, sickness absence and retention. It is therefore important that we continue to work together with policing to improve the quality and consistency of data on assaults, so that the scale and nature of violence against police can be better understood and used to inform prevention and support.
We continue to fund the National Police Wellbeing Service, which works directly with forces through Operation Hampshire to support the consistent reporting, investigation and, where appropriate, prosecution of assaults against police officers and staff.
The Home Office already issues guidance to forces on recording police assaults, and work is ongoing with policing partners to improve data quality, including consideration of what further information about the circumstances and location of assaults would be valuable to collect to strengthen the national picture.
The Government recognises that police officers can face an increased risk of assault when carrying out duties that require close contact with detainees, including during arrest, transport and custody procedures. Managing these risks is an operational matter for chief constables, who are responsible for ensuring officers receive appropriate training, guidance and equipment to carry out their duties safely.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the proposed National Police Service will have responsibility for evaluating officer safety equipment and technologies.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government will bring forward legislation to establish the National Police Service as soon as Parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the level of risk of assaults on police officers in situations where close contact with detainees is unavoidable.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is clear that assaults against police officers are completely unacceptable. Officers should be able to carry out their duties without fear of violence, and we are committed to ensuring they have the protection, support and wellbeing provision they need throughout their careers.
The Police Covenant recognises the unique risks and pressures faced by those working in policing and seeks to ensure that the police workforce is not disadvantaged as a result of their role. Improving the physical protection, health and wellbeing of officers are core elements of the Covenant. Assaults can have both physical and psychological consequences, affecting health, sickness absence and retention. It is therefore important that we continue to work together with policing to improve the quality and consistency of data on assaults, so that the scale and nature of violence against police can be better understood and used to inform prevention and support.
We continue to fund the National Police Wellbeing Service, which works directly with forces through Operation Hampshire to support the consistent reporting, investigation and, where appropriate, prosecution of assaults against police officers and staff.
The Home Office already issues guidance to forces on recording police assaults, and work is ongoing with policing partners to improve data quality, including consideration of what further information about the circumstances and location of assaults would be valuable to collect to strengthen the national picture.
The Government recognises that police officers can face an increased risk of assault when carrying out duties that require close contact with detainees, including during arrest, transport and custody procedures. Managing these risks is an operational matter for chief constables, who are responsible for ensuring officers receive appropriate training, guidance and equipment to carry out their duties safely.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will introduce a national standard for recording the location and circumstances of assaults on police officers.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is clear that assaults against police officers are completely unacceptable. Officers should be able to carry out their duties without fear of violence, and we are committed to ensuring they have the protection, support and wellbeing provision they need throughout their careers.
The Police Covenant recognises the unique risks and pressures faced by those working in policing and seeks to ensure that the police workforce is not disadvantaged as a result of their role. Improving the physical protection, health and wellbeing of officers are core elements of the Covenant. Assaults can have both physical and psychological consequences, affecting health, sickness absence and retention. It is therefore important that we continue to work together with policing to improve the quality and consistency of data on assaults, so that the scale and nature of violence against police can be better understood and used to inform prevention and support.
We continue to fund the National Police Wellbeing Service, which works directly with forces through Operation Hampshire to support the consistent reporting, investigation and, where appropriate, prosecution of assaults against police officers and staff.
The Home Office already issues guidance to forces on recording police assaults, and work is ongoing with policing partners to improve data quality, including consideration of what further information about the circumstances and location of assaults would be valuable to collect to strengthen the national picture.
The Government recognises that police officers can face an increased risk of assault when carrying out duties that require close contact with detainees, including during arrest, transport and custody procedures. Managing these risks is an operational matter for chief constables, who are responsible for ensuring officers receive appropriate training, guidance and equipment to carry out their duties safely.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will develop a national strategy to help reduce assaults on police officers.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is clear that assaults against police officers are completely unacceptable. Officers should be able to carry out their duties without fear of violence, and we are committed to ensuring they have the protection, support and wellbeing provision they need throughout their careers.
The Police Covenant recognises the unique risks and pressures faced by those working in policing and seeks to ensure that the police workforce is not disadvantaged as a result of their role. Improving the physical protection, health and wellbeing of officers are core elements of the Covenant. Assaults can have both physical and psychological consequences, affecting health, sickness absence and retention. It is therefore important that we continue to work together with policing to improve the quality and consistency of data on assaults, so that the scale and nature of violence against police can be better understood and used to inform prevention and support.
We continue to fund the National Police Wellbeing Service, which works directly with forces through Operation Hampshire to support the consistent reporting, investigation and, where appropriate, prosecution of assaults against police officers and staff.
The Home Office already issues guidance to forces on recording police assaults, and work is ongoing with policing partners to improve data quality, including consideration of what further information about the circumstances and location of assaults would be valuable to collect to strengthen the national picture.
The Government recognises that police officers can face an increased risk of assault when carrying out duties that require close contact with detainees, including during arrest, transport and custody procedures. Managing these risks is an operational matter for chief constables, who are responsible for ensuring officers receive appropriate training, guidance and equipment to carry out their duties safely.
Asked by: Sarah Pochin (Reform UK - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of arrangements for the independent evaluation of new police officer safety technologies.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government takes the safety of police officers extremely seriously and is clear that police officers should have the best possible protection when facing physical violence.
The Home Office sets robust standards for a range of personal protective equipment used by policing, including protective headwear, body armour (including ballistic protection and slash resistance), flame retardant overalls and irritant sprays. This equipment is subject to a comprehensive testing and certification process which supports consistency and ensures confidence in police personal protective equipment. These standards are based on police operational requirements and outline the minimum performance requirements and test methods to ensure that protective equipment purchased for police officers is safe and fit for purpose. Manufacturers and police forces can submit equipment for testing against these standards. Equipment that meets the required criteria is certified as compliant with Home Office standards.