Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of the proposed changes to indefinite leave to remain status on (a) holders of ECAA Turkish Businessperson visas and (b) their businesses in the UK.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The earned settlement model, proposed in ’A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, is currently subject to a public consultation, running until 12 February 2026.
Time spent in routes that currently count towards settlement after 5 years will continue to count towards the new standard qualifying period.
The consultation seeks views on whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement. Protections will be put in place where appropriate.
Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following the consultation and will be subject to economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure protections for British Iranians who are affected by the violence against protesters taking place in Iran.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The UK condemns in the strongest of terms the horrendous and brutal killing of Iranian protestors we have seen over recent weeks.
The Iranian authorities must be held accountable for the violence that claimed the lives of thousands of Iranians who were exercising their right to peaceful protest. Last week, in a statement to the House, the Foreign Secretary set out the action that the Government is taking in coordination with allies in response to the consistent threat that the Iranian regime poses to stability, security, freedom and the UK national interest.
The Home Office works closely with other government departments as well as relevant agencies and law enforcement to protect the UK and its people against any threats from the Iranian state.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to page 26 of the Animal Welfare Strategy for England, published on 22 December 2025, whether she plans to make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) making wildlife crimes notifiable and (b) including them in national crime statistics.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Wildlife crime can have devastating consequences for our natural environments and countryside communities. This Government is committed to reducing crime in rural areas and anyone exploiting or deliberately harming British wildlife should face the full force of the law.
There are currently no plans to make wildlife crimes notifiable (which would result in them being included in the national crime statistics). Any non-notifiable wildlife crime reported to the police can still be investigated where appropriate, as Chief Constables have operational independence to tackle the crimes that matter most to their communities.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of animals in the UK who are bred for, but not used for, scientific research.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Home Office does not currently collect statistics on the number of animals in Great Britain that were bred for use in scientific procedures but were killed or died without being used in procedures.
Additional statistics were previously collected as required by European Directive 2010/63/EU. In 2017, the Home Office published these additional statistics covering the number of non-genetically altered animals that were bred for scientific procedures but were killed or died without being used in procedures, and the number of animals (genetically altered and non-genetically altered) subject to tissue sampling for the purposes of genotyping.
The Home Office is no longer required to collect and release additional statistics. Future publication of this data is under review.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the cost of moving asylum seekers housed in hotels into disused military bases.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
As part of our commitment to close all asylum hotels, we are looking at a range of more appropriate sites including disused accommodation, industrial and ex-military sites so we can reduce the impact on communities. Alternative accommodation sites will be considered on a site-by-site basis, we will continue to work closely with key stakeholders and in compliance with published policy.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will issue guidance on crime reporting for lone workers in the retail sector.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Shop theft continues to increase at an unacceptable level. We will not stand for this.
There are currently no plans to produce specific guidance on crime reporting in the retail sector, however we would encourage all retailers, including lone workers, to report all crime to the police.
We are giving police officers the powers they need through this government’s Crime and Policing Bill, which is introducing a new specific offence of assaulting a retail worker and ending the effective immunity that currently applies for theft of goods of and under £200. That will apply to all those who work in shops, including those who work alone.
We want to remove the perception that those committing shop theft will escape punishment by ensuring there are visible and meaningful consequences for those caught breaking the law.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department holds on the number of shooting incidents involving people (a) whose gun licences had been revoked and (b) who illegally retained possession of a firearm in the past five years.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office collects information on offences involving firearms recorded by the police in England and Wales. We cannot tell from this information whether an offence involved people whose firearm licences were revoked, whether the firearm has been illegally possessed or whether the offence involved people who had been reported as persons of concern.
It is, of course the case that, where a shotgun or firearms licence is revoked, the firearm concerned will either be voluntarily surrendered to the police, or seized by the police, reducing the risk of illegal possession or use. Similarly, the police maintain continuous assessment of all firearms and shotguns holders and will review any licence where concerns about suitability arise. If those concerns suggest that it is unsafe for the person to continue to hold their guns, the police will take action to revoke the licence and remove the guns from the possession of the person concerned.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department holds on the number of shooting incidents involving people who had previously been reported as persons of concern in the last five years.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office collects information on offences involving firearms recorded by the police in England and Wales. We cannot tell from this information whether an offence involved people whose firearm licences were revoked, whether the firearm has been illegally possessed or whether the offence involved people who had been reported as persons of concern.
It is, of course the case that, where a shotgun or firearms licence is revoked, the firearm concerned will either be voluntarily surrendered to the police, or seized by the police, reducing the risk of illegal possession or use. Similarly, the police maintain continuous assessment of all firearms and shotguns holders and will review any licence where concerns about suitability arise. If those concerns suggest that it is unsafe for the person to continue to hold their guns, the police will take action to revoke the licence and remove the guns from the possession of the person concerned.
Asked by: Vikki Slade (Liberal Democrat - Mid Dorset and North Poole)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 22 July 2025 to Question 67436 on Immigration, when her Department plans to consult on the earned settlement scheme; and whether that consultation will include an assessment of the potential impact of that scheme on British National (Overseas) visa holders seeking indefinite leave to remain.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Government is committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK and those who may come here in future.
I welcomed the opportunity to listen to the views of Members around these subjects in the recent 8th September Westminster Hall Debate on Indefinite Leave to Remain.
We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year. All will be welcome to participate. We will provide details of how the scheme will work after that consultation.
We regularly engage with representatives of the Hong Kong diaspora in the UK on issues related to the BN(O) visa and will continue to do so.