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 many police officers retired due to ill health in each of the last ten years.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office collects and publishes data annually on the number of police officers leaving the police service and their reasons for leaving, including medical retirements, as at 31 March each year, in the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales.
Information on the number of police officers leaving the police service by reason for leaving, including medical retirements, between the years ending 31 March 2007 and 2025 can be found in the ‘Leavers Open Data Table’ here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/687a364d312ee8a5f0806b7c/open-data-table-police-workforce-leavers-230725.ods
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to improve transparency in the way crime data is published.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Office for National Statistics has primary responsibility for publishing information on crime statistics.
They publish progress updates on their crime statistics improvement programme, with the last update in July 2025, available here: Improving crime statistics for England and Wales – progress update - Office for National Statistics
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 forthcoming consultation on the proposed merger of shotgun and rifle licensing regimes will publish an impact assessment setting out the anticipated costs to police forces and to certificate holders.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February 2025, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public safety. The Government response set out the reasons why the Government considers this consultation to be important, and we intend to publish this shortly.
We will carefully consider all of the views put forward in response to the consultation once it is published, before taking any decisions on whether and what changes may be necessary in the interests of public safety. The Government will also provide an assessment of the impact of any changes that we intend to bring forward, including to policing and certificate holders, at the relevant time.
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 forthcoming consultation on the proposed merger of shotgun and rifle licensing regimes will publish the evidence underpinning that proposal.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February 2025, included a commitment to having a public consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns to bring them more into line with the controls on other firearms in the interests of public safety. The Government response set out the reasons why the Government considers this consultation to be important, and we intend to publish this shortly.
We will carefully consider all of the views put forward in response to the consultation once it is published, before taking any decisions on whether and what changes may be necessary in the interests of public safety. The Government will also provide an assessment of the impact of any changes that we intend to bring forward, including to policing and certificate holders, at the relevant time.
Asked by: Samantha Niblett (Labour - South Derbyshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the consultation on firearms will be published.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
We intend to publish this consultation shortly.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of higher education providers require Student Visa applicants to prove their knowledge of English before issuing a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
To make a successful Student visa application, all international students must meet the relevant English Language requirement that applies to their circumstances, in line with Appendix Student of the Immigration Rules. The methods that a Student may rely on to meet their English Language requirement are outlined in Appendix English Language of the Immigration Rules. Whilst most acceptable methods require submission of evidence with the application, where the student is studying a course at degree level of above at a Higher Education Provider with a track record of compliance, the sponsor can make a self assessment. The Home Office does not record data on which methods students have relied on for the purposes of meeting the English Language requirements in a manner that enables comparative figures to be produced.
All student sponsors have a duty to assess that each student’s English language ability is of the required level as specified in Appendix Student before they issue a CAS to the student. Sponsors are required to state the evidence used to assess the student’s English language ability on the CAS.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many firearms offences have been committed with 3D-printed guns in each of the last five years.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Offences involving the use of 3D printed firearms offences are not recorded separately within the crime statistics published by the Office for National Statistics. A firearm manufactured using 3D printing technology is regarded as a firearm under the Firearms Act 1968 and the controls set out in that Act apply. The overall number of offences involving firearms offences decreased by 16%, to 5,053 offences in the year ending June 2025 compared to the year ending June 2024.
The Government works closely with the police and the National Crime Agency to ensure that we have the right laws, intelligence, detection and enforcement capabilities to tackle the threat posed by the unlawful possession and use of firearms, including firearms manufactured in full, or in part, using 3D printing technology. This includes the measures in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025 which, when commenced, will make it an offence to possess or supply templates for the 3D printing of firearms.
Asked by: Lewis Atkinson (Labour - Sunderland Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of funding of HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) receives core funding from the Home Office.
In 2025/26 HMICFRS is receiving £28m to enable it to carry out its statutory functions. Additional in-year funding is provided if there is a requirement for extra inspections that are commissioned and are not part of the agreed inspection programme.
As part of Home Office’s work to allocate its Spending Review settlement for the period 2026/27 to 2028/29 work has been undertaken to assess the required level of funding allocated to all areas of Home Office activity including HMICFRS.
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 people deemed to be from under-represented groups are subject to different vetting procedures as part of the hiring process for police officers in England.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
All applicants joining the police as officers or staff are subject to the same rigorous checks and vetting procedures to ensure that only the most suitable candidates are selected. This is set out in the College of Policing’s vetting code of practice and its vetting authorised professional practice (APP).
The Home Secretary has commissioned His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to inspect the MPS on their recruitment and vetting practices and asked them to provide an assessment in relation to other forces in England and Wales.
Asked by: Lee Anderson (Reform UK - Ashfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what data her Department holds on trends in the level of drug misuse crime.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The ONS publishes data from Crime Survey in England and Wales on the extent and trends of illicit drug use and it can be found here:
The Home Office publishes police recorded crime data for trafficking of drugs and possession of drugs and it can be found here: