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: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to change the minimum income requirement and English language proficiency level for applicants under the BN(O) visa scheme.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The Government remains steadfast in its support for members of the Hong Kong community in the UK.
There are no plans to change the requirements of the BN(O) visa route for those applying for entry clearance or permission to stay.
As set out in the public consultation A Fairer Pathway to Settlement, BN(O) visa holders will continue to be able to settle in the UK after 5 years residence, subject to meeting the mandatory requirements which include meeting level B2 in English language and having paid at least three years of National Insurance contributions.
We are seeking views on earned settlement through the public consultation and will continue to listen to the views of Hong Kongers. Details of the earned settlement model will be finalised following that consultation. In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the BN(O) route will continue to apply.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many enhanced DBS check applications for care sector roles have exceeded 60 days at the police checking stage in each of the last six months; and whether the Government plans to provide additional resources to police forces experiencing significant backlogs in DBS processing.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The DBS does not report its performance by specific job sectors. The DBS publishes its performance for Enhanced checks on a quarterly basis at DBS performance and metrics - GOV.UK. These attainments apply to applications across all employment sectors including the care sector.
The DBS works closely with all police forces to ensure checks are completed as quickly as possible. This includes funding additional staff and overtime within forces. Where possible, police forces with capacity are also helping those with a large number of outstanding cases, a process managed by the DBS.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average processing time is for enhanced DBS checks in the care sector in each of the last twelve months; and what steps the Government is taking to reduce the time taken in the police checking stage of DBS applications.
Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
The DBS does not report its performance by specific job sectors. The DBS publishes its performance for Enhanced checks on a quarterly basis at DBS performance and metrics - GOV.UK. These attainments apply to applications across all employment sectors including the care sector.
The DBS works closely with all police forces to ensure checks are completed as quickly as possible. This includes funding additional staff and overtime within forces. Where possible, police forces with capacity are also helping those with a large number of outstanding cases, a process managed by the DBS.
Asked by: Angus MacDonald (Liberal Democrat - Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of reports of attempts by foreign state actors to influence UK political discourse during and after the 2016 EU Referendum.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
It is, and always will be, an absolute priority to protect the UK against foreign interference. The Government is clear that any interference in our democracy is unacceptable.
The Government has taken steps to strengthen our resilience to foreign interference. This includes the updated guidance published by the National Protective Security Authority on 13 October, the Counter Political Interference and Espionage Action Plan which I set out in Parliament on 18 November. The National Security Act 2023, including the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme and its enhanced tier, give law enforcement and the intelligence services the powers they need to disrupt the full range of state threat activity.
This government will continue to do whatever is necessary to protect UK democracy.
Asked by: Earl Attlee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 1 December (HL12185), what estimate they have made of the total annual budget of West Yorkshire Police.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
West Yorkshire Police will receive funding of up to £659.6m in 2025-26. You should note that this figure includes core Government grants and council tax precept only and does not represent the totality of the force’s budget. The Home Office does not routinely collect information on other police force revenue.
Asked by: Victoria Collins (Liberal Democrat - Harpenden and Berkhamsted)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the level of economic loss from AI-enabled fraud and scams.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
The Government does not hold an estimate of the full socio-economic cost from AI enabled fraud. Not all incidents of fraud are reported but reports to Action Fraud which reference the suspected use of artificial intelligence resulted in estimated losses of £0.69m in 2023, £4.55m in 2024 and £3.74m in the period of January to September 2025. Action Fraud was replaced by the improved Report Fraud service on 4 December. It is a self-reporting tool, meaning those making reports will not always be aware if AI has been used and it is not possible to independently verify the use of AI generated content.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answers of 9 December 2025 to Question 96618 and 25 November 2025 to Question 94151, what assessment she has made of the risk of those involved in committing acts of terrorism being included in the commemoration events.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
On 21 August next year, the nation will come together to pay tribute to victimsand survivors of terrorism.
The National Day is dedicated to remembering and recognising victims andsurvivors of terrorism, rather than the perpetrators of such attacks.
We will closely engage victims and survivors throughout the preparations toensure arrangements are sensitive to their needs.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the Home Office policy paper, Restoring Order and Control: A statement on the government’s asylum and returns policy, published on 17 November, what assessment they have made of the impact of stopping refugee family reunion for those on the core protection route on refugees' (1) ability to economically contribute to the United Kingdom, and (2) reliance on state support.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government’s Asylum Policy Statement outlines the current challenges, the Government’s objectives, and a comprehensive package of measures to restore order, control, fairness and public confidence in the UK’s system. Specific Impact Assessments will be undertaken as policies are developed more fully. These will be kept under review to ensure that there are no unintended impacts on people with protected characteristics.
Further details on asylum reform, including support and contributions, will also be announced in due course.
The Asylum and Returns Policy Statement sets out the intention that we will review protection status for people who do not switch out of Core Protection. This is part of the wider package that seeks to incentivise people to switch (alongside the ability to earn down the time to settlement, and sponsor family members).
We cannot predict with any certainty what proportion of people will switch, although the system will be designed to ensure that switching is a viable option for the majority of people.
For those who do remain on Core Protection, reviews will be conducted on a targeted basis so that we can make the most efficient use of resources. The renewal stage will generally involve a simple security check, and we will set business rules to identify cases that warrant a manual intervention.
Asked by: Lord German (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the Home Office policy paper, Restoring Order and Control: A statement on the government’s asylum and returns policy, published on 17 November, what assessment they have made of the cost to the (1) Home Office, and (2) legal aid budget, of reassessing refugee applications every 30 months over a 20-year period.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government’s Asylum Policy Statement outlines the current challenges, the Government’s objectives, and a comprehensive package of measures to restore order, control, fairness and public confidence in the UK’s system. Specific Impact Assessments will be undertaken as policies are developed more fully. These will be kept under review to ensure that there are no unintended impacts on people with protected characteristics.
Further details on asylum reform, including support and contributions, will also be announced in due course.
The Asylum and Returns Policy Statement sets out the intention that we will review protection status for people who do not switch out of Core Protection. This is part of the wider package that seeks to incentivise people to switch (alongside the ability to earn down the time to settlement, and sponsor family members).
We cannot predict with any certainty what proportion of people will switch, although the system will be designed to ensure that switching is a viable option for the majority of people.
For those who do remain on Core Protection, reviews will be conducted on a targeted basis so that we can make the most efficient use of resources. The renewal stage will generally involve a simple security check, and we will set business rules to identify cases that warrant a manual intervention.