Asked by: Chris Philp (Conservative - Croydon South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to engage with local communities in Inverness, in light of the decision to use the Cameron barracks as asylum accommodation.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Consideration of this site is ongoing and any final decision to utilise any site for the intended purposes will be made once the relevant factors have been properly considered.
The Home Office continues to engage regularly with representatives from the local authority, NHS, Police, and other local partners – via an Operational Working Group in addition to bi-lateral conversations.
Safety and security of residents, staff and the neighbouring community will remain central to any decisions. We will ensure that any development is safe, appropriate, and compliant with planning regulations.
Asked by: Chris Philp (Conservative - Croydon South)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether asylum seekers at the Cameron barracks will have access to publicly-funded therapists.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Consideration of this site is ongoing and any final decision to utilise any site for the intended purposes will be made once the relevant factors have been properly considered.
The Home Office continues to engage regularly with representatives from the local authority, NHS, Police, and other local partners – via an Operational Working Group in addition to bi-lateral conversations.
Safety and security of residents, staff and the neighbouring community will remain central to any decisions. We will ensure that any development is safe, appropriate, and compliant with planning regulations.
Asked by: Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish the feasibility study conducted by the University of Birmingham in 2023–24 on the possibility of developing prevalence estimates for female genital mutilation and forced marriage.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The violence against women and girls (VAWG) strategy committed to conducting an additional study, building on the University of Birmingham study, to explore the viability of the recommended approach in producing a national prevalence estimate for forced marriage and FGM.
This study is due to conclude in March after which the Government will review the findings of both studies in the round and consider next steps, including publication.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for government’s most important contracts, Data for July to September 2025, published on 25 December 2025, how customer satisfaction with cultural sensitivity is monitored for the Security Guarding Services contract with MITIE SECURITY LIMITED.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Security Guarding Services contract KPI relating to cultural sensitivity is a qualitative KPI and is measured through a Customer Satisfaction evaluation survey completed on a quarterly basis. The KPI is monitored and reported through the contract management meetings held with Mitie Security Limited.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to her Department publishing an open opportunity contract on 6 January 2026 entitled Home Office Returns Reintegration Programme (HORRP) - Phase 3 - 2026 – 2028, how many additional removals does she estimate this scheme will result in.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
We have an ambitious target of continuously increasing returns in the coming years, and this contract will play an important supporting role in helping us deliver on that objective.
Asked by: Andrew Ranger (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the (a) value for money and (b) adequacy of the performance of contracts held by private asylum accommodation providers under the asylum accommodation programme; and how her Department plans to ensure accountability for the use of public funds under these contracts.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
Over the past year, the Home Office has significantly strengthened its approach to assuring Key Performance Indicator (KPI) data and applying service credits where providers fail to meet contractual obligations. Our inspection and assurance regime is risk-based and proportionate to contract value, combining scheduled and unannounced visits.
As a result of reforms to its contract management capability, the Department has recovered £74 million in the current financial year through profit-share repayments and service credits. We will continue to strengthen transparency and oversight and enhance our MI platforms to optimise assurance and inspection activity.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her Department publishing an open opportunity contract on 6 January 2026 entitled Home Office Returns Reintegration Programme (HORRP) - Phase 3 - 2026 – 2028, whether there will be a cap on the quantity of financial assistance provided under the scheme to help migrants with setting up a business.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The in-kind (non-cash) provision to assist returning individuals to set up a business or access locally available educational or training opportunities through the programme is capped at £1500. The £1500 Returnee Educational and Entrepreneurship Fund (REEF) is a ring-fenced amount that those who signed-up to the programme can apply for following arrival. They will have to submit a business proposal to either set up a business, further education or vocational training. If the proposal is successful then the delivery partner procures everything in the individual's behalf so no funds are provided to the returnee.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for government’s most important contracts, Data for July to September 2025, published on 25 December 2025, what the Key Performance Indicators are for the (a) Digitise Delivery Support contract with DELOITTE MCS LTD and (b) QAT74 End to End Testing contract with LA International Computer Consultants Limited.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
For Digitise Delivery Support contract with DELOITTE MCS LTD performance is managed through Balanced score card performance process by the Migration Border Tech Portfolio business. Performance assessed the supplier against themes :
- Performance to pay process
- Service requests and onboarding
- Delivery of the outcome of the various roles; project management, partnering behaviours and value add services and social value.
For QAT74 End to End Testing contract with LA International Computer Consultants Limited, the KPIs are :
- Partnering Behaviours
- Delivery
- Value Add
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of extending to county councils the provisions of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 on issuing closure notices in cases of illegal trading of tobacco and vaping products on the high street.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The closure power, under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, enables police or local councils - including county councils where there is no district council - to close premises quickly which are being used to commit nuisance or disorder.
The closure power, along with all the powers in the 2014 Act, is deliberately local in nature, and it is for local agencies to determine whether its use is appropriate and meets the legal test in the specific circumstances.
The global supply of illicit tobacco is significant and the high profit margins continue to attract organised criminal networks. HMRC are fully aware of this threat and take robust, coordinated action in response. Working in close partnership across government, we target production at its source, intercept illicit products at the border and in retail environments, and pursue and prosecute those involved in the illicit tobacco trade.
Stubbing out the problem: A new strategy to tackle illicit tobacco - GOV.UK sets out how HMRC, Border Force and partner agencies tackle illicit tobacco. It seeks to target loopholes at all stages of the supply chain, to keep ahead of the criminals. The strategy:
National Trading Standards plays a key part in tackling illicit tobacco at a local level. It provides both a visible and tangible deterrent that organised criminality and anti-social behaviour surrounding the supply of illicit tobacco will not be tolerated. HMRC values the close working partnership it has with National Trading Standards through Operation CeCe and is committed to building on its success by increasing the level of funding available to Trading Standards. This means that we can have an even greater impact in tackling the illicit tobacco trade, undertaking more visits, creating more disruption, detecting and seizing more illicit product, tackling underage sales and reducing community harm.
HMRC is progressing preparations for the 1 October 2026 introduction of Vaping Products Duty with a strong focus on compliance readiness and illicit market risk.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department issues to local authorities, police forces and licensed premises on the operation of Pubwatch schemes.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
Pubwatch schemes are voluntary, licensee-led local partnerships that operate independently of Government. Advice and practical resources for such schemes are provided by the National Pubwatch charity, which supports local groups across the country.
Separately, the Home Secretary issues statutory section 182 guidance under the Licensing Act 2003 to licensing authorities in England and Wales on the discharge of their functions. Licensing authorities must have regard to this guidance, which supports partnership working between licensing authorities, the police and industry to promote the four licensing objectives.
The section 182 guidance does not set operational requirements for Pubwatch schemes but does recognise and support industry led schemes such as Pubwatch as examples of good practice in promoting safer, well run licensed premises.