theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Mike Wood:To ask the Leader of the House, what assessment has been made of practices of Hon. Members who will not respond to correspondence from overseas electors who are assigned to their Parliamentary constituency. \p Sir Alan Campbell: The Government recognises the importance of MPs responding to correspondence in a timely and consistent manner. It is for each individual MP to determine how best to perform their parliamentary duties, including the management of correspondence from constituents resident in the UK and overseas. MPs are ultimately accountable to their constituents at the ballot box.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-03)

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Mike Wood:To ask the Leader of the House, pursuant to the answer of 20 November 2025 to Question 91457, on Written Question: Government Responses, if he will undertake an assessment of whether the Cabinet Office provides full and helpful responses to Parliamentary Questions. \p Sir Alan Campbell: It is a matter for individual departments to determine how to respond to parliamentary questions from Members. However, Parliament has a right to hold Ministers to account and I am committed to ensuring that Members receive full and timely responses.

I encourage hon. Members to raise any specific issues they may have with myself and my office.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-03)

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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how many visas the Electoral Commission have sponsored since 4 July 2024. \p Sir Jeremy Wright: The Electoral Commission has not sponsored any visas since 4 July 2024.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, Pursuant to the answer of 13 November 2025, to Question 88726, on Local Government: Reorganisation, whether the Government has told the Electoral Commission if it intends to cancel any of the scheduled local elections in May 2026, other than the Surrey councils. \p Sir Jeremy Wright: The Electoral Commission has not been told that any further elections scheduled for May 2026 will be postponed, other than the elections for Surrey County and District councils. The Commission is working with the Government and will continue to support the electoral community as it prepares for scheduled elections in May 2026.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-03)

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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Right hon. Member for Kenilworth and Southam, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, on how many occasions has the Electoral Commission issued a (a) disclosure notice or (b) inspection notice under Schedule 19B of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000; and how many times has it obtained an inspection warrant over the period for which records are centrally held. \p Sir Jeremy Wright: The Commission is required to report on its use of investigatory powers, including disclosure notices, investigation notices, and applications for inspection warrants. These are published in the Commission’s Annual Reports and Accounts.

The Commission has reported that it issued eight disclosure notices and 50 investigation notices since its investigatory powers came into force in December 2010. It has not applied for an inspection warrant. A breakdown by year is in the table below.

The Commission only uses its investigatory powers where it is satisfied that it is necessary and proportionate to do so. In most investigations, it receives relevant information on a voluntary basis.

Use of investigatory powers, by financial year

Year

Disclosure notices

Investigation notices

Inspection warrant applications

2011-12

0

0

0

2012-13

0

0

0

2013-14

0

0

0

2014-15

2

0

0

2015-16

2

5

0

2016-17

3

16

0

2017-18

0

14

0

2018-19

0

10

0

2019-20

1

0

0

2020-21

0

0

0

2021-22

0

3

0

2022-23

0

0

0

2023-24

0

1

0

2024-25

0

1

0
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-05)

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Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether there are restrictions on internship applications to the (a) Office for Equality and Opportunity and (b) Equality and Human Rights Commission in (i) 2025 and (ii) 2026. \p Olivia Bailey: As the Office for Equality and Opportunity is part of the Cabinet Office, we follow Cabinet Office recruitment policies, including recruitment of interns. There is not a single universal rule for Cabinet Office internships as eligibility and restrictions vary by the specific internship scheme and the individual advert.

In August 2025, a new policy was introduced to broaden access for working-class students to the Civil Service. OEO will apply this guidance to future intern recruitment, with the programme launching in 2026.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission is an independent regulator and follows a similar approach as all roles are advertised Civil Service Jobs.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-05)

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Mike Wood:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will issue guidance to regulators that they should not impose equality, diversity and inclusion requirements which have not been approved by legislation. \p Olivia Bailey: I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 12 June 2025 to PQ 59367.
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Carla Denyer:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what discussions she has had with the Equality and Human Rights Commission on the adequacy of the scope of its engagement on the Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations. \p Olivia Bailey: The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is an independent regulator, and the Government respects its independence and the role it plays as the equalities regulator.

It was for the EHRC to ensure that the consultation process meaningfully engaged with different stakeholders - including a variety of legal and subject matter experts.

The Government made clear that our expectation was for the EHRC to engage widely and broadly, listening to diverse voices.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-05)

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Mohammad Yasin:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will hold discussions with the Equality and Human Rights Commission on taking steps to ensure that its Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations provides guidance for (a) businesses and (b) service providers on (i) inclusion and (ii) the rights of all protected groups. \p Olivia Bailey: The EHRC has revised its Code of Practice for Services, Public Functions and Associations following the consultation and submitted it to the Minister for Women and Equalities. The EHRC is an independent regulator, and we respect its independence and the role it plays as the equalities regulator.

The Government is considering the draft updated Code and, if the decision is taken to approve it, the Code will be laid before Parliament for a 40 day period.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-05)

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Manuela Perteghella:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help ensure that young people with care-experience have equal access to support services promoting wellbeing, opportunity and inclusion. \p Olivia Bailey: The Ministerial Board on Care Leavers, chaired by the Secretary of State for Education, works to identify how each department can respond to the unique challenges that care leavers face across all aspects of their lives – opening up, for example, a world of employment opportunities by adding care leavers to social value requirements for government procurement.
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Darren Paffey:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to promote equality as part of the Government mission entitled Break Down Barriers to Opportunity. \p Olivia Bailey: Equality and opportunity are at the heart of the government’s programme of national renewal. That’s why we’re investing £1.5bn over the next three years through the Best Start in Life strategy to improve family services and early years education, creating a fairer Britain where every child has the opportunity to succeed.

Free school meals, more nurseries, bringing back Sure Start for the 21st century with Best Start Family Hubs. That’s the difference a Labour government makes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-05)

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Tulip Siddiq:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help protect female whistle-blowers in male-dominated industries. \p Seema Malhotra: The Government is taking a range of actions to strengthen whistleblowing protections for workers, including female workers.

Through the Employment Rights Bill, we are amending the Employment Rights Act 1996 to clarify that workers are protected from detriment or dismissal by their employer if they ‘blow the whistle’ on sexual harassment, as long as the conditions in the legislation are met. This is an important reform that may encourage more workers to speak up about sexual harassment.

In addition, the Government will introduce legislation in this Parliament to disbar senior NHS leaders who have been dishonest or covered up unsafe practice from working in leadership roles in the NHS again.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-05)

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Calum Miller:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what plans she has to support cross-community interfaith work. \p Seema Malhotra: Interfaith relations are vital for strong, cohesive communities. The government is funding Inter Faith Week 2025 next week as a key moment in the national calendar for dialogue, learning, and connection between faiths and beliefs. I am sure many Hon Members will take part in events in their constituencies.

Alongside this, MHCLG funds programmes including Near Neighbours and Schools Linking which promote understanding across diverse communities.

The government will always champion faith and freedom or religion or belief at home and abroad.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-05)

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Lincoln Jopp:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of introducing a digital identity system on levels of equality. \p Seema Malhotra: As we build and deliver digital ID, the government will undertake the biggest ever programme to drive digital inclusion, to ensure that every person can access all the benefits of using digital tools to access public services.

We are working with expert organisations and community groups to identify barriers and risks early, and that inclusion programmes reach people where they are.

More details will be set out in our public consultation later this year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-05)

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Jenny Riddell-Carpenter:To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support people affected by matricide. \p Alex Davies-Jones: Matricide is a terrible crime, which we are committed to tackling. Our VAWG strategy will set out how we will halve violence against women – including domestic abuse – over the next decade. A Government funded project is capturing information on domestic abuse related deaths from all police forces in England and Wales. This will improve our understanding of these awful deaths and help identify how the response can be improved in these tragic situations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-05)

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Siân Berry:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking ensure the continuity of independent medical advice to the National Police Chiefs Council's Less Lethal Weapons Working Group, following the replacement of the Science Advisory Committee on the Medical Implications of Less-Lethal Weapons with the Medical Implications of Less Lethal Weapons Expert Committee. \p Sarah Jones: The provision of a robust medical assessment of the effects of any less lethal weapon is critical to ensuring that when police use less lethal weapons, they use them safely and effectively to protect the public and prevent harm. The Scientific Advisory Council on the Medical Implications of Less Lethal Weapons (SACMILL) has played an important role in this to date and plans are in place to ensure robust independent medical advice continues under the Medical Implications of Less Lethal Weapons Executive Committee (MILLWEC), in line with the Code of Practice for Armed Policing and Police Use of Less Lethal Weapons.

The Home Office has been working closely with the Ministry of Defence to manage the transition and ensure no disruption to the provision of independent scientific advice. MILLWEC will be established from 30 November and SACMILL will continue in their advisory function until then. A framework, which will support the independence and accountability of the new committee, has been developed and is publicly available on the gov.uk website Medical Implications of Less-Lethal Weapons Expert Committee - GOV.UK

Processes are in place to ensure Home Office management of the committee retains their independence at every level, in line with the Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Committees and Councils.
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Stuart Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the ability of police forces to implement the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. \p Sarah Jones: The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee set out commitments for police forces to implement by July 2025. Forces are now delivering on the Guarantee across England and Wales to ensure consistent and high-quality neighbourhood policing. Every neighbourhood now has named, contactable officers.

Additionally, the Government has made £200 million available in FY 25/26 to support the first steps of delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel across England and Wales by the end of this Parliament, including up to 3000 additional neighbourhood officers by March 2026
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of drone-related incidents reported to the police by type of incident for each of the last five years. \p Sarah Jones: The police provide the Home Office with analysis of general trends in drone misuse across the UK to help co-ordinate work and allocate resources across government.

Over the past five years these trends have shown a consistent increase in both legal and illegal drone use.

The police maintain detailed central reporting and recording which is used for operational and planning purposes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-05)

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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) legal and (b) operational guidance her Department has issued to police forces on the lawful use of (i) signal jamming, (ii) electronic disruption, and (iii) kinetic interception measures to tackle unauthorised drones in public spaces. \p Sarah Jones: The Home Office has worked closely with policing colleagues to ensure operational responders have access to appropriate technologies and powers to detect and mitigate against drone misuse.

The government brought in the Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act (ATMUA) in 2021, to give the police necessary powers to protect against malicious or negligent drone use. ATMUA amends the Police Act 1997 to enable the use of counter-drone technologies by operational responders.

How and when the police use the technologies and powers provided to them by the Home Office is an operational matter. The Home Office has always maintained the importance of operational independence and does not routinely comment on operational decision making.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-05)

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Dr Luke Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the amount of police time taken to administer vehicle stops under section 163 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. \p Sarah Jones: Section 163 of the Road Traffic Act (RTA) 1988 allows a police officer in uniform to require the driver of a vehicle to stop when directed.

This is an important provision in maintaining road safety. It also enhances understanding of road traffic crime and vehicle-enabled crime.

Enforcement of traffic law and the deployment of available resources is an operational matter for individual Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners to determine, taking into account the specific local problems and demands with which they are faced.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) disciplinary actions and (b) dismissals of Home Office officials have there been for unauthorised access to personal data since July 2024. \p Sarah Jones: We do not hold data specifically on the number of cases involving unauthorised access to personal data and would otherwise be disproportionate effort to retrieve.

The nearest category for which we hold data is ‘Unauthorised Access IT Systems, Databases and Record Systems’, the following have been prepared using these figures.

(a) Number of discipline actions ‘Unauthorised Access IT Systems, Databases and Record Systems’

19

(b) Number of dismissals where the charge type is ‘Unauthorised Access IT Systems, Databases and Record Systems’

12
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many operational bases the National Police Air Service maintains; and what changes to the base network are planned for the next two years. \p Sarah Jones: As NPAS is a police-led collaboration, it is their National Strategic Board which is responsible for setting and evaluating the strategic direction of NPAS, as well as for all operating and financial decisions. Policing leaders are best placed to determine their requirements for air support and how to meet this using the resources available. However, Home Office officials remain closely involved and continue to monitor and support NPAS and each year agree objectives and deliverables for NPAS within the funding envelope available.

The NPAS Strategic Board is responsible for setting the strategic direction of NPAS, the terms of the Collaboration Agreement arranged through section 22A of the Police Act 1996 agreed between forces, and for all operating and financial decisions within the scope of the grant funding agreement, such as the number and location of NPAS bases.

The total budget allocation for NPAS in each of the last five years was as follows:

NPAS currently operates a fleet of 24 aircraft, comprising 20 rotary (8 EC135 T2, 8 EC135 P2, and 4 EC145 models), and 4 fixed wing. NPAS is in the process of partially replacing this fleet.

NPAS operates a network of 15 strategically located bases across England and Wales, providing vital air support to police forces nationwide. In addition to these regional bases, NPAS also operates a 24-hour service from Lippitts Hill in Epping Forest, supporting the Metropolitan Police Service and ensuring continuous air coverage for London. There are currently no changes to the base network planned for the next two years.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-05)

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Sarah Pochin:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many stop and searches in have led to an arrest for (a) possession of a knife and (b) bladed article in the last 12 months. \p Sarah Jones: Stop and search is an important tool for tackling knife crime, but it must be used fairly and effectively. Getting that balance right is key to meeting the Government’s objective of halving knife crime in ten years. We know that stop and search is most effective when it is targeted and intelligence led.

Code A of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) governs the use of stop and search powers. Guidance on the use of stop and search is also issued to forces by the College of Policing in its Authorised Professional Practice.

In the year ending March 2024, available data suggests there were at least 9,423 arrests for offensive weapon or firearm offences following a stop and search. However, this data is designated as ‘Official Statistics in development’ to denote that there are known data quality issues, and the true figure will be higher.

In the year ending March 2024, 16,066 (3.0%) of stop and searches resulted in an offensive weapon or firearm being found. However, that figure includes searches where police were looking for drugs, stolen goods, or other items rather than weapons. Where offensive weapons were the reason for the search, the find rate was 12%.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-05)

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Sarah Pochin:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of stop and searches resulted in the seizure of a weapon in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025. \p Sarah Jones: Code A of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) governs the use of stop and search powers. Guidance on the use of stop and search is also issued to forces by the College of Policing in its Authorised Professional Practice.

Stop and search is an important tool for tackling knife crime, but it must be used fairly and effectively. Getting that balance right is key to meeting the Government’s objective of halving knife crime in ten years. We know that stop and search is most effective when it is targeted and intelligence led.

In the year ending March 2024, available data suggests there were at least 9,423 arrests for offensive weapon or firearm offences following a stop and search. However, this data is designated as ‘Official Statistics in development’ to denote that there are known data quality issues, and the true figure will be higher.

In the year ending March 2024, 16,066 (3.0%) of stop and searches resulted in an offensive weapon or firearm being found. However, that figure includes searches where police were looking for drugs, stolen goods, or other items rather than weapons. Where offensive weapons were the reason for the search, the find rate was 12%.
wrans/answers2025-11-05 conversation_20
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Carla Lockhart:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending statutory guidance to clarify the intent of section 75 of the Crime and Policing Bill on the reporting of abuse of 13-16 year olds that appears consensual. \p Sarah Jones: When recommending the introduction of a mandatory reporting duty to government, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse recognised that in limited circumstances, a different approach may sometimes be necessary when considering sexual activity between teenagers (where a reporter has no wider concerns about the situation).

However, sexual activity under the age of consent is illegal and the Government does not condone underage sex.

Section 75 of the Bill is informed by the Inquiry's consideration of this issue. Guidance will be published to accompany the duty which will make clear that sexual relationships involving teenagers under the age of consent should not be met by inaction or indifference, as well as setting out appropriate avenues for advice and support.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-05)

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Neil O'Brien:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff left her Department in each of the last five years, broken down by grade. \p Sarah Jones: Information on the number of civil servants leaving each government department and organisation by responsibility level for the years 2021 to 2025 is published annually through the ‘Civil Service data browser’ as part of Civil Service Statistics 2025, an accredited official statistics publication.

Information can be accessed through the Civil Service data browser for 2021 through 2025 at the following web address: https://civil-service-statistics.jdac.service.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of (a) consultations and (b) reviews conducted by her Department since 4 July 2024. \p Sarah Jones: The information requested is not centrally held in an easily accessible form as there are no expenditure categories that just cover consultations or reviews.

Due to this any response could only be collated and verified for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
wrans/answers2025-11-05 conversation_23
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to help ensure access to twenty-four-hour police front counters in (a) Romford constituency and (b) England. \p Sarah Jones: Decisions regarding the management of local police resourcing and estates, including publicly accessible front counters at police stations, is a matter for Chief Constables and directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners (or equivalents). They are best placed to make these decisions based on their knowledge of local need, experience, and in line with their existing budget.

A key part of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission is focused on restoring neighbourhood policing, and rebuilding trust and confidence in policing, The commitments set out in the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee are now making a considerable difference to the service communities receive from their neighbourhood policing teams.

We have also provided £200 million in FY 2025/26 to support the first steps of delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel across England and Wales by the end of the Parliament. This increase in neighbourhood policing, alongside the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, will strengthen the connections between the police and the communities they serve.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to help increase the regularity of police patrols in (a) England and (b) Romford. \p Sarah Jones: The Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee (NPG) is now being delivered across England and Wales to ensure consistent and high-quality neighbourhood policing.

As a result of the NPG, communities are now benefitting from more visible patrols, and stronger engagement. Officers are working closely with residents and businesses to tackle issues such as anti-social behaviour, shop theft, vandalism.

Neighbourhood policing teams are spending the majority of their time within their communities, delivering visible patrols and actively engaging with residents and businesses.

As part of the NPG the Government has made £200 million available in FY 25/26 to support the first steps of delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel across England and Wales by the end of this Parliament, including up to 3000 additional neighbourhood officers by March 2026.

As a result of the Neighbourhood Policing Grant the Metropolitan Police Service are projected to grow by 470 neighbourhood officers in 2025-26.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department communicates with NHS trusts on Category F patients. \p Sarah Jones: The Department of Health and Social Care, and NHS Trusts, share information with the Home Office to tackle NHS debt accrued by patients who fall under Charging Category F.
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Martin Wrigley:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of asking the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs to review their scheduling of Psilocybin. \p Sarah Jones: Psilocybin is controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (‘the 1971 Act’) and placed in Schedule 1 to the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001 (‘the 2001 Regulations’). Drugs are typically placed in Schedule 1 when there is no established medical use in the UK.

Ministers are under a duty to consider advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) prior to making regulations under the 1971 Act. The Government has no current plans to commission the ACMD to review the scheduling of psilocybin.

Medicines based on psilocybin have to date not been assessed on the basis of their safety, quality and efficacy and granted a marketing authorisation by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA). Reconsideration of scheduling under the 1971 Act would ordinarily follow such an assessment by the MHRA.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-05)

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Imran Hussain:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to review the penalties for driving with a non-compliant or ghost number plate. \p Sarah Jones: Cloned and misrepresented plates are a serious problem which cause distress to innocent people and provide cover for criminals.

The Home Office and the Department for Transport are working closely with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), Trading Standards and local authorities to improve the identification and enforcement of number plate crime.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-05)

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Colum Eastwood:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of creating an expedited process for healthcare organisations seeking Certificates of Sponsorship to support visa renewals for existing employees. \p Mike Tapp: The same service standard applies to all sponsors using the immigration system and the onus is on the sponsors to be aware of the legal status of their workers and request the relevant Certificates of Sponsorship in accordance with those timescales. Priority services are available albeit capped for an expedited consideration. We keep our service standards under review.

Healthcare workers who qualify for the Health and Care Visa benefit from faster in-country visa processing times and are exempt from paying the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS).
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Jim Allister:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the employment rate of refugees in Northern Ireland in each of the last ten years. \p Mike Tapp: Data on refugees by location and nationality is available in the Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release on GOV.UK.

Please note that individuals only receive refugee status once their asylum claim is granted. The Home Office does not track the addresses of those granted refugee status, and refugees are free to relocate within the UK or leave the country.

The latest available data covers up to the end of June 2025. Guidance on using the datasets can be found on the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook.

The Home Office does not hold data on the employment rate of refugees in Northern Ireland. The employment rate of refugees in England and Wales between 2015 and 2021 was 37% for asylum route refugees and 12% for resettlement refugees.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-05)

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Sarah Pochin:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of trends in the level of net migration on public services. \p Mike Tapp: The Home Office publishes a variety of analysis considering the impact of migration on public services. Home Office Impact Assessments and wider analysis can be found here: Migration analysis at the Home Office - GOV.UK
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-05)

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Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department is taking steps to expedite delayed biometric processing in Islamabad, Pakistan, for family members of people who assisted UK military operations in Afghanistan; and whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential risk of family members being deported to Afghanistan and identified by the Taliban. \p Mike Tapp: The Home Office does not hold this information.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-05)

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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers in her Department have met British Refugee Council since July 2024. \p Mike Tapp: All ministerial meetings are declared through the transparency returns.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-05)

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Neil O'Brien:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff in his Department (a) did not retain employment following completion of their probationary period and (b) had their probationary period extended in each of the last five years. \p Sarah Jones: The Home Office’s probation policy and guidance advises managers on the steps to take to assess a new employee’s suitability for the post and to provide support to enable them to succeed. It also advises on the steps to take where performance, attendance or conduct are not satisfactory. This can include exiting the employee or extending their probation to provide further evidence for a final decision on their suitability. However, the information requested can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-05)

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James MacCleary:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Police Pension Scheme 1987 regulations on the (a) financial security and (b) wellbeing of (i) widows and (ii) widowers of former police officers. \p Sarah Jones: The government recognises the vital contribution that police officers make in keeping our communities safe. We remain committed to supporting the wellbeing of all members of the policing family, including the families of those who have served.

The 1987 Police Pension Scheme provides a pension for the widow, widower or civil partner of a police officer who dies in service or after retirement. From 1 April 2015, the 1987 police pension scheme was amended to allow widows, widowers and civil partners of police officers who have died as a result of an injury on duty to receive their survivor benefits for life regardless of remarriage, civil partnership or cohabitation.

The 1987 police pension scheme is now a closed scheme, superseded by the 2015 scheme, and there are no plans to make further changes to the benefits accrued under it.

Through the Police Covenant, we are working to ensure that both serving and former officers, as well as their families, are treated fairly and receive the support they need. This includes recognising the lasting impact that service can have on wellbeing, particularly for those who have lost a loved one in the line of duty.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-05)

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Neil O'Brien:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many performance reviews were undertaken for staff in (a) her Department and (b) its agencies in each of the last five years; in how many cases performance was rated as unsatisfactory or below; how many staff left as a result of such a rating; and what proportion of full-time equivalent staff this represented. \p Sarah Jones: This information can only be obtained via disproportionate cost.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-05)

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Tom Morrison:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what independent oversight mechanisms are in place for monitoring policing incidents involving the use of force on (a) elderly and (b) vulnerable people. \p Sarah Jones: The Government is clear that any use of force must be reasonable, proportionate and necessary in all circumstances and officers are accountable through the law for their actions.

Before being deployed all officers must pass comprehensive training in Public and Personal Safety which must be refreshed annually. Training reinforces the importance of legitimacy in police use of force at every level and trains officers to factor in the potential vulnerabilities of a person, including their size and age. Training is aimed at de-escalating the situation wherever possible to prevent harm.

Where de-escalation is not possible, officers use their training and experience in line with the National Decision-Making Model to decide on the most appropriate use of force in the circumstances. The National Decision-Making Model has been adopted by police as a framework for ensuring any decisions can be effectively evaluated and challenged where necessary.

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary inspect police forces on their use of force as part of their regular PEEL (police effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy) programme of inspections.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigate where serious injury is caused following police contact, and when complaints are made.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-05)

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Chris Evans:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with relevant stakeholders on how to protect all public-facing workers from abuse in their workplaces. \p Sarah Jones: Public facing workers are covered under legislation such as the Offences against the Person Act 1861, which covers serious violence, such as actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm.

The Government introduced a statutory aggravating factor for assault against any public facing worker via section 156 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.

The aggravating factor applies in cases of assault where an offence is committed against those providing a public service, performing a public duty or providing a service to the public.

Retail workers will be specifically covered by a new offence which we are introducing via the Crime and Policing Bill. We have been in contact with a range of stakeholders across industries, including transport and hospitality to reiterate that violence and abuse towards any worker will not be tolerated.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-05)

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Carla Lockhart:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she will provide guidance to statutory safeguarding partners on (a) recognising and (b) responding to the grooming and exploitation of 13 to 16-year-olds. \p Jess Phillips: The Government is committed to protecting and safeguarding all children and working to strengthen our response to identify and combat all forms of child sexual abuse and exploitation, including group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse and grooming.

The current Working Together to Safeguard Children statutory guidance provides an important framework to support frontline professionals in understanding their responsibilities in ensuring effective safeguarding of children across the country.

This clarifies that children at risk of harm outside their home, including online, should receive a coordinated multi-agency response in a timely way. Ofsted inspects the provision and quality of children’s social care services across all local authorities and is responsible for ensuring that local authorities adhere to statutory guidance including Working Together to Safeguard Children.

This statutory guidance is one important tool, supported by additional measures to make sure frontline professionals have an effective and robust response to safeguarding and protecting children.

This includes funding the independent Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse work to improve information-sharing where there are concerns of child sexual abuse and work to embed the Child Sexual Abuse Response Pathway across a range of local areas.

And the Prevention Programme delivered by The Children's Society, also seeks to raise awareness of child exploitation to professionals working within the private, statutory and third sectors, as well as the general public, and upskills staff to better respond to, disrupt and prevent multiple forms of child exploitation, including child sexual exploitation. Furthermore, we continue to invest in the Child Sexual Exploitation Police Taskforce to support policing's response to all forms of child sexual abuse and exploitation, including by providing practice advice for investigators.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-11-05)

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Jas Athwal:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of nudification apps on boys and girls under 18. \p Jess Phillips: The Government is aware of concerns about the impacts of nudification apps on children and in facilitating violence against women and girls. AI-generated child sexual abuse material can have direct impact on real children. Offenders use AI to create photorealistic abuse imagery that often features real children, for example children known to the offender or existing victims. We also know that offenders are using AI imagery to groom and blackmail children.

We are taking action on non-consensual intimate image abuse, having criminalised the creation of intimate images without consent (or reasonable belief in consent) in the Data (Use and Access) Act. This built on the existing offences introduced by the Online Safety Act for sharing, or threatening to share intimate images, including deepfakes.

Furthermore, in the Crime and Policing Bill, this Government is protecting children from the growing threat of online predators, by becoming the first country in the world to criminalise AI tools which generate child sexual abuse images.

We are going even further in the Crime and Policing Bill by introducing offences of taking an intimate image without consent, and installing equipment with the intent of taking an intimate image without consent, or a reasonable belief in consent.

Regarding a prohibition of ‘nudification’ apps, the Government is actively considering what action is needed to ensure that any intervention in this area is effective, and will provide an update in due course.