theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times her Department has recorded an asylum claimant’s self-declared age as their official age in circumstances where their age could not be independently verified since June 2024. \p Alex Norris: The requested information is not currently available from published statistics and could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at a disproportionate cost.

The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of raised and resolved age disputes is published in table Asy_D05 of the 'Age disputes detailed datasets'. Age disputes data for July 2024 onwards is not available due to ongoing work on a new case working system. Updated data will be included in a future edition of the Immigration System Statistics release.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help tackle cannabis use on streets. \p Sarah Jones: Tackling anti-social behaviour including cannabis use is a top Government priority, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission. The Government has committed to adding 13,000 neighbourhood police and community support officers into local communities and ensuring residents have a named officer they can turn to when things go wrong. It is unlawful to possess or supply cannabis without a Home Office licence and we expect the police to enforce the law. As a class B drug, the maximum penalty for possession of cannabis is up to five years in prison, an unlimited fine or both. Law enforcement agencies will use evidence and intelligence to identify and take action against drug users and change their behaviour.

The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the police, local authorities and other relevant agencies with a range of flexible tools and powers that they can use to respond quickly and effectively to all forms of anti-social behaviour, including cannabis use.

We remain committed to working across public health, education, policing and wider public services on prevention to drive down drug use and ensure more people receive timely intervention and support.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the use of recovered life jackets on investigations into people smuggling networks. \p Alex Norris: Due to sensitivities, we cannot go into detail on operational methods regarding investigations into people smuggling networks.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many days were lost to sickness absence by civil servants in their Department (a) in total and (b) on average per employee between 5 July 2024 and 4 July 2025. \p Sarah Jones: Sickness absence data for the Civil Service, including departmental breakdowns is published annually, and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sickness-absence.

The next update will be for the year ending 31st March 2025
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Matt Vickers:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the process for the (a) collection, (b) storage and (c) disposal of life jackets recovered from small boat crossings. \p Alex Norris: The majority of life jackets seized arrive in very poor condition and may be damaged during the recovery process, and are disposed of by Border Force’s approved contractors and, where appropriate, any suitable materials are recycled.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 23 June 2025 to Question 59362 on Asylum: Housing, whether her Department provides guidance on objections to specific properties which (a) should be accepted by accommodation provided and (b) are not valid. \p Alex Norris: The Home Office Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts (AASC) are published and set out our requirements for the sourcing and procurement of accommodation, including how providers should work and consult with local authorities on a range of issues, from pressure on services, to security and the impact on the wider community.

It is through this consultation and liaison that the Home Office seeks to consider and understand the concerns of local authorities and where evidenced objections may be made, including on behalf of the local community. The Home Office and its providers consider such evidence carefully, balancing the need to address local concerns with the integrity and lawfulness of the asylum system.

For the safety, security and wellbeing of staff and those being accommodated, the Home Office does not disclose information to the general public, about accommodation sites which may or may not be utilised.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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David Simmonds:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much was a allocated each individual local authority from (a) Grant 7 and (b) Grant 6 programmes for asylum in 2024-25. \p Alex Norris: The Home Office does not publicly publish grant payment levels by local authority.

The total amount allocated to Local Authorities in 2024/25 for Asylum Dispersal Grants 6 and 7 was £121,840,400.

Current accommodation funding arrangements are published on Asylum Dispersal Grant: funding instruction - GOV.UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Dame Chi Onwurah:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 17 July to Question 67336 on Crime, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Safer Streets Summer Initiative in reducing (a) town centre criminality, (b) shop theft, (c) street crime and (d) anti-social behaviour. \p Sarah Jones: The Home Office have developed a multi-strand analytical approach to measure the progress of the Safer Summer Streets Initiative (SSSI) to reduce shop theft, street crime and ASB.

PCCs and police forces are providing the Home Office with monthly light-touch monitoring data and qualitative insights related to the initiative. Additionally, Home Office analysts will analyse data already reported to the Home Office via the Police Annual Data Requirement (ADR) on crime volumes and positive outcomes related to relevant offences.

The department is actively monitoring the impact of the Safer Streets Summer Initiative (SSSI), capturing a wide range of enforcement and engagement activity, as well as tracking crime trends and positive outcomes in targeted town centre areas. While we are working closely with police forces and local partners to collect data, it is too early to draw conclusions about the initiative’s impact. The initiative concludes on 30 September, and meaningful assessment will require time to account for reporting lags and data processing.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to the licensing system for Section 2 shotguns on rural economies. \p Sarah Jones: We will be undertaking a public consultation later this year on the greater alignment of the controls on shotguns with other firearms.

The Government response to the 2023 firearms licensing consultation, published on 13 February this year, included a commitment to having a consultation on strengthening the licensing controls on shotguns.

We will carefully consider the views put forward to the consultation in due course and this includes the possible impact of any changes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has issued guidance to retailers on the use of live facial recognition technology for (a) security and (b) commercial purposes. \p Sarah Jones: The Home Office has not issued guidance to retailers on the use of live facial recognition technology, as systems used privately are entirely separate from law enforcement systems.

However, all users of FR must comply with the law and the ICO has provided supporting guidance on the use of video surveillance.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has spent money on promotion through social media influencers since July 2024. \p Sarah Jones: There has been no spend on influencer marketing within the time frame specified.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of what the pull-factors are that are encouraging illegal immigration to the UK. \p Alex Norris: There is no single, universal ‘pull’ factor independently driving irregular migration to the UK. In many cases, asylum seekers are directed or even coerced by organised criminal networks.

The Government’s Plan for Change sets out our ambition to secure borders and control immigration. We are committed to tackling illegal migration and the criminal networks behind it. We have launched campaigns directed at misinformation on pull factors and are taking tougher action on illegal working, with major increases in enforcement visits and arrests. We are continuing work to streamline and improve the asylum system so that it deals with cases more quickly and better enables us to remove failed asylum seekers - we intend to announce further reforms to the asylum system later this year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Terry Jermy:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people with disabilities were employed in her Department on 2 September 2025. \p Sarah Jones: As of the 31 July 2025, there are 5542 Home Office employees with a disability.

Please be aware this is based on a self-declaration survey and not all Home Office employees have made a declaration either way. Therefore, figure above will not be a true representation of all disabled staff with the Home Office.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the size was of the asylum application decision appeals backlog on 1 August 2025. \p Alex Norris: The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on asylum claims awaiting an initial decision, is published in table Asy_D03 of the asylum detailed datasets. Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbooks. The latest data relates to as at 30 June 2025.

Data on the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) open caseload by case type is published in table FIA_4 of the ‘Tribunal Statistics’ by the Ministry of Justice. The latest data relates to 2024/25 Q4.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many arrests were made for online speech offences in the last five years. \p Sarah Jones: The Home Office does not hold the information requested.

The Home Office collects and publishes data on arrests as part of the ‘Police Powers and Procedures’ statistical series. The latest data is available here: Stop and search, arrests and mental health detentions, March 2024 - GOV.UK

However, the data is collected by wider offence group e.g. “Public order offences”, and information on specific offences is not held.
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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance is issued to police forces on deploying armed officers for arrests relating to alleged online speech offences. \p Sarah Jones: The College of Policing issues Authorised Professional Practice guidance around the deployment of armed officers.

Decisions around the deployment of armed officers are operational matters for Chief Officers to determine based on a thorough assessment of threats and risks.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of people working in the UK illegally after their visa has expired. \p Alex Norris: The Home Office does not currently hold a reliable estimate of the number of individuals working in the UK following the expiry of their visas.

The government takes illegal working very seriously, and we are determined to clamp down on the employment of individuals with no right to work in the UK.

The Department continues to review its data collection and enforcement strategies to improve oversight of visa compliance and reduce the risk of illegal working.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Mr Gregory Campbell:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been (a) arrested, (b) charged and (c) convicted as a result of Operation Gull in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. \p Sarah Jones: To maintain the highest standards of accuracy, the Home Office prefers to refer to published data, as this has been subject to rigorous quality assurance under National Statistics protocols prior to publication. Information about arrests, charges and convictions as a result of Operation Gull is not available in our published data.

Our published national data on enforcement activity is available at the following link and includes data on detected irregular arrivals to the UK: Immigration system statistics, year ending June 2025 - GOV.UK
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to conduct a review of (a) hate speech and (b) incitement legislation. \p Sarah Jones: Hate crimes and incitement to violence are inexcusable. We have robust legislation in place to address threatening, abusive, or harassing behaviour, as well as incitement to hatred on the grounds of race, religion, and sexual orientation.

The Government is absolutely committed to upholding free speech and legislation is in place to protect this fundamental right. The UK is an open and diverse country and freedom of speech is one of the values that defines us as a society. Our legislation values free speech and enables people who wish to engage in debate to do so. However, freedom of expression is a qualified right and can be restricted in certain situations, including where it is used as an excuse to cause harm or spread hatred.

We keep this legislative framework under review to ensure it remains effective in tackling hate crime and protecting communities whilst also upholding the fundamental right to freedom of expression. The Government will always work with Policing to ensure that the criminal law supports the common-sense approach we all want to see being taken. The Home Office stands ready to consider the proposals for change currently being developed by the Chief Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the recent arrests for alleged online speech crime on freedom of speech; and if she will make a statement. \p Sarah Jones: The police are operationally independent of Government. It would not be appropriate for Ministers to comment on individual cases.

The Government is absolutely committed to upholding free speech and legislation is in place to protect this fundamental right. The UK is an open and diverse country and freedom of speech is one of the values that defines us as a society. Our legislation values free speech and enables people who wish to engage in debate to do so. However, freedom of expression is a qualified right and can be restricted in certain situations, including where it is used as an excuse to cause harm or spread hatred.

We keep our legislative framework under review to ensure it remains effective in tackling hate crime and protecting communities whilst also upholding the fundamental right to freedom of expression. The Government will always work with policing to ensure that the criminal law supports the common-sense approach we all want to see being taken. The Home Office stands ready to consider the proposals for change currently being developed by the Chief Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to waive biometric requirements for children medically evacuated from Gaza to the UK. \p Mike Tapp: Individuals who enter the UK as part of this cohort will be subject to robust security checks ahead of travel. Individuals will be required to submit their biometrics prior to travel to the UK, and we are doing everything we can to support their safe exit to a third country where their biometrics will be captured and applications processed. In cases where individuals are medically certified as too ill or unable to enrol, decisions on whether to defer biometric enrolment until arrival in the UK will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Further guidance on providing biometric information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/biometric-information.
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Mike Wood:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the students from Gaza granted permission to study in the United Kingdom under the Chevening scheme will be subject to any security checks or vetting. \p Mike Tapp: Robust security checks will be undertaken on the Chevening Scholars and all students who enter the UK through this process. Biometrics will be collected as part of the visa application process and prior to the final decision on granting entry to the UK as a student.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Nadia Whittome:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she consulted people with direct experience of the immigration system prior to designing the (a) settlement and (b) citizenship changes proposed in the Immigration White Paper. \p Mike Tapp: The Government will consult on the settlement and citizenship changes, proposed in the Immigration White Paper, later in 2025. Changes to the citizenship system will align with changes being made in respect to settlement. Any changes to statutory requirements for citizenship will require an amendment to the British Nationality Act 1981, which will go through the usual parliamentary process.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the number of critically injured Palestinian children that are permitted into the UK for life-saving medical treatment. \p Mike Tapp: The Prime Minister announced at the end of July that the UK will medically evacuate Gazan children for treatment in the UK. A cross-government taskforce is working urgently to get some of these sick and injured children out of Gaza, so that they can receive specialist treatment in NHS hospitals across the UK.

At this time, we cannot comment on expected numbers as there is no set figure for the total number of children that will receive treatment over the lifetime of HMG Gaza Medevac.

All children will be accompanied by their immediate family. This means parents, and any siblings under the age of 18, who will be subject to standard security screening before travel. Those brought to the UK will be granted leave to stay for up to two years with the ability to access public funds, including treatment and wraparound support in the UK, this is irrespective of how long their treatment lasts. If individuals wish to remain beyond the initial two years, they can apply for further permission to stay under existing routes within the Immigration Rules.
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Ben Goldsborough:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Border Force staff have been allocated to fast parcels in each of the last 10 financial years. \p Mike Tapp: As an intelligence-informed organisation, Border Force do not disclose specific details regarding the deployment of resources to individual border threats. This is to ensure the integrity of our operations, and avoid compromising the effectiveness of our security response, which is based upon real time intelligence and operational sensitivity.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Dame Chi Onwurah:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department,  what assessment she has made of the potential impact of incorporating remote digital testing platforms into the forthcoming Home Office English Language Test contract on cybersecurity; and what steps she plans to take to ensure (a) data security and (b) fraud prevention across the 142 countries in which the test will be administered. \p Mike Tapp: The Home Office is conducting market engagement and research to help inform the English Language Test tender process. This includes assessing various testing methodologies and delivery options to ensure the most appropriate and secure arrangements are put into the tender requirements.
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Dame Chi Onwurah:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of adopting modes of English language assessment based on at-home proficiency tests within the planned Home Office English Language Test tender. \p Mike Tapp: The Home Office is conducting market engagement and research to help inform the English Language Test tender process. This includes assessing various testing methodologies and delivery options to ensure the most appropriate and secure arrangements are put into the tender requirements.
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Tristan Osborne:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that visa applications for injured Palestinian children are processed without delay; and whether those visas applications can be fast-tracked. \p Mike Tapp: The Prime Minister announced at the end of July that the UK will medically evacuate Gazan children for treatment in the UK. A cross-government taskforce is working urgently to get some of these sick and injured children out of Gaza, so that they can receive specialist treatment in NHS hospitals across the UK.

We are working at pace to do so as quickly as possible, and the first patients and their immediate family members are expected to arrive in the UK in the coming weeks. Visa applications will be dealt with in a timely and sensitive manner. Helping people leave a war-zone is a highly complex and dangerous process and their safety and wellbeing are our top priority, so we will not be providing a running commentary on the evacuation process.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many students from Gaza that were awarded UK scholarships in the 2024-25 academic year are unable to take up their places due to lack of access to biometric enrolment facilities. \p Mike Tapp: The Home Office does not currently publish information on the number of Gaza students with UK scholarships for 2024-25 who are unable to enrol due to the absence of biometric facilities.

The Home Office has put in place systems to issue expedited visas, with biometric checks conducted prior to arrival in the UK for all Chevening scholars from Gaza.  We are in the process of doing the same for a group of students in Gaza who have been awarded fully funded scholarships covering course fees and living costs at UK universities so they can start their studies in Autumn 2025. The Government is doing everything it can to support their safe exit and onward travel to the UK. The situation on the ground in Gaza makes this extremely challenging.
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Dr Rupa Huq:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the British Nationality (Irish Citizens) Act 2024, whether citizens who naturalised prior to 22 July 2025 will be included in the new registration route. \p Mike Tapp: Those who have already become a British citizen through naturalisation are not able to apply for British citizenship as they already hold that status.
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Melanie Onn:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the Skilled Worker visa salary threshold on the ability of veterinary practices to recruit staff; and what appeals process is available where salary thresholds do not reflect local pay levels. \p Mike Tapp: Practices sponsoring veterinarians for Skilled Worker applications post 22nd July 2025 will need to offer a salary of at least £49,500 to meet the requirements.

There are salary discounts available for “New entrants” at the start of their careers. If they meet any of these requirements then instead of the £49,500 salary requirement vets could qualify with a minimum pay of £34,600.

A technical annex (www.gov.uk/government/publications/restoring-control-over-the-immigration-system-white-paper/restoring-control-over-the-immigration-system-technical-annex) was published alongside the Immigration White Paper setting out the impact of some of the key policy changes.

The national salary thresholds are set at the median levels according to the Office for National Statistics Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, and are in place to ensure that resident workers’ wages should not be undercut and also to protect overseas workers from being exploited as low-cost labour.

On 2 July we asked the independent Migration Advisory Committee to advise on future salary requirements for Skilled Worker visas.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on biometric processing for students from Gaza seeking to take up scholarships in the UK. \p Mike Tapp: The Home Office has put in place systems to issue expedited visas, with biometric checks conducted prior to arrival for all Chevening Scholars from Gaza.

We are in the process of doing the same for a group of students who have been awarded fully funded scholarships covering course fees and living costs at UK universities so they can start their studies in Autumn 2025.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is doing everything it can to support their safe exit and onward travel to the UK, while accepting that the situation on the ground in Gaza makes this extremely challenging.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the annual cost of fraud to the economy; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of that cost on departmental funding decisions. \p Dan Jarvis: We recognise the financial and emotional impacts that fraud, and wider economic crime, can have. The Home Office does not hold a specific figure on the annual cost of fraud to the economy, however, the estimated total cost of fraud to society was £6.8bn in 2019/20 (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64539087faf4aa0012e132cb/Fraud_Strategy_2023.pdf).

We remain fully committed to attracting and retaining the necessary talent in our workforce to crack down on economic crime, including fraud. In FY2025/26, the Home Office is allocating over £160m to public agencies, including law enforcement, to tackle economic crime. Allocations for the next Spending Review period (FY2026/27 onwards) will be confirmed in due course.

The newly established National Fraud Squad (NFS) includes 400 new specialist posts led by the National Economic Crime Centre and City of London Police (CoLP). The NFS is transforming the law enforcement response to fraud, by taking a proactive, intelligence-led approach to identifying and disrupting the most serious fraudsters, domestically and overseas, to prevent frauds from reaching victims.

We are also working with CoLP (in their role as National Lead Force for fraud) to support forces in overseeing wider policing’s activity on fraud, promoting best practice, sharing intelligence, providing training, and holding forces to account on delivery. CoLP continues to push for the prioritisation of fraud within police forces, and influence leadership within local forces to increase dedicated resource towards the fraud threat.
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Yasmin Qureshi:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department plans to take to amend the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 to include decapod crustaceans. \p Dan Jarvis: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is responsible for the Animal Welfare Act 2006 which provides a framework for animal protection and welfare. Defra is building an evidence base for considering if decapods should have greater protections. The Home Office will be guided by these decisions as to whether decapod crustaceans are regulated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

The Government is committed to accelerating the development, validation and uptake of non-animal alternatives in science and will publish a strategy later this year. The Government has a manifesto commitment to work towards a vision to phase out animal testing through the acceleration of development and uptake of validated non-animal alternatives.
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Catherine Fookes:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle scams perpetrated (a) by telephone and (b) online. \p Dan Jarvis: We are working extremely closely with all partners, including telecommunications networks and tech platforms, as well as regulators, law enforcement, and consumer groups to close the vulnerabilities that criminals exploit to commit fraud and to stop scams from reaching the public in the first place

The Government is currently working with telecommunications networks to develop a second Telecoms Charter, to build on the success of the first and go further in identifying, preventing and disrupting telecoms fraud. Under the first Telecommunications Charter, telecoms operators introduced firewalls that have stopped more than 1 billion scam text messages since January 2022. In a landmark, Europe-first move, we are also banning ‘SIM farms’, which are technical devices used to send out scam texts to thousands of people at once. The ban on ‘SIM farms’ is progressing through Parliament as part of the Crime & Policing Bill.

Regarding online fraud, the Online Safety Act’s illegal harm duties have been in force since March this year, of which fraud is included. The Act therefore requires all in-scope platforms to tackle fraud originating on their platforms, by taking proactive measures to stop fraudulent content appearing, and removing it quickly when they become aware of it. Ofcom, as the independent regulator, have the power to levy significant fines on companies who they deem as non-compliant.

Late this year, this Government will also be publishing an expanded fraud strategy, which will include further details of collaboration telecommunications networks and online platforms to tackle these pernicious crimes.
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Chris Coghlan:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress Ofcom has made on reducing the number of spoofed phone numbers being used by (a) spammers and (b) scammers. \p Dan Jarvis: ‘Spoofing’ is a common technique used by fraudsters and spam callers to disguise their telephone numbers and pretend to be someone else, such as a bank or another person.

Ofcom have already strengthened activity against ‘spoofed’ calls. New rules were introduced last year to ensure that operators block calls from suspicious numbers from the UK and overseas.

Ofcom have announced further initiatives which will make it more difficult for spammers and scammers to use UK telephone numbers to harm consumers. For instance, in July 2025 Ofcom launched a consultation proposing that telecoms companies withhold the caller ID (CLI) of calls that appear to come from a UK mobile number (+447) when they originate abroad, unless the number’s validity can be verified. This measure aims to close the loophole that previously allowed spoofed mobile numbers via roaming to bypass existing blocks.

The Home Office is also currently developing a second Telecommunications Fraud Charter. This new charter will build on the existing voluntary anti-fraud efforts in the telecoms sector and will aim to go further in identifying, preventing, and disrupting fraud activities.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Mr Andrew Snowden:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that Prevent referrals made by school staff do not disproportionately impact neurodiverse children. \p Dan Jarvis: Prevent is about intervening early to stop people being drawn into terrorism.

The Prevent duty guidance, which applies to those in the Education sector, helps to ensure that people who are susceptible to radicalisation are supported as they would be under safeguarding processes. Protecting pupils from the risk of radicalisation forms part of a schools’ wider safeguarding duties to protect children from a range of harms.

When making referral, it is important to consider that neurodivergence, may - or may not - affect a person’s risk of radicalisation. Staff in education settings receive training to help them identify the signs of radicalisation and make appropriate referrals, taking account of any vulnerabilities that may be present or other factors that may be present.

All referrals to Prevent are carefully assessed by specialist officers to ensure that there is a radicalisation risk before they receive support through the Channel process. Clinical psychiatrists work closely with counter-terrorism police to provide advice on how best to support cases where neurodiverse conditions might be present.

Additionally, the first stage of a strategic policy review into how Prevent supports people with mental-ill health or who are neurodivergent has also concluded. This will help to ensure Prevent can effectively support people who are neurodivergent. Action is underway to implement those findings, and the Home Office will continue to work closely with the Department for Education to ensure that Prevent aligns with broader efforts to support neurodiverse children in schools.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Luke Myer:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessments her Department has made of the potential contribution of AI Growth Zones to economic growth in Teesside. \p Kanishka Narayan: As my Honourable Friend will know, AI Growth Zones a priority for this government and central to our plan for growth.

The application process for AI Growth Zones opened in February. We received over 200 expressions of interest from across the country. And following the launch of formal applications in April, we have received 56 proposals to date.

I understand the Honourable member is as ambitious and impatient to hear what this means for his constituency as I would be for mine.

We’re going through the bids thoroughly now – and that process is not just locked up in Whitehall; we're talking to local authorities and potential investors, right across the country. So we’ll be able to say more soon.

These zones will be the key to making sure that tech and AI are not just for a few people at the top – but for every person. For people who most need jobs, and most need growth.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps his Department has taken since the Spending Review to improve mobile data coverage in (a) rural constituencies and (b) West Dorset constituency. \p Ian Murray: The regulator, Ofcom, is responsible for reporting on the state of mobile network coverage across the UK.

Ofcom reports that as of January 2025, 4G is available across 78% of UK rural areas from all four mobile operators, while 5G, combined standalone and non-standalone, is available outside 82% of rural premises from at least one operator.

In West Dorset, 4G is available across 91% of the constituency from all four operators, while 5G is available outside 87% of premises in the constituency of West Dorset from at least one operator.

Our ambition is for all populated areas to have higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. We work closely with the mobile network operators to improve mobile coverage right across the UK, including removing barriers to deployment where they exist. This included hosting a MP roundtable on 1 July attended by the mobile operators and Ofcom. We have also encouraged Ofcom to improve its reporting on mobile coverage, which has resulted in a much improved online checker.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Frank McNally:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking to increase funding for motor neurone disease research. \p Ian Murray: I’m aware that my Hon. Friend recently visited the UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh to see their important work.

We have invested £12.5 million in the Institute to support the best discovery science in MND.

Since 2022, UKRI has awarded over £3 million to MND projects led by Scottish research organisations.

We will continue to work closely with the Department of Health and Social Care to support research into this terrible disease.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Dave Robertson:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department plans to delay implementation of Sections 61-64 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act until the Government’s review of the mobile market is complete. \p Ian Murray: No, there are no plans to delay implementation. The Government is undertaking its Mobile Market Review to assess the technological and financial developments occurring across the sector and how these impact investment in mobile networks over the long-term. The review will help us understand what more Government can do to support the market to invest in widespread high-quality connectivity.

The Government’s work on the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 is separate. The technical consultation on draft regulations to commence Sections 61 – 64 of the Act closed on 2 July 2025. Subject to considering the consultation responses, we intend to finalise sections 61 – 64 of the Act by the end of the year.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Jen Craft:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to reduce digital exclusion in Thurrock constituency. \p Ian Murray: We know that digital exclusion is a complex issue, and that a reported 6% of residents in the Essex region do not use the internet. That is why we launched the Digital Inclusion Action Plan which sets out the first five actions we are taking over the next year to boost digital inclusion in every corner of the UK, including in Thurrock.

One of those first five actions was launching the £9.5m Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund in August. It’s designed to support and expand local community initiatives to help get people online.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Steve Race:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of new technologies on the use of animals in medical research. \p Ian Murray: The Government is committed to the development of alternatives to using animals in science and will publish a strategy to support their adoption later this year.

We support new technologies and approaches that replace animal use in research including organ-on-a-chip, functional genomics and computer modelling.

The impact of individual technical advancements are a matter for individual regulators to consider.

The Government strategy will facilitate the inclusion and adoption of alternative methods in these regulatory contexts.
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Richard Foord:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of rural broadband coverage. \p Ian Murray: Rural broadband coverage is not good enough. We are delivering nationwide gigabit broadband, through Project Gigabit.

Between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, 89% of premises benefitting from government broadband schemes were in rural areas.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Mr Luke Charters:What steps her Department is taking to improve technological innovation in  Yorkshire and the Humber region. \p Ian Murray: This Government is committed to supporting technological innovation across the UK.

That is why we have earmarked at least £30 million for each of West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire through our new Local Innovation Partnerships Fund. This will empower local leaders to grow high-potential innovation clusters and unlock their innovation potential.

This builds on UKRI’s wider investment in the Yorkshire and the Humber region which totals almost £1 billion active projects.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-10)

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Michael Wheeler:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the UK Space Agency becoming part of his Department on that agency’s partnership with the Scouts. \p Ian Murray: The UK Space Agency‘s merger with DSIT’s Space Directorate from 1 April 2026 will not affect any changes to grants, contracts, or partnerships, including to the sponsorship of Scouting Space badges which help promote awareness of the UK’s space programme and develop STEM knowledge and skills among young people.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, CP 1337, published on 23 June 2025, how much of the £500 million Local Innovation Partnerships Fund will be spent in Huntingdon constituency. \p Kanishka Narayan: The Local Innovation Partnerships Fund will invest up to £500 million in growing high-potential innovation clusters across the UK. Ten regions have been earmarked to receive at least £30 million each, with other parts of the UK – including Huntingdon – able to bid for support. The application window will open shortly and UKRI has published initial guidance to help prospective applicants.

The fund complements UKRI’s wider investment in R&D, and in 2023-24 UKRI invested £756 million in East Anglia. This included grants to Huntingdon businesses like BG Research, which is exploring in-field detection of veterinary pathogens to advance farming innovation.