theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_49
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Kirsty Blackman:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he plans to respond to the correspondence of 14 August 2025 from the hon. Member for Aberdeen North, reference ZA35390, CMS Reference: 121024945817 and 73911701. \p Andrew Western: The Department aims to respond to all ministerial correspondences within 20 working days, but there may be instances where there is additional information needed that may cause delays.

The correspondence in question was sent to DWP Ministerial Correspondence team on 18 August. As it was in relation to a Child Maintenance Service (CMS) operational matter, it was directed to CMS to address. A response will be sent by 16 September 2025.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_50
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of employment support programmes in reducing youth unemployment. \p Dame Diana Johnson:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Antonia Bance:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households affected by the two-child limit policy are (a) two-earner couple households and (b) two-earner couple households in which both earners are in full-time work. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Statistics about the policy that provides support for a maximum of 2 children in Universal Credit are published annually by a range of breakdowns and demographics. The latest figures, for April 2025, can be found here: Universal Credit claimants statistics on the two child limit policy, April 2025 - GOV.UK

Data on two-earner couple households in which both earners are in full-time work is not held.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of Universal Credit claims are managed exclusively through the online journal without in-person Jobcentre visits. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The information requested is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost to develop the appropriate code and analyse the raw data.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_53
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many non-UK nationals claiming Universal Credit have (a) three, (b) four, (c) five, (d) six (e) seven and (f) eight or more children in their household. \p Sir Stephen Timms: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_54
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much the National Employment Savings Trust has spent on equipment to enable staff to work from home in each of the last three years. \p Torsten Bell: Nest is a Public Corporation which operates independently of Government. This includes necessary expenditure surrounding supporting its staff to work from home. However, it has provided the following information:

Nest technology for staff is such that most equipment is used across home and office locations. Therefore, spending on equipment to enable working from home relates to specific items needed to adjust to working in a home environment (e.g. display screens and workstation accessories).

Nest Corporation working from home expenditure:

Year

2022/23

2023/24

2024/25

Total expenses

£8,914

£6,945

£5,137

*Nest accounts, including expenses recognised, are audited by the NAO. However, this information is based on more detailed management information which is not specifically audited.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Helen Whately:To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has targets for employing more staff to carry out face-to-face assessments. \p Sir Stephen Timms: As outlined in the Pathways to Work Green Paper, we are planning to increase the number of face-to-face health assessments. At the same time, we remain committed to offering alternative assessment channels to accommodate individuals who require a different approach, such as those needing reasonable adjustments.

All assessment suppliers have contractual requirements to increase the proportion of assessments conducted face-to-face. To meet these requirements, suppliers are expected to plan and manage recruitment accordingly with progress regularly reviewed.

The department is working closely with suppliers to explore ways to boost capacity for face-to-face assessments. A key focus is increasing the recruitment of suitably qualified health professionals to support delivery in assessment centres.

Suppliers continue to develop and implement strategies to enhance recruitment, training, and retention, ensuring that skilled staff are in place to support claimants effectively.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Sir James Cleverly:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the press release entitled Red tape slashed to revamp high streets with new cafes and bars, published on 26 July 2025, whether she plans to amend the statutory guidance entitled Revised guidance issued under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003 (February 2025), published on 27 February 2025. \p Sarah Jones: On 31 July, the Government published a report by a Licensing Taskforce which explored how we may deliver a more proportionate, consistent and transparent licensing regime with the aim of boosting growth.

The Government response, published alongside the Taskforce report, accepted the majority of the Taskforce’s priority recommendations, subject to further work and engagement, including consultation where required.

That work is now underway and will include consideration of any changes to the guidance issued under Section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003 that may be required.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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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 (a) contractors and (b) subcontractors used by her Department publish accounts in line with HMRC requirements. \p Sarah Jones: Contractors under direct contract with agreements over £10k are bound by contract terms to both uphold the laws of the land and to not bring the Secretary of State into disrepute.

This includes responsibility for any subcontractors they engage.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Class A drugs have been seized from organised crime in the last 12 months. \p Sarah Jones: The most recent figures on Class A drug seizures are available in the Seizures of Drugs in England and Wales, financial year ending 2024 statistical release. This publication reports the total number of Class A drug seizures made by police forces and Border Force in England and Wales.

Additional data on Class A seizures made by Border Force are published quarterly as part of the Border Force transparency data. These figures cover England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland combined.

It is not possible to disaggregate these data to identify seizures specifically related to organised crime.

Published sources:
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the number of staff working in her Department, broken down by nationality. \p Sarah Jones: Nationality can be taken upon recruitment and on occasion where it is required for internal procedures.

However, these are not in a retrievable format and can only be obtained via disproportionate effort. In any case, due to the low numbers held by the Home Office, this would not be a true representation of the nationalities employed.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Christine Jardine:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent progress her Department has made with the policing sector on supporting the effective implementation of the McCloud remedy. \p Sarah Jones: While the Home Office has responsibility for overarching policy and legislative changes to the police pension regulations, the police pension scheme is locally administered by individual police forces. The Home Office is working with the policing sector to support the effective implementation of the McCloud remedy for all affected individuals.

It is for each Chief Constable, in their role as scheme manager for their force, to determine their administrative timetable, in accordance with the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022, including when remedy payments will be distributed.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Lee Anderson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information they hold on the number of workdays that were completed remotely in their Department in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 to date. \p Sarah Jones: The Home Office operates in over 250 different workplaces across the UK as well as having a large number of mobile teams working in other locations.

Heads of Department have agreed that 60% minimum office attendance for most staff continues to be the best balance of working for the Civil Service. Office occupancy data for the period July - September has been published, with further publications to happen on a quarterly basis. The data is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-hq-occupancy-data
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_62
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of setting up a combined police forces electric vehicle battery replacement plan to maximise value for money. \p Sarah Jones: The National Police Chiefs Council have begun the process of assessing the impact of transitioning from internal combustion engine to electric vehicles, which includes consideration of the operational consequences, consequences for frontline officers and budgetary impact.

At the Spending Review, the Chancellor confirmed a real terms increase in police spending power. Grant allocations to police forces will be made in the usual way at the police funding settlement.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Jonathan Hinder:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to publish the outcome of the Police Activity Survey; and what plans she has to conduct a further such survey. \p Sarah Jones: The Home Office conducted the Police Activity Survey over a one-week period in February 2023, with 35 of the 43 police forces in England and Wales participating. The survey was designed to improve understanding of how police time is allocated across different activities. A report presenting the results from the survey is being finalised within the department ahead of publication.

The department is currently considering the feasibility of conducting the survey again although this is in early stages. We will engage with police forces ahead of a decision to proceed.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Steve Darling:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that Police and Crime Commissioners are held accountable to their respective Police and Crime Panels. \p Sarah Jones: The Home Office provides funding through a dedicated annual grant to host local authorities to support the activity of Police and Crime Panels, who have a wide range of powers and responsibilities to scrutinise the actions and decisions of Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs). Panels can require PCCs to attend public meetings to answer their questions, investigate complaints against PCCs and make recommendations on the PCC’s Police and Crime Plan.

To further assist Panels to improve the quality and consistency of their scrutiny, the Home Office has also issued a comprehensive package of guidance and training. Whilst Panels scrutinise PCCs, PCCs are ultimately accountable to the public at the ballot box.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_65
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Gregory Stafford:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reason chefs were removed from the Shortage Occupation List under the Skilled Worker visa route; and what assessment he has made of the potential impact of that decision on (a) small and (b) independent hospitality businesses. \p Mike Tapp: As set out in the Immigration White Paper ‘Restoring Control over the Immigration System’, published on 12 May, this Government’s approach is to link migration policy and visa controls to skills and labour market policies, so that immigration is not used as an alternative to training or tackling workforce problems in the UK.

Chefs were removed from the Shortage Occupation List upon the recommendation of the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) in their 2020 review under the previous government. In their 2023 review the MAC found that entry to the now defunct Shortage Occupation List would ‘contribute to downward pressure on wages in the occupation’.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Carla Denyer:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether plans to extend the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain will be applied to (a) UK Ancestry Visa holders and (b) other visa holders with the right to vote in general elections. \p Mike Tapp: Settlement in the UK is a prerequisite for becoming a British citizen and brings lifelong benefits. Settlement is also an important step in integrating and contributing to local communities and the wider country.

We will therefore reform the current rules around settlement so that individuals must earn their right to a privileged immigration status in the UK through the long-term contribution they bring to our country. We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year and will provide details of how the scheme will work after that.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many inspections of Home Office approved visa-sponsoring employers have been made since July 2024. \p Mike Tapp: The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Marie Goldman:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her criteria are for making the extension of the newly recognised refugee move-on period permanent. \p Mike Tapp: On 27 August, the Home Office announced that the 56-day “move on” grace period pilot will pause for all single adults in receipt of a positive asylum decision. Other who fall within the exception criteria (pregnant women, individuals aged 65 and over and individuals with a disability) will continue to be given the 56-day pilot move on period until the end of December.

The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) & RSM have been contracted to undertake an evaluation of the changes to the move on period on behalf of the Home Office and we will publish the results of that evaluation in due course.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_69
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Andrew Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing a right of appeal for visitor visa refusals. \p Mike Tapp: Where a visitor visa is refused, the applicant will receive reasons for the decision which they can address in a further application. There are no current plans to change this position.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_70
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will review the employment history of applicants for Indefinite Leave to Remain who have been in the UK on a (a) social care visa, (b) health visa and (c) other work-related visas to ensure compliance with the visa terms. \p Mike Tapp: The process for considering applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain applications from Skilled Worker visa holders is set out in caseworker guidance which is available on gov.uk: Skilled Worker visa: caseworker guidance - GOV.UK.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many days the Union Flag was flown on 2 Marsham Street in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 to date. \p Sarah Jones: The Government Property Agency manage flag flying at 2 Marsham Street and would be able to provide information on the flying of the Union flag.

The Home Office is only one of several departments in occupation at 2 Marsham Street.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will consider (a) adding dental therapists to the Temporary Shortage List and (b) establishing a transitional sponsorship route for healthcare professionals whose Graduate visas expire after 22 July 2025. \p Mike Tapp: I refer the Hon Member to the Answer I gave on 16th September to Question 70526.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of removing Dental Therapist/Hygienist roles from the Skilled Worker visa route from 22 July 2025 on NHS dental services. \p Mike Tapp: I refer the Hon Member to the Answer I gave on 16th September to Question 70526.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Chris Law:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will extend Skilled Worker visa eligibility for overseas students in the UK training for Regulated Qualifications Framework Level 3-5 dental qualifications prior to 22 July 2025. \p Mike Tapp: On 12 May, we published our Immigration White Paper, outlining our future approach to legal migration routes. We have now made Immigration Rules changes to bring the first of these reforms into effect.

Dental hygienists and dental therapists play a vital role within our dentistry teams and are highly valued members of the workforce, but the SOC code they are part of is recognised as a medium skilled group. Those already in these medium skilled roles, RQF 3 to 5, made using a certificate of sponsorship issued before 22 July, can extend their visas. New applicants must meet the new degree level skills threshold.

Those coming to the UK as students should be aware that this does not guarantee them future employment or extensions to their immigration permission. The Graduate route is designed to allow UK graduates time to work, or look for work, for a set period after completing their studies. It does not guarantee progression to the Skilled Worker route, for which an individual would need to find higher skilled, higher salaried employment after graduation and meet the requirements in place at the time they make their Skilled Worker application.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_75
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Sarah Hall:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many requests for biometric deferral have been received from Palestinian students in Gaza since October 2023; and how many have been approved. \p Mike Tapp: The Home Office does not currently publish data regarding the number of biometric deferral requests submitted or approved.

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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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Jess Brown-Fuller:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing schemes that that would reduce the cost of replacement passports to those in receipt of (a) state and (b) other pensions. \p Mike Tapp: All income from passport fees is used to meet the cost of processing passport applications and delivering associated services, and any reduction in fees would need to be considered in terms of its impact on the funding of those services.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department requires sponsoring employers to notify them when an employee whose visa they are sponsoring leaves their employment. \p Mike Tapp: Sponsors are required to report to the Home Office when they stop sponsoring a worker for any reason, including where the worker resigns, is dismissed or is made redundant.

A sponsor’s reporting duties are set out in the Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors part 3: sponsor duties and compliance which is published on the gov.uk website.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Luke Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will (a) increase the accessibility of the deferral of biometric data applications and (b) expedite the process for visa applicants in Gaza. \p Mike Tapp: Where an applicant considers they cannot travel to a Visa Application Centre (VAC) to enrol their biometrics, they can contact us to explain their circumstances. We have published guidance that sets out the policy, “Unable to travel to a Visa Application Centre to enrol biometrics (overseas applications)”: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/biometric-information/unable-to-travel-to-a-visa-application-centre-to-enrol-biometrics-overseas-applications-accessible

These applicants can request either a predetermination of their visa application to enable them to decide whether to undertake a journey to a VAC, or to be excused from the requirement to attend a VAC to enrol their biometrics.

Predetermination and excusal requests, including by applicants in Gaza, are considered on a case-by-case basis. Each individual case may contain individual factors which make it compelling or compassionate and warrant it being expedited by UK Visas and Immigration staff and is carefully considered under its own merits.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_79
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Carla Denyer:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many requests for deferred biometric enrolment from student visa applicants in Gaza have been (a) received, (b) refused and (c) accepted since 7 October 2023. \p Mike Tapp: The Home Office does not currently publish data regarding the number of biometric deferral requests submitted or approved.

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.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_80
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many visas have been issued where the NHS is the sponsoring employer since July 2024; and how many of those employees continue to work for the NHS. \p Mike Tapp: The information requested is not currently available from published statistics, and the relevant data could only be collated and verified for the purpose of answering this question at disproportionate cost.

The Home Office publishes data on sponsored work visas by occupation in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on grants of visas are published in table ‘Occ_D02’ of the sponsored work visas by occupation and industry dataset. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. Data is from January 2021 up to the end of June 2025.

Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.
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Charlie Dewhirst:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference the UK Visas and Immigration guidance entitled (a) Skilled Worker visa: going rates for eligible occupation codes and (b) Skilled Worker visa: temporary shortage list, updated on 22 July 2025, what the evidential basis is for (i) a shortage of Equality, diversity and inclusion managers and (ii) the impact on the UK economy of granting visas for such roles; and whether the Migration Advisory Committee has advised on the matter. \p Mike Tapp: On 12 May, we published our Immigration White Paper, outlining our future approach to legal migration routes and the 22 July changes to the Immigration Rules delivered key steps, including raising the skills threshold governing Skilled Worker route to RQF 6, which removed access to over 100 occupations.

The Skilled Worker system relies on Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes, which are managed by the Office for National Statistics. Occupations which are recognised as meeting the skills threshold for the Skilled Worker immigration route can continue to be sponsored through the route.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_82
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Rachel Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of delaying citizenship for Hong Kong British National (Overseas) visa holders from five to ten years on the economy. \p Mike Tapp: The Government is committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK and those who may come here in future.

We will be consulting on the earned settlement and earned citizenship schemes later this year and further details of the proposed schemes will be provided then.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_83
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with police forces on the potential impact of policing Palestine Action protests on their capacity to deliver core policing services. \p Sarah Jones: Decisions on how to police individual protests, including those by Palestine Action, are for Chief Constables, who are operationally independent and best placed to assess local threat and risk. Where the activity of protestors breaks the law, the police have the powers they need to respond.

It would not be appropriate for Ministers to intervene in those operational decisions, but we continue to work closely with policing to ensure they have the right capabilities and support in place to keep the public safe and uphold the law.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_84
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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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 the use of l non-SELT, unregulated English language tests for admission to UK higher education institutions on (a) universities and (b) students. \p Mike Tapp: Student sponsors with a track record of compliance can self-assess degree level and above students’ English language ability. The assessment must confirm English ability equivalent to level B2, or above, of the Common European Framework for Language Learning in reading, writing, speaking and listening.

A review of English language sponsor self-assessment testing methods on the Student route is in progress.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Siân Berry:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish guidance to Hon. Members on how students in Gaza who are eligible for support to come to the UK can access this support; and if she will provide a dedicated communication pathway for Hon. Members to find out whether an eligible student is on the list of those to be provided with that help. \p Mike Tapp: I refer the Honourable Member to the Home Secretary’s oral statement to the House on 1 September 2025 on strengthening border security and reforms to the asylum system. Further details will be set out in due course.

Members can continue to contact the Home Office via Ministers and the Direct Communications Unit. Further detail can be found on the Home Office GOV.UK website.
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Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of extending the route to settlement from 5+1 to 10+1 years on the mental health of British (National) Overseas visa holders. \p Mike Tapp: We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year and further details on the proposed scheme will be provided at the time. An impact assessment will be developed alongside any finalised policy.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

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Jayne Kirkham:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has considered the potential merits of allowing Palestinians to (a) apply for visas online and (b) provide biometrics after arrival in the UK. \p Mike Tapp: The Government is keeping all existing visa pathways under review in response to events in Gaza. Palestinians who wish to settle in the UK can do so via the existing routes available. More information on all routes available for a person to apply to work, study or settle/join family in the UK can be found on the GOV.UK website: Visas and immigration - GOV.UK.

People requiring a visa will need to make an online visa application and submit their biometrics (digital photograph and fingerprint) at a Visa Application Centre (VAC), prior to travel to the UK.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_88
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_88

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help reduce the number of attacks on gamekeepers. \p Sarah Jones: Rural communities – which includes gamekeepers – can be assured that visible, neighbourhood policing is returning to our communities. This Government is clear that when you report a crime, it should be properly investigated with victims having faith that justice will be delivered, and criminals will be punished – no matter where you live.

A physical assault or threat to someone’s safety should always be reported and responded to appropriately - in the case of common assault, if convicted, it carries a six months’ imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

The Government recognises that there can be challenges in responding to rural crime. That is why we are working closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council to deliver the next iteration of their Rural and Wildlife Crime strategy. The strategy will set out operational and organisational policing priorities in respect of tackling crimes that predominantly affect rural communities.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_89
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_89

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to increase the number of frontline police officers in Lincolnshire. \p Sarah Jones: The Government is clear that visible policing is essential to restoring public confidence in the police. As a result, our expectation is that officer numbers must be protected. We have put in place funding arrangements for 2025/26 to support the achievement of this aim.

For 2025/26, the Home Office is providing a total of up to £19.6 billion for police forces, which is an increase of up to £1.2 billion compared to the 2024/25 police funding settlement. This includes a total of up to £376.8 million specifically to support officer maintenance at the expected headcount levels in 2025/26, as well as an additional £200 million to support the first steps of delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel by the end of the Parliament.

Lincolnshire Constabulary will receive up to £174.5 million in funding in 2025/26, an increase of up to £10.3 million when compared to the 2024/25 funding settlement, which represents a 6.2% cash increase and 3.8% real terms increase in funding. This includes a total allocation of £2,911,073 to support the maintenance of 1,186 police officers, as well as a total allocation of £1,663,470 to support neighbourhood policing roles.

The latest official statistics show that at 31 March 2025, Lincolnshire had 1,173 FTE (1,188 in headcount terms) police officers, 93.2% of which were frontline officers (1,028 FTE).

While we expect that police officers will be used in tackling crime and protecting the public, it is for Chief Constables and directly elected PCCs, and Mayors with PCC functions to make operational decisions based on their local knowledge and experience, including how best to allocate all the resources at their disposal.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_90
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_90

Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of extending the settlement pathway to ten plus one years on the cost of visa renewal fees for families of British National (Overseas) visa holders. \p Mike Tapp: The Government is committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK and those who may come here in future.

I welcomed the opportunity to listen to the views of Members around these subjects in the recent 8th September Westminster Hall Debate on Indefinite Leave to Remain.

We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year. All will be welcome to participate. We will provide details of how the scheme will work after that consultation.

We regularly engage with representatives of the Hong Kong diaspora in the UK on issues related to the BN(O) visa and will continue to do so.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_91
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_91

Jim Shannon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been prosecuted for charges related to brothels in the last 12 months. \p Sarah Jones: The Home Office collects information on the number of notifiable offences recorded by the police in England and Wales.

Of those notifiable offences which relate explicitly to brothels, the latest information shows there were 12 charge/summons under offence code ‘024/19 - Keeping A Brothel Used For Prostitution’ recorded by the police in England and Wales, in the year ending March 2025 (excluding Humberside police).

In the same period, there were 0 charge/summons under offence code ‘109/06 – Allowing a child or young person to be in a brothel’ recorded by the police.

It’s worth noting that while these are the only offences explicitly classified as brothel-related, a number of other sexual offences may occur within a brothel setting. However, data on those offences is not collated under a specific brothel-related category.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_92
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_92

Mr Angus MacDonald:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the cost to police forces of responding to protest activity by Palestine Action since 1 January 2025. \p Sarah Jones: The Home Office does not routinely collect information on the costs of police operations.

It is a local decision for elected Police and Crime Commissioners and their equivalents, working with their chief officers, to determine how best to allocate resources.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_93
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_93

Kirsty Blackman:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of suspending refugee family reunion applications on (a) women, (b) children and (c) other vulnerable groups. \p Mike Tapp: The suspension of the refugee family reunion route is temporary while the Government undertakes a full review and reform of the current family rules to ensure we have a fair and properly balanced system. In the meantime, those with protection status can use other family routes to sponsor a partner and child to come to the UK. Information relating these changes are published on gov.uk at Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 1298, 4 September 2025 - GOV.UK.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_94
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_94

Mrs Elsie Blundell:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of providing indefinite leave to remain for Ukrainian nationals that have fled to the UK since 2022. \p Mike Tapp: On 1 September, the Government announced in parliament that the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme (UPE) would be extended for an additional 24 months to enable those eligible to obtain a further period of permission following their initial permission under UPE. More detail will follow in due course.

The UK Government has always been clear that our offer of temporary sanctuary under the Ukraine Schemes does not lead to settlement in the UK. However, the UPE extension reflects a generous and meaningful commitment to support those displaced by the conflict, while also respecting the Ukrainian Government’s strong desire for the future return of its citizens when it is safe to do so.

There are other routes available for those who wish to settle in the UK permanently, if they meet the requirements.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_95
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_95

Neil Coyle:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of exempting people with experience of transnational suppression from proposals to increase the qualifying time for Indefinite Leave to Remain to ten years. \p Mike Tapp: We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year. All will be welcome to participate. We will provide details of how the scheme will work after that consultation.

Any attempt by any foreign power to intimidate, harass or harm individuals or communities in the UK will not be tolerated.

Wherever we identify such threats, we will use all measures, including through our world-class intelligence services, to mitigate risk to individuals, and we will continue to ensure that robust systems are in place to detect, deter and counter such activity.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_96
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_96

Neil Coyle:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to launch its consultation on changes to indefinite leave to remain for Hong Kong British National (Overseas) visa holders; and how long her Department expects to run that consultation for. \p Mike Tapp: The Government is committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK and those who may come here in future.

I welcomed the opportunity to listen to the views of Members around these subjects in the recent 8th September Westminster Hall Debate on settlement.

We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year, and the length of the consultation will be announced at that point. All will be welcome to participate. We will provide details of how the scheme will work after that consultation.

We regularly engage with representatives of the Hong Kong diaspora in the UK on issues related to the BN(O) visa and will continue to do so.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_97
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_97

Euan Stainbank:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for (a) Health and Social Care and (b) Work and Pensions on the (i) proposed increase in standard qualifying period for permanent residence and (ii) impact of that increase on workforce planning for their Departments. \p Mike Tapp: The reforms in the Immigration White Paper, including the proposed increase in the standard qualifying period for settlement, were agreed across Government at a Home and Economic Affairs Committee the previous Home Secretary attended prior to publication on 12 May 2025.

We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year. All will be welcome to participate. We will provide details of how the scheme will work after that consultation.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_98
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_98

Euan Stainbank:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have received indefinite leave to remain in 2025. \p Mike Tapp: The Home Office publishes statistics relating to indefinite leave to remain in the Immigration system statistics publication. The latest data is available up to the end of June 2025.

Data on grants of settlement can be found in table Se_D02 of the Settlement data tables. A settlement grant provides individuals with indefinite leave to remain in the UK.

Data on EUSS grants are available in table EUSS_D02 of the EUSS data tables. Settled status is an indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK, granted under the EUSS, which is available to EU, other EEA, and Swiss citizens who were residing in the UK that was launched in August 2018.

Additionally, data on family visa grants, included those granted immediate settlement are published in table ‘Vis_D02’ of the detailed entry clearance visas dataset. You may be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain if you have a family member settled in the UK - either as a British citizen or a person with indefinite leave to remain.

Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_99
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_99

Helen Maguire:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of prolonged temporary immigration status on British National (Overseas) visa holders’ access to (a) employment, (b) housing and (c) credit. \p Mike Tapp: The Government is committed to supporting members of the Hong Kong community who have relocated to the UK and those who may come here in future.

I welcomed the opportunity to listen to the views of Members around these subjects in the recent 8th September Westminster Hall Debate on Indefinite Leave to Remain.

We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year. All will be welcome to participate. We will provide details of how the scheme will work after that consultation.

We regularly engage with representatives of the Hong Kong diaspora in the UK on issues related to the BN(O) visa and will continue to do so.
wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_100
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-09-16)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-09-16 conversation_100

Mr Will Forster:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the suspension of new applications for refugee family reunion on children seeking to reunite with family members. \p Mike Tapp: The suspension of the refugee family reunion route is temporary while the Government undertakes a full review and reform of the current family rules to ensure we have a fair and properly balanced system. In the meantime, those with protection status can use other family routes to sponsor a partner and child to come to the UK. Information relating these changes are published on gov.uk at Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules: HC 1298, 4 September 2025 - GOV.UK.