theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on prioritising access to the national grid for port electrification, including in relation to onshore power supply for ferries and cruise ships. \p Keir Mather: Reforming the connections process and investing in the grid is a key Government priority. This includes reforms that are expected to deprioritise over half of the existing queue based on readiness and strategic alignment with our strategy as set out in Clean Power 2030.

Department for Transport Ministers and officials meet regularly with their counterparts in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. These include discussions on the significance of getting sufficient grid capacity to electrify ports, for cruise and ferries to use shore power and policy options to accelerate connection dates for strategic demand customers, such as critical port sites. This is informed by the Department for Transport call for evidence on Net Zero Ports, published in March 2025, which posed questions on managing future energy demand at ports.
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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department is supporting research into Soil Moisture Deficit forecasting and monitoring technologies. \p Simon Lightwood: High soil moisture deficit levels within earthworks arise when the earth has become dried out following prolonged dry hot weather, leading to the soil shrinking and cracks developing within. If this is followed by a period of extreme or prolonged rainfall, water entering these cracks can lead to rapid failure of the earthworks.

Network Rail has commissioned an active nationwide monitoring regime using remote sensors, modelling and geotechnical assessments to monitor slope stability across the network. It has also supported academic research, such as the ACHILLES programme, to further industry understanding on the loss of material strength from repeated cycles of wetting and drying. Intelligence from such research is fed into strategic whole life costing modelling to inform future renewal and maintenance activities. At the same time, Network Rail is engaging in proactive measures to reinforce embankments in high-risk areas and reduce water retention and erosion.

Together, these measures should reduce the risk of earthworks failure and improve the long-term resilience of these assets despite the increasing number of extreme weather events that are expected due to climate change.

I am aware that this issue has been particularly problematic on the West of England Line. I am assured by Network Rail that conditions are improving and that it plans to restore a full timetable from 29th November.
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Melanie Onn:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to support North East Lincolnshire Council to complete the long-overdue repairs and re-open Corporation Bridge in Great Grimsby. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department is committed to supporting local authorities in maintaining and renewing the local highway network, which is why by 2029/30, the Government will commit over £2 billion annually in local highways maintenance funding, doubling funding since coming into office. For the first time, we have confirmed allocations for four years of funding, enabling local authorities to plan ahead and move away from expensive, short-term repairs and instead investment in proactive and preventative maintenance.

In addition to this, the Spending Review announced £1 billion for key local highway enhancement projects and a new Structures Fund for repairing run down bridges, decaying flyovers and worn out tunnels.

I know that the work on Corporation Road Bridge has been ongoing since the beginning of 2022 and has faced significant challenges including a change of contractor which has led to considerable delays to these works. My officials are liaising with North East Lincolnshire Council Officers and I'm pleased to hear a new contractor has been appointed with the bridge likely to be reopened in December of next year.
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Kim Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made on (a) value for money and (b) quality of service of bringing outsourced rail security provision in-house as contracts expire. \p Keir Mather: Ensuring value for money is a requirement for all DfT contracted train operators. Publicly owned train operators also have a duty to follow the guidance on managing public money.
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Rachael Maskell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of legal protections against assaults at work for public transport workers. \p Keir Mather: There is no place for abuse or assault of any worker. Public transport workers and the wider public should be assured that where offenders commit acts of violence they will be arrested and brought before the courts. The British Transport Police have a specific remit to protect all rail staff and passengers.

Public transport workers do of course already have extensive protection in existing legislation such as the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 which also covers more serious violence such as actual bodily harm (ABH) and grievous bodily harm (GBH), and courts must already consider offences against public facing workers as an aggravating factor under the Police Crime and Sentencing Act 2022. We therefore do not believe that any further legal protections are necessary or would reduce assaults.
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Rachael Maskell:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of a standalone offence of assaulting a public transport worker. \p Keir Mather: There is no place for abuse or assault of any worker. Public transport workers and the wider public should be assured that where offenders commit acts of violence they will be arrested and brought before the courts. The British Transport Police have a specific remit to protect all rail staff and passengers.

Public transport workers do of course already have extensive protection in existing legislation such as the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 which also covers more serious violence such as actual bodily harm (ABH) and grievous bodily harm (GBH), and courts must already consider offences against public facing workers as an aggravating factor under the Police Crime and Sentencing Act 2022. We therefore do not believe that creating a specific offence would have the intended purpose of reducing assaults.
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Kim Johnson:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of (a) spending by the rail industry on private security and (b) her Department's funding for the British Transport Police. \p Keir Mather: The Department is committed to working with the rail industry as we move towards the creation of Great British Railways to ensure that security provision on the network keeps staff and passengers safe. The Department are currently undertaking analysis of private security spend by the 14 train operating companies that have been or are due to be nationalised.

The British Transport Police (BTP) budget is set by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA). BTP's costs are passed on to individual Train Operating Companies and Network Rail. BTPA sets the BTP’s budget annually following proposals from the Force and views from industry. BTP work closely with BTPA and industry operators to make final resourcing decisions with their agreed budget.

In the year 2025/26 BTP received a 5.9% budget increase. The budget for 2026/27 will be set by the BTPA imminently following engagement with the rail industry. Like other police forces the BTP has operational independence, so the BTP Chief Constable and Chief Officers use a variety of data to inform the deployment of officers and other resources, following the agreement of the budget.
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Helen Morgan:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps with the Chancellor of the Exchequer to ensure income generated from speed enforcement is spent on roads maintenance and roads policing. \p Simon Lightwood: The Department for Transport currently has no plans to bring forward proposals that would allow income generated from speed enforcement to fund specific road maintenance or road policing measures. Money from fines and penalty receipts, including those for speeding, is paid to the Treasury and goes into the Consolidated Fund.

The Consolidated Fund supports general expenditure on public services, which includes services that benefit motorists, such as policing, local government grants, and transport.
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Abtisam Mohamed:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of a) simplifying the application process for Bus Passes for disabled passengers, b) removing the time restrictions, and c) ensuring the availability of companion passes in all areas. \p Simon Lightwood: The Government remains committed to ensuring the concessionary travel system is inclusive and enables disabled people to travel safely, confidently and with dignity.

Under the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS), eligible disabled people are entitled to free off-peak bus travel between 09:30 and 23:00 on weekdays and all day at weekends and on Bank Holidays.

Local authorities are responsible for administering applications for disabled bus passes. To support them in this process, the Department provides guidance on assessing eligibility.

The ENCTS costs £795 million annually and any changes to statutory obligations would require careful consideration of the scheme’s financial sustainability. However, local authorities have discretion to offer additional concessions, such as extending travel times or providing companion passes, funded from local resources.

The Government has confirmed over £1 billion for the 2025 to 2026 financial year to support and improve bus services in England outside London. Local authorities can use this funding in whichever way they wish to improve services for passengers, including enhancing concessionary travel locally.
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Ruth Cadbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of updating the collection of STATS19 national collision statistics to allow for differentiation between e-bikes, bikes and motorcycles within collisions. \p Lilian Greenwood: Currently the recording of e-bikes within STATS19 follows the relevant legislation, the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983, with officers encouraged in the STATS19 guidance (known as STATS20) to use an accompanying free text field to provide further details where possible.

The Standing Committee on Road Injury Collision Statistics (SCRICS), which oversees the STATS19 collection, is currently reviewing the recording of vehicle and propulsion types within STATS19 with a view to providing better guidance to reporting police officers on the classification of e-bikes.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding has been made available through the British Business Bank's National Security Strategic Investment Fund in each industrial sector in the (a) current financial year and (b) each remaining financial year of the current Parliament. \p Kanishka Narayan: NSSIF does not currently demark a portion of its allocation for solely defence investments, as investments are made in startups with technologies relevant across NS&D use cases. NSSIF invests in dual-use advanced technology companies to provide future capabilities to National Security and Defence (NS&D). Investments are made for the purpose of NS&D, though provide wider benefits to industrial strategy sectors. As part of the recent Spending Review process, NSSIF has been awarded up to £330m to invest in the financial years 2026-27 to 2029-30, as set out in the modern industrial strategy.
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Michael Wheeler:To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to her Department’s publication entitled Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods, published on 11 November 2025, what steps she is taking to end the use of the LD50 and LC50 tests. \p Kanishka Narayan: The Strategy uses a ‘baskets’ approach to group animal tests according to how ready they are for replacement, based on the maturity of potential alternative methods. These initial baskets are not exhaustive and will be reviewed and refined in consultation with the research community on a regular basis, noting that two LD/LC50 tests are already in basket 1 and 2 (botulinum potency and fish acute toxicity tests respectively) meaning they are among the first targeted for phase-out.

In addition, the Government-funded National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) has ongoing work to replace, reduce and refine LD/LC50 tests.
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Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to support police forces in tackling shoplifting in South Holland and the Deepings constituency. \p Sarah Jones: Shop theft continues to increase at an unacceptable level. We will not stand for this.

We are ensuring the right powers are in place. Through the Crime and Policing Bill, we are bringing in a new offence of assaulting a retail worker to protect the hardworking and dedicated staff that work in stores. We are also removing the legislation which makes shop theft of and below £200 a summary-only offence, sending a clear message that any level of shop theft is illegal and will be taken seriously.

Additionally, we are providing over £7 million over the next three years to support the police and retailers tackle retail crime, including continuing to fund a specialist policing team – in partnership with the retail sector - to better understand the tactics used by organised retail crime gangs and identify more offenders.

Tackling retail crime requires a partnership approach between policing representatives and business. The previous Minister for Crime and Policing launched the ‘Tackling Retail Crime Together Strategy’, which was jointly developed by the police and industry and aims to provide a collaborative and evidence-based approach to preventing retail crime.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of current measures to deter antisocial behaviour in car parks in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Sarah Jones: Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission.

Under the Government's Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, we are putting neighbourhood officers back into communities and restoring public confidence by bringing back community-led, visible policing. Surrey Police will receive £2,588,427 as part of the funding settlement for 2025-26.

In addition, the Home Office is providing £66.3 million funding in 2025-26 to all 43 forces in England and Wales to deliver high visibility patrols in the areas worst affected by knife crime, serious violence and anti-social behaviour. As part of the Hotspot Action Fund, Surrey Police will be in receipt of £1,000,000.

Following on from the Safer Streets Summer Initiative, the Home Secretary has announced a "Winter of Action" in which police forces across England and Wales will again partner with local businesses, councils and other agencies to tackle anti-social behaviour and other local issues that matter most to their communities.

In February, we introduced the new Respect Order in the Crime and Policing Bill, along with a range of other enhancements to the existing ASB powers. Respect Orders will be behavioural orders, issued by the civil courts. They will enable courts to ban adult offenders from engaging in harmful anti-social behaviours and can also compel adult perpetrators to take action to address the root cause of their behaviour. Breach of the order will be a criminal offence, allowing the police to immediately arrest anyone suspected of breach. Courts will have a wide range of sentencing options, including community orders, unlimited fines and, for the most severe cases, imprisonment.
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Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the notice period given to organisers of the farming protest on 26 November 2025 of the cancellation of that protest. \p Sarah Jones: The right to peaceful protest is a vital part of our democracy and will not be curtailed by this Government. However, these rights are not absolute and must be balanced with the rights and freedoms of others.

Section 12 of the Public Order Act 1986 allows the police to impose conditions on a protest as appears necessary to prevent serious public disorder, serious damage to property or serious disruption to the life of the community. Any conditions that are considered necessary by a senior police officer can be placed on the protest including the location, route and date of the protest or prohibiting individuals entering any public place specified. There is no timeframe specified in the legislation for notifying the organisers of any conditions imposed.

The management of demonstrations are an operational matter for the police and forces work with organisers to plan protests and assess risks and manage safety. It is not for Government to direct the police in how they should manage protest activity.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the progress in rolling out additional neighbourhood police in (a) England (b) Greater Manchester. \p Sarah Jones: We have made £200 million available in 2025/26 to support the first steps towards delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel across England and Wales by the end of this parliament, including up to 3000 additional neighbourhood officers by the end of March 2026.

The Government has committed to publishing neighbourhood policing numbers every six months, alongside the official police workforce statistics, with the next update due at the end of January 2026 setting out the numbers in neighbourhood policing roles as at the end of September 2025.

Based on their £11,556,938 allocation from the Neighbourhood Policing Grant, Greater Manchester are projected to grow by 176 FTE neighbourhood police officers in 2025/26.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer of 20 November to question 90783, if her Department will take steps to ensure that police forces prioritise British made vehicles. \p Sarah Jones: The Police vehicle/fleet framework is owned and competed by Bluelight Commercial and goes through Bluelight’s commercial governance.

The vehicle specification requirements are determined by Policing in line with operational Policing requirements and by Bluelight Commercial to meet Procurement Act and existing public sector procurement requirements.
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Mr Clive Betts:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of support available to police who attend traumatic callouts to attempted suicides. \p Sarah Jones: The Government has been clear that the health and wellbeing of our police is a priority and that those who have faced suicide-related incidents in the line of duty receive the support they need to recover and continue serving.

We continue to fund the National Police Wellbeing Service (NPWS) who have introduced a Trauma Tracker tool to help forces better understand exposure to traumatic incidents and ensure timely support for officers and staff. NPWS have also created a national suicide action plan which aims to educate and support the workforce, reduce stress and improve data recording. In addition, the Service has a 24/7 Mental Health Crisis Support Line to provide urgent support for our police when they need it the most.

It is a matter for the chief constables of each force to decide which additional training their officers should undertake and to set and enforce standards, giving them the flexibility to address their own local challenges, needs and priorities. They are inspected biannually by His Majesties Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) whose role is to independently report on the efficiency and effectiveness of police forces, including inspecting how forces protect vulnerable people.
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Mr Clive Betts:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of collecting data on the number of callouts police attend to attempted suicides or suicides in progress. \p Sarah Jones: The College of Policing set the professional standards for police in England and Wales. The College’s core guidance includes the initial training for officers under the Policing Education Qualifications Framework which incorporates autism, learning disabilities, mental health and vulnerabilities. Through this, officers are taught to assess vulnerability and amend their approaches as required.

The College further promotes the need for frameworks to assess vulnerability, to aid in consistent identification, support decision making, and to trigger appropriate safeguarding action. Such principles and practices are set out in a number of college products, including the Detention and Custody Authorised Professional Practice.

Policing is operationally independent, and it is a matter for the chief constables of each force to decide which additional training their officers should undertake and to set and enforce standards, giving them the flexibility to address their own local challenges, needs and priorities. They are inspected biannually by His Majesties Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) whose role is to independently report on the efficiency and effectiveness of police forces, including inspecting how forces protect vulnerable people.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many reports of lost and missing (a) police warrant cards (b) police uniform items were made for each year from 2015 to date. \p Sarah Jones: The Home Office does not hold data centrally on how many police warrant cards or police uniform items are lost.
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Andrew Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to tackle illegal firearm possession. \p Sarah Jones: The Government works closely with the police and the National Crime Agency (NCA) to ensure that we have the right laws, intelligence, detection and enforcement capabilities to tackle the threat posed by the unlawful possession and use of firearms. While incidents of gun crime, including where illegally held guns are involved, are relatively rare in this country, we recognise the significant and long-lasting impact of such incidents on victims and local communities when they do occur.

Our work with the police and the NCA includes recent and ongoing multi-agency action to target the importation and supply of imitation firearms that can be readily converted by criminals to fire live ammunition, which has seen significant numbers of these guns removed from circulation, helping to ensure the safety of our communities.

We have also included measures in the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, currently before Parliament, to make it an offence to possess or supply templates for the 3D printing of firearms. This is part of a broader multi-agency response to the threat posed by the illegal possession of firearms manufactured unlawfully in part, or fully, using 3D printing technology.

There are significant penalties for those convicted of the unlawful possession of firearms, including the maximum penalty of life imprisonment for possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life or injure property.
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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many active Neighbourhood Watch schemes were in place for each year from 2015 to date in England. \p Sarah Jones: The Home Office does not hold information on the number of active Neighbourhood Watch schemes in England for each year from 2015 to date.

Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) is a long-established, volunteer-led movement that supports safer, stronger and more connected communities across England and Wales.

Schemes are locally run and independent, led by volunteers who decide how best to tackle issues affecting their neighbourhoods. There is no requirement for schemes to register with government, and they operate autonomously.

The Home Office values the important contribution made by volunteers involved in Neighbourhood Watch in helping to reduce crime, improve community resilience, and strengthen public confidence.
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Aphra Brandreth:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure that policing capacity is maintained in areas experiencing (a) increased community demand and (b) a reduction in policing numbers. \p Sarah Jones: The Government is committed to ensuring police forces are supported to tackle crime effectively. As part of our mission to deliver safer streets, we will restore neighbourhood policing and support forces to rebuild relationships with their local communities.

The 2025-26 final police funding settlement provided funding of up to £19.6 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. This is an overall increase of up to £1.2 billion when compared to the 2024-25 settlement.

This includes a total of up to £376.8 million specifically to support forces to achieve officer headcounts set out in the Police Funding Settlement and £200m to kick start the growth in neighbourhood policing personnel.

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. This includes how best to allocate the resources at their disposal to provide an effective service to local communities.
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Sarah Dyke:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much additional funding her Department plans to provide to Avon and Somerset Police as part of the Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy 2025-2028. \p Sarah Jones: This financial year the Home Office has provided the first Government funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (£365,000) as well as continuing funding for the National Wildlife Crime Unit (£450,000). The National Rural Crime Unit assists all police forces, including Avon and Somerset, in tackling rural crime.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy 2025-2028 is a vital step in our mission to deliver safer streets everywhere and comes as we give the police new powers to take on the organised criminal gangs targeting the agricultural sector.

As part of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, the Government has made £200 million available in FY 25/26 to support the first steps of delivering more neighbourhood policing personnel across England and Wales. Of this, Avon and Somerset Police have been allocated £4,574,856 for an increase of 70 police officers.
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Mr Richard Holden:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 25 November 2025 to Question 89631 on Driving under Influence: Testing, if she will publish all assessment her Department has made of the impact of the absence of any data on drug testing on road safety policy and enforcement. \p Sarah Jones: The Home Office does not collect data on tests conducted by police for drug driving.

The Department for Transport is developing a Road Safety Strategy, the first in a decade and intends to publish by the end of the year.
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Rupert Lowe:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department holds data on the nationality or immigration status of people arrested for offences committed against churches. \p Sarah Jones: The Government is committed to protecting the right of individuals to freely practise their religion and will not tolerate anti-Christian hatred in any form.

The Home Office does not hold arrest or crime data specifically relating to Christian places of worship.
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David Davis:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department provides to police forces on including children in live facial recognition camera watchlists. \p Sarah Jones: Guidance on watchlists is provided by the College of Policing in the form of an Authorised Professional Practice. This sets out the categories of people who may be included on a watchlist, which depends on the nature of the deployment. Watchlists must be tailored to a specific policing objective and reviewed before each deployment to ensure they meet the legal tests of necessity and proportionality.

Watchlists may include individuals wanted by the police or the courts, suspects, missing or vulnerable people, or those posing a risk of harm to themselves or others. In some cases, this may include vulnerable individuals such as missing children.

Although there is a legal framework in place, it is complicated, inflexible and difficult for the public and police to understand. That is why we have launched a consultation to support the development of a new legal framework for law enforcement use of biometrics, facial recognition and similar technologies.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support her Department provides to police forces to tackle driving offences linked to (a) alcohol and (b) drug use in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Sarah Jones: The Government is committed to reducing the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. Driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs is completely unacceptable and there are tough penalties in place and we expect the police to enforce them. Drink-driving penalties - GOV.UK

The Department for Transport is developing a Road Safety Strategy, the first in a decade which they intend to publish by the end of the year. This includes the case for changing motoring offences, such as drink and drug driving.

Section 10 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 provides the police the power to arrest and detain an individual if they have provided a specimen of breath, blood or urine that exceeds the prescribed drink or drug driving limit or the individual’s ability to drive properly is impaired. The use of these powers is an operational matter for the police.

Under section 4 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, an individual is guilty of an offence if their ability to drive is impaired by drink or drugs.

The Government continues to support the police to ensure they have the tools needed to enforce road traffic legislation.

The Government’s flagship road safety campaign THINK! aims to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on the roads in England and Wales, by changing attitudes and behaviours. The Government launched a drug drive awareness campaign to coincide with THINK! for the first time on 24 November.

The campaign will be supported by coordinated enforcement activity by the police under Operation Limit, which aims to tackle drink and drug driving over the festive period.
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Mark Garnier:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the National Inquiry, how she will ensure the survivors of group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse are supported throughout the process. \p Jess Phillips: We remain committed to delivering an inquiry that earns trust and delivers truth. Following the appointment of the Chair and the establishment of the Inquiry, the Chair will consult on the Terms of Reference with victims and survivors and other key stakeholders before agreeing a final version with the Home Secretary. The inquiry will then begin considering evidence and data to select the first local areas for investigations.

We are moving at pace, but we will not compromise rigour for speed. This is a complex and sensitive process, and we are not setting arbitrary deadlines – we are focused on getting it right. We will provide public updates when it is appropriate to do so.

The inquiry is expected to operate over a two to three-year period which will maximise the number of areas it can examine, while remaining time-limited so that victims and survivors receive answers swiftly.

The Government recognises the devastating impacts that child sexual exploitation and abuse can have on victims and survivors and is committed to ensuring that all victims and survivors receive better care and support.

As set out in the Government’s Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Progress Update in April, we are working across government to develop ambitious proposals to improve therapeutic support services for victims of child sexual abuse. Government committed in that update to double funding and invest an additional £1.6 million for adult victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. The Home Office continues to fund voluntary organisations providing nationally accessible services to support victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, investing £2.59 million this year to seven organisations through the Support for Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse (SVSCSA) fund.

We also recognise the importance of ensuring that all staff supporting victims have sufficient guidance on child sexual abuse to deliver effective trauma informed support. The Government is providing funding to the independent Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse to strengthen professional responses to child sexual abuse through evidence-based training and resources.
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Graham Leadbitter:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had recent discussions with Anas Sarwar MSP the potential merits of introducing a Scottish visa. \p Mike Tapp: We have no plans to devolve immigration policy, introduce a Scottish visa scheme, nor to discuss such ideas further.

Previously suggested schemes would restrict movement and rights and create internal UK borders. Adding different rules for different locations would introduce complexity and create frictions where workers move locations.
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Cat Eccles:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many deportation appeals that were successful at the First Tier Tribunal were later overturned at the Upper Tribunal in the past five years. \p Alex Norris: 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 (2025-12-04)

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Shaun Davies:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the outstanding profit share from asylum hotel providers owed to the home office, broken down by provider. \p Alex Norris: The Home Office has to date received £45.9m in excess profits from its Asylum Accommodation and Support Contract Providers.

Discussions are currently underway with providers in relation to the return of remaining excess profits under the contractual terms.

It is not possible to give any further breakdown.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-04)

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Dr Kieran Mullan:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department holds information on the planning contravention notice issued by Wealden District Council on the proposed accommodation of asylum seekers at the Crowborough Training Camp. \p Alex Norris: Yes, Wealden District Council issued a Planning Contravention Notice on 21 November, requesting further information on how the site is currently being used. We will ensure that any development is safe, appropriate and compliant with planning regulations.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-04)

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Lincoln Jopp:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Government is purchasing houses in multiple occupation in Spelthorne to accommodate asylum seekers. \p Alex Norris: The Home Office has a statutory obligation to provide accommodation and support to destitute asylum seekers while their claims are considered. The procurement and management of Asylum accommodation is undertaken via the accommodation providers and is conducted in line with the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts, which are available at: Contracts Finder - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Procurement of accommodation by the contracted providers is undertaken in line with the Asylum Accommodation Plans, which ensures the distribution of asylum seekers is balanced across local authorities across the UK. This approach is designed to prevent any single area from being overburdened and to promote a fair, evidence-based allocation of asylum accommodation nationwide.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-04)

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Simon Hoare:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to progress proposals for a medal of recognition for police officers injured in the line of service. \p Sarah Jones: Any official award is a gift from the Government, on behalf of His Majesty The King to recognise individuals within policing and emergency services personnel. The creation of a new award requires cross Government consensus and approval from the Committee on The Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals, before advice is put to HM The King to make his final decision.

The Home Office will continue to take steps to consider proposals for new awards for members of the emergency services. It is only right that we recognise the sacrifices made by the emergency services, and it is important to make sure this is considering fully and carefully to ensure any changes are proportionate and effective.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-04)

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Anneliese Dodds:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the availability in the UK of (a) ketamine and (b) nitazenes through online purchase. \p Sarah Jones: The Government is committed to tackling the supply of illegal drugs online, including that of ketamine and nitazenes.

We are taking a co-ordinated approach to tackle harmful online content, including material associated with the sale of illegal drugs. This strategy combines law enforcement activity, stronger engagement with technology companies, improved education to raise awareness of risks and harms, and the introduction of measures that require internet companies to take responsibility for content on their platforms.

This includes strengthening the regulatory framework to address online harms. The unlawful sale of controlled drugs online is a priority offence under the illegal content duties in the Online Safety Act 2023. In-scope providers are legally required to implement measures to protect their users and to remove illegal content from their platforms. Ofcom, as the independent regulator of the Act, is closely monitoring compliance with the regime.

The National Crime Agency also works with partners in the UK and internationally to identify offenders operating online, and to take down UK-based sites committing offences.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-04)

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Jim McMahon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many reports have there been of lost or missing items from police force evidence stores for (a) cash (b) drugs (c) weapons (d) jewellery (e) electronic goods (f) personal ID documents for each year from 2015 to date. \p Sarah Jones: The Home Office does not hold central information on the number of reports there have been of lost or missing items from police force evidence stores. The information may be held by individual police forces.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of funding more neighbourhood police officers in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Sarah Jones: We have made £200 million available in FY 25/26 to support the first steps towards delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel across England and Wales by the end of this parliament, including up to 3,000 additional neighbourhood officers by the end of March 2026.

Based on their £2,588,427 allocation from the Neighbourhood Policing Grant, Surrey are projected to grow by 25 FTE NHP police officers in 2025-26, and in addition, the force is also projected to grow by 15 special constables (headcount) over the same period.

Arrangements for future years will be set out in due course.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-12-04)

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Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help improve the capability of police officers in West Dorset to support people experiencing a mental health crisis. \p Sarah Jones: The College of Policing set the professional standards for police in England and Wales. The College’s core guidance includes the initial training for officers under the Policing Education Qualifications Framework which incorporates autism, learning disabilities, mental health including their powers under section 135 and 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983, and vulnerabilities. Through this, officers are taught to assess vulnerability and amend their approaches as required.

The College further promotes the need for frameworks to assess vulnerability, to aid in consistent identification, support decision making, and to trigger appropriate safeguarding action. Such principles and practices are set out in a number of college products, including the Detention and Custody Authorised Professional Practice.

Police officers are not mental health experts, neither are they expected to be. However, the training available to police officers in respect of mental ill health or other vulnerabilities is aimed at equipping them to identify potential issues and to know when interventions from partner agencies and health professionals may be needed.

Policing is operationally independent, and it is a matter for the chief constables of each force to decide which additional training their officers should undertake and to set and enforce standards, giving them the flexibility to address their own local challenges, needs and priorities. They are inspected biannually by His Majesties Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) whose role is to independently report on the efficiency and effectiveness of police forces, including inspecting how forces protect vulnerable people.