theodi/ndl-core-corpus huggingface dataset:
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Mike Wood:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 2 April 2025 to Question 41050 on Foreign Influence Registration Scheme: China, if she will place in the Library a copy of each representation from CityUK in relation to China and the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme. \p Dan Jarvis: The Government does not routinely publish correspondence from external organisations and stakeholders as this may inhibit the free exchange of views and information necessary for the effective conduct of policy development.
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Suella Braverman:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with arts grant funders on support given to (a) organisations and (b) people that express support for proscribed terrorist organisations. \p Dan Jarvis: I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer I gave her on 7 May in response to Question 48984.
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Sarah Champion:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has for the lethal dose 50 test. \p Dan Jarvis: The UK continues to lead the way in seeking the adoption internationally of improved testing methods that replace, reduce or refine the use of animals in scientific procedures.

Some authorised medicines in the UK include quality control tests which require the use of animals, conducted to ensure the quality, safety, and efficacy of specific medicines. These tests account for the LD50 cases still conducted.

UK regulators follow the principles of the 3Rs – to replace, reduce and refine the use of animals in tests. Significant progress has been made on validating alternative methods which do not use animals, including the possibility of replacing mice by in vitro suitable cell cultures in LD50-type testing methods, and the relevant regulatory quality standards and testing requirements have been revised accordingly for these specific medicines.

The implementation of new tests for existing products must be a process that protects and prioritises human safety, often requiring extensive validation. It is not presently possible to replace all of the existing animal tests with in vitro non-animal replacements.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what monitoring her Department conducts on the treatment of dogs bred for but not subsequently used in scientific testing. \p Dan Jarvis: All establishments licensed to breed or supply animals, or to carry out regulated procedures on animals under ASPA in Great Britain, are subject to the full requirements of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). Therefore, all animals that have been intended for use in science are fully covered by the regulations under ASPA, including dogs which are bred, but subsequently not used.

The Home Office publishes guidance on the Operation of ASPA which explains how ASPA is administered and enforced (www.gov.uk/guidance/guidance-on-the-operation-of-the-animals-scientific-procedures-act-1986).

A published Code of Practice also provides minimum requirements for the care and accommodation of animals used in science, including dogs.

To provide assurance of compliance with the Regulations, the Regulator provides clear and accessible guidance and conducts regular on-site audits. The published framework for audit is based on clear benchmarks and assessing compliance through organisational governance to encourage greater commitment to compliance. Both announced and unannounced site visits are undertaken within a risk- based framework to assure compliance and inspect the welfare, health, and environment of animals at any establishment.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information her Department holds on the number of dogs bred for use in scientific testing which were (a) used and (b) not used in scientific procedures in (i) 2021-22, (ii) 2022-23, (c) 2023-24 and (d) 2024-25. \p Dan Jarvis: The following data provides the number of dogs used for the first time in scientific procedures for each year:

2021 - 2,579 dogs

2022 - 2,683 dogs

2023 - 2,477 dogs

Each year the Home Office publishes annual statistics relating to scientific procedures performed on living animals (www.gov.uk/government/collections/animals-in-science-statistics). These statistics provide further information on these procedures such as procedure purpose (Table 1.3) and place of birth (Table 2.1).

The statistics for 2024 are being prepared for a planned publication in July of this year.

Statistics for 2025 will be published next year in the annual statistics.

Additional statistics on animals that were bred for use for scientific procedures but were killed or died without being used in procedures, were previously provided as required by European Directive 2010/63/EU. In 2017, the Home Office published these additional statistics covering the number of non-genetically altered animals that were bred for scientific procedures but were killed or died without being used in procedures; and the number of animals (genetically altered and non-genetically altered) subject to tissue sampling for the purposes of genotyping.

Future publication of this data is under review.
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James Cartlidge:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department plans to take to help increase conviction rates for violence against women in rural areas. \p Jess Phillips: We have set out an unprecedented mission to halve the level of violence against women and girls (VAWG) in a decade. That means working across Government to tackle threats to women's safety in all areas of their lives and across the country, including in rural areas. We will set out concrete measures to halving VAWG in a new cross-Government VAWG strategy, which we are aiming to publish before summer recess. We are working closely with the Ministry of Justice and other partners as part of improving the criminal justice response to VAWG.

Our new National Policing Centre for Violence Against Women and Girls and Public Protection, in which we are investing £13.1 million, will seek to drive national coordination and improvement in forces response to VAWG crimes. This includes delivering our manifesto commitment for strengthened specialist training for officers across all areas of the country to ensure that they offer consistent protection for victims and relentlessly pursue perpetrators.
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Josh Newbury:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of vehicles rented by her Department are electric vehicles. \p Dame Diana Johnson: This information is not centrally collected, and could only be obtained for the purposes of answering this question at disproportionate cost.
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Leigh Ingham:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will set out a timeline for bringing forward guidance to bring the Protection from Sex-Based Harassment in Public Act 2023 into force. \p Jess Phillips: We are going further than ever before to deliver a cross-government transformative approach to tackle violence against women and girls, which will be underpinned by a new VAWG strategy to be published this year.

Public sexual harassment is a crime that often leaves victims feeling unsafe on their own streets. That is why tackling that criminal behaviour will form an important part of our mission to halve VAWG within a decade.

We will confirm next steps on implementation of the Protection from Sex Based Harassment in Public Act at the earliest opportunity.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to reduce knife crime in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Halving knife crime over the next decade is a key part of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission.

We have already taken radical action to get dangerous knives off Britain’s streets, including implementing a ban on the sale and possession of zombie-style knives and zombie-style machetes, and introducing new legislation to ban ninja swords which will come into effect from 1 August.

We have also announced “Ronan’s Law” following an independent review into online knife sales by Commander Stephen Clayman, which sets out a range of measures including strengthened age verification and delivery checks and a requirement on retailers to report bulk sales to the police.

With measures in the Crime and Policing Bill 2025, we are increasing the penalties for illegal sales of knives, creating a new offence of possessing a knife with the intention to commit unlawful violence and are giving the police a new power to seize knives when they believe they are likely to be used in connection with unlawful violence.

The Young Futures Programme is another key part of the Safer Streets Mission and the Government’s ambition to halve knife crime over the next decade. Under this programme the Government will intervene earlier to ensure children and young people who are vulnerable to being drawn into crime are identified and offered support in a more systematic way.

In Surrey, the government has allocated £1m for the Police and Crime Commissioner for the Hotspot Action Fund in 2025-2026 to deliver high visibility patrolling and problem-oriented policing tactics in the areas with the highest densities of knife crime and Anti-Social Behaviour (‘hotspots’).
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Andrew Cooper:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of social media on perpetuating violence against women and girls. \p Jess Phillips: Tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) in all of its forms, including when it takes place online, is a top priority for this Government. Our upcoming VAWG Strategy will set out the strategic direction and concrete actions to deliver our unprecedented ambition to halve VAWG in a decade.

In addition, the Online Safety Act 2023 requires all in-scope companies, including social media platforms, to take swift and effective action against criminal online abuse. However, social media companies must still do more to protect women and girls. The Secretary of State for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has laid before Parliament the Government’s draft Statement of Strategic Priorities for Online Safety, which aim to ensure the Online Safety Act delivers improved online safety outcomes. This includes how the Act will deliver on tackling illegal and misogynistic content to ensure increased safety online for women and girls.

We are also taking action on non-consensual intimate image abuse. The Online Safety Act inserted new offences of sharing or threatening to share intimate images into the Sexual Offences Act 2003. These new offences apply to a broader category of image and in a wider array of circumstances than the previous offences. We are going further by introducing offences of taking an intimate image without consent or reasonable belief in consent and installing equipment with the intent to take intimate images without consent or reasonable belief in consent, via the Crime and Policing Bill. We are also introducing new offences to create or request the creation of intimate images without consent or reasonable belief in consent, via the Data (Use and Access) Bill. This will criminalise the creation of deepfake intimate images without consent.

Our efforts to tackle VAWG and child sexual abuse needs to evolve to meet changes in social media and technology head on. As such, in the dawn of an increase in AI- generated child sexual abuse (CSA), we are taking forward several measures through the Crime and Policing Bill to better safeguard children and young people at risk of sexual abuse. These measures are:

This Government is committed to tackling VAWG and CSAM and will remain agile to the threats and act accordingly.
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Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help ensure the safety of retail workers who deliver to people's homes. \p Dame Diana Johnson: I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave to UIN 48505 on the 6th May 2025.
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Rebecca Paul:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the system for legally purchasing firearms; and whether her Department plans to improve the (a) licensing, (b) monitoring and (c) enforcement processes. \p Dame Diana Johnson: We keep firearms licensing controls under constant review to safeguard the public against the misuse of licensed firearms. We will shortly be refreshing the Statutory Guidance to tighten the criteria applied by police forces when considering if someone is suitable to have a firearms certificate, including handling of domestic abuse allegations, treatment of violent offences, the impact of dishonesty, and the role and arrangements for referees supporting an application.

Firearms licensing fees were increased to enable full cost recovery on 5 February 2025, giving effect to a commitment in the Government’s manifesto. The extra income from fees will help police forces to better resource and train their firearms licensing teams. Later this year we will also be publishing a new consultation on greater alignment of shotgun and firearms controls and other proposals for making changes to firearms legislation.
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Blair McDougall:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of legislation covering hate crimes at providing police with sufficient powers to pursue incidents that occur on social media platforms. \p Dame Diana Johnson: We have robust legislation in place to deal with threatening, abusive, or harassing behaviour and incitement to hatred, including laws to tackle perpetrators who stir up racial and religious hatred and hatred based on sexual orientation. Importantly, the law also ensures that people are protected against criminal activity, including threatening and abusive behaviour both online and offline.

Hate crime is listed as a “priority offence” in the Online Safety Act 2023. These priority offences reflect the most serious and prevalent illegal content in relation to which companies must take proactive steps to ensure their services are not used to facilitate or commit these types of crime. Under their new Online Safety Act legal duties, online platforms need to put in place systems and processes to proactively prevent, identify, and remove priority illegal content and activity online. This includes safety by design measures to mitigate the likelihood of the most serious illegal content from appearing on platforms in the first place. They also need to have systems and processes to take down other illegal content.

The Government funds the National Online Hate Crime Hub which supports individual local police forces in dealing specifically with online hate crime. The Hub provides expert advice to police forces to support them in investigating these abhorrent offences.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of police officers that will be required in order to facilitate coverage by a single neighbourhood police officer for a single 24hr period. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Government is committed to strong neighbourhood policing for everyone in England and Wales, no matter where they live. As the Prime Minister announced on 10 April, by July, every community will have named, and contactable officers dedicated to addressing the issues facing their communities as part of the government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee.

The police will guarantee that neighbourhood queries will be responded to within 72 hours from July and the Government will be holding forces to account.

The police are contactable 24 hours a day via force websites or by phoning 101 for non-emergency enquiries and concerns and the public should call the police on 999 in an emergency.
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Mr Lee Dillon:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help reduce the number of e-scooters on high streets in Newbury constituency. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for the Government and a key part of the Safer Streets Mission. We are giving police the powers they need to tackle anti-social vehicles including the illegal use of e-scooters, to make it easier for them to seize these vehicles from offenders and dispose of them.

On 25 February 2025, the Crime and Policing Bill was introduced to Parliament. The Bill includes proposals to give the police greater powers against illegal use of e-scooters involved in anti-social behaviour with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing these vehicles.

Removing this requirement to provide a warning will make the s59 Police Reform Act powers easier to apply, allowing police to put an immediate stop to offending and seize vehicles which are used anti-socially and send a clear message that this sort of behaviour is not tolerated.

Law enforcement, including the enforcement of law on the roads, is an operational matter for the relevant Chief Officer, who will decide how to deploy available resources taking into account any specific local problems and demands they face

Product safety laws require all consumer products to be safe before they are sold. In addition, distributors, including online marketplaces, must not supply products they know, or should know, are unsafe.
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Clive Lewis:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to publish a formal follow-up to the Baroness Casey Review into policing; and what mechanisms are currently in place to (a) track and (b) publicly report on progress against its recommendations. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Baroness Casey Review, commissioned by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to independently review its culture and standards, made a series of important and concerning findings. Any subsequent follow-up is a matter for the MPS, in conjunction with the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC)

The Government has committed to improving police accountability, with new regulations on the dismissal of police officers who fail vetting laid last month. In addition, further regulations to strengthen the misconduct and performance systems are due to come into force later this month

It is the responsibility of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to assess the operational performance of police forces in England and Wales. The performance of the MPS is assessed by HMICFRS, which last published a Police Effectiveness Efficiency and Legitimacy inspection (PEEL) report for the MPS in August 2024.   HMICFRS released the MPS from its enhanced monitoring process known as ‘Engage’ in January 2025 after making improvements against recommendations set by the Inspectorate. The force has now returned to the routine stage of HMICFRS’ continuous monitoring process. The next PEEL report for the MPS is expected to be published during the next inspection cycle (2025-2027).
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Samantha Niblett:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 24 April 2025 to Question 46303 on Visas: Ukraine, what steps Ukrainian people who will have been living here for four and a half years by the end of the extension need to take to ensure that they will be granted permission to remain here indefinitely where appropriate. \p Seema Malhotra: We keep the Ukraine schemes under continuous review in line with the ongoing conflict and the Ukrainian government’s desire for the future return of its citizens to Ukraine. This is why the Ukraine Schemes are temporary and do not lead to settlement in the UK. Similarly, time spent in the UK with permission granted under the Ukraine Schemes cannot be relied upon towards the continuous qualifying period for the purposes of a Long Residence application.

There are other routes available for those who wish to settle in the UK permanently, if they meet the requirements, such as work routes and family routes. These routes are published on GOV.UK at: Work in the UK - GOV.UK and Family in the UK - GOV.UK.
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Andrew Griffith:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which visa categories would be eligible for an exemption from paying National Insurance contributions in the UK under the Double Contribution Convention with India. \p Seema Malhotra: The Double Contributions Convention (DCC) is not a visa route. It will be a reciprocal international treaty between countries which ensures that detached workers are only liable to pay social security contributions in one country at a time on the same earnings.

A detached worker is an employee who is sent by their employer to carry out a period of temporary work in another country. The definition of a detached worker does not map onto any single visa route and is a distinct test applied for National Insurance.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the West Midlands Police’s per capita increase in neighbourhood officers for 2025/26 ranks (a) above or (b) below the national average. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Government has provided £200 million for 2025/26 to kickstart the recruitment of 13,000 additional neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs by the end of the Parliament. Force-level allocations have been determined using the Police Funding Formula.

The approach in 2025/26 is designed to deliver an initial increase to the neighbourhood policing workforce in a manner that is flexible and can be adapted to the local context and varied crime demands. This means the precise workforce mix in the first year of the programme is a local decision.

All 43 forces submitted delivery plans in line with their force level allocations outlining projected increase in neighbourhood officers for year one of the four-year programme. All forces’ plans are therefore informed by a force-level understanding of what can be achieved.

The specific grant allocations and projections are available for each force on gov.uk through the following link: Neighbourhood policing grant allocations and projections: 2025 to 2026 - GOV.UK .

The local force baseline that growth must be achieved from has been set at 31st March 2025. Forces have developed delivery plans to benefit their neighbourhood policing teams in 25/26. The details of West Midlands Police allocations can be found on gov.uk on the link shared above.

To ensure that funding effectively contributes to neighbourhood policing aims and is limited to expenditure that is critical for the programme, funding must be used for personnel in roles that fulfil neighbourhood policing functions (defined by CIPFA Category 1A) and items that directly support them in their roles.
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of children entitled to citizenship and not registered. \p Seema Malhotra: We do not hold estimates on the number of children or adults who may be entitled to British citizenship and have not yet registered or applied for naturalisation.
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that police efforts are adequately resourced to tackle wildlife crime. \p Dame Diana Johnson: The Home Office is providing £365,000 this financial year to fund the National Wildlife Crime Unit for intelligence, analysis and investigative assistance to forces and other law enforcement agencies across the UK to support them in investigating wildlife crime, which can affect rural areas.

In addition, this financial year the Home Office will be providing the first funding since 2023 for the National Rural Crime Unit (NRCU). The funding boost of over £800,000 will help the units tackle those crimes that predominantly affect our rural communities.

This will allow these specialist units to continue their work in tackling rural and wildlife crime which can pose unique challenges for policing given the scale and isolation of rural areas.

In addition we continue to support and work closely with both specialist police Units. The National Police Chiefs’ Council Wildlife and Rural Crime Strategy 2022-2025 provides a framework through which policing, and its partners can work together to tackle the most prevalent threats and emerging issues which predominantly affect rural communities.
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David Taylor:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the sale of drug paraphernalia in high street retail outlets on levels of drug use among young people. \p Dame Diana Johnson: Under Section 9A of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (“the Act”), a person who supplies or offers to supply any article which may be used (or adapted to be used) in the unlawful administration of a controlled drug, is guilty of an offence.

An exception is made in the Act around the provision of hypodermic syringes, and there are further exceptions in the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, for the provision of certain articles when provided in the context of drug treatment.

Enforcement is a matter for the police.
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Pippa Heylings:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of making legislative changes allowing birth certificates issued with an error to be re-issued with the original detail amended, rather than retaining the original form with a correction note. \p Seema Malhotra: The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders.
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Wendy Morton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has considered extending the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme. \p Seema Malhotra: We are committed to standing with Ukraine and providing stability for those we have welcomed to the UK and those who still need our sanctuary.

The Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme, which opened to applications on 4 February 2025, provides up to an additional 18 months’ permission to stay in the UK for those with existing Ukraine Scheme permission.

The scheme provides the same rights and entitlements to access work, benefits, healthcare and education as the current Ukraine schemes.

We keep the Ukraine schemes under continuous review in line with the ongoing conflict and the Ukrainian government’s desire for the future return of its citizens to Ukraine.

Those granted permission under one of the Ukraine schemes can switch into other visa routes for which they qualify, if they choose to do so. More information on the application process and the requirements on the Skilled Worker route can be found on Gov.uk at: Skilled Worker visa: Overview - GOV.UK.
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Bell Ribeiro-Addy:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the administrative cost to her Department is for child citizenship application processing. \p Seema Malhotra: The Home Office publishes the fees charged and the estimated unit cost of processing immigration and nationality applications on GOV.UK. This can be reviewed via the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-fees-transparency-data.
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Andrew Griffith:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of visas that would be eligible for exemptions from paying National Insurance contributions in the UK under the Double Contribution Convention with India that will be issued in each of the next five years. \p Seema Malhotra: The Double Contributions Convention (DCC) is not a visa route. It will be a reciprocal international treaty between countries which ensures that detached workers are only liable to pay social security contributions in one country at a time on the same earnings.

A detached worker is an employee who is sent by their employer to carry out a period of temporary work in another country. The definition of a detached worker does not map onto any single visa route and is a distinct test applied for National Insurance.

Around 17,000 Indian nationals (main applicants) came to the UK to work in 2024 on Skilled Worker and Global Business Mobility: Senior or Specialist Worker visas - however, only a subset of these types of workers will be eligible to be treated as a detached worker and continue paying contributions in India rather than the UK. This will be reciprocal for UK detached workers in India. Dependents are not detached workers. If a detached worker’s family members take up employment in the UK then they pay UK National Insurance.
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Andrew Griffith:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the mean salary provided at application by Indian nationals issued with a Senior or Specialist Worker visa (Global Business Mobility) was in (a) 2023 and (b) 2024. \p Seema Malhotra: Applicants to the Global Business Mobility Senior or Specialist route must be awarded points for the salary requirement, either meeting the general salary requirement of £48,500 or the relevant going rate for their occupation, whichever is higher. The Home Office doesn't hold the information requested in a reportable format and this information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people had asylum applications refused and were living in Government-funded accommodation as of 1 April 2025. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on the number of asylum seekers in receipt of support is published in table Asy_D09 of the ‘Asylum support detailed datasets’. The latest data relates to as at 31 December 2024. Data for as at 31 March 2025 will be published on 22 May 2025.

Data on refusals on asylum claims is published in table Asy_D02 of the ‘Asylum applications, initial decisions and resettlement detailed datasets’. The latest data relates to 2024. This data will include all asylum seekers, not just those in receipt of support.

Information on how to use the datasets can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbooks.
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Mr Peter Bedford:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to deport people who have been living in the UK illegally for more than five years. \p Dame Angela Eagle: This government pledged to deliver the highest rate of removals since 2018 and this has been surpassed, with a surge in returns activity leading to over 24,000 people with no right to be in the UK being removed in the first nine months after the election.
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Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of support available to staff in asylum accommodation who experience harassment in Surrey. \p Dame Angela Eagle: The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration system under regular review, in consultation with a wide range of experts and stakeholders.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

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Ben Obese-Jecty:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cancellation process is for a lost or stolen ASPEN card. \p Dame Angela Eagle: I refer the Hon Member to the Answer he received on the 01 May 2025 to UIN 47395, 47396 & 47903.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-12 conversation_274

Colum Eastwood:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to develop new country information for Syria; and when she plans to resume processing asylum claims. \p Dame Angela Eagle: As we explained at the time of announcing a pause on decision making, we have kept that pause under constant review. Without stable, objective information on which to base an accurate assessment of a claimant’s risk on return to Syria, we are unable to make robust, reliable decisions on claims for international protection. The Home Office has been gathering and assessing objective country information from a range of sources about the situation in Syria since the fall of the al-Assad regime. As soon as there is a sufficiently clear basis upon which to make determinations, asylum decision-making will recommence.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-12 conversation_275

Kevin Hollinrake:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 April 2025 to Question 45034 on Chinese Embassy: Planning Permission, whether her Department has had discussions with Historic England on proposals for a Chinese Embassy in Tower Hamlets. \p Chris Bryant: DCMS officials have held discussions with Historic England on proposals for a Chinese Embassy in Tower Hamlets limited to the State of Conservation Report submitted in November 2024 and the inclusion of Historic England's advice to the Public Inquiry and Planning Inspectorate in the paragraph 172 notification submitted in February 2025.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-12 conversation_276

Max Wilkinson:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with R&A on the hosting of the Open Championship in 2028. \p Stephanie Peacock: Sporting bodies operate independently of the Government. Decisions on tournament hosting venues are rightly a matter for the relevant sporting bodies, in this case the R&A and its operational team.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-12 conversation_277

Sir John Hayes:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the Charity Commission on whether it plans to amend its policy on the use of women-only spaces in its buildings by transgender women following the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Supreme Court ruling made it clear that the provision of single-sex spaces is on the basis of biological sex. Providers should note and follow the ruling.

It is important that we ensure dignity and respect for all. Trans people should have access to services they need but in keeping with the ruling.

The Equality & Human Rights Commission, as Britain’s Equalities watchdog, is developing updated guidance to support service providers. The Charity Commission for England and Wales will consider the EHRC’s updated draft once they have submitted it following further work in light of this ruling.

Ministers and officials regularly meet with the Charity Commission. In relation to this specific judgement, the Commission is considering the implications, including what this means for its buildings.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-12 conversation_278

Mary Glindon:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of (a) adult gaming centres and (b) bingo clubs on communities. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Minister for Gambling met with representatives of Bacta, a trade association which represents the adult gaming centre sector, at the Bingo Association Annual General Meeting on 1 May 2025, where she also met with other representatives from the land-based gambling sector. A further meeting between the Minister for Gambling and Bacta is scheduled in May 2025. The Minister has held several other meetings with representatives from the land-based gambling sector.

The Government recognises the contributions that adult gaming centres and bingo clubs make to communities, including providing local employment and spaces where people can have fun and socialise. We will continue to work with the land-based gambling sector to mitigate the risks of gambling-related harm and strengthen player protections in venues.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-12 conversation_279

Josh Newbury:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of vehicles rented by her Department are electric vehicles. \p Stephanie Peacock: For security reasons, specific details in relation to the use of official cars, including the make and model of vehicles, are not released.

Guidance relating to the use of official cars in the Government Car Service is set out in the Civil Service Management Code.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-12 conversation_280

Saqib Bhatti:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that tipping sliders on online fundraising platforms can be dragged to zero. \p Stephanie Peacock: Fundraising platforms are commercial organisations that provide an important service to charities and donors. Most platforms are registered with the Fundraising Regulator, which is the independent, non-statutory regulator of charitable fundraising in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. DCMS meets with the Fundraising Regulator regularly to discuss a range of issues.

The Fundraising Regulator’s new Code of Fundraising Practice, which will come into force on 1 November 2025, includes requirements for fundraising platforms to include information for donors about how fees, including any voluntary tips, are calculated. The information must be easy to find, and include details on how voluntary tips can be amended or removed altogether in a straightforward way.

The government has no current plans to bring forward legislation on fundraising platforms. DCMS will continue working with the Fundraising Regulator, charities, and online giving platforms to support best practice across all forms of charitable fundraising.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-12 conversation_281

Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support increased participation in grassroots rugby. \p Stephanie Peacock: The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.

The Government provides the majority of funding for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding each year. Sport England’s work focuses on increasing participation in sport, including rugby, at grassroots level to give more and better opportunities to all.

Sport England provides long term investment to the Rugby Football Union and Rugby Football League, the National Governing Bodies for rugby. The Rugby Football Union receives £13.9 million from 2022-27 and the Rugby Football League (RFL) receives £11.9 million from 2022-2025 of funding to support grassroots rugby league.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-12 conversation_282

Mark Ferguson:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of workplace safeguarding rights for volunteers in the third sector. \p Stephanie Peacock: Volunteers serve at the heart of our communities nationwide, dedicating their time to create positive change and enhance the lives of those around them. The Government is committed to supporting volunteering, which is critical to a vibrant, connected and resilient civil society.

We monitor the rights and responsibilities placed on volunteers to ensure they are proportionate. These rights and responsibilities reflect that volunteers are not contracted employees, however sometimes do act on behalf of organisations. Legislation for paid employees or workers including the Equality Act 2010 and the Employment Rights Act 1996, does not apply to volunteers. Volunteers do have other protections, including through the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-12 conversation_283

Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the press release entitled Major investment to boost growth and cement Britain’s place as cultural powerhouse, published on 20 February 2025, whether this funding is additional to funding allocated at the Autumn Budget 2024. \p Chris Bryant: The £270 million Arts Everywhere Fund is made up of multiple funds including the £85 million Creative Foundations Fund and the £20 million Museum Renewal Fund. Full details of these funds can be found on the UK Parliament website here.

The Autumn Budget 2024 set out the new settlements for FY 2025-26 as part of the SR Phase 1. The Arts Everywhere Fund announcement brought together arts programme funding - all of which were included in the overall settlement, as a single strategy. Within the Arts Everywhere Fund are brand new programmes as well as further/new funding rounds for established programmes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-12 conversation_284

Blake Stephenson:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer to Question 43757 on Aquariums and Zoos: Tourism, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to GREAT programme funding on Visit Britain’s work to promote (a) safari parks, (b) zoos and (c) aquariums. \p Chris Bryant: The GREAT Britain & Northern Ireland campaign remains an effective tool in driving economic growth and we will continue to work closely with partners to optimise the campaign’s resources to deliver growth right across the UK. DCMS recognises the importance of the GREAT programme funding in supporting the UK’s international tourism promotion, including the work of VisitBritain to showcase the diverse range of visitor experiences available across the UK. VisitBritain’s latest annual attractions survey for 2023 showed that visits to wildlife parks and zoos increased by 6% from the previous year and will continue to monitor the impact of any changes.
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Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-05-12)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-05-12 conversation_285

Edward Morello:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help support hotels in West Dorset constituency. \p Chris Bryant: The Government recognises that hotels in the West Dorset constituency are a major driver of the local economy, contributing to tourism revenue, creating jobs and supporting related industries like restaurants, retail, and transportation. The Government supports hotels across West Dorset through measures such as business rates relief, and funding opportunities like the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in the aim to alleviate operational costs, promote regional tourism, and drive economic growth.

On Friday 2 May, it was announced that Dorset has acquired LVEP status. Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs) work in partnership with VisitEngland. These LVEPs will provide strong local leadership and governance in tourism destinations all over the country. They will work collaboratively with both local authority and private sector partners to communicate investment opportunities and to showcase Dorset's strengths as a place to live, work, study and invest in, as well as a premier destination for visitors.